Railroadbackdrops.com

I agree. Their site is substandard.  However, with an email I got James back on TRACK.

So I should get my backdrop shortly.  Since my current sky color will never match theirs I ordered it without a sky.

I got frustrated with some of the background web sites too.  Not only with the way they operate but also the cost involved.  Then you have to make your layout conform to their backdrop.

I have used some of the $10 backgrounds found at Nicholas Smith and at Train shows.  They are from Realistic Backdrops.  I have my own painted sky and clouds, so I just cut away the sky and use the land and or buildings.

I have also found my own backgrounds on the internet and had them printed.  You can google panoramic "fill in your scene" like farm, mountains, city, etc.  Flickr has great photos that are free to download.  Then I print at Wal-Mart, Target, or Nations Photo Lab anywhere from $10-$30 depending on size.

Then I just got a little creative with scene transition by strategically placing items as a view block to try and simulate a reasonable transition.

Here is a scene I had printed.  Notice the big barn in the way to break up the 2 photos.

Here is a close up of the farmhouse with corn.  JTT scenery real model corn in the front, followed by painted party toothpicks, followed by an internet printed backdrop.

Next is a transition with a strategically placed tree from my printed corn background and one of those $10 Realistic Backgrounds backdrops.  Again I cut out the sky in all of them.

Here is a shot with three different backdrops.  The two on the left are internet printed.  The camera might not do it justice but the color variations appear believable because of the depth of the valley (right) vs the close hills (left).  Another strategic tree breaks the scene.

This scene is my computer printed warehouse cardstock and then glued on foamboard.  Then more of the $10 Realistic Backgrounds city background.  I cut out all of the buildings and rearranged them to best fit the scene.

Just a comparison of the Internet printed scene (left) vs the $10 Realistic Backgrounds (right)

I hope this was value added and gets your creative juices flowing so you can create your own custom backgrounds easy and cheap.

Have Fun!

Ron

Easy and cheap are 2 of my favorite things! I created a topic a while ago as I was testing a concept of using online pictures to make an industrial area. I just used glue sticks to glue the images (buildings and cobblestone streets) to thin cardboard and then loosely positioned them in place to see how it would look. I think the look is good enough for me to use on a permanent layout in the future.

https://ogrforum.com/...50#78438393767222650 

Tom 

I can concur there lack of customer help not great and not willing to help get the backdrop you want they prefer you to use one already on website page,

I took a very different approach we found the picture of what we wanted online made sure no copyright conflict and of all places had fed-x printing do it they can do up to 60 inches wide and the length is limitless! and after you okay the proof you get it in hand in 24 hrs sure beats the 2-3 wek times of others.

my spouse got sick so on hold to install our backdrop.

try backdropjunction.com

or tracksidescenery.com

or railroadbackdrops.com

I believe the trackside scenery website has a video showing how to install if you needed that information.

Years ago (8+), I tried to order over $1000 of backdrops from them, a month later when the tried to charge my CC
my bank had a fraud warning on the charge (not their fault in anyway), but I had to call the bank and OK it,
when I call back to tell them to run my cc again and they would have no problem, they thought I was somehow
defrauding them (?), they would not run my card, they wanted me to send them $1000 plus cash in the mail! No
way Jose! I have since seen their products in person and am impressed, but a very poor run business. I never used
their backdrops, I wish I could have, I hope their business is better run these days, they offer a nice product.
My experience, ncng

Wow... did that happen with backdrop warehouse or railroad backdrops?  

It was Backdrop Warehouse, very sorry for the confusion, I have no intention of ruining someones enterprise,
however I feel obligated to share the truth, the truth is this was actually my third and final attempt to purchase
from them, that was a good 8 years ago, about two years ago +/- I shared my experience with a friend who made
a successful purchase from Backdrop Warehouse and his Colorado Mountain backdrop is gorgeous! ncng