Hiding a Hole in Your Model Railroad Backdrop
MRA EditorsDescription
Oftentimes, holes and gaps in a model railroad backdrop are essential in order to have a train end up somewhere else in the scene. These holes in a structure help give it more depth and add to the aesthetic appeal and realistic nature of your model. However, when left exposed they can have the opposite effect, taking your viewer out of the scene and causing them to look for other imperfections. To avoid this happening, all you have to do is find creative ways to hide any holes in your model railroad backdrop.
In this video, expert modeler Tom Lund introduces some of his favorite methods for covering those unsightly holes in your model railroad backdrop. He briefly explains why holes and gaps are a blemish to your scene, and then walks you through his thought process for quickly and effectively hiding these unwanted eyesores.
Hiding holes in a model railroad backdrop
Have you ever run into a situation when building a railroad scene where you needed to create a hole in your model railroad backdrop? Maybe you’re changing the level of your track from high to low, or you need to exit the scene in order to span a great distance and have the train reappear on the far side of the setup. Whatever the purpose for creating a hole in your model railroad backdrop, it’s important for the aesthetic of your scene that you find a good method for covering the hole back up after the fact.
According to Tom, the right solution can be as simple as using a tunnel entrance to give the illusion of disappearing into a mountain or hillside. If this option isn’t viable for your model railroad backdrop, there’s no need to panic. Tom has a few simple fixes you might implement on your unique setup to seal up those little gaps. See how he uses clever placement of a landmark to give his blue sky model railroad backdrop the patch job it needs to look completed, and discover the expert insight you need to hide the holes in your own model setup.
Most model railroads have holes in their backdrop. Mine has more than most. Modelers cut holes in the backdrop to let the train go from one side to the other. Often times we hide these with tunnels. Tunnels are easy but they're not always appropriate for the layout. There's a number of different ways to do it. I have a particularly challenging hole on my layout. Where the high line cuts through the backdrop and moves to the ore docks. It wasn't appropriate for a tunnel and I didn't have a hillside for trees. I solved this problem with a large industrial building. When I built this I extended this large area up here to hide the hole from where the layout's typically viewed. I found that by using modular components I could create a building just exactly the right size and shape to cover this hole.
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