Engine Shed Arts Centre

[Modelling Mike]

With work on my layout “Rempton Southgate†having ground to a halt thanks to an imminent house move and subsequent re-engineering of the whole project, the 2011 challenge has come along at just the right time to keep the old modelling activities going...and with my idea for an entry, it will even help me out for the future project in more ways than one.

 

My entry will be ever so slightly outside the box, and you won’t be seeing anything in the way of railway action. Set in the present day, it represents an engine shed which has been saved from demolition and converted into an arts centre. I’ll explain the genesis of this concept at a later date when I make a proper start on Rempton Southgate Mk II.

 

The Engine Shed Arts Centre will eventually form part of Rempton Mk II. But as that project probably won’t see any action for at least 6 months or so, I’ll build it on a 20x11†board so that it can entered into the challenge and transplanted to the new layout at a later date.

 

The basic principles are as follows:

• Based on the SuperQuick two-road engine shed kit, but re-clad using ScaleScenes Ashlar papers, in keeping with the theme of Rempton (see the original Rempton thread to see how I’ve converted the existing shed and station building using similar techniques)
• The interior will be fully detailed to include an auditorium (designed for dual use as a theatre and cinema), gallery space, offices, cafe and lavatories (they’ll be fun to model!). Whilst the auditorium (which will be raked) will be full height, the front part of the building will have a second floor installed to accommodate all of the facilities.
• A scratch-built extension on the front will house the box office downstairs, and a balcony for the cafe upstairs. This extension will be glass-clad so that even when the roof is on the model, you’ll be able to see into the building to some extent. This will be my first real foray into scratch-buildng, so should be a real challenge!
• An old water tower at the back of the building (formed of a ScaleScenes water tower base with the Dapol tank on top) will be converted to house dressing rooms and more offices. A small (scratch-built) extension will provide an undercover walkway from the tower to the backstage area of the auditorium.
• One of the large windows at the rear of the building will be converted into a doorway to act as a scenedock door.
• The footprint of the building will be slightly under 20x11â€, so I’ll probably add a single track to the rear of the scene to represent part of the railway that’s still in use, separated from the scene by fencing.

I’ve had some additional ideas I’d like to include if time, skills and patience allow:

• I’d like the floor of the centre to have the old rails set into the concrete, to hark back to the building’s heritage.
• The cafe will have an outdoor area on the roof of the box office. It would be great to have people dining and drinking up there, enjoying the atmosphere.
• The glass extension on the front will have posters for forthcoming shows in some of the windows.
• I may have a play around at lighting the building, as arts centres tend to be used at night. Lighting the box office, cafe, offices and gallery should be easy enough, but the fun could start with the theatre lighting!
• Who knows, if I get carried away, perhaps a film could be showing? (I actually have an idea of how this might be achieved!)

I’m really looking forward to making a start on this little project, as it’s going to stretch my skills somewhat. My experience of scratch-building is minimal, so lessons will undoubtedly be learned.

 

The best thing about this project is that it shouldn’t cost me a thing. I already have all the components I need (bar the odd piece of plastic strip which I’ll inevitably have to source!). I bought the SuperQuick kit a few months ago and I have the ScaleScenes files bought, downloaded and ready to hand to print out. There’s no stopping me really, so here goes nothing!

 

The base board (a simple piece of hardboard rescued from the back of an old cupboard should do) will be cut this weekend and work will start on assembling the basic building next week.

 

Mike

[petethemole]

Sounds excellent, remeniscent of the Cheese & Grain at Frome. Remember if having track in the floor, the flangeways will have to be filled in.

[Modelling Mike]

Sounds excellent, remeniscent of the Cheese & Grain at Frome. Remember if having track in the floor, the flangeways will have to be filled in.

 

Hi Pete,

 

 

Yes, it will be quite similar in some ways - imagine the Cheese & Grain with a glass extension on the outside, and you're on the right tracks!

 

As for the tracks, you're right, the flangeways will be filled in - the rail tops will just be showing with the floor completely flat. I'll probably use old bits of rail from the scrap box for that.

 

Glad you like the idea!

 

Mike

[Modelling Mike]

I only got around to cutting the baseboards this weekend, but thought I'd post a couple of pictures to illustrate roughly what the Engine Shed's going to look like:

 

 

Here's the baseboard - a perfect 20x11 inches. I've plonked the existing Rempton Southgate engine shed on the board for illustration purposes only. I'll be building an almost identical replica of it over the next few days for use on this project. I had toyed with the idea of saving time and using this one, but the roof is glued securely on, and so the interior detail would never be seen.

 

As you can see, there's plenty of space at the front of the building for the extension to take shape, even allowing for the water tower's footprint at the rear. My first job this week will probably be to build the water tower, so that I can work the exact position of the buildings before carrying on.

 

And to finish, here's a shot taken quickly when the board was sat on the coffee table this afternoon and I noticed the light shining in through the windows. You can see that there's plenty of space to work with inside - although I think I'm still being ambitious!

 

 

 

Mike

[Modelling Mike]

It has been almost exactly 2 months since I started this project and thought it was high time I updated on progress...

 

Truth be told, not a lot of progress has happened, as work, private and social life as well as a well-earned holiday have all conspired to keep me away from the workbench of late. However, this evening I stole a precious few hours and managed to do some modelling. So, what of the grand plan have I achieved so far?

 

Mainly, I'm almost done creating an exact replica of the existing Rempton engine shed!

 

 

 

Spot the difference?? There's still a lot to do before I can even think about detailing the interior - particularly as I'm designing this version so that the roof is removable - easier said than done considering the design of the SuperQuick kit. Now that the four walls have been constructed though, the roof is next, and I think I have the design sussed, so I'll post developments when they occur. Once this is done, the serious matter of turning the shed into an arts centre can begin. Understandably, it's the bit I'm most looking forward to so I can't wait to get started!

 

I'm well on the way to finishing the water tower structure too. Here it is posed with the shed on the baseboard. The tank has been designed to be removed too, so that the interior detail can be seen (when it's been added!).

 

 

I'm not sure how long it will be until I get to spend more time on the arts centre, but I'm very aware that the deadline is not that far away, so I'm going to have to prioritise one way or another. Here's hoping I get it all done in time...

 

Mike

[Modelling Mike]

Hello everyone,

 

Well, the deadline came and went months ago, and there was never any possibility of me actually completing this project in time. In fact, it's still far from complete! However, as this building is eventually going to form part of my larger layout (if and when that actually happens!) it made sense to keep going.

 

Progress has been painfully slow and a quick glance at the latest pictures might prompt the response "well, what have you actually done, exactly?!"

 

Well, several things have happened which aren't necessarily obvious from the outside!

 

 

Firstly, the rails have been embedded in the floor of the main hall. This was simply done by carefully removing the metal rails from Peco code 100 track and gluing them in place then packing the surrounding with card. I used my usual three-ply "idiot board" card which was slightly thinner than needed, so I used a couple of layers of 240gsm card underneath to bring it up to the rail height. Being ever safety conscious, the floor comes exactly up to rail height and there is no flangeway. After all, it's only meant to be a representation of where the rails once were. Since the photo was taken the floor has been painted in a suitable concrete colour and I'm now ready to build the interior...the bit I've been waiting for!

 

 

Also in the main building, I cut a large hole in one of the walls, extending one of the windows to floor level. This will be filled with a large scene-dock door. I'm still not sure exactly what type of door to put in here, but it will be an industrial type that's meant to get a few knocks and bruises, as it's where the scenery and lighting kit will be loaded and unloaded. In this picture you can also see the stage has been put in. Built from card and plasticard and painted black, it has a set of steps leading to the "stage door" at the back. I'll be building a proscenium arch and banister for the stairs as part of the interior detailing.

 

 

The most time consuming part of the project has been detailing the interior of the water tower. This has been converted into changing rooms for the actors/performers. I've put in a second level and tried to detail the interiors with lockers, toilet cubicles and the all-important make-up desks with mirrors.

 

 

As you can see, not much can be seen from outside, so I've cut short some of my more ambitious detailing ideas. I'll take some more shots of the interior when I can, as I think it's quite effective, even though the look of the backstage area is a little utilitarian, with the white bricks and strange window arrangements!

 

 

With there being so many rooms in the tower (4 of the 6 changing rooms are en-suite - not that utilitarian then!) I spent a lot of time making doors! I made these from thin plastic sheet laminated together to create the relief. It's my first attempt at doors, and I think I can do better next time, but they're good enough, seeing as they'll probably never be seen!

 

 

And with en-suites come bogs, and I've set myself the task of scratchbuilding my own (for some reason, I can't seem to find any ready made 4mm scale lavatories?!) I've used 5 lengths of plastic strip laminated together then cut into suitably sized lengths which are then filed into shape. Time consuming, but satisfying once it's done! I need six for the water tower, then there will be the public loos in the main building to consider...at a later date...

 

Once the doors and loos are done, the water tower will be finished and work will now move on to the main building. I'm really looking forward to this bit, as it'll be a lot less fiddly and a lot more visual, as you'll actually get to see my efforts. Not sure when I'll get around to actually doing it, but we'll see!

 

Mike