Garden Railway Forum

Hi Folks
I've been tidying up the forecourt to Beeston Market Station. A job which has been on to do list for some time.

A general view of the approach.
The coal yard
The cafe (difficult to hide the 'real' garden from some shots). Rik

Beautiful and believable scenes Rik, lovely details which could easily be taken from life.

Hi Rik,

Very nice! As Peter says, you have to look twice to be sure it's not real.

Andrew

The cafe looks very real to me.

Nice stuff Rik, that coalyard scene is a cracker. The layout of the station, cafe and yard look very realistic.

Thanks folks
Quite relieved that job is now off the list. Trying to decide whether to make a backscene for this corner. What's the consensus on backscenes in the garden?

Rik

Personally I think nature is the best backscene. There was a wheelbarrow in the rear of one picture but was only after several passes. I think train eyes are adept at seeing the railway and accompanying surroundings first and backdrop later. That said I limit the number of shots in my work shop area!

bazzer42 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 07, 2018 7:24 am Personally I think nature is the best backscene. There was a wheelbarrow in the rear of one picture but was only after several passes. I think train eyes are adept at seeing the railway and accompanying surroundings first and backdrop later. That said I limit the number of shots in my work shop area!

I agree with you Bazzer. I hadn't spotted the wheelbarrow either. I had to go back and look for it.

Ian

I have used backscenes on my garden railway and whilst they look good and add to the realism of close up viewing and in photos, I find that they can be rather intrusive when looking at the garden as a whole. It's a clever artist that can combine a backscene with nature's growth, sadly I'm not a clever artist.
Coincidentally, I am at present trying in my mind to develope a station scene to complement my railway extension which is bordered on two sides by wooden fencing. Fairly easy to install all manner of railway infrastructure to make it look like railway but will look totally out of place in the garden setting, so somehow I have to come up with a balance. One idea I have been toying with, is a removable panel that has a railway type scene painted/superimposed on it that will satisfy my modelling needs and when that is removed and stored away, what remains will be more garden like.
When, (being the operative word) I have come up with a satisfactory solution, I will post my efforts on here.

Just thought that this would give you a better idea of what I was talking about.
At the moment it does look a bit stark but my intention is to soften the lines of the fencing by growing climbing plants e.g. clematis and trachelspernum (spelling?) and along the front of the framework there will be plants in containers.
Sorry, I think that I might be hi jacking Rik's original post, I'll shut up.

ge_rik wrote: ↑Thu Jun 07, 2018 6:46 am Thanks folks
Quite relieved that job is now off the list. Trying to decide whether to make a backscene for this corner. What's the consensus on backscenes in the garden?

Rik

The forecourt is nice, especially the refreshment room in its setting. I did notice the wheelbarrow but only because you said you couldn't hide the garden and I looked to see what you were talking about!

Personally I don't think a painted backscene is right in garden setting. Even in small scale layouts they only look right when viewed from a particular point. I like the use of low relief buildings to disguise whats behind. In this shot of mine, the buildings range from approx 15mm thick to about 50mm thick and are tall enough that the eye tends not to see the wooden shed wall above. The second picture is before the pub was added at the LH end and shows how obtrusive the wooden wall was

Difficult to advise on what is best option in this case. We don't know the layout of the garden or what else is surrounding the railway, or even the best access for Rik to operate his railway. Possibly the simplest solution is to move the wheelbarrow if that leaves an open view beyond the structures?
So now, having found a suitable place to store it, a new site might be required?

Peter Butler wrote: ↑Thu Jun 07, 2018 10:02 am
So now, having found a suitable place to store it, a new site might be required?

I agree with Peter, move the barrow and extend a siding to the wainwright's factory where carts are manufactured....using wood from the saw mill...

pandsrowe wrote: ↑Thu Jun 07, 2018 8:51 am ........ Sorry, I think that I might be hi jacking Rik's original post, I'll shut up.

Not at all, Phil. I posed the question and so am really interested in a range of responses. I think it's ok when you have a garden where it's possible to have natural backgrounds, but not everyone has this luxury. If, like you, your railway is up against a fence or a brick wall, then I'd say it's ok to make some sort of artificial background.

I might try experimenting more with photographic enhancements. I've had a go at some 'green screening' in one of my videos. I erected a couple of cheap blue tarpaulins in front of the house walls and conservatory behind my railway and then replaced them in my video editor with landscapes.

Here's what the background to the first two shots would have been .....
And here's the video .....



Rik

Wow Rik.... that is just amazing, without your prior notice I doubt I would have seen the landscape in the distance. I bet you can juggle too!

Agree with Peter. Actually, even knowing what to look for I wasn't sure where it started and stopped.

ge_rik wrote: ↑Thu Jun 07, 2018 6:46 am Thanks folks
Quite relieved that job is now off the list. Trying to decide whether to make a backscene for this corner. What's the consensus on backscenes in the garden?
Rik

I think there might be different reasons for wanting a backscene. I've always wanted to try them just for photography reasons. For those with nice gardens and plenty of good 'vistas' they may not see the need. But I have only a few view angles which don't have fences, sheds or houses in them. Consequently, I've been considering the printed banners offered by print shops, but not yet got around to ordering them. The hard part seems to be finding suitable colour pictures and I spend much time on the web searching.
But as a 'mockup' example, this is why I'd like to try them. Here's my Fibro Flat station against my house and a maybe backscene.

gregh wrote: ↑Fri Jun 08, 2018 7:44 am ...... Here's my Fibro Flat station against my house and a maybe backscene.
FF composite.jpg

Now that's what I call a backscene (Beeston Castle )

Rik

Peter Butler wrote: ↑Thu Jun 07, 2018 10:17 pm ...... I bet you can juggle too!

Only for about 10 seconds - and only with non perishable items!

Rik

ge_rik wrote: ↑Fri Jun 08, 2018 8:15 am Now that's what I call a backscene (Beeston Castle )
Rik

Eagle eyes!