Under Construction - Birmingham UK


OK

Last time I post a picture of this - promise!

A spot of work on the path, tiny spots of dark grey depict discarded chewing gum and equally ting spots of beige with an even smaller spot of white give an impression of discarded cigarette butts!

bus%20stop%20final.jpg


Its a long time since I hand rendered type. Needs a little bit of cleaning up but overall I am pleased with this little scene!

Cheers

Jim
 
I love your attention to detail, Jim - those kind of details add a ton of life to the scene. I'm nowhere near the scenery detailing phase yet, but when I get there, one of the details I plan to add (and I don't know if you see this as often in the UK as I see it here), is broken glass, both sporadically in dirt areas from broken bottles, as well as occasionally in the gutter (maybe remnants swept aside after a car accident). Just brushing the area you want the glass with a bit of thinned matte medium or glue, and sprinkle with some glitter - a little goes a long way!
 
Hi All

Fancied a simple quick project but something that fits into the 'out of the ordinary but very ordinary at the same time' folder.

The point of a billboard is to get your attention and most do this quite well, however take away the poster and they kinda disappear into the urban noise. However a normal billboard is just sheets of plywood. Luckily for me the one on the Odeon cinema is a back lit type and I found a picture of it looking pretty derelict with no poster and the innards on show.

So an evening with microstrip and this is the result

light%20up%20billboard.jpg


Hope you like it

Jim
 
Fantastic work on a great layout, I spent many hours sitting at the end of a platform on the old New Street Station as a kid, collecting steam train numbers of course, ah those were the days.
Looking forward to seeing more development on your layout.
 
You are welcome LarryT

Been pondering the best way to do the pillars on the platforms at the wolves end of the station. There are 8 of them and they are a bit of a weird shape. Drawing on my previous existence as a designer and doing packaging 'nets' I figured a test based on folding them from thickish card was in order.

pillar%20test.jpg


The pattern is shown at the top and the whole pillar is double layered for strength. The pillar will fit over a wooden pillar that will hold the shopping center in place. The lines are drawn on with a dead biro and the whole pillar sprayed with plasticote suede for the concrete texture.

Also at the wolves end, there is a low platform on the non public side of the dock. Simple enough this one with a base of foamboard and plastic sheet. The checker plate is wills weathered using the salt method.

low%20platform.jpg


The walkway features a air pressure outlet similar, but simpler, to the one outside the signal box. At least you will be able to see this one!

extreme%20close%20up%20of%20valve.jpg


Extreme close up - just some 0.4mm wire and some scraps of microstrip.

Cheers

Jim
 
Hi All

Spent my time this week working on the platform tops for the wolves end of the station thus-

platforms%20wolves%20end.jpg


While I have this board in the house I took the opportunity to do some more 'LED' piccies

310%20at%20BNS%20night.jpg


This one uses a single LED as the light source and a 30 second exposure

eagle%20at%20BNS.jpg


This one uses 3 LEDS to give a wider spread of light again with a 30 second exposure. Lights in the background and a feint exhaust added in photoshop

Cheers

Jim
 
Hi Gary

The basic principle is very simple. You need to be able to draw things up first (I use Adobe Illustrator).

More low light stuff, this time, aside from normal finishing theres no photoshoppery on this one.

58%20at%20BNS.jpg


Sometimes you just have to take advantage of what you are doing at the time. In this case I was weathering the platform surfaces with a wash thus the chance to try a rainy night shot.

Cheers

Jim
 
Hi All

I have been busy with the pepper! Using sludgy grey paint and ground pepper to represent the mouldy stuff you get on damp walls. I have also used Klear for a leak that is still wet.

through%20bridge%202.jpg


view%20through%20bridge.jpg


cheers

Jim
 
I don't know if you're aware ... you might be, surely you are, but in case you're not ...

THIS IS AMAZING.

The whole thing. From end to end and all the bits in between. Amazing.
________
Lovely Wendie
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks LoudMusic

I dont post a lot of piccies of trains, so to redress the balance a bit a few shots. All of these are taken from the back of the layout so represent views you wont see at shows.

50023at%20bns.jpg

50023 at platform 5

155307atbns.jpg

155 307 at platform 4

shadowy%20wall.jpg

Hey, I didnt say all pics would be of trains. I saw a shot like this on flickr and thought it looked cool so this is my mini-version!

Finally, with nothing suitable in regards to RTP platform lights I have decided to build my own and this is WIP on the first one (not the actual place for it on the layout). There is no detail on the lower section yet but I have an idea for that.

station%20lamp%20part%201.jpg


Cheers
 



Back
Top