Before

This locale sits atop a helix, and also hides part of a turnback curve on the main line.  I designed a canyon scene to avoid using a tunnel.  From any normal angle, a viewer cannot see the open access area beyond the ridge line.

The turnback curve gets close to the wall on this side.  The steeply angled rock layers are common in the area modeled.

Here's the initial backdrop sketch with basic colors.  With the cement plant at right I decided to represent a limestone quarry.  Although the shapes didn't look bad from the access hole inside the helix, the hill to the right of the corner looked a bit off from this angle where a viewer would normally see it, and I didn't care for the top of the quarry area.

After

I wanted to get to ground cover soon, so the backdrop had to be finished.

This is the area behind the helix, where viewers don't normally stand. Instead of modeling a tunnel at left, I shaped the hill so trains just disappear behind it. 

Since the photos in the previous post were taken, I refined the backdrop shapes somewhat, and touched up the clouds.  I wanted colors and textures typical of the northern Great Basin in summer.  A pile of photos was kept close by.  Coloration was intentionally kept fairly dark to minimize the impression of distance and to closely match foreground scenery materials

Here's the cement plant area from the main aisle.  Compare this view with the unfinished scene above to see where the shapes have been changed.

From inside the access hole, the view toward the cement plant looks like this.  The future course of Muddy Creek lies between the tracks and the base of this hill.

Rob - as usual it looks great!

Rob,

Your backdrop looks great and I really like how it added a finished look to the area.  Thanks for sharing.

Nice work as usual Rob...

You Cornered Me

Nah, they just don't bug me.

corner

Right smack in the corner

Until...

Very nice

...work on backdrop and terrain. Looking forward to seeing it all develop.

Mike

Nice

Very effective as usual Rob. I particularly like the area behind the concrete plant.  Nice work.

Thanks

As always, I appreciate y'all stopping in.  I have a few feet more to do on the opposite side of the cement plant, then the whole west wall of the room will be ready for ground cover.