Blocking in.

The larger scales, that is those over 7mm/1/4" scale, can be mind boggling. The size is one of the toughest things to get your head around when you jump up from the smaller scales. Sure, on its own, a small industrial loco, or skip wagon can sit comfortably in the palm of your hand. But it's the volume of these things when you put them on a layout that causes issues. A jump from 7mm to 16mm is just over doubling the dimensions. But doubling the dimensions of an object increases the volume eight fold. Things all of a sudden have a bulk. You can sketch and plan all you like. But you have to know how your sketch fills three dimensions. That's where I find blocking in so important.

"Blocking in" is just using whatever you have to hand to see how things fit. I enjoy blocking in. It’s like building a layout without building one. In this instance I'm lucky I have some large buildings from Cuddle to use to help visualise things, otherwise I’d be using cardboard boxes as stand-ins for the structures. Here follows the results of an evenings blocking in session.

(1) This is the first arrangement of the structures using what I have from Cuddle. It all actually shapes up quite nicely. I like the Chimney up front even though a one foot tall model chimney would only be 19' the real world. It stands well there. If you're concentrating on the action at the back of the layout, then it will always disappear up out of your  field of view. Like a real chimney would. The big white “wall”. Is it a retaining wall, is it another building? I hope it’s not a building I don’t want to build another big structure. 

(2) How much clutter can I fit in between the tracks? That's a good question to ask. Detritus and waste are always good for creating atmosphere. Something like this is where we can fall into a trap of over cluttering. You think there's a lot of room there for crates and things, forgetting how big things like that are in 16mm scale.

(3) I have mixed emotions about this image. Overall, I find the arrangement of the structures quite pleasing. No particularly long expanses of flat wall, and I really like the way the chimney and boiler house (perhaps ?) protrude into the scene. Creating a nook, (or cranny) to make you wonder what's behind that corner, thus drawing you into the scene. The awning covering the tipping point actually seems a long way away. There's quite the distance there. Perhaps that's the first indications of forced perspective as the corrugations are close to G scale.. 

Clearances are a bit tight going in through the entry, but I think it'd be OK. Then there's the question of what's going to be at the front right to hide the sector plate? If it's going to really going to protrude into the scene, with the boiler house protruding in as well, It makes the viewing area very narrow. Cutting it back, making it a slope with vegetation on it. Perhaps a tree, maybe scrub, Marram Grass, would soften that edge. As it is it’s pretty clear a building wall wouldn’t work there. 

(4) Here I’ve opened out the whole of the front by sending the boiler house to the back. The front of the layout is very open and boring now. But, having a G scale building at the rear really creates a sense of depth. More forced perspective. 

(5) The forced perspective is even more noticeable now you look at the scene head on. Perhaps a tightly controlled viewpoint like this is the way to go. Perhaps I need some things at the front encroaching on the scene to force how the layout is viewed.

All in all a very productive session. I have some good ideas to develop. I have some more ideas whirring around my head as I type this post. Perhaps I'll be blocking in more tonight...