Captain Kernow's layouts
- Thread starter Captain Kernow
- Start date
john lewsey
Western Thunderer
What's happening on my fave layout
Captain Kernow
Western Thunderer
Hi John,
Not much has happened for the last 3 months, due to a number of family-related issues affecting two close relatives, but I'm getting back on an even keel now, I hope. Next up is probably a couple of final 'very low relief' structures to go against the future backscene, and then ground surfaces....
john lewsey
Western Thunderer
Looking forward to it hope everything is ok
Captain Kernow
Western Thunderer
I've not had a lot of time for much modelling since late summer, but have finally got round to doing a few conversions etc. to P4. I've also built a couple of Ratio clay opens (non-hood fitted), as a kind of experiment to look at what kind of standards we want for the new DRAG layout project, although these will certainly see use on 'Callow Lane'.
Here are a few photos.
First up is D7042, which I bought second-hand a few years ago, and finally got round to converting a couple of weeks ago. It's had screw couplings and pipework fitted, plus the main front handrails at either end have had the two missing inner stanchions added. Weathering will follow at some stage...
This Hymek is one of the 'BR blue' era locos, the layout will mainly operate in early 1960s mode, so here is D7042 with
an unlikely bedfellow:
Last night, I finally tested some newly-converted wagons on the layout, plus the two china clay wagons (although the two Presflos have appeared on my blog before). Apart from the two clay wagons, none of the other wagons have any compensation or springing at all...
I find that provided the wagon concerned has a nice, square chassis and sufficient weight (the three opens all weigh 42g), then that is sufficient to avoid any derailments. One clay wagon is sprung, with Bill Bedford 'W' irons but solid (Lanarkshire) buffers, the other has internal rocker compensation, and sprung (Lanarkshire) buffers. The Class 20 (another one in the weathering queue) was used to haul and propel this rake at pretty high scale speeds through all the pointwork and curves. Fortunately this was accomplished without any derailments or other 'operating incidents'...
These two Bachmann ex-LNER 'high bars' will acquire some of the excellent Lanarkshire Model Supplies cast buffers in due course:
Here are a few photos.
First up is D7042, which I bought second-hand a few years ago, and finally got round to converting a couple of weeks ago. It's had screw couplings and pipework fitted, plus the main front handrails at either end have had the two missing inner stanchions added. Weathering will follow at some stage...
This Hymek is one of the 'BR blue' era locos, the layout will mainly operate in early 1960s mode, so here is D7042 with
an unlikely bedfellow:
Last night, I finally tested some newly-converted wagons on the layout, plus the two china clay wagons (although the two Presflos have appeared on my blog before). Apart from the two clay wagons, none of the other wagons have any compensation or springing at all...
I find that provided the wagon concerned has a nice, square chassis and sufficient weight (the three opens all weigh 42g), then that is sufficient to avoid any derailments. One clay wagon is sprung, with Bill Bedford 'W' irons but solid (Lanarkshire) buffers, the other has internal rocker compensation, and sprung (Lanarkshire) buffers. The Class 20 (another one in the weathering queue) was used to haul and propel this rake at pretty high scale speeds through all the pointwork and curves. Fortunately this was accomplished without any derailments or other 'operating incidents'...These two Bachmann ex-LNER 'high bars' will acquire some of the excellent Lanarkshire Model Supplies cast buffers in due course:
Captain Kernow
Western Thunderer
Another view of the 'test' train:
The buffer shanks on the china clay wagons scale down to 3mm, and with the overall buffer diameter not much more than that, the ever-helpful Mr Franks was not able to drill them out to that diameter. However, he did kindly suggest drilling them out for 2.5mm, which he duly did, and I think that the result, when fitted with sprung heads, isn't too bad:
The buffer shanks on the china clay wagons scale down to 3mm, and with the overall buffer diameter not much more than that, the ever-helpful Mr Franks was not able to drill them out to that diameter. However, he did kindly suggest drilling them out for 2.5mm, which he duly did, and I think that the result, when fitted with sprung heads, isn't too bad:
Jon Gwinnett
Western Thunderer
Cap'n, if I may be so bold, do you have a photo or two of the clay wagon undergubbins? It looks from these as though you have addressed the axle box issue?
Captain Kernow
Western Thunderer
The next job on 'Callow Lane' was the production of a low-relief factory, based on the new Scalescenes 'northlight' engine shed kit and this has now been completed.
I have previously described the construction of the Taffson Evans lineside factory, which is built in part-relief, and is partly about providing a bit of background detail in lieu of a flat backscene. This was also based on a free Scalescenes warehouse kit, albeit fairly heavily modified and with new scratchbuilt corrugated extensions.
I always planned to add something else to the left of it (as you view the layout), between the factory and the road level crossing near the cottages (the photos will make this clearer), but I wasn't sure what that might be.
In the end, I discovered the recent release by Scalescenes of their new engine shed kits and bought both the 'northlight' and gable-ended roof kits, as I thought they would also have potential in terms of industrial buildings. In the end, the initial part of the factory was really rather small for a premises that is purported to have once manufactured narrow gauge locos and other 'heavy engineering' products, so the extension using the engine shed prints has really increased its size to something a bit more credible, even if the new sections dominate the older bit slightly...
The extension proved to be so 'low relief' as to be almost flat, although it is not quite as bad as simply pasting a photograph onto the backscene, but there really wasn't much space, as the photos will show!
This is the Taffson Evans factory before work on the backscene factory extension began:
Here is a typical page from the Scalescenes kit, printed out:
I had sufficient room to incorporate five 'bays' of the northlight structure. The main elevation would use Dalerboard mounting card, but first I cut two and a half of the Scalescenes printed templates out and taped them together, to form a 'five bay' structure:
The paper template was then lightly taped over the Dalerboard and the main shape cut out in card, including the windows. Two and a half brick paper prints were then cut out and each glued in turn to the Dalerboard. I use 'Pritt' type glue sticks for this (I read somewhere recently that the glue doesn't cause the paper to go damp). Each component, once glued, is then weighted down with heavy books and whatever other weighty stuff I can find, and left to go off overnight.
Once the base layer of brick paper was glued to the Dalerboard, I needed to start matching the new structure up to the existing factory building:
From the back, it all looks a bit 'Heath Robinson' (although this will eventually be permanently attached to the backscene proper):
Here is the basic shell, with the base layer of brick paper attached, plus the vertical buttresses:
The plinths were cut out and their respective brick paper coverings glued on. I had to make some plinth sections deeper, because the ground falls away slightly on the layout. These have only just been glued:
And this was immediately followed by ensuring that they were lying flat, and then covering them with more heavy books and something else with a bit of weight in it, and leaving the lot overnight:
Work continued, with the plinths and drain pipes being added, plus the window sills and a representation (in Evergreen plastic strip) of the edge of the roof. For the glazing, I used some pre-printed factory type glazing sheets produced by Freestone Model Accessories, suitably weathered with a dilute dirty enamel mix and wiped off almost immediately, Black paper was attached in behind each window. A little weathering followed, and the completed extension was again matched up to the original factory structure on the layout. Please excuse the awful green poster paint on the area in front of the factory, but I thought it would look slightly better than the bare newspaper & PVA landscape, prior to the application of some proper scenery...
I have temporarily fixed a large sheet of light blue/grey Dalerboard behind the layout at this point - this is not what the final backscene will look like, nor will it be as high as this Dalerboard has been fixed, either!
Some kind of water colour or toned-down photographic representation of the lane receding into the distance, flanked on both sides by industrial buildings, will need to be provided immediately behind the level crossing:
The corrugated extension to the original factory has now become a small 'lean to' workshop extension:
More images to follow...
I have previously described the construction of the Taffson Evans lineside factory, which is built in part-relief, and is partly about providing a bit of background detail in lieu of a flat backscene. This was also based on a free Scalescenes warehouse kit, albeit fairly heavily modified and with new scratchbuilt corrugated extensions.
I always planned to add something else to the left of it (as you view the layout), between the factory and the road level crossing near the cottages (the photos will make this clearer), but I wasn't sure what that might be.
In the end, I discovered the recent release by Scalescenes of their new engine shed kits and bought both the 'northlight' and gable-ended roof kits, as I thought they would also have potential in terms of industrial buildings. In the end, the initial part of the factory was really rather small for a premises that is purported to have once manufactured narrow gauge locos and other 'heavy engineering' products, so the extension using the engine shed prints has really increased its size to something a bit more credible, even if the new sections dominate the older bit slightly...
The extension proved to be so 'low relief' as to be almost flat, although it is not quite as bad as simply pasting a photograph onto the backscene, but there really wasn't much space, as the photos will show!
This is the Taffson Evans factory before work on the backscene factory extension began:
Here is a typical page from the Scalescenes kit, printed out:
I had sufficient room to incorporate five 'bays' of the northlight structure. The main elevation would use Dalerboard mounting card, but first I cut two and a half of the Scalescenes printed templates out and taped them together, to form a 'five bay' structure:
The paper template was then lightly taped over the Dalerboard and the main shape cut out in card, including the windows. Two and a half brick paper prints were then cut out and each glued in turn to the Dalerboard. I use 'Pritt' type glue sticks for this (I read somewhere recently that the glue doesn't cause the paper to go damp). Each component, once glued, is then weighted down with heavy books and whatever other weighty stuff I can find, and left to go off overnight.
Once the base layer of brick paper was glued to the Dalerboard, I needed to start matching the new structure up to the existing factory building:
From the back, it all looks a bit 'Heath Robinson' (although this will eventually be permanently attached to the backscene proper):
Here is the basic shell, with the base layer of brick paper attached, plus the vertical buttresses:
The plinths were cut out and their respective brick paper coverings glued on. I had to make some plinth sections deeper, because the ground falls away slightly on the layout. These have only just been glued:
And this was immediately followed by ensuring that they were lying flat, and then covering them with more heavy books and something else with a bit of weight in it, and leaving the lot overnight:
Work continued, with the plinths and drain pipes being added, plus the window sills and a representation (in Evergreen plastic strip) of the edge of the roof. For the glazing, I used some pre-printed factory type glazing sheets produced by Freestone Model Accessories, suitably weathered with a dilute dirty enamel mix and wiped off almost immediately, Black paper was attached in behind each window. A little weathering followed, and the completed extension was again matched up to the original factory structure on the layout. Please excuse the awful green poster paint on the area in front of the factory, but I thought it would look slightly better than the bare newspaper & PVA landscape, prior to the application of some proper scenery...
I have temporarily fixed a large sheet of light blue/grey Dalerboard behind the layout at this point - this is not what the final backscene will look like, nor will it be as high as this Dalerboard has been fixed, either!
Some kind of water colour or toned-down photographic representation of the lane receding into the distance, flanked on both sides by industrial buildings, will need to be provided immediately behind the level crossing:
The corrugated extension to the original factory has now become a small 'lean to' workshop extension:
More images to follow...
Captain Kernow
Western Thunderer
More general views:
When it comes to sorting out the backscene proper, I think I will add some hint or representation of further factory structures behind and slightly higher than the 'northlight' structure, to give the whole scene a bit more depth:
I will apply further weathering using a small amount of powders, in due course. This is the kind of effect I've got in mind (small factory on outskirts of Exeter):
When it comes to sorting out the backscene proper, I think I will add some hint or representation of further factory structures behind and slightly higher than the 'northlight' structure, to give the whole scene a bit more depth:
I will apply further weathering using a small amount of powders, in due course. This is the kind of effect I've got in mind (small factory on outskirts of Exeter):
Jordan
Mid-Western Thunderer
I'd certainly go for further buildings on the backscene behind the factory - particularly behind the northlights, which I always find a little unconvincing when done flat, since by their nature, when looking at them from any angle beside head-on, part of the receding roof should be visible, one side or the other...
I like the subtle, realistic "nearly, but not quite flat" landscaping.
I like the subtle, realistic "nearly, but not quite flat" landscaping.
Neil
Western Thunderer
You've chosen a difficult disappearing trick here Tim. Rural is easy (relatively easy) to do but urban is full of pitfalls as perspective alters as your viewpoint does, and while a tree can look ok because it doesn't have any recognisable sides structures can look really, really pants when done in perspective. This alone isn't helpful so I've done a quick sketch in paint which shows a possible way round the problem of perspective.
Forget about vanishing points, they just won't work here and be content with portraying the jut out of buildings as they head off down the road. I've only shown two each side, they need to be kept narrow and they need to drop off in height fairly quickly. As most roads don't go on for miles, particularly in an urban setting I've blocked out the middle of the view with a big building or row of buildings on a cross street at the end of the road. One last point to note, don't be tempted to paint the road on the backscene, again it'll look pants.
Art lesson over.
PS It might be possible to mock up this bit of the backscene using reduced scale 'Scalescenes' print outs and de-saturating the colours as the structures recede.
Captain Kernow
Western Thunderer
Thanks Neil, that's most helpful, as I've been thinking long and hard about this one, and wasn't really much further forward, but I've now modified the photo you've depicted, to show a possible montage for the lane itself (found the photo somewhere on the internet, can't remember where now...):
Obviously this would all be assembled from paper prints of the original images, which I would match up better with the low-relief structures...
Neil
Western Thunderer
Though that looks good from where the camera is positioned, I'm pretty certain that as soon as you move away from that viewpoint the perspective will start to look wrong, and the further you go the more wrong it will look. The reason I suggested squared off diminishing structures and that where the road hits the backscene is taken as the horizon (no road on backscene) is not that it looks better than your suggested arrangement just that it's a neutral arrangement which doesn't start to look 'wrong' when the viewpoint shifts. I'd recommend the MRJ articles by Martin Goodall on backscene painting; they're far and away the best I've ever read (there is unfortunately lots of tosh written elsewhere about the subject too) and for photo backscenes I'd take a good look at the work of Marc Smith and Al Reynolds.
The other thing to bear in mind is that as per your glued on picture, the road 'climbs' away into the distance in perspective, hence Neil's suggestion that the horizon ground level remains at baseboard level. One big element of how this will look is the baseboard height.
As Neil says as you move around the flat image 'distorts' and the further you get away from the square on view the harder it is to manage. Can you view block the street view to directly along the street reducing the lateral views of the flat back scene? If so that will make the view easier to manage. On Albion Yard there are no direct lines of sight to a flat back scene like your road, they have all been blocked and adjusted to eliminate that problem. The other thing that influenced that was the layout height and the fascia sizes and shapes. I've been slagged off elsewhere for the effort I put into it, but the effort really pays dividends. You've got my number so I can talk you through it a bit as well if that helps.
The other big change you can make is to get rid of the north light building ends. Gable ends on a back scene look wrong for the same reason the flat image discussed above does. A soon as you move from 'square on' its apparent that the rest of the roof isn't there. With multiple saw tooth gable ends that's accentuated as you can't see each gable end at the same angle, you'd see the roof valleys and sides of those you''re not square on to. If you replace the north light with a plain wall or flat roofed office type building, like the old Bilteezi factory sheet, that whole end of the building and crossing will come to life and look better immediately.
As Neil says as you move around the flat image 'distorts' and the further you get away from the square on view the harder it is to manage. Can you view block the street view to directly along the street reducing the lateral views of the flat back scene? If so that will make the view easier to manage. On Albion Yard there are no direct lines of sight to a flat back scene like your road, they have all been blocked and adjusted to eliminate that problem. The other thing that influenced that was the layout height and the fascia sizes and shapes. I've been slagged off elsewhere for the effort I put into it, but the effort really pays dividends. You've got my number so I can talk you through it a bit as well if that helps.
The other big change you can make is to get rid of the north light building ends. Gable ends on a back scene look wrong for the same reason the flat image discussed above does. A soon as you move from 'square on' its apparent that the rest of the roof isn't there. With multiple saw tooth gable ends that's accentuated as you can't see each gable end at the same angle, you'd see the roof valleys and sides of those you''re not square on to. If you replace the north light with a plain wall or flat roofed office type building, like the old Bilteezi factory sheet, that whole end of the building and crossing will come to life and look better immediately.
Captain Kernow
Western Thunderer
Do you mean by that, Paul, can I eliminate the need to have some kind of a view of a road disappearing into the backscene? The problem here is that I've run out of room on the baseboards, and wanting to have a level crossing on the factory siding, there is really no where else for the road to go. The only other thing I could try, perhaps, is to have a set of closed factory gates there?...
This has also been on my mind, and I guess I could initially try one of two things - either remove the 'northlight' sections and build up a new, level roof section, or actually construct a new factory section, using the corresponding Scalescenes 'ordinary' engine shed components, which I also have a down load of...
Something a bit like this, perhaps?
I think that flattened roof looks much better (my opinion only 
) The sort of building I'm thinking of would be like on Bawdsey
http://bawdsey.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/img_2104.jpg?w=500&h=291
The adjoining buildings where there are gable ends modelled on Bawdsey don't work anything like as well as this simple industrial type behind the 08 which is the sort of 30's+/post war I've got in mind.
An option too is to make the building a flat against the backscene and just put a line of thin weedy specimens of sea moss saplings along the building side, like new growth not cut back for a few years, that'll give you texture/depth and a mask of the 2d building in one hit.
Looking at your layout plan the straight line to backscene from the crossing is the difficult part. On the green area I'd place some small saplings/shrubbery with a bit of height so that the view from the side angles isn't obscured, but is at least hindered, it'll encourage you and viewers to look round/through the obstruction and help mask the direct view. If you are going to put gates on the factory entrance that may well work too. I'd pull them a centimetre or so forward of the backscene, that'll allow light to drop behind them and visually pull them forward off the backscene. If they are fancy wrought iron gates watch for the shadow on the backscene. A van parked in front of the houses blocking one or the other lanes of the road will also help, it'll draw the eye forward of the backscene/baseboard join without being obvious. See below.
I've done this on Albion Yard I had the option of a straight crossing of the layout, but blocked the road short http://albionyard.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/img_9258.jpg almost a mirror image of your cottage yard entrance. The van, fencing and weeds all pull the eye away from the background, its not detailed at all, just 'stuff' in the way. Don't be afraid to put stuff in the way within reason, I've found it captures peoples attention, they have to find new viewpoints, and a good number of comments I had at shows came from people enjoying doing just that.
It does take time though which is why I think some people commented they thought the layout was bigger than it was. I tried many many iterations of buildings/trees positions etc until I finally got it right, and that was one of the most rewarding parts of the construction especially when the final positioning came through. You're still at that lucky point where if you want to make a major change of road alignment at that rear backscene join, you almost certainly still can without a significant compromise to the rest of the design. EG bend the road right slightly so it exits four or five inches to the right. That places that buffer stop and signal box in the direct line of sight of the baseboard/road join, then work your way around the periphery of that view with subtle view blocks/distractions which can be as simple as a well detailed telegraph pole.
Get a beer open, some cardboard boxes or other buildings you may have, and just mess about pushing them around until you're happy!
edited for chelling speck
) The sort of building I'm thinking of would be like on Bawdseyhttp://bawdsey.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/img_2104.jpg?w=500&h=291
The adjoining buildings where there are gable ends modelled on Bawdsey don't work anything like as well as this simple industrial type behind the 08 which is the sort of 30's+/post war I've got in mind.
An option too is to make the building a flat against the backscene and just put a line of thin weedy specimens of sea moss saplings along the building side, like new growth not cut back for a few years, that'll give you texture/depth and a mask of the 2d building in one hit.
Looking at your layout plan the straight line to backscene from the crossing is the difficult part. On the green area I'd place some small saplings/shrubbery with a bit of height so that the view from the side angles isn't obscured, but is at least hindered, it'll encourage you and viewers to look round/through the obstruction and help mask the direct view. If you are going to put gates on the factory entrance that may well work too. I'd pull them a centimetre or so forward of the backscene, that'll allow light to drop behind them and visually pull them forward off the backscene. If they are fancy wrought iron gates watch for the shadow on the backscene. A van parked in front of the houses blocking one or the other lanes of the road will also help, it'll draw the eye forward of the backscene/baseboard join without being obvious. See below.
I've done this on Albion Yard I had the option of a straight crossing of the layout, but blocked the road short http://albionyard.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/img_9258.jpg almost a mirror image of your cottage yard entrance. The van, fencing and weeds all pull the eye away from the background, its not detailed at all, just 'stuff' in the way. Don't be afraid to put stuff in the way within reason, I've found it captures peoples attention, they have to find new viewpoints, and a good number of comments I had at shows came from people enjoying doing just that.
It does take time though which is why I think some people commented they thought the layout was bigger than it was. I tried many many iterations of buildings/trees positions etc until I finally got it right, and that was one of the most rewarding parts of the construction especially when the final positioning came through. You're still at that lucky point where if you want to make a major change of road alignment at that rear backscene join, you almost certainly still can without a significant compromise to the rest of the design. EG bend the road right slightly so it exits four or five inches to the right. That places that buffer stop and signal box in the direct line of sight of the baseboard/road join, then work your way around the periphery of that view with subtle view blocks/distractions which can be as simple as a well detailed telegraph pole.
Get a beer open, some cardboard boxes or other buildings you may have, and just mess about pushing them around until you're happy!
edited for chelling speck
Steve Cook
Flying Squad
Thanks for the step by step on the factory assembly CK, it was an interesting read 
I have to admit I side with the observation that the factory end only looks right when viewed perpendicularly, its something I've been trying to think of a way round. In that regard I've failed, because I don't think you can ever make a building look great against a backscene from a variety of angles unless the roof apex remains untouched or the building corners remain proud (unless the view is wholly constrained).
There has been some great advice and observation so far, its fascinating seeing how different people approach the problem. In addition to your suggestion of a set of heavy wooden gates, I'd be tempted to pick a far plainer distraction than a factory side and just go for a wall (maybe with capping) as far forward from the backscene as you can get. With the gates across the road entrance, set back from the wall (but not on the backscene) and replace the exisiting building on the left hand side with a small hut for the gatekeeper (with a continuation of the wall). Place trees, ivy or some such on the backscene side of the wall to give the impression that there is something on the other side, you just can't see it. Depending on the depth available, I could even be tempted to suggest that there is some visual representation of a factory on the backscene, but its viewpoint is obscured by the aforementioned greenery. If the roof profile of the factory can be kept below the height of the wall it will not show up in track level photographs, but a hint will appear from a standing up viewing perspective. I like Paul's approach to framing the railway bits without making it obvious you have done so, I look forward to seeing you how tackle what you haveSteve
I have to admit I side with the observation that the factory end only looks right when viewed perpendicularly, its something I've been trying to think of a way round. In that regard I've failed, because I don't think you can ever make a building look great against a backscene from a variety of angles unless the roof apex remains untouched or the building corners remain proud (unless the view is wholly constrained).There has been some great advice and observation so far, its fascinating seeing how different people approach the problem. In addition to your suggestion of a set of heavy wooden gates, I'd be tempted to pick a far plainer distraction than a factory side and just go for a wall (maybe with capping) as far forward from the backscene as you can get. With the gates across the road entrance, set back from the wall (but not on the backscene) and replace the exisiting building on the left hand side with a small hut for the gatekeeper (with a continuation of the wall). Place trees, ivy or some such on the backscene side of the wall to give the impression that there is something on the other side, you just can't see it. Depending on the depth available, I could even be tempted to suggest that there is some visual representation of a factory on the backscene, but its viewpoint is obscured by the aforementioned greenery. If the roof profile of the factory can be kept below the height of the wall it will not show up in track level photographs, but a hint will appear from a standing up viewing perspective. I like Paul's approach to framing the railway bits without making it obvious you have done so, I look forward to seeing you how tackle what you have
Steve
Captain Kernow
Western Thunderer
Thanks all, I would have posted a further amended photo this morning, taking up some of Paul's advice, but the work laptop refused to upload it!
I take on board all the very helpful advice, especially from Neil, Paul and Steve. To that end, I've got the 'Northlight' part-relief structure out, and would have cut the gable ends off it tonight, if I hadn't been 'dragooned' into getting started on the Christmas cards!!
I think that what I'll try first is a modification of the existing Northlight piece, with a representation of sloping roof in (very) low relief, but going the same length up to the road. I'm loathe to scrap the building on the other side of the road, but I take Steve's point and won't rule out replacing it, if something else really looks better.
I will scratchbuild a pair of heavy wooden gates to go across the roadway - something I had been resisting doing for a long time, but I can't find a better way of disguising the end of the layout, and I guess that there's no reason that Callow Lane can't run up to a factory entrance, rather than disappearing elsewhere into the surrounding district.
If I'm still not happy with that, I'll probably try shortening the modified factory by one window 'bay', or two at most, and replacing with a plain, slightly lower, brick wall. I'll also look out for some suitable 'factory scenes' that I can print off and position behind the low relief structure, with just the top bits visible, to give the depth we've mentioned.
I do like the idea of a bit of greenery behind the brick wall, and I'll try that, if I end up with a section of wall, but I have to stress that there really isn't much room there to play with...!
Does anyone have any good sources of photos of 'heavy wooden factory gates', by the way, please?!
I take on board all the very helpful advice, especially from Neil, Paul and Steve. To that end, I've got the 'Northlight' part-relief structure out, and would have cut the gable ends off it tonight, if I hadn't been 'dragooned' into getting started on the Christmas cards!!
I think that what I'll try first is a modification of the existing Northlight piece, with a representation of sloping roof in (very) low relief, but going the same length up to the road. I'm loathe to scrap the building on the other side of the road, but I take Steve's point and won't rule out replacing it, if something else really looks better.
I will scratchbuild a pair of heavy wooden gates to go across the roadway - something I had been resisting doing for a long time, but I can't find a better way of disguising the end of the layout, and I guess that there's no reason that Callow Lane can't run up to a factory entrance, rather than disappearing elsewhere into the surrounding district.
If I'm still not happy with that, I'll probably try shortening the modified factory by one window 'bay', or two at most, and replacing with a plain, slightly lower, brick wall. I'll also look out for some suitable 'factory scenes' that I can print off and position behind the low relief structure, with just the top bits visible, to give the depth we've mentioned.
I do like the idea of a bit of greenery behind the brick wall, and I'll try that, if I end up with a section of wall, but I have to stress that there really isn't much room there to play with...!
Does anyone have any good sources of photos of 'heavy wooden factory gates', by the way, please?!