The Carolina Sandhills Lines in HO Scale

[davefoxx]

Unless the floors are just open space, you might want to add some side-to-side walls as well.  They don't have to be anything substantial, black paper will work just fine, and won't warp the walls.  It can look a little odd when someone looking in the front second-story windows can see out the back first-floor!

Will do!

DFF

[DKS]

Dave, don't know if you've thought about illumination at all, but there's an easy way to create realistic lighting without having to wall off a bunch of spaces in the buildings, and it lets you illuminate just a few random windows for a better effect.



I just make little "window boxes" out of ordinary cardboard. Cut and fold the cubes as shown, securing the edges with tape, white glue, or CA. Insert a cheap pre-wired warm white LED in the hole and secure it with a piece of tape. Apply a piece of frosted "magic" tape to the back of the window to diffuse the light, and then attach the box to the building wall with a little CA along two edges.

The same technique can be used to create small interior vignettes, which you can populate with objects and people for detailed scenes. Easier than trying to add details in situ--just make them at the bench and drop them into place. Also... for a nice touch, use cool white LEDs where fluorescent lighting would be used, such as store interiors.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Do what dks does.

Or do the interiors. Don't be a wimp.

[Point353]

One of the second-story windows needs a sign for "D. Foxx, Esq., Attorney-at-law".

[davefoxx]

I’m probably not going to get into lighting, but I do have plans for small vignettes or photos printed on paper that sits back from the windows, giving a 3D effect.  I won’t be taking tons of time building detailed interiors that mostly won’t be seen.  That’s taking the fun out of the hobby for me.

DFF

[DKS]

I won't be taking tons of time building detailed interiors that mostly won't be seen.

Well... I can see an awful lot of building interiors here...



So, it would be quite sad to see the extraordinary quality of the rest of the layout not continued "indoors"... That said,

That's taking the fun out of the hobby for me.

Fair enough. Gotta follow your heart.

[Chris333]

There used to be a place selling thick printed paper that you could fold and end up with a whole interior. Tile floor and 3 walls. Not 3D, but passed the hey look there's something in there test.

[davefoxx]

There used to be a place selling thick printed paper that you could fold and end up with a whole interior. Tile floor and 3 walls. Not 3D, but passed the hey look there's something in there test.

This is exactly the plan.  DKS is not wrong.  At all.  But, (1) I’m lazy, and (2) the structure in that picture that DKS reposted has no interior walls and no roofs.  Those items have really darkened the interior.  See? (I tried to take a photo from the same angle as the pic DKS reposted, and the tan buildings at the right end do not yet have interior walls.):



DFF

[Point353]

There used to be a place selling thick printed paper that you could fold and end up with a whole interior. Tile floor and 3 walls. Not 3D, but passed the hey look there's something in there test.

Might be - or have been - City Classics.
Their website indicates that the owner has passed, but you can check to see what's still available from Walthers, for example, and elsewhere.
https://www.walthers.com/city_classics/scale-ho_scale-in_stock_status-y_3

[DKS]

See? (I tried to take a photo from the same angle as the pic DKS reposted, and the tan buildings at the right end do not yet have interior walls.)

Well... now I see dark interiors that should be lit with artificial lighting, along with all of the same interior stuff as before, when they weren't dark.

[davefoxx]

Well... now I see dark interiors that should be lit with artificial lighting, along with all of the same interior stuff as before, when they weren't dark.

Touché!  Hahahahaha.

DFF

[DKS]

Better interiors through peer nagging...

[160pennsy]

There used to be a place selling thick printed paper that you could fold and end up with a whole interior. Tile floor and 3 walls. Not 3D, but passed the hey look there's something in there test.

https://roometteslighting.com/

[Chris333]

That is not what I have as they only have 3 N scale kits. But same idea and Dave is a HOer 

[Chris333]

This guy models mostly tanks, but for some reason I keep watching his videos. Anyways this one made me think of that Beetle next to the garage.