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How many meters of OO track can I cover with a 250g bag of ballast ?
Posted in: Tracks
16th January 2023
It can be difficult to accurately estimate how many meters of OO track can be covered with a 250g bag of ballast, as...
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What are my curved platform options in model railways?
Posted in: Model Railway
11th April 2022
A good many real-life platforms have some sort of curve incorporated into them to accommodate either the topography...
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How can I create a reversing loop with Y-shaped turnout on my layout?
Posted in: Tracks
16th November 2023
A reversing loop is a section of track that allows a train to change direction without reversing. Reversing loops can...
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How do you design a track plan?
Posted in: Model Railway, Design and Planning
27th March 2020
There are several different ways to design a track plan for your model railway project. There is no right or wrong...
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How do I connect track?
Posted in: Design and Planning, Tracks, Best practices
7th November 2019
The track is connected using rail joiners, also called "fishplates". They are thin metal plates that simply slot...
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What is forced perspective?

Perspective is something we see every day out there in the real world. A tree in the far distance, for example, will appear very small, despite it being as large as a tree close by. Our brains know this, but, our brains can also be easily tricked with the use of forced perspective.

The most common application of forced perspective in modelling is the use of back scenes. Apart from their primary purpose of providing a backdrop to layouts, they also often provide a forced perspective. It's not uncommon for a back scene to feature hills and scenery some miles away, even though the back scene itself is placed just centimetres from the main features on the baseboard.

Forced perspective can also be achieved using models. A modest approach to this would be the use of progressively smaller trees and buildings the further back you go. A more extreme example would be the use of N gauge track in the background and OO gauge in the foreground. Most modellers using forced perspective favour techniques somewhere between the two.

The trick to using forced perspective is to have some sort of scene break between steps in gauge or scale. Placing models of different scales too closely without a visual distraction will result in the brain not being tricked. However, locating your building either elevated on a hill or slightly obscured by a hedge can have compelling effects.

The exception to the rule is when using low-relief buildings layered to create a tiered town effect. In this scenario, only a very small gap is left between models with little or no distractive features. Some very convincing dioramas have been produced by modellers in this way, however, the method only really works when the scene is viewed head-on. Any other perspective leaves the scene looking a little bit like a pop-up book.

Posted in: Scenery

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