Nekomori - a temporary layout and scenery

[cteno4]

There are a few old threads here on the forum as well on making backdrops like this. Ken did some nice urban ones.

 

Jeff

 

http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/1105-japanese-backdrop-scenes/page-2?hl=+backdrop%20+copy%20+print

 

http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/1950-sumida-crossing/page-6?hl=%2Bbackdrop+%2Bcopy+%2Bprint&do=findComment&comment=32667

 

http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/666-urban-backscenes/

[velotrain]

Main problem with the ground track is, it has to cross the road at an angle.

 

Based on the photo, with the viaduct track where it is, you could shift the ground level track to the left and it would work.  You already have a straight section there, in the form of the rerailer, that will allow it to pass under the viaduct track with enough space before the edge of the table.  Moving the rerailer to another side would also gain you a smaller radius, but I don't know if it would be enough.  It would at least eliminate the problem you show in the smaller (inset) photo.

 

This would also get the ground track on the right side out from under the viaduct - if that is a goal.  Why is the ground track crossing at an angle a problem?  Not if there are no viaduct piers in the way.  However, I just realized that the ground level track at the back of the table probably means no space for your "mountains" - maybe move them in front of the viaduct there?

 

Of course, I don't know what the situation is on the other end.  You may need to remove some crosspieces from one or more viaduct supports, but I suspect they will be stable enough without them ?  As it is in the photo, you could have the ground track run under the viaduct track on the right side.  Another option might be to use additional small risers in that section to raise the viaduct track enough to clear the ground level trains ?  I don't know how much space we're talking about.

Edited December 26, 2016 by velotrain

[medusa]

The viaduct pillars are not the basic problem. Some of them will also be replaced by the poured concrete type so there is more space for crossing below it. Height of the pillars is sufficient for all pantograph cars I have.

On the cross-section test photo, right side is where normally the background is, so both tracks have to be stacked on the cardboard poster frame main bar. On this side, a move is no option since all together hides behind the center background poster.

Left side of the photo is the side where normally the user (me) is located. Even if I forcedly make it fitting the way it currently is, the ground track front side including Nekomori station would be hidden by the viaduct from my normal viewpoint. That will not be a lucky plan.

Crossing under the viaduct, on the other hand, is possible but will leave the station on a strip about 10cm wide. The platform would be below the viaduct. Hm. :/

 

Since the ground actually is just cotton, I can shift it somewhat to move the road position painted on it. But on a certain limit the floorplan of Nekomori no longer will fit between road and the hills.

 

Think its best I take some whole afternoon just to play around with tracks, hills and model houses to get a new idea. Maybe also with some smaller radii curved tracks,

Edited December 26, 2016 by medusa

[velotrain]

Did you consider how getting the viaduct track would change your layout's overall concept, if not the physical setup?

 

One possible option might be to have two possible layout themes, and not try to force them to co-exist?

 

Use a different base and buildings for each.  You may eventually want a viaduct station, and the related urban scenery.

 

I do realize this would take more storage space, but would give you variety in the layout track and scenery and the trains you run.

 

This approach would take advantage of it being a temporary setup.

[medusa]

Yes, I liked the idea of easy scenery change from the beginning. And will do that later - a simple change of background photo may move it to another continent. Well, not with japanese farmhouses. ;)

 

But I also had that concept of a Shinkansen line surrounding a small village. That's the reason why there are hills only in the center, the sides had to be free for the viaduct. To be honest, care for the scenery kept me for quite a while now and so it grew more and more. Became Nekomori, of course with its own little EMU line and station and all...  Seems now I'm at a point where it has overgrown the original plan of just a small village inside the loop.

 

About urban scenario, I would love to have a Shinkansen station. Thought some time about doing some double-sided background in the middle of the table - one side would have been rural scene with viaduct running trough it, back side urban background with viaduct station. For scenery change, just step to other side of the table. Maybe in the future.

 

Maybe just too much plans. One face of model railroading is, just grasp some tracks and start...

[ToniBabelony]

About urban scenario, I would love to have a Shinkansen station. Thought some time about doing some double-sided background in the middle of the table - one side would have been rural scene with viaduct running trough it, back side urban background with viaduct station. For scenery change, just step to other side of the table. Maybe in the future.

That's exactly the plan for my little layout. One side a busy urban area with staging tracks, a bus terminal and shopping/commercial district and on the other side a more rural setting. Even when space is limited, there is always room for different kinds of setting!

[medusa]

Today I took the oportunity of a partial free dinner table for a quick test / very sketchy setup. Wanted to see if Nekomori village can be somewhat rearranged...

 

 

That's the maximum I can shift the road towards the hills. Doesn't convince me really, I don't like the "squeezed" look it has. Moreover, the problem with the single-line track loop being too broad stays the same. Since that's R348, I think I will have to go to R315.

 

R315 will be a useful buy in another aspect: on different setups, it can nicely be combined with R348 for double-track sections.

[velotrain]

I'm not seeing squeezed - but it's your layout.

 

If you're willing, perhaps angle the road through the scene for visual interest, and perhaps to bring the road away from the hills / forest.

 

Of course - you'll have to accept an angled drape around the table ;-)

[railsquid]

Today I took the oportunity of a partial free dinner table for a quick test / very sketchy setup. Wanted to see if Nekomori village can be somewhat rearranged...

 

new_nekomori_test1.JPG

 

That's the maximum I can shift the road towards the hills. Doesn't convince me really, I don't like the "squeezed" look it has.

 

Looks OK to me too - quite often in rural Japan you'll see houses and farms squeezed directly up against the hillside as far up as it's practical to go, presumably to maximize the area available on the flatter valley floor for agriculture.

[ToniBabelony]

Sure, squeezing is perfectly fine in a Japanese setting. Usually, the farm houses are on a little higher areas, not only to maximise farmland, but also to avoid flooding. Rice paddies are after all a wet affair and the occasional sudden torrential rain can cause the occasional flooding (as seen a few years ago in Jōsō city).

[nah00]

I used to model late 1960s-early 1980s era Baltimore & Ohio/Chesapeake & Ohio in HO and was used to the idea of 'wide open spaces' on a layout. It took me a while to get used to the idea that in Japan buildings are right up against the track and mainlines are the only ones with some space around them (and even that is much closer than the typical United States mainline route where the railroad buys up as much right-of-way as possible). 

 

To be honest the little 'clump' of rural houses are typical of what I've seen 'touring' in Japan (thanks Googlemaps), like Toni said though they're usually a little raised up from the surrounding area.

Edited December 31, 2016 by nah00

[cteno4]

Yes looks pretty standard to me as well. Like nah says these clumps like this are common and can be out in the middle of things (where the higher ground is as Toni says) or right on a road or track. That's what I love about modeling Japan as most anything goes there is so much wild variety and if in real need there seems to be a prototype for most odd ideas if it gets that far! But this looks not strange at all!

 

Cheers

 

Jeff

[medusa]

Ah, good! Will it go so far to say, the more traditional houses are on slightly elevated places along the hillside, while the newer houses don't care about that and are built wherever a piece of ground was for sale for a good price?

 

That's the case here in Germany quite often. There was much cheap land close to the nice & romantic riversides. Especially in the river valleys of the eastern parts of the country, where much money was invested in the years after the reunification. Guess what happened in the flood summers shortly after 2000...

 

As for the radii, nevertheless I will have to go to R315.

[railsquid]

Ah, good! Will it go so far to say, the more traditional houses are on slightly elevated places along the hillside, while the newer houses don't care about that and are built wherever a piece of ground was for sale for a good price?

 

Example of older houses crowded along the side of a small valley in Chiba:https://goo.gl/maps/YEoHkzS7mqw

 

New-build houses occupying a former rice paddy, also in Chiba: https://goo.gl/maps/7oVgPGT5vsH2

 

(both Google street view).

 

That's the case here in Germany quite often. There was much cheap land close to the nice & romantic riversides. Especially in the river valleys of the eastern parts of the country, where much money was invested in the years after the reunification. Guess what happened in the flood summers shortly after 2000...

 

 

I made sure when buying our house in Tokyo that it was nowhere which would flood , and though I didn't realise it at the time, it's exactly on the watershed of Tokyo's two main river systems. Not good for rice growing though ;)

Edited January 1, 2017 by railsquid

[medusa]

Thanks a lot for this!

 

Ah, it's always the same in rural areas. I guessed so. Old farmers do like their families always did, new people do on their own. I don't expect both groups to talk much to each other. At least they didn't in the villages of the rural planes of Northern Germany where I was born.

 

BTW, I think the place of your house is not that bad... won't expect a modern family to have much rice in their garden. ;)

[Martijn Meerts]

Not exactly rural or anything, but I guess the Enoden is a prime example of tight squeeze :)

[velotrain]

> New-build houses occupying a former rice paddy, also in Chiba: https://goo.gl/maps/7oVgPGT5vsH2

 

I notice the bars on most of the first floor windows - are break-ins common in Japan?

[medusa]

Today was big play-day with my layout. As had turned out before, I had to replace the ground single line curves by R315 track. This worked fine so far but of course Nekomori changed a bit.

Seems to be a rule that on days I setup my layout the wether is exceptionally rainy and/or cloudy so there was not much light to have proper photos. I apologize for the low quality.

 

 

This is an overview which shows fine that the tracks on the small station platform now have a good clearance from the viaduct supports. The ground loop has overall become somewhat short (lengthwise) since there is not much place between the cardboard tunnel exit and the first viaduct support next to the background poster.

 

 

So, the floor plan of Nekomori needed a shift here and there. The newer part of the village is nearly unchanged but the old farmhouses are closer together now. I put my tree pieces between them to hint that the old part of the village follows slightly higher ground, maybe a very small ridge extending from the hill. The crossing on this side now is much closer to the houses.

 

 

The little Nekomorians were very happy that today a new bus line opened its service. ;)

 

 

On the tracks was much traffic since a nostalgic luxury train on its cruise over remote tracks in nice landscape overtook the KumoNeko cars waiting at Nekomori station. In the evening when the action calmed down the little EMU continued its service.

 

 

Some stranger showed up as well, nobody knew how and where it came from.

 

 

And I took one of these snapshots from a low angle which have some points almost looking real...

 

 

EDIT:

An important PS. is, this kind of temporary layout seems to be the practical limit. It took me nearly 2 hours for complete setup. Think I have to open negotiations for getting the dinner table for the whole weekend.

Edited January 7, 2017 by medusa

[serotta1972]

Looks very nice Medusa! Wow, 2 hours to set up - that's usually about the amount of time I have to set up and run trains. But I can see that with all the scenery and little details you have to set up while I only set up track. How long do you get to keep the layout setup? Until the next sit down meal?

[Martijn Meerts]

I think you should just claim the dinner table.. Dinner can easily be eaten elsewhere :D

[medusa]

Yes, normally I set it up until next meal. But since I do the cooking, I have some influence on the time. :)

 

It is not that bad... my model train is one of the  hobbies where the fiddeling is a big part of the fun. For example, putting the tiny figures in place. Sometimes little situations develop. Meanwhile most of the figures have a story and some even a name...

When I started with some Kato tracks and a green table cover, I didn't expect it would go so far. But on the other hand, being temporary it's so flexible. If I want just a quick play, noone forces me to set it up all. This time was the first "all up" since I got the viaduct tracks.

[medusa]

So, again weekend testing time. Had various ideas over the week and a parcel arriving on Friday. :)

 

 

First was a test if I could manage to get a double track mainline below the viaduct to the front edge of the table. (I thought too much about a future E353.)

Turned out to work quite well on the ground. The viaduct, in turn, looses some places for its support but I noticed the job could be done by placing one-side singe track viaduct supports (visible only on third photo). Does not yet work with catenary bases since the double viaduct bases can't take a single pier (that's due to the center place for the s-joiner). Modding required, would then also allow for a pair of single piers supporting a double track. More later about this.

 

 

"Pigs just wanna have fun" - this new item wasn't yet on my layout so it had to go here for a test, too.

 

 

And of course I had to drive the shiny new E6 on my viaduct. Yes I know it looks like they missed a junction on their testdrive. "Tokio is the other direction boyz."

 

[lighthouse]

Hi medusa, this is a nice idea with a painted table cloth. How about the size of the table?

[medusa]

Hi lighthouse,

 

the table is extendable. Extended site is 1m x 2.80m.

[lighthouse]

hi, i thougt it would be smaller ;-)