Those N scale multipane windows will likely obscure a lot of interior detail. If you really want to build an interior, knock yourself out as interior work can be a lot of fun. Unfortunately, layout visitors seldom look close enough to see such details, especially when they don't know you actually want them to look for interior details! This is true on my HO scale layout and probably more so on an N scale layout.
If you really want the interior noticed, you have to add lighting to the interior of the building and light it all the time. Probably the fastest way to add an interior is to find an appropriate photo on the internet, then crop and print it out in N scale. Look for photos taken from the center of one side of the room, or from the front of the store/business. Crop/size the photo so it is a bit longer than the width of the room you are placing the interior photo. This way you can gently curve the photo so that the ends are touching/glued-to the front corners of the room with the center of the photo set back into the room. Make sure the interior lighting is in front of your photo interior and it should look pretty good. Add flooring material, a few pieces of 3D (or even 2D printed) furniture and a figure or two and it will look even better!
Keep in mind that any interior detail work should be for your own enjoyment as most of your layout visitors just won't look that closely. For instance, my HO layout includes a television store with about 10 different TV sets visible through the large front window. Even though all the sets are modeled to look like they are all set to the same channel AND all the TV's are backlit with a bright LED, not one layout visitor has noticed that on their own. Maybe if I modify the LED to flicker like an old B&W picture tube, the TV store might attract more attention. Anyone know of a way to model poor vertical hold in HO scale?
On the other hand, I had to scratch build a model of an old Methodist church that is a signature structure in one layout scene. It has interior lighting but no interior detail. However, almost everyone looks at it closely one they notice the stain glass windows. I modeled these using clear plastic with black "leading" printed in random shapes using a laser printer on the front side and colored markers used to fill in the different shapes on the back side. Everyone notices this building, even though it sits directly against the backdrop.
Yet another structure is a narrow triangle shaped building with large storefront windows front and back. It is quite easy to see right through this building even with the interior lighting off so I had no choice but to add an interior. The building houses a liquor store so I first added a checkered floor printed on glossy paper to simulate tile. Next, I built shelving units and a sales counter using strip styrene and painted all but the top of the sales counter white. I cobbled together a cash register using more styrene shapes and painted it gold. I first started to "stock" the shelves using individual pieces of styrene rod and rectangular strip but soon realized I'd be at for years! So, I went back to the internet to find photos of grocery store shelves. I cropped and sized the photos to fit my HO scale shelves, glued the photos to more styrene strip, then placed a mix of the previous 3D products with the product photos on the various shelves. The results are spectacular with nobody yet realizing the photo products are flat and not 3D. I next added product posters and decals to the interior walls and storefront glass and placed several figures around the store, including one behind the sales counter. Keep in mind though, that little of this would be visible if it weren't for the fact that each storefront window is about 1 true inch tall by almost 2 true inches wide (there are four windows this size).
In comparison, I have found that my industrial buildings don't really need interiors beyond shadow boxes inside the large overhead doors. Essentially, these are small boxes painted flat black and placed just inside the open industrial doors with a small assortment of details placed in the box. A printed shelving unit applied to the back wall of the shadow box with a forklift being driven out the door is usually enough to imply that a full interior is there but simply can't be seen in the shadows beyond. I did try to include interior shapes in the Walthers Greatland Sugar plant kit I kitbashed for my layout. I added multiple LED lights along the inside of the roof peak to light everything inside. However, even these HO scale multipane windows do a great job of blocking the view to the interior. If you know to look inside, you will see both the lighting and the various machinery "shapes" but not well enough to know that the machinery "shapes" are just painted blocks of wood arranged to suggest machinery. I guess in that way this interior could be deemed a success but nobody would ever be able to identify anything they might see.
So to summarize, I would add full interiors only to N scale buildings with large single pane windows, interior suggestions/photos to N scale buildings with large multipane windows, shadow boxes inside open industrial overhead doors, and just drapes/shades in smaller multipane windows. Since it is difficult to see into a closed window in bright sunlight, I feel comfortable adding a piece of black paper behind my curtains/shades. If you want to add lighting but no interior, add a shot of DullCote or other flat clear to the inside of the windows but after any curtains/shades are in place. This will allow light to escape but the frosted glass won't let you see in.
Hornblower
mbinsewi I work in HO, but you might want to assemble the walls, finish the corner seams, than paint the exterior, so it's all uniform in color. I had that building in HO, but it was a Built-Up, all assembled. Mike.
I work in HO, but you might want to assemble the walls, finish the corner seams, than paint the exterior, so it's all uniform in color.
I had that building in HO, but it was a Built-Up, all assembled.
Mike.
Hi Mike. Yes I think that next time I will only paint the interior walls in black while the parts are still on the sprues.
Thanks!
Stef
My You Tube
Hi everyone!
I have started to model an industry office. I don't know yet what kind of office it will be.
With the little experience I have in modeling, I have concluded that it's easier to paint the pieces on the sprues first. First, I began by painting the interior walls in black. Then, I am painting the exterior walls, the roof and the stairs.
Next step will be to assemble the model and to weather it. Maybe changing the brick color a little bit because I am not satisfied with the result.