Paternosterrow

Excellent shots, Mike. I feel like I'm actually on the platform.

 

The gantrys work really well. I was interested to see how they create one of those important features in close-up model viewing: See-through structures that establish both depth and interest.

 

I agree about understated backscenes. I think it works really well in these photos. The hinted industrial/urban location does come out more clearly now. 

Very impressive.

Living in Perry Bar in the 1960s and walked past the station on the way to school. Hanging over the bridge my memories are of green diesels, maroon coaches and if you were lucky a dirty black 5 or 8F clanking by with coal empties (can't recall ever seeing a full one always empty)

Redolent of the blue railway of my youth... 70s north Birmingham captured, I won't say beautifully.

Excellent shots, Mike. I feel like I'm actually on the platform.

 

The gantrys work really well. I was interested to see how they create one of those important features in close-up model viewing: See-through structures that establish both depth and interest.

 

I agree about understated backscenes. I think it works really well in these photos. The hinted industrial/urban location does come out more clearly now.

 

Cheers Mikkel,

I wished I had the skill to make those light portals a little more spidery as they are in real life. But given that I do everything on a budget, as much as possible, they aren’t bad for a few bits of cheap soldered wire. They do at least look like British MK 1 catenary. Mind you I understand why over head schemes are not modeled much as it gets in the way of track cleaning and maintenance - an oft recurring evil of 4mm scale as I’m sure you are aware. The waiting shelter on the south platform is removable so I can place the camera down at that spot - not gluing it in place was a good decision in retrospect. I love those old Hornby and Lima trains as there are hours of pleasure to be had in detailing and upgrading them. Lima moldings are superb and the depth of detail in the underframes lends them much more accuracy than modern variants in my opinion - but maybe that’s just because my eyesight is starting to fade!

Very impressive.

Living in Perry Bar in the 1960s and walked past the station on the way to school. Hanging over the bridge my memories are of green diesels, maroon coaches and if you were lucky a dirty black 5 or 8F clanking by with coal empties (can't recall ever seeing a full one always empty)

 

Cheers Londontram,

I grew up there in the 60/70’s too. I only have vague memories of the steam era. We walked across the park to school and I remember Mom telling me to take a good look at a steam engine making its way to Walsall one cold morning. It was all clouds of wonderful steam and noise and she said we wouldn’t be seeing them for much longer. The Blue/Yellow era is what I really remember - I’d spend hours pressed up against the Park fence watching the trains go by. Always remember going to New Street or Walsall from Perry Barr on Saturdays with Mom and my sister. Mom loved going by train and New Street Station was a real treat - always busy - like a great dark cavern full of diesel smoke and blue sparks. Happy, happy days in wonderful Suburbia. It was a great place to grow up.

Redolent of the blue railway of my youth... 70s north Birmingham captured, I won't say beautifully.

Thanks Compound,

Don’t know why people don’t like the mixture of 60/70’s dirty concrete and blue trains! I always loved the Blue era - it seemed like a great time of hope for the future. All of those great inventions and events just kept coming back then. The Space Race, the APT and Class 43, Concorde, Harrier Jumpjet and lets not forget Punk Rock. Gosh, we could say anything we liked back then and the only people who got offended was the older generation. Seems like it’s the other way round nowadays!

Superb stuff Mike - you have nailed it yet again and the pics are terrific too.

 

As Mikkel says, you can almost imagine standing on the platform...and the smell and the noise of the 31 growling past.

 

Nice colour balance too with the sky, buildings and grassed areas.

 

More pics would be most welcome

Superb stuff Mike - you have nailed it yet again and the pics are terrific too.

As Mikkel says, you can almost imagine standing on the platform...and the smell and the noise of the 31 growling past.

Nice colour balance too with the sky, buildings and grassed areas.

More pics would be most welcome

Cheers, Pete,

 

More pictures to follow shortly, Sir. Aren’t those old Lima’s just lovely? This hobby would be perfect if you could only stuff all of those sounds and smells into the models too.