# City / Town Ideas



## Class5 (Nov 10, 2015)

I have a town I am trying to work out, I have a curved 42 radius in the back of the town area I am building. I am looking for ideas for setting up the town. Street direction etc. Currently Im looking at having a street parallel to the edge of the layout and dont know if I like that look? Pictures or thoughts


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## Class5 (Nov 10, 2015)

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPo_41iUIi2iG4HmPxQMVQc0H9dcF0gL_GPKhce


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

My thought is, how can anyone possibly tell you what you are going to like?

Your link doesn't work for me. In any case, it's better if you insert the image right in the post. You may need 5 posts before you can do that, though.


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## LateStarter (Mar 12, 2016)

If you're blessed with the room to enable a 42" radius, the possibilities concerning road placements and their compass directions are almost endless.
Virtually any plan you could come up with will likely look fine. Any boroughs, neighborhoods, structures and facilities you include will add to the effect.
All you need to keep in mind is that roads have a purpose. They don't exist for _nothing._
It's not rocket science.


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## Jscullans (Jul 8, 2019)

Are you wanting a downtown type area, a residential area, or an industrial area? I always thought it was cool when you saw a set of tracks going down the middle of a towns Main Street or something.


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## Class5 (Nov 10, 2015)

I have been struggling on how to post a picture! I will post up some once I figure it out. I should describe things more. Its a garage layout with it going around the walls. I opted for no reverse loops so save space. 
Its a older town scene just your typical shops stores etc. 
The town is in one of the corners or the layout. I was going to run on main street down the center, I have thought more about having more of a interesting set up with multiple streets and at angles etc.


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## Tom_C (Jan 8, 2016)

I think you need 5 posts before you can upload a pic directly.

https://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=84953


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Class5 said:


> I have been struggling on how to post a picture! I will post up some once I figure it out. I should describe things more. Its a garage layout with it going around the walls. I opted for no reverse loops so save space.
> Its a older town scene just your typical shops stores etc.
> The town is in one of the corners or the layout. I was going to run on main street down the center, I have thought more about having more of a interesting set up with multiple streets and at angles etc.


First get a few more posts.
Then, (a copy and paste of mine)

What I do to post a picture,
1,When your typing your thread, look up top & click on the paper clip.

2,That opens a box then click browse.

3,That will open another box find your picture where ever it is in your computer. (say downloads,camera,files wherever your picture is.)
When you find the picture click on it then click open, it will then be in your box where you clicked browse.

4, Then click upload, wait to make sure it uploads. Then minimize that upload box.

5, After it uploads go back to your post box where you are typing and click the paper clip again and click insert attachments.
(if you forget to go back your pictures will just show as a clickable link instead of a picture in the post. Go back and click the paper clip again after you upload and click insert all or if you only have one picture click on the link there a second time.)
Note, if the picture won't upload most likely it is too big.

Your picture should be in the thread.


Go in advanced mode when you post, if you can't see the paper clip I am talking about let me know you will have to change something in your CP an easy fix.


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Possibly the easiest urban area to plan for your
layout is a small town. Building kits are widely
available at hobby stores. But it is enjoyable to
create your own. Hobby shops have scale construction
materials and even various types of stairs, windows,
doors and the like. They have roofings and sidings
modelling various construction materials. 

Main street has never been much
of a railroad freight user. For that reason, some of
us have built our 'town's' outer areas where freight
users had their businesses. That's where you can
have spurs for small warehouses, factories, distributors
and the like. Unless you have a lot of spare space it's
best to avoid big companies like mines and refineries.

Another helpful hint for 'town' building is to use
the viewers imagination. Let your roads 'go off
in the distance'...no need to connect them. 

Don


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

I think endless possibilities is correct. I would be tempted to make the 42" radius track run right down the middle of the street. This place even has "street track" http://www.proto87.com, just not that exact curve, but you might get some ideas from the pictures!


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## Class5 (Nov 10, 2015)

Ill keep posting so I can post pictures lol


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## Class5 (Nov 10, 2015)

Here is one of the plans I was working on, not sure if i lie the road across the front from left to right, any thoughts or suggestions


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## Murv2 (Nov 5, 2017)

You can’t see the train.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

What's your primary focus? Realism or aesthetics? If you're going for realism, you'll want to butt several of those building units together into a longer block and install them back to back, not all facing front.

I tend to agree with Murv2, though. Can you rearrange things to bring that track up much closer to the foreground. I would do track in the foreground, with a street next to it, and a row of buildings facing the street. If you want a second street in the background, those buildings would have their backs to the first row (want to cheat? Cut the backs off of the buildings and reuse them. Make new sides out of brick sheets and window castings; you don't need fronts on that other row).

If you can't or won't relocate the track, then make a wide boulevard down the center, with perhaps a park or something (large parking lot?) next to the tracks to open the view up. The trains should be the star.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Add a backdrop?*



Class5 said:


> Here is one of the plans I was working on, not sure if i lie the road across the front from left to right, any thoughts or suggestions


Class5;

I agree with the prior suggestions, but there are a couple of other things. That corner of the room detracts a lot from the scene. It's usually wise, and easier, to work from back to front. At a minimum, I suggest changing the "Giant right angle in the sky" to a curve. Use thin styrene, or even poster board, to form a curve that hides that wall corner. Paint it blue to match the rest of the walls. Better yet, paint a backdrop on it, use a commercial backdrop glued to it, or a photo backdrop. The scene shown below is only 8 inches deep at the bottom and 16" deep at the top. But, because of the backdrop, it appears to be miles deep. I painted it. It's only my second attempt at painting a backdrop. I have absolutely no art education of any kind,, and very little skill. If I can do it anyone can. Your backdrop doesn't even need to be as elaborate. Simple shapes of more "distant "town buildings, and a cloud or two, would do the trick. You can also use building flats to blur the line between 3D and 2D scenery.

good luck, have fun;

Traction Fan :smilie_daumenpos:


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## Class5 (Nov 10, 2015)

Guys all great ideas, I think Im just in a case of designers block!
Attached are a couple more picture ideas. 
The yard is to the left of the town, and the right will be a tunnel. Then its a two track main around the garage. Out of the tunnel into a mountain scene with logging etc, farming


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## Magic (Jan 28, 2014)

I'd take that building out of the corner, just makes the squared corner that much more noticeable.

Magic


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

Two small towns here in NC have tracks right down Main Street - Thomasville and Landis. In both towns there is auto parking and/or park-like areas (green space) adjacent to the tracks, so you park your car and jaywalk back across the street to the shops. This would give you some separation between the buildings and the track so you can see the train.

In the screen shots below look at the width of the streets relative to the buildings, then look at your pics. Your streets are way too wide, IMO.

Go to Google maps, street level view and look around. 
.


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## Eilif (Nov 6, 2017)

I'd agree with the suggestion to curve the backdrop. Maybe remove the buildings back there altogether.

I disagree with the idea that obscuring the trains is necessarily a bad thing. Looks like you've got plenty of areas where the trains can otherwise be viewed so having them peek in and out of the blocks of buildings seems reasonable. 

It looks too me like you've got two different motifs that are common in the Chicago suburbs combined into one scene. The raised tracks that you see somewhere like Oak Park or Joliet and also the train rolling right through the downtown near street level that you see -usually with multi-track mainlines going through places like West Chicago, Wheaton, Mt. Prospect, etc.

In addition to curving the backdrop, Would it be possible to curve the streets and the buildings to match the curve of the street a bit closer? You can fudge a bit with roads on both sides of the tracks. Perhaps a divided roadway with one lane on each side?


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## NorfolkSouthernguy (Jan 29, 2019)

Class5 said:


> View attachment 525680
> 
> 
> View attachment 525682
> ...


I found a lot of inspiration for downtown areas in this video. This is one of the best looking and well planned layouts I have ever seen. The attention to detail is fantastic and It’s as realistic as it comes. The elevated tracks snake around the apartment buildings. The lower tracks run down the center of the streets. I have watched a collection of this creators videos showing his layout several times. 

You may have already seen this layout on YouTube but it’s loaded with ideas that may help you with your design.


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

For a limited space such as this, you should check into backdrops that represent a city. That way you get the illusion of a much larger city, and the actual buildings you have can represent the edge of the city, possibly a train station or some other feature where the train can stop at. Once you have a backdrop selected, that will likely dictate the direction of your streets and suggest how the buildings should be laid.


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

I have used photos from magazines, particularly travel magazines, to paste on backgrounds that I have painted with blue sky and green hills.


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## Class5 (Nov 10, 2015)

great more ideas, great video haven't seen that one. I think it may be good to eliminate the back section and like everyone said radius the back drop. What do you think about a elevated section of the town behind the rear track in font of the back drop? Or is that too busy?


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## NorfolkSouthernguy (Jan 29, 2019)

Class5 said:


> great more ideas, great video haven't seen that one. I think it may be good to eliminate the back section and like everyone said radius the back drop. What do you think about a elevated section of the town behind the rear track in font of the back drop? Or is that too busy?


I think it’s a great idea. I am in the same situation trying to design my down town area. I am doing the elevated back section so that it’s visible from the front. I feel confident this is a great route to take. This way buildings and street detail is not hidden out of sight. 

I am also running a track on the elevation to serve down town businesses/plants etc. I see often layouts that have the rear elevation all the way around the layout. It looks good and gives the layout some depth. 

Like you I am also planning a track right down the middle of the road downtown. I have always liked this idea and think it’s a neat feature to work in the design. I am trying to avoid having any track run right at the front edge of the layout. I see this often but setting the track back even just a few inches leaves some space to add ground cover, weeds, grass or even a small stream or ditch.


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## Gramps (Feb 28, 2016)

I did the elevated very small city way back when I had a house with a basement. I had a horseshoe layout and on one of the turn around ends I built the city above the tracks much like folks build tunnels. My thinking was like when railroads entered mid-town Manhattan they all went underground. It was not prototypical for such a small city but it's what I wanted.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Elevation at the rear*



Class5 said:


> great more ideas, great video haven't seen that one. I think it may be good to eliminate the back section and like everyone said radius the back drop. What do you think about a elevated section of the town behind the rear track in font of the back drop? Or is that too busy?


 I'm another one who's going to elevate the back section of my "city" scene. I plan to use all the tricks. Mirrors, structure flats, smaller scale, "forced perspective" structures, a painted backdrop, "vanishing point" streets that narrow "in the distance", and anything else I can think of. I'm trying to represent a small part of a large city, (Seattle,WA.) in a very limited space. Also, Seattle is quite hilly, so a raised portion would be prototypical.

Traction Fan :smilie_daumenpos:


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## Djsfantasi (Mar 19, 2019)

No 90 degree angles. I usually lay out my Main Street at 60-70 degrees, either right or left, from the front of the layout. 

Sometimes, that back corner of the track is hidden under an upper level of the town. This works best if you layout the town on a hill which rises enough so the turn back curve is under the hill. 

Another layout trick is not to use rectangular buildings along the track. Pie-shaped buildings along the track curvature can look quite real. 

You can also cheat by building structures whose roof clears the tracks and have missing sides to allow the track to curve through the scene. 

This works best when you as the designer can see where viewing angles can be used to your benefit. 

Basically, after you have determined the track location, creatively follow/hide the curve. Your scene will be much more organic and realistic.


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## Class5 (Nov 10, 2015)

If you all can, post pictures of what you have done


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## Chops (Dec 6, 2018)

Street track. Now that is a great idea!


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## Class5 (Nov 10, 2015)

Updates thanks everyone for the advice


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## Class5 (Nov 10, 2015)

http://imgur.com/ORfE6Zc


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## ATTDCC (May 7, 2020)

There is a city like that near me, called niles. If you have a foam sheet under the layout, you can model Their Bridge. The town looks like This. There is Also this station across the street. I want to model it once I have the room, but it seem to be exactly what you are looking for.


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## Class5 (Nov 10, 2015)

only the station link worked


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