P4NewStreet - modelling Birmingham (UK) in the 1980's - 1:76 scale

[eTraxx]

He uses styrene sheet brick I believe for most of his walls

[jim s-w]

Yes indeed

Embossed plasticard over base of card or foamboard.

HTH

Jim

[finescalerr]

For future brickwork, see whether DaKra has anything you can use. His laser cut brick walls seem to blow away plastic.

The etched arches are a clever, innovative touch. The entire layout, from top to bottom, is a jewel.

Russ

[jim s-w]

Thanks Russ

At the moment I use 2 types of plasticard.  One from south eastern finecast and one from slaters.  The SEF one is rounder than slaters and thus better for older. more worn brick.  The Slaters is sharper and better for new brick but the big problem it has is it isnt square!  I'll have a close look ar DaKra's stuff.

One little tip that some may or may not know is the method I use for picking out individual brick colours. The fastest way I have found is to use artists markers.  You need to either use it at the end of the weathering process (I use washes and it will wash the marker off!) of seal it with something like dullcote before weathering.

Hope thats useful to someone

Jim

[jim s-w]

   I like to see more, including a floor layout with trackplan. When do you think to have it all ready for the exhibition circus ?
   Do you plan to show the layout outside the UK ?

   Jacq

Appologies Jacq

I missed some of your questions.   I dont expect the layout to be anywhere near finished for about another 20 years but I do take sections to shows as a work in progress demo.  I have one in a couple of weeks actually.  As long as shows dont cost me any extra money (I dont look to make a profit, just vehicle hire, fuel, accommodation along with breakfast and lunch) plus my team of operators dont mind the trip and can spare the time I will happily consider taking the layout anywhere.  I would like to do at least one show in Europe at some point.

The thing is I love making models. I have to know they work and work well but I have little interest in operating when the truth be told.  If the layout keeps me busy for ever and never gets completed I will be quite happy.  Having said that a lot of people have kindly said they are eager to see it.

All the best

Jim

[trisonic]

Hi, Jim.
So good to see your "sterling" work on this site.
You want it to last a lifetime? I was hoping you'd start on a major London terminus next (my favorite: Liverpool St., modern day).

Best, Pete.

[jim s-w]

Hi, Jim.
So good to see your "sterling" work on this site.
You want it to last a lifetime? I was hoping you'd start on a major London terminus next (my favorite: Liverpool St., modern day).

Best, Pete.

Afraid not Pete.  Others stations dont have the emotional appeal for me.  Sure Birmingham is grim but I spent many an hour on the platform as a teenager.

Jim

[jim s-w]

Ok whats all this then?  This picture was taken just after 87009 ( 'City of Birmingham' naturally) became the first loco to run from one end of the station to the other under its own power.   

My car port acts like a big soft box so I took a pic of the walls and hut I have been working on recently



Back in August 2008 the layout looked like this



This is how it looks now





Peak and coaches for scale - to save you counting the peak has 12 on. 

Regards

Jim

[trisonic]

Afraid not Pete.  Others stations dont have the emotional appeal for me.  Sure Birmingham is grim but I spent many an hour on the platform as a teenager.

Jim


[/quote]


I know my question was written with tongue firmly planted in cheek and I too know exactly what you mean. I remember when they  were rebuilding Liverpool St in the late eighties and were cleaning all the crap off the walls - it was a Proustian moment; the smell of coal and oil took me instantly back to my youth in the early sixties.
"Emotional appeal" - call it what you will  - has such a strong tug on our psyche.

Best, Pete.

[marc_reusser]

Very nice. It is really cool to see somene building a real scale station and setting, tather than the all too common charicaturish compressed ones.

Marc

[jim s-w]

Very nice. It is really cool to see somene building a real scale station and setting, tather than the all too common charicaturish compressed ones.

Marc

Thanks Marc

I am very aware of just how large the real world is compared to railways (Our trains are much smaller than those in the US too).  Its a way off yet but Birminghams most iconic building is a round tower called the rotunda - it dominates the london end of the station.  see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotunda_(Birmingham)

I have managed to source a couple of fish tanks that I intend to use for my model of it, I show them here with a class 47 locomotive for scale.



Regards

Jim

[JohnP]

Look I knew it! See the last picture, the bed-like stuff, the layout behind, trains on the floor- this young man doesn't need to eat, barely to sleep (is there such a thing as modelsomnia?) and has devoted his life- and living space- to this incredible undertaking. A worthy devotion to be sure.

Actually, having a great interest in track and other right-of-way technicalities, the trackwork you are doing is marvelous in its detail. And the catenary too. There is nothing there to distract or draw attention, just a mechanical, realistic look. That will make the buildings and city scape rest on a solid visual foundation.

Yet another website to study. Attractively done too. Nice work Jim.

John

[marc_reusser]

Holy cow!....that is going to be huge!...and quite the project/undertaiking. Look forward to seeing how you go about it.

I had something like those tubes when I was in college.....only it wasnt used as a fish tank.



M

[Ray Dunakin]

I think this is the correct wiki link for the prototype building:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Rotunda,_Birmingham.jpg

[jim s-w]

Hi All

A while ago a couple of guys came up to me and announced that one of my walls was wrong.  Without hesitation I asked if it was the cone?!  It was!



Just for those guys!  Why a traffic cone is up there I have no idea but its been there for years!  If you were building a freelance layout would you ever think to put a cone in such a place? 

Cheers

Jim