Curves and Turnbacks – Pictures?

[rickb773]

I have a series of articles that have been accepted for coming publication in N Scale Magazine. The last one will deal with scenicing/hiding Curves and “Turnbacks” (90, 180/270 and 360 degrees) and how I wrestled with them during my rebuild.

I am sure others have successfully dealt with the same challenges, so if you would like to donate a photo (with details) to the effort please send them to me ASAP and I will try to work in the best ones. (The publisher is working on the editing sooner than I expected.) The photos need to be magazine quality so adjust your cameras appropriately.

I especially would like to see someone with a mountainous layout that utilized the tunnel-Spindly Trestle – tunnel dramatic effect but I am sure any creative solutions would be appreciated by the readers.

P.S. The article also deals with keeping trains from cascading to the floor.

[Chris333]

My door layout:

[rickb773]

My door layout:

Chris, Your work is always an inspiration.
Send me the jpg/tiff/etc with the caption you want.
Use my hotmail account which is my forum ID withOUT the "B" in it.

[dem34]

Incomplete scene so I don't know how much it contributes. Back of my layout has a hill just high enough to hide my tallest rolling stock, one end the train disappears through an underpass, the other end it meanders into a dense forest.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I had a couple on Windsor St:







There are actually a bunch here: http://conrail1285.com/all-the-windsor-st-layout-photos/

[DKS]

I regret that I don't have a photograph of this, but perhaps it might still provide food for thought.

On my White River & Northern 4, I disguised a turnback with a highway overpass, the kind with short concrete tunnels. The tracks continue on under the road, while dummy tracks extend from the overpass and cross at a junction. It was quite effective.



EDIT: This is the only image I have that shows anything, with the first tunnel at the extreme far right. Regrettably the image can't be used, because it was taken by Lou Sassi for GMR.



I also found this super-low-res overhead photo, so you can sort of see what it looked like as a model. You might be able to get the sense that I used a dense bank of shrubbery along the edge of the ROW to keep trains from dropping to the floor.

[rickb773]

I regret that I don't have a photograph of this, but perhaps it might still provide food for thought.

On my White River & Northern 4, I disguised a turnback with a highway overpass, the kind with short concrete tunnels. The tracks continue on under the road, while dummy tracks extend from the overpass and cross at a junction. It was quite effective.



EDIT: This is the only image I have that shows anything, with the first tunnel at the extreme far right. Regrettably the image can't be used, because it was taken by Lou Sassi for GMR.



I also found this super-low-res overhead photo, so you can sort of see what it looked like as a model. You might be able to get the sense that I used a dense bank of shrubbery along the edge of the ROW to keep trains from dropping to the floor.

Darn! That would have been an effective shot. Nice technique.
How dense was your edge shrubbery? Would it have been effective in a pile-up?

[DKS]

Darn! That would have been an effective shot. Nice technique.
How dense was your edge shrubbery? Would it have been effective in a pile-up?

It was pretty dense. I used Woodland Scenics foliage clumps, which are quite solid, and built them up to make a low wall. Don't know if it could have handled a major pileup, but it did keep anything tipping off of the track from dropping.

[rickb773]

Last Call!

I think due to lack of response, most of you must be hiding from law enforcement and don't want to be found via an international publication. 

Chris, I cleaned up the haze and balanced the picture somewhat (remember this is a red-green color blind person talking (but fortunately Affinity Software has some presets)). I think it is useable. It will be more a question of how big a picture the magazine can make with the current picture resolution.

[mu26aeh]

I'll throw a couple in from version 1 of my layout before I double decked it.  I thought I had a picture of finished scenery but I guess this was what I had.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Last Call!

I think due to lack of response, most of you must be hiding from law enforcement and don't want to be found via an international publication. 

Chris, I cleaned up the haze and balanced the picture somewhat (remember this is a red-green color blind person talking (but fortunately Affinity Software has some presets)). I think it is useable. It will be more a question of how big a picture the magazine can make with the current picture resolution.

Was any of my stuff useful?

[Dave V]

I was getting ready to share shots of Windy Point on my RGS...as a turnback location it screamed out for a rock face that overhung the fascia.  But alas...the track in the photos is HOn3, not N.

[DeltaBravo]

Here is one from my old HCD layout. 

[DKS]

You are welcome to use the artwork showing what I did. I know it's not what you wanted, but maybe it's better than nothing? The original artwork is vector format, so it can be enlarged to any size. Let me know and I'll send you a vector rendering.

[randgust]

This is probably the favorite one on the layout - 90-degree curve exiting the visible portion of the layout back into the hidden storage.

The backdrop curves in, the track curves out.   There is a front-surface mirror on the LH side reflecting part of the 'hill' and the highway.

The overpass is right on the backdrop, cut-away underneath so you can see under it, more backdrop under it.    This is modeled after the highway overpass on the west end of the Winslow, AZ yard and it is a curved, concrete bridge.



Heavily modified Rix bridge to fit the curve.