Nice and high - if the layouts stays at home they can be as high as you like. The relation to width is unimportant.

Depends on the viewing height of the layout from the floor. For the inside section of the heatherburn I have used the garage wall as the track level is about 18" from the floor but on potters lane the 16" module spec looks spot on when the layout sits on its 4' high frame although when at table height it looks too small. ;-)

I have been doing some thinking on this subject, I can use the walls . Just awant a bit of advice? Is it best to wack on the backscenes just after putting on the baseboards so you have no danger of crushing models or dropping paint on them or the track. regards,Derek

Construction wise, yes, I'd say do them as soon as the baseboard is constructed.

I'm also at the point where I'm starting to build up my hills which join to the backboard and I'm glad that I haven't painted or pasted a photo to the backboard as it would be covered in earth plaster type goop and scenic scatter.
Having said that, once the hills are sceniced, how on earth am I going to fit and glue a photo backscene without damaging the scenery!!!

[user=19]Marty[/user] wrote:

, how on earth am I going to fit and glue a photo backscene without damaging the scenery!!!

With a lot of patience mate, loads of it

I have not fitted my backboards as yet but they are cut and waiting to go on but i am doing one section at a time scenery wise and then i fit my boards after i have that section. As mine is a layout you sit in the middle of i have gone for 12inch but as most say, its your layout do what you want :thumbs

Phill

Thanks Marty and Phill for your replies.
It seems Marty its a bit of the chicken and egg which came first.
I have a high town scene planned for one end of the layout.
Maybe a rough sketch on the walls to give one an idea of whats going to be building and where the skyline will come in?
Hmm I think a wacking big brush or roller and splash on lines of base sky colour, what do our experts advise, white on the bottom line moving to different tones as one gets higher?
One can always stick photo scenes or paint buildings and landscape over the lower sky area,It might even blend in better.
Goodluck with your layouts guys.
Derek

This height of back-scene will always be the right height if sufficient vertical space is provided for your tallest buildings…






Copyright CV Russell and E Fells  
Reproduced with their kind permissions.



Just a thought, it need not be taken to such an extreme…..

Doug

The higher the better if you want to take photos without the need of cleaning the background in photoshop. And of course it depends on the buildings. I think since the release of the nice Hornby and Bachmann coaling towers there are some layouts where the buildings are higher than the background. And increasing the height at at later stage is probably not as easy as going for maximum height in the beginning.

Thomas

Derek,

If you haven't already, have a look at this topic about painting your own backscene by our resident artist MikeC.

http://yourmodelrailway.net/view_topic.php?id=2407&forum_id=58

There are other backscene painting topics in the same forum section: Getting you started > scenery > backscenes.

All worth a read before you start.

cheers

:thumbsThanks Marty, I have had a good look at mike Cs art he really does a lovely job with the brushes.

:hmm It would be a hell of an act to follow, Ho Hum, just got to plaster a few bits of the walls first, then get cracking with the roller see what turns up. :lol:

all the best,Derek

Post up the photo's as you go Derek :cool:

It's always good to see how other people go.

I tried painting the sky backscene on my Pentrecourt Halt diorama and quickly decided that a plain blue wash was about as good as I was going to get without some practice.

:lol:Hi Marty, Okay too stay on topic before the forum peelers get us. I have done a prelimary swipe with a 6inch brush and a bucket of white emulsion too a hight of 36inches, DID the end wall and about 6 feet on either side walls. This will cover the town scene. I shall hunt out some light grey and yellow for later, but first I will put on a second coat of white, then start to work in other tones.

I have to run a board across a side window or its really going to look odd :roll:

Hi Doug and Thomas,

Thats a very professional setup Doug ,looks the business :thumbsI think as Thomas said new buildings come along, and they are so tempting or we decide on a change to the layout and feel we need a large brewery and suddenly our backscene has become part of the basebord hightwise. Best I think to plan ahead for tower blocks or other huge structures, we may never go there,but can if we want to.

enjoy the day.

Derek

PS: I have dumped the plaster job :lol: too much hassle. Going to order 4 sheets of 8x4 hardboard cut it down the center to 8x2 sheets and screw them to the wall smooth side out, save me a load of time and mess. The walls can be plastered if I dismantle the layout sometime, or I can leave that job in my will!:doublethumb

I'm of the 'as high as practicable' persuasion. Doug's figure 45 is a good concept for a straight line of backscene.