Dioramas

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Z

zoegraf

Craftsman at heart
Well, being without a layout for over 6 months is now getting to me.

While walking home the other day I saw a closet door in front of someone's property marked free.

I took it home and it turned out to be made out of cedar and hollow so I cut three pieces from it - 2ft X 1ft. Very light!

I'm going to make three dioramas - one generic one to sell at a hobby show and the other two for myself - each will depict a different era - 1974 and 1956 so I can photograph my diesels, steamers, and the odd car now and then.

Looking for ideas that will scream rural Eastern Canada 1974. Also for 1956.

Thinking of a branch line perhaps with a siding.

Here is a shot of the three pieces I cut today.
 
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Old 97 said:
Great idea. Keep it simple and have fun.
Click to expand...

I'm considering something like this for the 1974 diorama minus the turnout and add some trackside items/details like posts etc appropriate for that era. Got to do some research on what that would be.
 


Railfan needum fake grass to sprinkle on top of glue...on him own door for making N scale diorama with tracks.....just like lonesome windy prairie where he came from.
 
Dioramas are good pastimes. You can practice for new scenery on the next layout or just have fun for photos. Here is one I made for a fellow who lives in Japan. I see it pop up from time on different sites. All these dioramas are in the 12" to 24" catagory. Jim:)

IMG_6604.jpg


Another:

IMG_47562.jpg


and another: This one I built for a fellow in Florida.

IMG_3160.jpg


And a last one to show I'm not a one-trick pony as far as scenery is concerned. One of my favorites. I still have it.

IMG_29381.jpg
 
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The sliding closet doors work very well as they are light and rigid. I came up with about 20 of them from a friend who was remodeling a motel. I still have a bunch of them. Even drug them through a move because I couldn't part with them. Don't think of them so much as dioramas bu rather as modules. Wall/dividers can seperate different scenes allowing you to change what the people see and put many scenes in a small area. Like HOExplorer pointed out, it's a great way to practice your skills. If you don't like it, change it. If you completely tear it out, it's a small piece of the overall layout and doesn't effect the rest of it.

Steve
 
Oh yea. I forgot to say that modules are easy to take outside to use natural lighting to photograph. If you're careful, you can also use the natural scenery as backdrop that can't be beat.

Steve
 


skillman said:
The sliding closet doors work very well as they are light and rigid. I came up with about 20 of them from a friend who was remodeling a motel. I still have a bunch of them. Even drug them through a move because I couldn't part with them. Don't think of them so much as dioramas bu rather as modules. Wall/dividers can seperate different scenes allowing you to change what the people see and put many scenes in a small area. Like HOExplorer pointed out, it's a great way to practice your skills. If you don't like it, change it. If you completely tear it out, it's a small piece of the overall layout and doesn't effect the rest of it.

Steve
Click to expand...

My old club in Mobile in the 1980's used HCD's as the basis of our modular layout there in the 1980's. The modules, when put together, would form a layout 15' x 25'. We even used some styrofoam as our scenery basis. It was the beaded foam as extruded foam wasn't available at that time. The layout had 1x4"s as support. The layout still exists today, but is displayrd as a private layout in one of the old members homes. I personally haven't seen it in over 25 years.
 
skillman said:
Oh yea. I forgot to say that modules are easy to take outside to use natural lighting to photograph. If you're careful, you can also use the natural scenery as backdrop that can't be beat.

Steve
Click to expand...

I will certainly consider the module idea for my next layout. This way I would be able to move it easier to another place.

Thanks
 
Well I managed to find my roadbed material, but can't find my box of scenery, which includes ballast. Back to searching in the storage locker. In the meantime, I'll just have to do more research for the look I want. I love this roadbed material and used it on my last layout. It is flexible and takes spikes nicely. It comes in branch line size and mainland size; also in grades. Her's a shot of a track from my last layout with a grade.
 
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HOexplorer said:
Dioramas are good pastimes. You can practice for new scenery on the next layout or just have fun for photos. Here is one I made for a fellow who lives in Japan. I see it pop up from time on different sites. All these dioramas are in the 12" to 24" catagory. Jim:)

IMG_6604.jpg


Another:

IMG_47562.jpg


and another: This one I built for a fellow in Florida.

IMG_3160.jpg


And a last one to show I'm not a one-trick pony as far as scenery is concerned. One of my favorites. I still have it.

IMG_29381.jpg
Click to expand...

Wow! I especially like the bottom photo.
 
On one of the dioramas, I decided to use a micro engineering track. I have masked off the ties and primed the rail. I've done this with good results in the past. After 24 hours, I'll paint the rails with rail brown then remove the tape and paint the ties. I'll use various washes of colours for the ties and some chalk dust, but won't seal it all until it is laid and ballasted. Then I'll weather it with the final touches such as dirt, a little sand, etc in order to simulate this look in the third photo.
 
Well I decided to go along with a similar look like this causeway Buster Keaton went over.

The scene will be of one side of the causeway, but with the tide out.

I just used for the first time pink dense insulation foam and like working with it.

Cuts nicely and to my surprise, I could sand it with little mess.

I'm using an old glass shelf as a weight.

Should I seal the pink foam before putting my talus and scenery on it. If so, what do you all recommend?
 


zoegraf, I've been gone for a week and just found your thread again. Thanks for the comments. Looks like you're on the right track. (pun intended) Jim:)
 
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