AC Electrics announce the closure of their Wednesford factory...
Looking at photos of the layout can sometimes give you a different perspective and show things that just don't quite work.
Way back when I started "Wednesford" and had a working Aldi 3d printer, I designed some gable ends in an industrial corrugated concrete or metal style, which were intended to look like a factory wall on top of the retaining wall. They printed out to a scale 43 ft high and 44 feet wide, so were an impressive "ultra low relief" factory gable, about 1 cm deep. They printed out crisply and looked good. However, I've since put up a backscene behind the ULR factory gables and unfortunately, the design showed a flaw. When I designed the "Aunty Edna's" factory ULR plates, I made them flat roofed and slightly lower. That worked well, even with older factory images behind, because the eye was "tricked" by the flat roof into ignoring the lack of perspective, it reads as a low, modern factory in front of older, bigger factories behind, not as a series of flat plaques. Unfortunately, the pitched roof of AC Electrics looked bizarre and drew attention to the lack of depth, as they were always being viewed obliquely. So, today I decided to bite on the ordnance, and using a remnant of a German HO scale office block originally intended to become part of the Civic Centre, that is until I cack-handedly broke it trying to take it apart, I've redone the backscene, removing AC Electrics, which hopefully may be finding a new life down on the South Coast, and with some strategically placed advert hoardings and low relief trees to hide awkward joins and gaps, refashioned the factory. I intend to use some more half depth trees to hide the ends of the building, which will further trick the eye into thinking there is a full building there, just hidden by a tree, but so far, I think the decision works.
New "office block" rescued from a dead Kibri kit. Another half-depth tree will go on the right, currently en-route in the post, which will help disguise the flat nature of the building. Not entirely sure why a flat roof building looks more convincing as an ultra-low relief scene than a pitched roof gable, but it does. It will be further convincing once the low relief trees I've ordered are in place.
Long view. The lack of a pitched gable works better.
The other end of the factory, where another tree will help disguise the lack of depth.
Having raised all the scenic boards bar St Florian's Church, it now sits in a slight "bowl" which works quite well
View across the Swan Centre and the tracks to the back garden of the Prefabs and the playing fields beyond. An ID Backscenes sticky back plastic backscene.
Raising the board has meant the Bachmann concrete footbridge no longer fits, so until I work out an alternative, the inhabitants of Euneda House will have to go elsewhere for their chips. However, on the plus side, I've now got a proper turning hammerhead and decent fencing in place. Two surplus advert hoardings have neatly disguised where I managed to damage the backscene!
The recycling bins have now been relocated down Hooker's Alley, alongside the Swan Centre car park.
Removing the AC Electrics factory has allowed me to put a bit more greenery in behind the retaining wall, and put back some of the advert hoardings. New Government Buildings has now gained "Ladders of Hope", an abstract bas relief by renowned ear-ring artist Pat Butcher, symbolising the hope and aspirations of those using the building to access the labour exchange/Jobcentre. With AC Electrics now having gone, it's a bit of a hollow hope.
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