RMweb Gold Red Fox Posted April 2, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 2, 2016 As part of a long term project I'm attempting to create a compressed version of Southampton Central between the tunnel and station footbridge. I'd like to build a fairly accurate representation of the tunnel portal but it is a bit of an odd shape https://flic.kr/p/p5UgY2 https://flic.kr/p/4p3PzF Any suggestions as to how I would go about replicating the shape in 4mm scale? I'd prefer to have the structure clad in embossed plasticard to give the brickwork some relief. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted April 2, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 2, 2016 As part of a long term project I'm attempting to create a compressed version of Southampton Central between the tunnel and station footbridge. I'd like to build a fairly accurate representation of the tunnel portal but it is a bit of an odd shape https://flic.kr/p/p5UgY2 https://flic.kr/p/4p3PzF Any suggestions as to how I would go about replicating the shape in 4mm scale? I'd prefer to have the structure clad in embossed plasticard to give the brickwork some relief. I don't think that you will find that it is as difficult as it looks. Get yourself plenty of cheap card e.g. cereal cartons to experiment with and then use as a template when you get to what you want. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Memphis32 Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 Find as close to a head-on photo as you can, then maybe tweak it to the right shape using Gimp or other favourite flavour of photo manipulation software. Then print out to the right scale (might take a few goes). Stick to card, cut out, and you have your template. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Clive Mortimore Posted April 4, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 4, 2016 For a plan view use Bing Maps, it shows up better than Google maps. Are these of any help https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattbuck007/4789288303/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattbuck007/4789272645/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattbuck007/4789288109/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/kenco37/8032932553/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Red Fox Posted April 5, 2016 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 5, 2016 Thank you all for the advice, suggestions and pictures. I shall try experimenting with cardboard and see how that goes. Got quite a few good reference pictures including one a with a conveniently positioned 158 for scale. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 I don't think that you will find that it is as difficult as it looks... Do have a go then. It truly is difficult, (I believe a paraboloid surface, but someone correct me if that's wrong) so all continually varying curvature. I would be thinking about taking a plaster mould off the surface of selected balloons looking for something to approximate the right shape, and then adding the bricks individually. Then once the headache had been brought under control I'd go out and buy a sensibly shaped item, RTP or kit... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Red Fox Posted April 6, 2016 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 6, 2016 My current thinking is to use half a suitable diameter plastic pipe to give the semi-circular shape in plan view and them use templates the cut out of the tunnel mouth and brickwork curve. I've worked out the dimensions from the previous mentioned reference picture with the 158. As luck would have it I've found a supplier of the correct diameter pipe with an outer wall width of 3mm. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Red Fox Posted February 14, 2017 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted February 14, 2017 It's taken me a while but I've finally got round to attempting the tunnel mouth. It's a bit rough and ready at the moment and some work is required to get the curve at the bottom correct before it is clad in suitable embossed plastikard but as a first attempt I'm pretty happy with it. It is made from clear acrylic tube cut in half and then shaped using templates to get the curves right. I used acrylic tube as it was the perfect diameter and I wanted something rigid and able to withstand the occasional knock if and when I proceed to layout construction. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Darius43 Posted February 14, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 14, 2017 It's taken me a while but I've finally got round to attempting the tunnel mouth. It's a bit rough and ready at the moment and some work is required to get the curve at the bottom correct before it is clad in suitable embossed plastikard but as a first attempt I'm pretty happy with it. Tunnel 1.jpg Tunnel2.jpg It is made from clear acrylic tube cut in half and then shaped using templates to get the curves right. I used acrylic tube as it was the perfect diameter and I wanted something rigid and able to withstand the occasional knock if and when I proceed to layout construction. Great idea to use a tube to get a suitable 3D profile. Looking forward to seeing this progress. Cheers Darius Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Red Fox Posted June 5, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted June 5, 2018 After over a year if sitting on my workbench doing nothing the Southampton Tunnel mouth got some attention and is now the right shape. Here it is in its naked form. The lower half has been formed with 0.4mm styrene sheet after some playing around with paper templates to get the right shape. Next I'll construct a short length of tunnel interior and then the whole lot will be clad with suitable embossed plastikard and painted. I also intend to built a suitable signal gantry with working four aspect signals facing the station and dummy signal heads facing the tunnel. So expect the next progress report in 2019 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Red Fox Posted March 22, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 22, 2019 About time for the annual Tunnel update and progress has been made. The visible faces have now been clad with embossed platicard and plastic wise all it needs is coping stones along the edge to finish it off. The coping stones will probably be bits of styrene sanded to the appropriate profile, not looking forward to that job. Once complete it will then be sprayed in appropriate brown brick and concrete colours and weathered. I've gone for slab track to try and match the tunnels current track arrangement. It is modified Peco Bi-Bloc track, I'm apparently only the second person to buy a length of it from that particular large and well known model shop since Peco launched it, maybe when HS2 is built they'll sell more...... This stage hasn't been without it's difficulties. I wasn't happy with the initial alignment of the face with the internal structure so I set about putting it right. I successfully managed to get it looking correct only for disaster to strike during the first attempt at cladding. I made a mistake cutting the excess plasticard away and cut a bit too much away exposing the white structural styrene underneath. While attempted to removed the offending plasticard I must have knocked the face and it split in half. Bother! Managed to glue the face back together and after some slight rebuilding of the internal structure managed to successfully get the structure clad. I'm quite pleased with how it has turned out so far, it's not a perfect match for the real thing but close enough for my liking, I think it will certainly look the part once painted up and signs attached. Next major construction will be the signal gantry. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
St. Simon Posted March 22, 2019 Share Posted March 22, 2019 Hi, It looks great, I never new Southampton had slab track! Are you going to be modelling the water feature that currently resides in the tunnel roof meaning its been flooded for the most of the past couple of days? Simon 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted March 22, 2019 Share Posted March 22, 2019 The slab track was installed a couple of decades ago, when the track was lowered to allow larger containers to be carried on standard container flats, I believe there was a limit on how much of the tunnel floor could be excavated, because of worries about destabilising the tunnel 'invert' (the brickwork that keeps the bottom of the arched sides apart). My recollection is that a partition was erected between the two running lines, one side being worked on at a time. A narrow gauge track was used to move materials in and out of the work site. I think the Laverstock Loop between Salisbury and Romsey may have been installed just prior to the works, to give container trains another route to London and beyond. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium petethemole Posted March 22, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 22, 2019 57 minutes ago, St. Simon said: Hi, It looks great, I never new Southampton had slab track! Are you going to be modelling the water feature that currently resides in the tunnel roof meaning its been flooded for the most of the past couple of days? Simon Is that related to the adjacent canal tunnel or is there a drainage problen related to recent surface works above the West portal? There was a problem with the old canal tunnel back in the early '80s IIRC, the then City Archaeologist was allowed through a gap in the brickwork to photograph it before the intervening wall was sealed and beefed up with concrete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium petethemole Posted March 22, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 22, 2019 Correction, it was 1975: https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=2ahUKEwjOmK3GnZbhAhXxThUIHcaOD0MQFjACegQIBBAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hantsfieldclub.org.uk%2Fpublications%2Fhampshirestudies%2Fdigital%2F1970s%2Fvol33%2FCourse.pdf&usg=AOvVaw07p0CWrnnn_qu2YkeDliwh Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted March 22, 2019 Share Posted March 22, 2019 Just seen that NR investigations showed that the most recent water ingress was from a 'fast-food' outlet above the tunnel. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
grahame Posted March 23, 2019 Share Posted March 23, 2019 On 22/03/2019 at 13:33, Red Fox said: About time for the annual Tunnel update and progress has been made. I'm quite pleased with how it has turned out so far, it's not a perfect match for the real thing but close enough for my liking, I think it will certainly look the part once painted up and signs attached. Next major construction will be the signal gantry. It looks very redolent of the real thing. Once you get some paint on and grubby it down it'll be spot on. G 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete the Elaner Posted March 23, 2019 Share Posted March 23, 2019 That looks really good. I can see you've correctly mis-aligned each row of bricks with the adjacent row. How have you achieved this? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Red Fox Posted March 23, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 23, 2019 Thank you all for the positive comments. 4 hours ago, Pete the Elaner said: I can see you've correctly mis-aligned each row of bricks with the adjacent row. How have you achieved this? By accident? It's all Slaters English Bond with the tunnel face and tunnel lining sheets lined up as best I could. 4 hours ago, grahame said: It looks very redolent of the real thing. Once you get some paint on and grubby it down it'll be spot on. At my current scenic work rate that should be some time in 2020...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete the Elaner Posted March 24, 2019 Share Posted March 24, 2019 9 hours ago, Red Fox said: Thank you all for the positive comments. By accident? It's all Slaters English Bond with the tunnel face and tunnel lining sheets lined up as best I could. At my current scenic work rate that should be some time in 2020...... That's a very good accident! I felt that getting the tunnel portals just right was key for my layout. I went to the length of buying a laser cutter to do this, which has furthered my eye for tunnel mouths & bridge arches. You have done a really good job with this. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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