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

[Hauk]

For more and a few thoughts on the subject see

http://www.p4newstreet.com/newish-technology-or-modelling-witchcraft.html

Cheers

Jim

Interesting thoughts!
My motto for modelling is "By any means neccesary!"

If 3D printing, Photo-Etching, Lasercutting or even outsourcing certain jobs will help me reach my goals I make no excuses.

I do not think of my Westinghouse engines as scratchbuilt. I call them Kit-built. But I take a certain pride in the fact that I designed that kit and built it. It would have been cheating to claim that the models are entirely scratchbuilt.  A lot of credit goes to the subcontractors (too many to mention here) and I hope I have made this clear enough in all of my writings about the models.

I have never understood that people want to make modelling harder than neccesary. I respect that modellers find pride and joy in building their models using only simple handtools. And sometimes using simple techniques and tools will give the models more character and personality.
And lets not forget that not everyone can afford fancy tools, photoetching, lasercutting and what not.

Laser cutting can somtimes result in buildings that are a bit stiff. But as you have shown, distressing and painting can fix this.

Scribing all that brickwork on "New Street" by hand? Even Roye England would have thrown in the towel...

[finescalerr]

First, a question about the portal's coloration: Does the three-quarter view of the finished portal accurately represent the appearance? I ask because the mortar looks too bright and the bricks in general too contrasty in that photo. In another photo on your linked page the colors look far more real and I suspect that image is the more accurate. I would guess the reason for the appearance in the first photo is light reflection fooling the camera sensor.

Second, a comment about Havard's attitude: I AGREE! Yet some people think using technology is somehow cheating and a few even frown on the use of power tools. The only place where I might vary from your statement, Havard, is that any kit you might devise still started out as nothing until you created it, regardless of what process you used. In my mind, that qualifies as scratchbuilt. If you have the ability to conceive of an idea, use any technology (no matter how crude or sophisticated) to achieve it, assemble and color it, and the result is a convincing model, then you are a scratchbuilder.

Russ

[jim s-w]

Hi both

The image is a bit punchy Russ.  I might tone down the wall anyway just to err on the safe side.

Some people like to put their models into pigeon holes.  This is scratchbuilt, this is kit built etc etc but I'm not really bothered by that sort of thing.  A good model is a good model at the end of the day. I know that's a simplistic view but it's best to just get on with it than worry about stuff like that.

One thing I am wary of using patterns for laser cut artwork is that it's too precise.  I'm very concious of the model having a moire effect when you start to see patterns from a distance.  Look at a real brick wall, even a very modern one and the courses aren't that straight or even

Cheers

Jim

[jim s-w]

I've always liked mechanical signals, the ones on Moor Street are great fun to play with but for New Street I wont get the chance to have any.  However for Brettell Road there are 2 (one of which is abandoned) so I have got to have a go at making some from MSE kits.

First up the disused one, based on a photo I found. This one would actually be a repeater for the main signal the other side of the bridge due to sighting problems. Weathering is done with gouache. I replaced the supplied ladder with one of Colin Craig's.


The other signal is this little ground signal (yellow so that the headshunt can be used when its set to danger) I deviated from the MSE instructions by making the counterweight arm work too. Theres a fibre optic in the lamp but its a bugger to photograph - you can just make it out in the second picture. It looks a bit blue but I was using a white light source - changing it to a yellow one should correct this.

Finally as I was tidying up I left a pack of LED's lying on the layout and purely by chance it illuminated the signal. Thinking it looked quite nice I took the image below - I'd like to claim it was carefully planned but nope - this was just lucky!

[Ray Dunakin]

Very cool. I too like mechanical signals, especially semaphores.

[jim s-w]

What you see above is a representation of a detector for the ground signal on Brettell Road. It was knocked up from scraps of brass using photos and Steve Hall's articles in MRJ 113 and 115. I always enjoy fiddly details like this even though I know it will go unnoticed to most people.
There's only going to be 1 point on Brettell Road that's operated by the off scene signal box, the rest being operated by hand levers. However I wanted to include remnants of what was there before meaning the double slip would have been operated either end with facing point locks. Also given the distance a couple of compensators will be needed so while it's not exactly complicated stuff it is worth doing.
My chosen route is the Brassmasters etched bits with rodding from MSE. I have also included the odd rodding stool where the rodding has been removed to help with the idea that it's not so much added to the layout as taken away.

Most of this stuff is quite basic if a bit fiddly. Above are a couple of compensators. The ones supplied are cosmetic and don't move and that's fine for the disused rods as per the one on the right however with only 1 run that does anything it would be rude not to make it work. Ok it's driven from the point rather than driving the point itself but let's not worry too much about that. 2 Brassmasters compensators were used to make the one on the left with the centre arm from one and a few brass pins meaning it will move when the point it thrown.
All in a fun little project see below for a quick video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QrJsLczids&w=600

[Hydrostat]

Jim,

I'm following every post about this outstanding project. I especially like to see those things work prototypically, as far as possible according to scale.

I always enjoy fiddly details like this even though I know it will go unnoticed to most people.

You're right, for sure. But this is part of modeling: Doing it somewhat for one's own behalf, too.

Volker

[1-32]

great fan of mechanical signaling.
great job with all that point rodding 4mm scale fiddly.
regards kim

[Ray Dunakin]

Very cool. I enjoyed seeing it work in the video.

[Sami]

Very nice job !

[jim s-w]

Hi all

While falling rain is not doable and if it was to scale wouldn't be visible anyway I believe it's worth trying to show the effects of rainfall. Of course it will be frozen in time but I don't think there's a lot I can do about that and I'd like to credit those who view the layout in the flesh with a degree of imagination.

Aside from things looking wet the other thing I wanted to try was raindrops in puddles and the canal.



The canal itself was done with multiple layers of varnish as per Gordon Gravetts book then the area where the bridges were masked and more varnish added (Humbrol clear) with baking soda sprinkled on while wet. I did try cold and warm varnish  to see if it made any difference but found it didn't.



The above image shows the canal in position (again you will have to imagine the walls) and below in something approaching the light I plan the final project to have.

[Hydrostat]

Looks good to me. Especially the second shot with backlight gives a good impression of an april sunlight shower. Very interesting approach.

Cheers,
Volker

[Bill Gill]

Very inventive technique. It does give the impression it's raining.

[5thwheel]

YES!

[jim s-w]

Hi All

Work has been progressing on my side project. Ive built one of the main buildings but decided to depict it as abandoned. Here it is bedded in with a bit more work still to do.

Jim