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Paris 1889


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8 hours ago, faded_Glory said:

Ha, last night I was actually looking for 00/H0 chairs on Ebay! I think they are brilliant, I might still include one at the halt for the station master :)

 

But that would be wrong - the chairs are for the men monitoring and working the points!

 

:D

 

Richard

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Today I have been working on the platform canopy using some parts from an old Kibri kit and plastic card. Not quite finished yet but the idea is there I think.

 

Just for the picture I put two of the lamps in, some of the park benches and bits of fencing (plus of course The Tower).

 

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I am not convinced about the fence, it seems too tall and blocks the view. I'm going to look for a lower one, hopefully in the same style which I think fits the scene.

 

Re. the chair, I found the photoetched ones, beautiful but they are not cheap. Faller do a set for half the price, a different type but I think these could look quite period as well, with a lick of paint.

 

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Finally I have ordered an updated set of people, now in 00 scale rather than H0, which I think will better fit the scale of the train. I will wait for those before I will start to paint the figures, which is a bit of a chore at the best of times :)

 

 

Edited by faded_Glory
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I have been reconsidering adding a background. Frankly it doesn't look right at all, because it looks exactly like what it is: a botched-on piece of carboard with a picture on it. So now I have a different idea but I would like some feedback on it: a train shed.

 

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Because of the tight curvature of the pizza this needs to be either a curved building, which I think would look strange, or one made of a number of angled segments. I made a mock-up and I think this might work. Tolerances are pretty fine but the train does run through it without fouling anything.

 

I'm thinking of cladding it with real wooden strips, probably vertical, and roofing it with shingles or something like that. It should resemble a temporary structure. Each segment would have a window in both sides. There would probably be open doors at either end.

 

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Another idea here is to perhaps open up the inner wall of the middle two segments and add a couple of pillars to support the roof there. This would nicely break up the monotony and it would add a second stop opposite from the platform canopy on the other side.

 

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What do people think? Interesting or idiotic (that is, even more idiotic than the rest of the layout :D )?

Edited by faded_Glory
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Rather than following the inner track curve, maybe square-off that side of the shed, build a grand set of steps up to a plaza where, (if you have a spare week or two :D) you could erect flagpoles with flags of all the nations that attended the exhibition.

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If the shed fits the whole train, then you've got the added bonus of surprising first-time viewers. Would a lightweight hinged door hide the train? Then a quick press of a concealed power button and out it bursts.

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Some great ideas there!

 

The red/white striped platform canopy on the other side is inspired by the pavilion on the book cover, I am looking for something a bit different on this side.

 

As for the 'plaza', the empty space between the tower and the shed, I am thinking of putting one of those over-the-top ornate fountains there that they so loved back in those days, with marble statues of lions and Greek godesses and whatnot. I haven't found anything like that ready made so I would have to make something up.

 

But I like the idea of a raised area with steps, I'l have a think.  For sure flags are a great idea too.

 

This pic shows one of the tents, the type of fountain, and flags. Mind you, they are all French flags! (This picture must have been coloured in, I don't think they had colour photography in those days).

 

Background_org.jpg.d6552827e055a06cb01dbcd8f63dbd22.jpg

 

Also plenty of chairs for all the point operators ;)

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Modelling such an intricate and grandiose fountain would certainly be a challenge. But by the looks of what you've done so far, it seems you'd be well up to it :)

 

Did you imagine when setting-out that this little layout would throw-up so many possibilities?

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Well it would have to be a more modest affair, given the limited space for it.

 

Once I started to research this World Fair I realised that the possibilities are almost endless! The trouble is, as always, the limited space. Perhaps I should demolish my fixed layout and use that space for a full blown Paris 1889 one!

 

As for the pizza, with a train shed and a fountain the space is pretty much full, the rest would be small details. Were there any ice cream vendors in 1889?

Edited by faded_Glory
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1 hour ago, faded_Glory said:

Were there any ice cream vendors in 1889?

Article here: http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-hok1.htm

about the hokey pokey men (street ice cream vendors) in the UK by 1884. 

Go for it I'd say.

 

Edit: even better:

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-a-french-street-ice-cream-vendor-date-1889-105290789.html

A stock photo of a French street ice-cream vendor Date: 1889

Edited by eastwestdivide
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Ha, that is brilliant, what a good find! I'm sure I can find a small spot somewhere for a "vendeur de crème glacée"!

 

In other news I've managed to install the lamps and get them to work too, thanks to lots of help on another subforum here.

 

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Next up are the park benches and a spot of gardening :)

 

 

Edited by faded_Glory
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A little bit more progress today, I've installed some lower fencing that doesn't obstruct the view so much, and the French gardeners have been planting some suitable flowering shrubs ;)

 

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Inspired by all your helpful ideas and suggestions I have also been re-thinking the train shed idea. I still want one, but I now think that a wooden structure would be a bit out of place here. Ideally it would be somewhat more in the style of the Galerie des Machines, with steel and glass. I also like the idea of a straight frontage with some steps leading up to it.

 

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Rummaging in my spare box I found a surplus end piece of a Kibri platform canopy that I might be able to use as the top part of the gable.

 

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This will need a ground floor with lots of glass, and lower wings at both ends to make it long enough for the train. The wings might actually be curved, like the old Trocadero palace that was built across the Seine, for the earlier World Fair of 1878. This will make it easier to fit along the edge of the pizza boards.

 

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As very quick mockup of the shape shows something like this:

 

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We'll see, this needs some more thinking and puzzling. It should not become an overbearing structure, the main focus of the layour should still be the tower.

 

By the way you can see the beginnings of a fountain under the tower - there was one in real life too:

 

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The base is the plastic top of a little shaker cup for applying ground scatter. I'm still chasing some suitable statues!

 

Edited by faded_Glory
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18 hours ago, faded_Glory said:

We'll see, this needs some more thinking and puzzling. It should not become an overbearing structure, the main focus of the layour should still be the tower.

 

If it's predominantly glass, that might not be too overbearing, but on the other hand the height of it would kind of emphasise the not-to-scale Eiffel Tower.

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Liking the look with the lower fences and patriotic planting :)

 

Intrigued to see how you might get on with the fountain and gallery if you do decide to go with that. As eastwestdivide has mentioned, height may become an issue, but if it's assumed to be the outer end of a lower wing of the main gallery, then it wouldn't have to be too tall.

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