Train set cars

That's what you could do with those old train set or blue box cars that you don't want to run on the layout!!  Cut 'em in half, paint half a different color, and get two track backdrop pieces. They could even use plastic wheelsets.

Exactly

Absolutely Dave...! 

I had thought of that but didn't have any on hand and wanted to finish this project. 

Had good results by placing a

Had good results by placing a mirror against the backdrop. It needs to be exactly square to the end of the tracks to look right. May be a bit disconcerting to operators to see your own train coming at you as you yard it.

Half a reefer

Here's a half of a reefer up against the backdrop to help soften the transition./

Not a bad idea...

...but I never liked tracks that end at right angles to the backdrop. 

This is what I did on my staging "mainline" track. Even in this overhead shot its tough to see where it really ends...

Great ideas

@Milt - I had thought of mirrors but it would have reflected thing in it that I didn't want to.

@Rick - I had used that method on a previous layout but I didn't have any sacrificial cars for this purpose. BTW... love your work

@Lee - I have used that technique before also and as you have shown it works great...!

Originally I had not intended to scenic this area but it was so glaringly out of place that I felt it needed it and as such ended up with track ending abruptly at that backdrop.

Awesomeness !!!

Man... I love this idea ! What a great way to terminate a staging yard !

Thanks Kirk

Thanks Kirk... when I built the staging yard I had absolutely no intention of doing any scenery, but seeing as how it's so visible and that crews will be able to see it I wanted to give it some sort of "definition"... 

And a big thanks to Tangent Models for the photos of the car ends... 

The one thing that I really like is how the scratch built overpass came out and I'm planning on using more of them on the layout... 

Great idea

That is a great idea, never thought of that, it looks great.

V&O of Allen McClelland

Allen McClelland owner of the V&O was doing that years ago,  partial box cars going under a bridge at a angle into the backdrop,  unless someone points it out it is hard to notice, that those are less than half a car.

Also think the G&D had a half car into a mirror, that looked like a full car in one of the yards

V&O

Exactly where I got the idea but used the photo flats instead was from the V&O...