Only you can decide how much

Only you can decide how much trouble you want to go to but if it's really what you want, it's going to bug you until you do it. I have found that to be true with most things on my pike. Mostly what I see people do is just some sort of rudimentary backdrop in staging.

Personally, I would save the effort.

Neil

As Michael noted, only you can determine how much effort you ant to put into this.  Personally, I would put my effort elsewhere.  Also- consider that you have very limited access to this space to begin with.  Even rudimentary scenery would hinder that access to some extent. 

Craig

I have cameras....

I have cameras on my lower level staging, both at areas that help me while routing trains up the helix during an op session. I bought the Harbor Freight Camera system which had 2 cameras and a screen. Back then with the 20% coupon (which they no longer have) is was around $210. It's set to rotate between both areas and I can stop the rotating to watch one camera if need be. I can also add 2 more if needed...

Re: Scenery in Staging?

Add scenery only if the paneling on the left of the studs is removable.  If not, track prep has surely shown that access requires popping head, shoulders, and arms up somewhere between the joists, track, and sloped ceiling while dodging the stuff stowed underneath. 

Remember, the first rule of hidden track is that there will be the most confounding derailment at the most inopportune time ...

Virtual Scenery?

Occurs to me this might be a place where V-scale can help 'real' scale. If you could digitize the track background (still/video), and transfer the stitched images (or video) to a graphics program, you could make any background. The trick is to import the background into the real-time video feed, but this 'seems' doable, considering what else I've seen on this forum. 

Regards,

Blair Ivey

yes and no

I'm a fan of the cab ride videos, so I can see the attraction of putting in a canyon through that area. But if you do, how are you going to fix derailments? And if the back drop paneling on the left is already firmly attached, how are you going to put scenery in there at all?

If you have answers for those questions I'd go ahead and do it! As you say, now or never.

Maybe do something about that ceiling as well, drywall mud, sanding, and blue paint.

If the track is hidden it's

If the track is hidden it's not worth the effort as there are plenty of other areas that will need your time.  Food for thought.

Food for thought

Well normally when someone says I shouldn't do something .... 

This area is one of two that would be fun to be in the cab and have a view that no one else could see. The other is the return loop at "Honolulu" but that will be more of a challenge. I've already removed the backdrop on the left since it was designed to do so (in case of derailments - banish the thought). The idea would be to build foam scenery sections that could slip into place and be removed the same way. The seams may keep me up at night.

It's worth a try, even if only the first couple feet beyond the opening in the back drop. That would give the impression, from the visible side, that the world continues beyond the curtain.

Agreed. One of those things I didn't think would come back to bite me in the okole. 

Neil