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Colliery Terrace


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  • RMweb Gold

When thinking of a diorama for the Industry theme, i wanted to stay away from the usual themes and go for something different.  I was priviledged to study in Wales for three years during my uni years where my university lodgings was a welsh colliery terrace.  I thought as a possible diorama, why not the social aspect of industry, where the people lived!

 

I've found loads of atmospheric images here, but I cannot reproduce them on this website: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia/gallery/people-forgotten-cardiff-bay-9303246

 

However this Flickr image gives a good idea incase you don't want to click on the link. (I know its Newcastle, but the image is here so you get an idea of what I'm trying to achieve)

 

Elswick Colliery, Newcastle 1950

 

I am having trouble with a few areas.  One is miner uniform colours.  The image below I presume shows miners in blue overalls, and I understand that this was switched to orange in 1970.  I'm thinking 1970s orange to give it a bit of colour.

 

Gresford Colliery, North Wales,  training centre, 20th Dec 1957

 

Also, whilst I understand that miners would get changed before going home, I probably need to turn a blind eye to that to have miner figures on the diorama in full overalls.  Otherwise it'll loose a bit of that industrial feel.

 

The typical view that I'm after is this, just without the wheelie bins and modern lamps:

 

Alleyway2.JPG.2cbc85a208627577691df6bd179655b3.JPG

 

Modelu figures have been obtained and painted.  The orange was a bit shiny so they need some matt varnish over.

 

IMG_0193.JPG.ae6a2e787860775308335d359efa9822.JPG

 

IMG_0194.JPG.6ac67f26a39270da8ef6a7ddf82612fc.JPG

 

Not too sure of using the driver carrying the box.  He's a Dapol figure and looks his age against the Modelu figure next to him. However on his own, he might be alright!

 

Because welsh terraces are very distinctive, I've had to use AutoCAD to produce the elevations.  Because of cost, this one is going to be in card with scalescenes papers over the top.

 

IMG_0192.JPG.f4d3354e47c655a0f05dd4e1e26bb7fa.JPG

 

More posts as things progressed.  Got to get busy with the glue!

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  • RMweb Gold

Made good progress today. The rain meant going out wasn’t desirable, so I was able to monitor the kids whilst turning a 2D Cad into a 3D card kit. The kids have been slightly confused with the use of cereal packets which has been amusing!

 

69705D0D-B7AE-49DD-9AB1-80F6D5ED363A.jpeg.a1a4a769a5ee8e383717748b93ad37ed.jpeg

 

Ive trialled the view to see if it works. The terraces are probably a little close together, so it looks like it’ll be a narrow alleyway!

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  • RMweb Gold

I now have something that looks like this:


CDA6D582-C035-49BB-8C9D-28FA95DD832E.jpeg.c0d6cce2db3480f548a01b7d5461c859.jpeg

 

I decided that back to back terraces would be too tight, so they’ll have to back onto a colliery siding or wasteland with a grounded van body. Anyway, I need a second railway item other than a driver walking the alley. 
 

I was going to model a cobbled alleyway, but I like the idea of an overgrown grass path next to the railway.

 

The terrace needs their characteristic brick arches and quoins. I also need to make up some chimneys. However after 8 hours, that’s enough for me tonight.

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  • RMweb Gold

I’ve spent the afternoon putting the brick lintels and quoins on the terrace. A few curtains also adds to the character.

 

FE083CAA-DC82-49FB-A0FB-927DB554D811.jpeg.f0b97c9b25c151216e626502768f5f4f.jpeg


I’m thinking to move away from the flat diorama, I’ll put the trackwork on a small embankment to add some visual interest, but it does seem to work well flat, so I’m undecided on this.

 

The diorama does what I wanted. You can get down to eye level and look down the alley. Really enjoying modelling in card!

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18 hours ago, Captainalbino said:

 

I decided that back to back terraces would be too tight, so they’ll have to back onto a colliery siding or wasteland with a grounded van body. Anyway, I need a second railway item other than a driver walking the alley. 
 

I was going to model a cobbled alleyway, but I like the idea of an overgrown grass path next to the railway.

 

I love the idea of the railway running beside the back alley behind the cottages. But I do wonder how often NCB Barclays were that clean in their working days.

Toto.jpg

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  • RMweb Gold

Totally agreed! The Barclay is overdue some weathering.  However weathering does give me the heebie jeebies. Thankfully it’s just a plastic kit and not a £100 model at risk! Now where did I leave my George Dent weathering DVD...

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14 minutes ago, Captainalbino said:

weathering does give me the heebie jeebies. 

 

I love weathering, The filthier the better.  Here's one I did about 5 years ago.IMG_0969.JPG.507f1afb6411e6c4380b0db71f9829e0.JPG

 

 

Edited by Dickon
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  • RMweb Gold

Found this fantastic image on Flicker.  I'm thinking of changing the colours on the Modelu miners to something similar:

 

Llangollen Railway 1940's Weekend (2019) 04

 

The alternative would be to use the Modelu industrial figures with their baker boy hats to create something more like this:

 

Welsh coal miners South Wales 1950

 

Edited by Captainalbino
Grammar edit
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  • RMweb Gold

I decided to use the miners I’ve got, after all they were purchased bespoke for this project. However I’ve painted them into the pre 1970s blue with black helmets. Also, whilst weathering the Andrew Barclay, I decided that the miners needed a dab from the Tamiya weathering powders. They looked too clean!

 

16D3A023-3653-4EB5-BDB7-4F5E1567EDE4.jpeg.136338bca27cef81ebd26d30992db9da.jpeg

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  • RMweb Gold

The Andrew Barclay probably won’t end up on this diorama. Instead I have an Oxford Rail NCB wagon that’s currently being attacked with a fibre glass pencil!

Edited by Captainalbino
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  • RMweb Gold

I’ve found using Woodland Scenics cinders a bit too lumpy. I found a step by step guide which used sand.


CE617328-14ED-4659-883A-37F9F0D60457.jpeg.37a0600b81dd04c89886b15537cc76cf.jpeg

 

When the sand is laid, it looks really weird.


CA6D3C54-EC7F-4E2F-A0F0-F23A170E492C.jpeg.578e756fd2a72267e585811ab72132d4.jpeg

 

However when the sand is painted with a dilute black acrylic, it starts to look better.

 

I may need to replace the cobbled alleyway, although it might look ok with some static grass over.

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The sand and diluted paint technique works really well, I wouldn’t worry about the cobbled alleyway as they would have been a little dirty with grass growing in the gaps.:good_mini:

I like to use kiln dried sand as seen on my coal delivery diorama.

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  • RMweb Gold

I'm not too sure there is space for both, but I do like the idea of the loco stabled in the siding.  It depends on whether its too much of a barclay overload.  I'll make it up and see what it looks like.

 

After making a traditional green andrew barclay, I like the idea of a blue one: 

 

Barclay 0-4-0ST (2157/1943), NCB No.47 - Thomas Muir's Scrapyard, Easter Balbeggie, Fife.

 

 

I've put a load of grass and weeds down.  Lets see what it looks like when the glue had dried overnight.

 

IMG_0287.JPG.988a38a105a9055d99fbb30876e027d0.JPG

 

Also, I'll probably need a tree or bush behind the buffer stop. Using some armatures already pre-wound, I've glued on the rubberised horse hair to get a rough shape.  Foliage to be applied hopefully tomorrow.IMG_0286.JPG.1181435fb795d25ff9807b271596d2cd.JPG

 

 

 

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