# Help! Worked myself into a corner literally



## yankeejwb (Nov 30, 2021)

Ok, so I wanted to create a little hill in this corner to break up the flatness of the scene, make a nice wall , etc. The only problem is I’m stumped what to put on top.
It’s just across from a downtown area. I’ve considered a fancy house (haunted maybe?), a church, a cemetery, or just a water tower and trees with a billboard.
What would you put up there? The flat area is a 12x15 triangle roughly.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I think that area would make for a nice Harbor Port?  A ship and dock? 

If you have house up there you will have to carve out a steep road to get up to the house. 
Maybe scale the house down to get that far away perspective?

For all the buildings you have, that mountain does not fit in with the rest?


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## MohawkMike (Jan 29, 2018)

I have such a corner. I have a scale lighthouse overlooking the ocean which is off the platform.... Blinking light, very tall, people on top - very impressive.....


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

MohawkMike said:


> I have such a corner. I have a scale lighthouse overlooking the ocean which is off the platform.... Blinking light, very tall, people on top - very impressive.....


You have a picture?
That would work if he had a little water along the bottom?
Carve his mountain into rock.


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## yankeejwb (Nov 30, 2021)

Big Ed said:


> For all the buildings you have, that mountain does not fit in with the rest?


Where I grew up in Schenectady there is a similar geography, a large hill on the edge of downtown that’s mainly residential, a couple schools, a big church. It’s what gave me the idea for that terrain feature.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

yankeejwb said:


> Where I grew up in Schenectady there is a similar geography, a large hill on the edge of downtown that’s mainly residential, a couple schools, a big church. It’s what gave me the idea for that terrain feature.


Been there many times, delivered chemical tanker loads.
Schenectady Chemicals was big on the list.
Ok, no water.
An old cabin in the woods would be nice, an albino 10 buck standing in the back ground. 
Still need the road somehow?


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## JeffHurl (Apr 22, 2021)

A zoo might be fun


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## yankeejwb (Nov 30, 2021)

Big Ed said:


> Been there many times, delivered chemical tanker loads.
> Schenectady Chemicals was big on the list.
> Ok, no water.
> An old cabin in the woods would be nice, an albino 10 buck standing in the back ground.
> Still need the road somehow?


My dad worked 20 years at GE there. I worked for a janitorial service in high school, cleaned all the break rooms and offices at Sch’dy Chemical.
I’m actually content with the road being only partially represented, running off the edges.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

yankeejwb said:


> My dad worked 20 years at GE there. I worked for a janitorial service in high school, cleaned all the break rooms and offices at Sch’dy Chemical.
> I’m actually content with the road being only partially represented, running off the edges.


GE too. I delivered a lot of RR track to them in the 70's. 
They took a lot of Methanol loads too. GE just gobbles up Methanol. 

Heck, you could have worked in a part of the old Erie Canal?
Went right thru Schenectady.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)




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## yankeejwb (Nov 30, 2021)

Big Ed said:


> View attachment 578139


I’m scratch building a theater based on the old State theater that’s about four blocks from where that barge is on Erie. A ton of RR history in that city. It’s a big reason why I fell in love with the hobby.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

I like water tower and billboard. But its your layout!


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## SF Gal (11 mo ago)

I like the idea of keeping it simple...you have this busy town below, dont distract from the town.
Why not make a billboard of the town name? Maybe a radio station tower, something like this....


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## Homeless by Choice (Apr 15, 2016)

sjm9911 said:


> I like water tower and billboard. But its your layout!


In Arizona, many cities have a large capital (first) letter of the name of the town framed is white painted rocks towards the top the giant hill and mountain sides. Most of those hilltops also have cell and microwave towers up there along with water tower and billboards. Maybe this will give you an inspiration.

*EDIT: *Also a repeat of the above post. I was just a little later.

LeRoy


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

How about... trees.

I have/had a similar triangle area. See references to "pie-shaped area" here... Second HO Layout


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## mesenteria (Oct 29, 2015)

yankeejwb said:


> View attachment 578133
> 
> View attachment 578132
> Ok, so I wanted to create a little hill in this corner to break up the flatness of the scene, make a nice wall , etc. The only problem is I’m stumped what to put on top.
> ...


How about 'green space'? A park, maybe with a tennis court or a basketball court, or a picnic area and viewpoint overlooking the town. A large squat water tower, the emergency water supply for the town. A elementary school, or maybe a one-room schoolhouse. An old barn in a field. A sub station with fencing, transformers, hydro towers. Car dealership. It's high enough to dig down and show a quarry operation. How about a filled quarry...with diving platform?


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## shortwrench (Nov 21, 2019)

I had a similar situation. I tried a house on the hill scenario but couldn't figure out anything that
did not look out of place or distracting. I ended up with a cell & microwave tower on a hillside
of trees.









The tower is a plastic straw with lego pieces for the microwave and cell antennas.
The beacon is a blinker bulb from a Christmas tree light string painted red and 
powered from a 3 volt wall wart.


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## Murv2 (Nov 5, 2017)

The house from Psycho?
A grassy knoll?
Cable car?
Mount Rushmore?


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## GNfan (Jun 3, 2016)

The house from The Addams Family.


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## OilValleyRy (Oct 3, 2021)

I like the idea of a water tower & trees. The foliage would contrast with the concrete jungle. A water tower could have a city name on it, a blinking light on top would be cool. A little access single lane dirt road leading up to it from the fascia. 
Water towers can be pretty elaborate actually; venting, supply, maintenance/inspection hatches, etc.

A city park is another idea, with a tree line along the tracks. That would work well with the flatness. Maybe an older loco on display. A classic car show would be kinda neat. I’m sure it’s been done but I don’t see it often. Makes good use of wide assortment of 1950s cars if you model 1980s or more recent.


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## Steve Rothstein (Jan 1, 2021)

GNfan said:


> The house from The Addams Family.


Well, that would tie in to the hobby. But wouldn't you need some dynamite under the track?


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## Magic (Jan 28, 2014)

I kinda like the park idea or something simple. A building would look out of place IMO.
A nice tree and grass area would supplement the town, not much green down there.

Magic


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## Chaostrain (Jan 27, 2015)

A forest with tall pine/fir trees and maybe a billboard to be seen from the road.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

As you can tell from the variety of responses you've received so far, there are a million good ideas.

Personally, I'd do a park with a gazebo and maybe a small pond, some walking trails, a nice wrought iron fence to keep people from falling onto the tracks. You don't have to worry about access, because the parking area, etc. could be "off the layout" in the aisle and not modeled. If you wanted to, you could build a pedestrian bridge over the tracks with a stairway on the city side that lands in that grassy area between the tracks (or even over all the tracks to land near the service station.

At the end of the day, it's your layout. You gotta do what seems right to you.


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## GTW son (12 mo ago)

I'd go with an old mens room/tavern.
After all its the other side of the tracks.


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## yankeejwb (Nov 30, 2021)

CTValleyRR said:


> If you wanted to, you could build a pedestrian bridge over the tracks with a stairway on the city side that lands in that grassy area between the tracks (or even over all the tracks to land near the service station.


I like that idea. Anything that’s interesting, unique, and breaks up the 3D plane, so to speak. Gives the train something to roll through.


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## yankeejwb (Nov 30, 2021)

I just thought of something that would very cool, ambitious, and straight out of Schenectady history: the old Hamilton Hill Klondike ramp. Ever see pictures of it? It never had a walkway over tracks but so what, my little world, right?
I’d have to compress it design wise, but it was basically a pedestrian ramp tower that GE employees used to get down from their homes on the Hill to the main plant (there’s an old subway entrance so-called that’s a few blocks from the bottom that was a-subterranean walkway under the tracks. I remember my mom taking us to pick him up in the morning back in the 70’s. It’s gonna be somewhere on this layout too.)
It was tore down in the 60’s I think, but the concrete base ramp is still there, covered by vines and brush.
That would be epic. Definitely not subtle, and almost to much for that space, but it would possibly be worth tacking on an extension onto that corner.


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## yankeejwb (Nov 30, 2021)

CTValleyRR said:


> .


Now you’ve done it. That pedestrian bridge idea has inspired a project beyond the bounds of reasonableness lol. See my comment on the Schenectady skywalk.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

yankeejwb said:


> I just thought of something that would very cool, ambitious, and straight out of Schenectady history: the old Hamilton Hill skywalk. Ever see pictures of it? It never had a walkway over tracks but so what, my little world, right?
> I’d have to compress it design wise, but it was basically a pedestrian ramp tower that GE employees used to get down from their homes on the Hill to the main plant (there’s an old subway entrance so-called that’s a few blocks from the bottom that was a-subterranean walkway under the tracks. I remember my mom taking us to pick him up in the morning back in the 70’s. It’s gonna be somewhere on this layout too.)
> It was tore down in the 60’s I think, but the concrete base ramp is still there, covered by vines and brush.
> That would be epic. Definitely not subtle, and almost to much for that space, but it would possibly be worth tacking on an extension onto that corner.


Exactly what I was thinking (although with the steps zig-zagging back and forth). There are several of these in NYC, as well as a number over the Shore Line / NE Corridor here in Connecticut. Some even have stairs around a central elevator shaft.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

yankeejwb said:


> Now you’ve done it. That pedestrian bridge idea has inspired a project beyond the bounds of reasonableness lol. See my comment on the Schenectady skywalk.


You're welcome! Always glad to get a modeler further in over his head!!! 

Seriously, give it a shot. There are a couple of kits out there that would help (I have one from -- I think -- Kibri that nicely spans 2 tracks).


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## yankeejwb (Nov 30, 2021)

The Klondike was 50’ in diameter, 60’ high. So about 7”x8.25”. The hill would need another 6” height, so definitely will need an extension on the two sides to make it work. Harder things have been done. Just makes reaching the far side of downtown awkward. Fortunately the internet has precise dimensions for the original structure.

I think I’ve found my answer, y’all. Thank you! I’ll let you know how it turns out.


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## BigGRacing (Sep 25, 2020)

MohawkMike said:


> I have such a corner. I have a scale lighthouse overlooking the ocean which is off the platform.... Blinking light, very tall, people on top - very impressive.....


Any chance of posting a picture sounds like a great model ?


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## spdaylightfan (Nov 15, 2009)

yankeejwb said:


> View attachment 578133
> 
> View attachment 578132
> Ok, so I wanted to create a little hill in this corner to break up the flatness of the scene, make a nice wall , etc. The only problem is I’m stumped what to put on top.
> ...


All of your thoughts are good ones! I would get rid of that 15 foot drop to the tracks, it just doesn't fit there. Use a hot wire ti create a slope to something scenic on top. Perhaps a city park would give you lots of options for little mini scenes with you people and animals. Dont forget to ballast that track. lol


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Grew up on the CW said:


> Sorry Guys, posted to the wrong thread some how.


I was wondering,  
Just ask for it to be moved, Gunrunner John or the T man, send a PM.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

spdaylightfan said:


> All of your thoughts are good ones! I would get rid of that 15 foot drop to the tracks, it just doesn't fit there. Use a hot wire ti create a slope to something scenic on top. Perhaps a city park would give you lots of options for little mini scenes with you people and animals. Dont forget to ballast that track. lol


Not trying to be argumentative... but it sure does fit. There are places like that all over the Northeastern US, and probably other mountainous / hilly regions as well. It's especially common in older settlements where the town was well-established long before the railroads came through -- in the Northeast, people started building towns in the mid-1600's; railroads didn't come along for almost two centuries, and often didn't have much choice on where to build. Below is an image from my dear departed friend Lee Carlson. You see VRR #3025 emerging from Tate's Cut, which is about the level of the passenger cars' roofs and all of about 80 feet long. Just to the right, out of the frame, is a nice, almost flat waterfront park bordering the Connecticut River. The rise continues to the left up to the town of Deep River about 1/2 mile away.


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## yankeejwb (Nov 30, 2021)

CTValleyRR said:


> Not trying to be argumentative... but it sure does fit. There are places like that all over the Northeastern US, and probably other mountainous / hilly regions as well. It's especially common in older settlements where the town was well-established long before the railroads came through -- in the Northeast, people started building towns in the mid-1600's; railroads didn't come along for almost two centuries, and often didn't have much choice on where to build.


Schenectady is the epitome of that. Settled in 1640’s, sits in the Mohawk River valley, downtown where much of the trackage runs is bordered on one side by high hills with very steep roads. That’s why the Klondike ramp was built.


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

GSMRR between Bryson City & Nantahala.


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