Backdrops added behind storage area

My storage expansion is progressing with the upper layer now in place. Upper layer tracks have not  yet been laid (other than some temporary testing) but I have now added the backdrops.

Some years ago I bought some BUSCH backdrops on eBay cheaply. When I decided to add the expansion I realized I could use some of the backdrops to add some depth to the area which is visible from the main station.

At one end I needed to transition from the Faller Obersdorf backdrop, and also pass in front of the electrical breaker box for the house. I had kept the unused piece so it was a no brainer to simply continue with the same product. I glued it directly to the breaker box. I have also constructed a small piece that can be removed in order to open the door of the breaker box. Here you can see the door half open:

The door closed and the removable section in place:

Beyond the breaker box, I have mounted all the backdrops on 1/4" plywood. Some of these pieces needed to be bent into curves so I scored the back with a circular saw. I then attached doubled sided tape to hold them to the concrete wall (previously painted blue).

Onto this curved plywood, I attached BUSCH item 2871 which depicts some distant snow covered mountains.

When I unrolled the next backdrop, I found to my surprise that the content did not match the box (BUSCH 2873), and in fact suited my needs much better - it was in fact BUSCH item 2874 depicting a factory and some multistory urban buildings which would be more suitable for a railyard than the bucolic countryside depicted on the box.

The views from the main station look promising

An overview of the area...

Earlier phases

• Room preparation 
• Lower Track laid

Next phase

• Landscaping

Review: Busch HO 2878 Day and Night backdrop

The Busch backdrop is rather unique in that it is two sided. In addition to the front which depicts the facade of a row of residential houses in a large city, the back is printed with dark ink leaving some of the windows and all the street lights 'clear' so that light can shine through for night scenes. On the right hand end is a field and a boulevard with trees going down to a large church. It is designed to transition from an urban area to farmland. The left end is designed to join onto the Busch HO 2877 product - additional urban buildings.

Illuminated street

I describe here the steps I took to mount the BUSCH HO 2878 backdrop on my layout with two sets of lights, the windows and the streetlights. Here is the finished product so one can see the end result that I was aiming for...

Another backdrop

I have now added the backdrop behind the new mountain.

The Rheingold and Würtembugerin pass each other on the mainline.

Main backdrop complete

I have now completed erecting the backlit backdrop along the mainline on the wall side of the layout.

It is rather hard to get a decent photograph of it as it is about 9m long.

Backdrops

In order to connect the Senklerdorf tracks I realized that I needed to get the backdrop at that end of the layout in place, so I tackled the backdrops....

I like the paper images supplied by Faller (180516 and 180517) but I like the sky off since I already have sky on the walls. Here are the steps involved in mounting the backdrops in front of the sky...
Each image starts off like this, then I cut the sky off with a sharp work knife.

Dawn on the farm

I have now fastened the old farm and mountain road in place in front of the backdrop and connected up the farm house and shed...

Smell the coffee and listen for the rooster as the farmer starts the tractor...

Backdrop lighting

I remounted a backdrop from the old layout on the sky wall behind the farm. This time I placed a strip of warm-white LED lights behind the backdrop so that I can simulate a dawn or sunset behind the mountains.

First I screwed some  ¾" furring strip onto the wall..

Farm with Faller Obersdorf backdrop

The area next to my mountain road will be farm land. Fences, a flock of sheep and a nice farm house have been ordered and my daughter painted my pigs and some of my old cows and two horses. Initial tryout looks realistic and I am pleased with how the backdrop works...

Ruin with a view

Although I do not yet have enough pine trees to complete the hill, it is starting to look decent... at the old ruin is a kiosk (Faller B-291) that will sell the hikers drinks at ridiculous prices....