Need Help With Backdrop

[hectorton]

    I am in the process of building the bench work for my future layout.  The bench is rectangular in shape 13' X 7' with a hollow center.  On 3 sides the bench will be 18" deep and on one of the two 7' sides' it will be 36" deep.  This is where I will build a rail yard.  I stole the idea for the bench work from the 2008 "Kato Precision Railroad Models Unitrack" Catalog.  The very first page of the catalog features a picture of a Japanese modeler's layout which is pretty much what I am building.  The layout will give me a total of 40' linear for an outer double loop to run Bullet train sets.  The bench work is made of 18"x80" HCDs attached to each other with mending metal plates resting on Ikea book shelves that will be used for storage.

 

    The bench work is 95% done and before I finish it I would like to attach the backdrop to three sides that will be against walls and that I won't have easy access to in the future.  I am planning on Buying a sheets of masonite, Ripping them to 18" X 8', and attaching them to the Outer edge of the bench work while rounding the corners.  To round the corners I will cut out openings 3" to 6" in from each side of the corners to allow for the rounding of the masonite at the corners.

 

    Finally to backdrop question.  Is masonite the appropriate material, is the 18" height adecuate for N scale, and is my idea for rounding the corners a sound one.  I will either paint the actual backdrop (Sky Blue with Clouds) or purchase a commercially avaiable backdrop (very expensive).  Are there standard sizes for commercial back backdrops and are there websites that can be recommended to purchase.

 

    Outter Shinkansen Loop question.  A Japanese friend who is a railroad modeler told me that any serious Japanese modeler will only run their Bullet train sets on concrete ties rail in order to replicate the running of the real Bullet trains which supposedly never run on wooden ties rails.  Has anyone ever heard of this before or know if it is true?  To date I have not purchased all of the rail I will need nor have I finalized the final rail layout.  Thanks for all input in advance and apologize for the long explanation and numerous questions. 

[bill937ca]

I can't advise on your backdrop material, but there are Japanese backdrops on the website featured in this thread.

 

http://www.jnsforum.com/index.php/topic,1354.0.html

 

Here's a couple of examples:

 

http://shiagenin.michikusa.jp/sanmyaku.html

 

http://shiagenin.michikusa.jp/denen.html

 

http://shiagenin.michikusa.jp/yama.html

[200系]

A Japanese friend who is a railroad modeler told me that any serious Japanese modeler will only run their Bullet train sets on concrete ties rail in order to replicate the running of the real Bullet trains which supposedly never run on wooden ties rails.  Has anyone ever heard of this before or know if it is true?

 

Yes' date=' this is indeed true.

 

The oldest of the Shinkansen, the Tōkaidō Shinkansen (1964), uses concrete ties with conventional ballasted track, very similar to Kato's double track line.

The Sanyō Shinkansen (1972/1975) uses a similar construction (though using concrete, as opposed to steel, for the supporting structures), though in concrete slab track was used as well for the first time (mainly in stations).

 

When the Shinkansen was introduced to the east, advances in construction techniques meant for both the Tōhoku (1982) and Jōetsu Shinkansen (1982) to be build, in large, with concrete slab track. Though conventional ballasted track (with concrete ties) was still used in parts as well.

The low speed (110km/h) extension from Ōmiya to Ueno (1985) used conventional ballasted track as well.

 

For new Shinkansen lines (1990's and up) as well as extension of existing shinkansen, concrete slab track is the most common type of track used, though ties made from a new material (whose name has completely escaped me, it looks a bit like wood in first impression but it certainly isn't) are used in noise sensitive areas.

 

Some illustrations (all pictures are my own).

 

Ballasted track with concrete ties (Tōkyō Approach, JR East side):

[img']http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5312/5830016020_3903b7c240_b.jpg[/img]

Closer view of the concrete ties (Tōkyō Station, JR East):

Concrete slab track (Utsunomiya, Tōhoku Shinkansen):

Ties made from new material (Tōkyō Station, JR East)

Concrete slab track meets ballasted track (concrete tie) (Ōmiya station, JR East)

 

hope this helps.

[hectorton]

200,

 

    Thanks for the verification and information.  I have looked at those tracks many times and never focused on the construction technique and specific material.  The pictures you provided are great, thanks.

[brill27mcb]

So the prototype has been going to slab track, and Kato has discontinued theirs...

 

Rich K.

[Densha]

Recently I read something about those new ties, if I'm right it was called something with "foam". It's synthetic stuff I think. Maybe it was even on this forum.

 

So the prototype has been going to slab track, and Kato has discontinued theirs...

 

Rich K.

Err... --> http://www.1999.co.jp/blog/1208162

11月 it says. I don't know if it was available before though, the viaduct one was anyway.

 

And on the backdrop:

It's very difficult to find fitting Japanese pictures but after searching on flickr and such sometimes you come across something nice. I do have some panoramas on my computer, but I assume they're copyrighted and I don't know where I got them from. Well, this one isn't really useful I think:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Japan_Kamikouchi-Valley_Panorama.jpg

Found this one though:

http://mallorea.student.utwente.nl/~jorg/Photos/Japan/Post6/Alps/japaneseAlps.jpg

Forgot google's new image search so I got these pages as well:

http://panos.flexetch.com/Japan.htm

http://www.pink-spider.net/wp-content/gallery/nagoya/panorama.jpg

 

Well it's not really about blue sky anymore, but oh well. Maybe this one, but it's a very low resolution: http://sakurafactory.main.jp/rm_haikeiga.html

[cteno4]

hector,

 

not sure if a 3-6" in the corners will be doable with masonite, thats pretty tight. ive had mixed results using masonite over the years. when used in lamination with other materials its been great, but when used on its own i have had some warping and sagging issues with humidity changes over time. if you use it i would make sure you have it well supported/framed behind. there are other fancier materials to do this sort of stuff that sign makers use called syntra and ultraboard. its basically a all plastic foamcore. syntras (thats a brand name there are lots of them out there) are denser but flexible (usually all pvc), you can bend them into very tight corners or curves by using hot water or heat guns and they set in the new shape. ultraboards are really stiff (all styrene) -- no bending with them -- but are really really stiff and light and you would need no support structure with ultraboard at all and it will remain very flat. very tough stuff and both are not effected by humidity.

 

jeff

[hectorton]

Densha,

 

    Fantastic links for Japanese panoramas/backdrops.  And Jeff, Thanks for the info on backdrop materials.  Have never heard of these and will be looking them up.

[brill27mcb]

So the prototype has been going to slab track, and Kato has discontinued theirs...

 

Rich K.

Err... --> http://www.1999.co.jp/blog/1208162

11月 it says. I don't know if it was available before though, the viaduct one was anyway.

 

Good, glad to see slab track is back in the Kato offerings. Previously, in slab track there was only one size of double-track curved viaduct, along with straight sections, and these were discontinued after the ballasted type was introduced.

 

Rich K.

[Densha]

Densha,

 

     Fantastic links for Japanese panoramas/backdrops.  And Jeff, Thanks for the info on backdrop materials.  Have never heard of these and will be looking them up.

 

 

No problem! It took hours to find them, so I'm glad to share them. I think the japaneseAlps.jpg could be used as a nice background, but it's got that panorama effect.

 

@Rich

Well didn't know about that, now I do. Glad they are available, more variation to look at.

[Guest Closed Account 1]

There are a lot of sky scenes and mountains at backdropjunction.com

 

Even European scenes.

 

On man's installation video

ignore the music.

 

Don't use wood as a squeegee.