Backwoods NE in Florida

[ReadingBob]

Hey, I recognize one or two of those structures.   

I think your backdrops are going to be quite dramatic and they'll look wonderful when finalized.  I really like the effect you're going for.  The only thing I don't care for is the sideways effect.       

[cuse]

As promised, I put in a little train time today. I had to wade a few pages in and push through the warnings about this dead thread to get here, but...


I am just about ready to start building serious landforms on the "Backwoods" side of my layout. I thought I'd investigate the use of forced perspective by placing some N scale structures on top of a hill just to suggest some sort of development (sawmill, town, etc). I think it might just work but I want to look at it for a while before I commit. My plan would be to densely pack the area around it with trees to minimize it's effect and make the viewer have to dig around to see it. We'll see...


John

[cuse]

A few more pics of my N scale structure stash relocated to a remote mountaintop...just thinking

[Rail and Tie]

I think your forced perspective idea is going to work!  I have been thinking about the same type of thing to bring depth to a not so deep layout.  Looking forward to see how this goes.  The idea of surrounding it with scaling foliage is a good one to separate the viewer from the big to the little.  You really have me thinking now...


Awesome layout by the way. I really like your shadowbox approach. 

[ACL1504]

John,

Happy to see you back at the layout. It gets the juices flowing doesn't it?

Looking forward to more of what you are planning.

Tom

[Janbouli]

Great idea John, I'm hoping you can tell us if it works in real the way it looks on photo's.

[cuse]

Thank you guys. It's exciting to have the layout pulling at me. 2018 was a good year, just not for the layout...I'm back in.

[S&S RR]

John


I just got caught up on your progress.  It is great to see you back at it. The backdrops look fantastic. Love the depth they give to the layout. I will be watching with great interest. Keep the inspiration going my friend. Work is only there to pay for the layout.

[PRR Modeler]

I think that will work well for you. Nice job.

[madharry]

John the backscene looks cracking! Using n scale buildings and cars should work really well together with shorter trees near the backscene and the taller trees to the front of the layout. I am planning to do this for my new Norwegian layout but unfortunately I am having to use pictures of Wales instead of your moody Alaska shots for my backscene. For this new layout I will be using Full Scenic Baseboards like yourself.
Keep up the good work. BTW love the curved corners on the backscene - another of my goals..........
Mike

[Janbouli]

Oh , I'm getting N-scale company , what a treat. I know John already has the n-scale structures , but I'm expecting some real nice work from you Mike.

[cuse]

So I actually did something worth documenting on the layout...


I scenicked (at the workbench) a foam corner landform I had previously cut, stacked, and glued to fit. First, I hot glued some rock castings I had laying around. Then, I "frosted" the whole thing with some Ground Goop (Lou Sassi recipe) and spread a great variety of ground cover layers ranging from ground foam to static grass of various colors to tea leaves and more. Then I soaked it with a spray of rubbing alcohol and followed with a dropper full of diluted white glue. While still very wet, I applied static grass with my grassmaster. Then, I placed fallen branches, small trees, various Scenic Express shrubs, and some stumps made from real rotted branches, before finally planting the large evergreens. The final touch was a little rubber moose I picked up at a store counter while visiting Maine last year. I'll let it all dry for a day or two and carefully free it from the wax paper beneath for placement on the layout.

[engine909]

Extremely well done.
ed

[Janbouli]

What a piece of art , very Troels Kirk and Martin Welberg like.

[PRR Modeler]

Very nice.