Under Construction - Birmingham UK


Hi All

Following some comments on the DEMU forum I have shaved a mil or so from the upper half of the water tank and added the base. Plus a quick spray of a base brown.

watertank.jpg


Cheers

Jim
 
UP2CSX said:
Those look neat, Jim. I have to make 12 A/C units for a church model I'm building and I'm debating scratchbuilding them or ordering them. In HO, from the distance, they will be seen, I think they will look OK as a taller version of the last one before the hut. This thing is already going to cost me an arm and a leg for detail parts I have to order so I think scratchbuilding some of the smaller stuff will be worth it.
Click to expand...

Hi Jim

Might be worth you contacting Unit models - http://www.unitmodels.com/

They have done parts for me in the past are are very very reasonably priced. I think I paid about £10 for a dozen vents of 2 different types to my own specs.

HTH

Jim
 
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Thats a great picture and an even better spot to model!! Looking forward to the bridge being in place over those tracks below it :D
 
Thanks for the link, Jim, looks some nice work at decent prices as long as the shipping doesn't kill me. I see what you're trying to do with your model after seeing the prototype. That's an amazingly complicated area you picked to model. that would have been way too intimidating for me to take on.
 
Hi Jim

I am working my way from one end, this is the western end. The southern end is similar then the line runs under the city (about 8 ft) before rising to a 4 track main line on 30ft of viaducts. Included in that 30 ft is a junction which rises further and turns left. One of the main lines falls and goes under this line. On the right another 2 lines diverge and fall before turning right and running under the 4 track mainline.

Under all that are roads and buildings and a canal under the roads.

Behind the mainlines is a parcels depot with a 8ft long rail served shed and also a rail served cement works.

The picture below shows an overview of the area to be modelled. The station is on the left.

Regards

Jim
 
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Ah, yes, the weathering phase, where you get a chance to ruin all that carefully applied paint, or at least according to my wife. :)
 
Came into New Street last Wednesday from the airport and I've got to say Jim, your modelling is spot on, you've really captured the atmosphere of the place! :)
 
Lovely work there Jim.

You know, on a side topic, I been reading the Cadbury's Story and I thought Bournville (back in the day when they had all the rail depots) would make a great model.
 
Yup, the cocoa goods in at one end and and all that sweet sweet chocolate out at the other end! ;)

I'd imagine it'd be a bear to model, but it'd probably reward anyone who did it eventually with all the operations etc.
 
Hi All

More of the same i am afraid. Aside from the addition of a few drainpipes the upper level is now done. Just slopped some gunk colour on it along with picking out some planks and some grey patches on the vents and the window frames.

MRupperfinished1.jpg

MRupperfinished2-1.jpg


I havent forgotten the roads though, while I was in a washes mood I have painted the base colours for the slabs and tarmac on the pavements. Much to do on this one but the washes approach I am using needs a fair bit of drying time between colours. Keeps the teduim at bay though!

roadswashes1.jpg


Regards

Jim
 
Nice to see that building complete, Jim. That was quite a scatchbuilding job and the results are really outstanding.
 
Thanks Jim

Only the top half is complete though - plenty to do on the bottom half yet!

This seems to be turning into a step by step. I hope no one minds! A bit more progress on my road washes. This time the roads themselves. Starting with a thing blackey grey wash I tries to keep the brush strokes in the direction the vehicles will travel. Whilst walking the wolf i have been looking at the colours of the road surfaces and found that the edges, area's between the wheels and the areas between the vehicles (the middle of the road) tend to have a slight beige tint to them (white if the gritters have been about), So wilst my dark wash was still wet i painted lines of humbrol leather onto the surface and blended it all together. Pretty pleased with the result. I have also started picking out a few slabs in different colours, the pavements will have a wash of sludgy black to them too after this stage along with the same leather treatment near the walls. I actually just went headlong into this having not done roads before. It wasn't until after I pondered what I might have done if it hadn't worked!

roadwashes2a.jpg

roadwashes2b.jpg


Jim
 
Ok, well, at least the top half finally got done! I like the effect on the roads. It really looks like weather asphalt with good travel marks. The only change I would make is to cut down on the number of concrete repairs and make the repaired areas larger and less regular. You've got kind of a polka dot pattern going there. :)
 
Hi Jim

I take your point. The idea is to give a bit of variation to the slabs but in the back of my mind I am thinking that it will all tone down when the final wash of grime is added. You may well be right that the effect is a bit too much at the moment though. I think i will tone them down a little. Thanks for the feed back - always appreciated.

Jim
 
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