Modeling cities sucks

[Point353]

Much more daunting is the amount of detail needed for urban scenes. If I had through things through more thoroughly, I may not have chosen to model the mainline between Bridgeport and New Haven. New London isn’t as bad, but Bridgeport is a details-oriented nightmare.

Are you aiming for an earlier George Sellios Franklin & South Manchester level of detail, or his later period when he tended to dial it back?

[bbussey]

That’s a ridiculous amount of detail, almost to the point of caricature.

This is Bridgeport circa 1972. The elevated trackage, station and the street adjacent to the station in N collectively are only 6” or so deep as viewed from the river and yet chocked with detail.

[peteski]

I love the Turbo Train in the background!  Also notice how much more colorful cars were back then. Now all we seem to have is black, white, and various shades of grays/silvers.  Yes, occasionally some lively colors show up, but not frequently.

[mplsjct]

I love the Turbo Train in the background!  Also notice how much more colorful cars were back then. Now all we seem to have is black, white, and various shades of grays/silvers.  Yes, occasionally some lively colors show up, but not frequently.

Chrome bumpers and radiator grills are complimentary to louder colors, most bumpers and items that used to be chrome are now painted the color of the rest of the car, making them look better in muted colors.

I agree, cars are probably safer now, but I miss the variety of colors.

[peteski]

Chrome bumpers and radiator grills are complimentary to louder colors, most bumpers and items that used to be chrome are now painted the color of the rest of the car, making them look better in muted colors.

I agree, cars are probably safer now, but I miss the variety of colors.

I agree, no more heavy chromed steel bumpers suspended on collapsible hydraulic cylinders. Today there are usually no visible bumpers - it is all a homogeneous body shape, painted the same color as the rest of the car.  And under the skin the bumper is a thin formed steel beam with lots of styrofoam padding, with the plastic skin blending it all to the car body.

I read somewhere that the reason for the dull colors is that the cars have better resale values, because flashy colors are harder sell nowadays. Same goes for houses. Look around and all the houses have really bland colors.  White, and very muted grays greens and blues.  Better resale value.

[MK]

...most bumpers and items that used to be chrome are now painted the color of the rest of the car, making them look better in muted colors.

And with bumper rash!  Especially if you live in a city with parallel parking!

[bman]

My plan is to visit my local Dollar Tree and get the cheap 20inX30in foam core board sheets they sell. We've used these to build structures and other scenery pieces for our 28mm table top games. I take a damp wash cloth and wipe the paper covering and it then will usually peel right off. As far as thickness the foam itself come up to just above the ties on Atlas code 55 track sitting on Midwest Cork road bed. Add a road made from 1mm styrene and your just below the railhead. I am thinking making sidewalks and building footers of a slightly thinker styrene sheet. The foam sheets were $1 a sheet last time I purchased it. Just don't  lean on it it will compress a bit

[sirenwerks]

For true street trackage, I always routed out a channel in the foam, the width and depth of the ties

This. Less work to sink the track than raise the rest of thee world. Make a custom hot wire carve wire and go to town, so to speak...

[Ed Kapuscinski]

This. Less work to sink the track than raise the rest of thee world. Make a custom hot wire carve wire and go to town, so to speak...

If only I had thought of that 2 years ago...

[jbcz]

I know what you mean.  What I did was combine an actual photo background taken from the BU Bridge that I scaled to match the size of the foreground structures to create a believable look of Boston's Backbay even though it is freelanced.  The background provided most of the iconic sights of the skyline.  I included a lighted Citgo sign that is close to scale size.  The foreground provided brownstones and a simplified view of the CSX line that passes under the Mass Turnpike and BU bridge.  I would suggest a similar approach of do it yourself background from the actual location modeled complemented by some foreground structures and let the background carry much of the location load.

[nickelplate759]

I like how you used the model trees to hide the transition to the backdrop on the right.   Also how the right side of the Pru disguises the corner in the backdrop.

[wm3798]

Well, first, look carefully at the area you're modeling.  How flat is it REALLY?  There's always some undulation on either side of the right of way, which through York County, even that isn't very flat.


Obviously, you want your model track to be nice and level, so take some foam core, bits of card stock, whatever you have laying around, and shim the roads up and down as needed.  Oh, now don't sweat those buildings rising and falling with the streetscape...  Use the same shims and build up flat pads for the structures so they follow the terrain.  The parts that show, skin them with some concrete or stone, and voila!  Foundations make the scene look even better.



To me, it's the slight changes of elevation that make all the difference, and makes the upgrade from "Train Table" to "Layout".

Lee

[OldEastRR]

My solution for downtown areas is to use a layer of sheet cork that is 1/8 thick (the material is also available in thicker dimensions, up to a half inch, if you want more "grab" for track nails)- the stuff they make bulletin boards and such out of. I just cover the entire surface of the downtown area.  I have the option to cut away the cork (and as much foam under it as needed) where I want the ground lower,  and can build up on top of it for grade crossings and such. Once out of the 'downtown' area, I just go to the usual cork roadbed right of way.

The cork sheet has the additional advantage that any minor damage to the surface shows up as brown "earth" instead of bright blue or pink.

My best results, a couple layouts ago, came from 3 or 4 foot wide rolls that were 8' long. No seams. If you use it, I recommend unrolling it and letting it rest a day or two until gravity takes some of the curl out of it.

Yeah, I'd say this the best route -- all your track and structures start out at equal height from the get-go. To "sink" the track just cut away the cork under it. However a lot of roads/streets are lower than the track and I've seen many sharply-sloped "ramps" from street level to the top of the rail. You know, those kind of crossings that semis sometimes get stuck on, until a helpful train comes along to "help" them off.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Well, first, look carefully at the area you're modeling.  How flat is it REALLY?  There's always some undulation on either side of the right of way, which through York County, even that isn't very flat.

I've always loved that scene.

Annoyingly, this part of York IS that flat. I think it was all built on the floodplain or something, but it's annoying.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9668639,-76.7299867,3a,75y,161.84h,83.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s9GXL7VZC2uxb0s5weJwxsg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9679538,-76.7260862,3a,60y,143.53h,80.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ske2wSGS2AeWP_OZg8l76lQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

[mplsjct]

I've always loved that scene.

Annoyingly, this part of York IS that flat. I think it was all built on the floodplain or something, but it's annoying.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9668639,-76.7299867,3a,75y,161.84h,83.78t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s9GXL7VZC2uxb0s5weJwxsg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9679538,-76.7260862,3a,60y,143.53h,80.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ske2wSGS2AeWP_OZg8l76lQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

definitely don't see the tracks elevated 4 feet above above the street in those pictures