What's New on the PRR Panhandle Division?

[healey36]

So you have an over-lapping, sort of a 3-D backdrop design? Interesting, or am I not understanding what I'm seeing?

Healey

Yeah, it is a 3-D backdrop design. The backdrop behind the bridge stands out from the wall about 6". Probably a left-over from the 60's, man.

In retrospect:
1) I would never do this again. The Hidden Passing Siding seemed like a good idea at the time.
2) The operating delusion was to join these backdrops. The sequence of construction events eliminated this option.

Thanks to you, I have just had an idea on how to eliminate this. I am going to work it out and see where it goes.

George

Hey, don't deviate from plan on my account. I was just noting that the panel at the forefront seems to not jive with the panel at the rear (which I believe nicely displayed a curve in the river and the resultant shoreline). If you're trying to hide the siding that will run behind the bridge, yeah, not sure how one can best do that. Carry on, my man, looking forward to developments!

Healey

[G3750]

So you have an over-lapping, sort of a 3-D backdrop design? Interesting, or am I not understanding what I'm seeing?

Healey

Yeah, it is a 3-D backdrop design. The backdrop behind the bridge stands out from the wall about 6". Probably a left-over from the 60's, man.

In retrospect:
1) I would never do this again. The Hidden Passing Siding seemed like a good idea at the time.
2) The operating delusion was to join these backdrops. The sequence of construction events eliminated this option.

Thanks to you, I have just had an idea on how to eliminate this. I am going to work it out and see where it goes.

George

Hey, don't deviate from plan on my account. I was just noting that the panel at the forefront seems to not jive with the panel at the rear (which I believe nicely displayed a curve in the river and the resultant shoreline). If you're trying to hide the siding that will run behind the bridge, yeah, not sure how one can best do that. Carry on, my man, looking forward to developments!

Healey

Oh, it's too late now and it's all your fault!

Actually, I have not been happy with the plan for awhile now. I just couldn't figure out how to fix it. I think I just have.

More when I determine if this is a brainstorm or a brain farm.

George

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Are you having a good time, George, 'cause I'm not getting the fun-vibe on this from you. Recreation? Relaxation? Creative satisfaction? Enjoyment? Play?

[G3750]

Are you having a good time, George, 'cause I'm not getting the fun-vibe on this from you. Recreation? Relaxation? Creative satisfaction? Enjoyment? Play?

Frank,

I must confess that the last few weeks have been a mixed bag. I am having some fun, but also feeling a little unhappy with myself regarding some earlier decisions that are now biting me in the ***. I was hoping to be running trains by now. Instead, I just keep finding more obstacles in my path. When you start 100' from your objective and keep cutting the distance from it in half, do you ever get to the target?

Having said that, I remain optimistic. I have just come up with a solution that makes some of the problems go away - I just need to test it a bit further to see if it is practical.

Thank you for asking.

George

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Are you having a good time, George, 'cause I'm not getting the fun-vibe on this from you. Recreation? Relaxation? Creative satisfaction? Enjoyment? Play?

Frank,

I must confess that the last few weeks have been a mixed bag. I am having some fun, but also feeling a little unhappy with myself regarding some earlier decisions that are now biting me in the ***. I was hoping to be running trains by now. Instead, I just keep finding more obstacles in my path. ...
George

When I first had the idea, in 1995, of having a permanent layout in the basement, I knew I was headed for trouble. Why? I had no idea how to construct one.
So, I asked my LHS proprietor how to construct the "platform," as it was called when I was a boy. I decided to follow his instructions assiduously, using 20 [4'x8'] sheets of 3/4" plywood ("finished" on one side) and 2x4's pre-cut by a lumberyard for legs and framing, along with enough "carriage bolts" to affix legs at each corner to the frames (See attached photos). That those twenty sheets of plywood would be enough, or too much, was a rank-amateur's guess, made by standing in the emptied basement and approximating, by tracing an imagined layout with a finger in the air, how many sheets of plywood it would take to fill the basement end-to-end.
I was having loads of fun, but quickly came to wonder about my decision to order that amount of lumber the day it arrived. We had to remove both cars from the garage (not the last time they have been exiled due to train shenanigans) for the lumberyard truck to deliver the order. My first reaction was, "Aw lawdee, what have I done?! I ordered way too much lumber!" I thought. I was intimidated by its volume, stacked in the garage.

Then, I figured, "Oh, whatthehell," and plunged into making the first 4x8' "platform". It took 1 hr. and 20 min. upside down, on its top, legs up in the air.

Next, the second dilemma presented itself, hinting to me that I had made a big mistake starting the whole project at all. I could not upright the platform by myself, afraid I would snap the legs off trying to do so. My wife came to the rescue. Four hands were better than two, and we flipped it up onto its feet like a proper train-table should be. Hurrah.

The second platform took 20 minutes, only, including up-righting it. I was on my way! And once the entire basement was filled with all that plywood and 2x4's, the fragrance alone inspired me to see that I had not made a mistake in taking on the project. The plywood miniature acreage invited me into a creative adventure and social experience that continues to this day.

Actually, it has all been enjoyable. Fun, indeed. Adult play. And it has been that way ever since.

Relax. Don't aggravate yourself. Take breaks, Rest. And you will find your way through all the challenges, growing new problem-solving brain cells, too, as a bonus and intrinsic benefit along the way. I wish you the absolute best.
Frank da Murph

[G3750]

Thank you, Frank!

George

[G3750]

Updated 3/7/2016:

I think my backdrop idea has some merit. Here's the plan:

• Uninstall Backdrop #2. Prop it and Backdrops 3, 3.5, and 4 in line so that all can be painted or touched up with the correct shade of paint. Lines for hillsides and lines would be continuous.
• Take Backdrop #2 and re-install it 6" out from the rear wall. It would be anchored at the table top. A 6" block of pink foam and some Velcro would work as a spacer.
• Cut Backdrop #3.5 to fit the opening created. Mate it to Backdrop #3.
• Install Backdrops 3 & 3.5 as planned - 6" out from the rear wall to accommodate the passing siding.
• Install Backdrop #4 in the same manner - 6" out from the rear wall.
• Seam and tape all backdrops together. Touch-up with paint.

The upside is the elimination of the goofy 3-D effect. There would be 1 large backdrop with continuous sky and hillside levels.

The downside is a bit more work, a bit more delay, but not the end of the world.

Some real work did get done. Here are four more bridge shoes (for the abutments).

W_Rebuild_69_.JPG (35.51 KiB) Viewed 3419 times

George

[healey36]

Sounds like a good solution...anything to avoid obscuring the view of the river as portrayed curving into/beneath the bridge, which for me was the most alluring section of the backdrop.

Healey

[G3750]

Sounds like a good solution...anything to avoid obscuring the view of the river as portrayed curving into/beneath the bridge, which for me was the most alluring section of the backdrop.

Healey

Thanks Healey, I think so. Here's a diagram that shows both overhead and (below) face-on views of the backdrops. In the face-on view (not to scale, BTW), the assumption is that the backdrops are blended so that their boundaries are difficult to discern. Here we show the boundaries for illustrative purposes.

20160308 Backdrop Positions.jpg (34.96 KiB) Viewed 3398 times

Hope this is clear.

George

[healey36]

I get it. The way panels #2 and #3 were butting was causing me confusion due to the break in the illusion of the ridge-line:



The artist should be able to mesh those and maintain continuity of the illusion across the back to the far left.

George, I feel like I've caused you a lot of pain. I've nothing as complex as this on my prewar layout.

Healey

[G3750]

I get it. The way panels #2 and #3 were butting was causing me confusion due to the break in the illusion of the ridge-line:



The artist should be able to mesh those and maintain continuity of the illusion across the back to the far left.

George, I feel like I've caused you a lot of pain. I've nothing as complex as this on my prewar layout.

Healey

Healey, you've nothing to fret about. I had not thought through the design adequately. By and large, I have too many overcomplicated design concepts on this layout. The artist was going to fix the lines, but I like my new solution much better! And it is better - a much more simple, straightforward solution to the backdrop problem.

In fact, thank you for dragging the problem out in the open where I could kill it.

Coming to York next month? Or the 2 rail show at Strasburg?

George

[Rufus T. Firefly]

...........a much more simple, straightforward solution to the backdrop problem.

How about this for a backdrop:

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Not enough detail. And it needs more figures.

[rogruth]

That should fit in real well in the Steubenville area.
Remember this was Dean Martin's hometown amongst other things.
It wouldn't be that clean because of the pollution from the mills and mines.
Oh, wait. It's all cleaned up now since the mills and mines are closed.

[G3750]

Not enough detail. And it needs more figures.

I have several responses:
1) You're right. Not enough detail and need more figures because we never do things simply here on the Panhandle.
2) Can't we somehow work in Dante's 7 levels of Hell?
3) What, no ark?



George