Train Depot WIP

[Gamerprinter]

It needs details. Let's see there would probably be at least one light source on the platform, even in the 1940's, probably than one, so light poles with a globe or something more like a street lamp. I was thinking a drain at the gutter, but not if this is a rural station. Otherwise possibly a manhole cover visible on the street. There should probably be an external waste basket (garbage can) of some sort. Perhaps a cart with luggage and trunks awaiting loading onto train. Perhaps benches or some sort for those waiting for the train, closer in towards the building and not blocking walking traffic. Perhaps a tree, fencing, a mailbox.

The devil's in the details, I always say.

GP

[Juggernaut1981]

Historically the majority of long distance phone and telegraph lines ran parallel to the trainline, often inside the railway easement (the bit of land the railways use that includes the rail-line).

The place should have at least one large overhead light... With one of those nice wide-conic metal covers to splash light onto the station. (Not saying the lighting effects are needed though)...

[Virgil Vansant]

Great suggestions everyone! They are all definitely going to keep me busy working on this map.

Here's an updated version with bench, telegraph poles, and a water tower for the trains. I expanded the southern portion of the map a bit. I'll probably need to expand to the west as well, and make some more space between the rails and the props there.

Coyotemax, I love your idea on breaking up the sidewalk. I added a pattern overlay to the layer and it does help with the monotony.

I'm planning to add more props. Lights, electrical wires, a trash can, and lots more. But what I also need are a few vehicles, too. So I've started trying to make my own, starting with a '47 Chevy sedan delivery truck. It should sit nicely on the dirt near the freight ramp.

[Coyotemax]

Yes, the sidewalks turned out nice Everything else is looking good too, nice work on getting the curve of the wires too! You might want to blue the shadows a tad more, they're pretty sharply defined (but that's just me)

Nice stuff, coming along fabulously!

[Gamerprinter]

Instead of sidewalk going all the way across the dirt loading area, shouldn't there be a transition between the street and the driveway; a concrete ramped enbankment, so trucks don't have to drive up a straight curb and damage their tires especially when carrying heavy and sometimes fragile loads.

Driveway ramp, that's what you need on the southern end of your map.

On an aside, how about a newspaper stand, or at least a coin-dispensing newspaper box (or would that be inside?)

GP

[Virgil Vansant]

Wow, it's been almost a week already? I'm still at work on the map, but progress has sadly slowed down. I have some street lights in place, and I want to add a fence somewhere between the grassy area and the rails. I'll put a trash bin near the bench, too, I think. I like the idea of a newspaper box, but I might save that for other buildings.

I realized that I started this map without really thinking about scale. Sure, I'm trying to make sure everything on the map is properly scaled in relation to other objects (knowing that the space between the rails is 4'8" makes it easier), but I haven't thought about the scale of the map itself. I would imagine it varies depending on the VTT game or campaign in question, but is there any de facto standard for scale on tokens or maps?

Gameprinter, your driveway suggestion makes a whole lot of sense... why didn't I think of that?

Coyotemax, I blurred the shadows a bit, and they do look better when they aren't as sharp. I also rearranged the wire shadows some over the water tower so it doesn't look like they are ignoring the laws of physics as much.

[Coyotemax]

Ooh excellent! I hadn't caught the water tower issue

Can't wait to see the next installment

[Juggernaut1981]

Extra recommendation for your dirt delivery-van area:

Darken and then heavily blur an "axle-width" pair of lines. If cars are driving on dirt repeatedly, there will be dirt that is compacted and forced into a pair of nice parallel lines... I'd probably attack the area with a smudge/blur effect...