Hockley Goods

[DonB]

Summary

 

Looking back, this has been an interesting and challenging Challenge, since apart from a couple of kit buildings for a grandson’s “Thomas” layout I had not done any modelling for over 40 years! Learning curves became a fixed feature of the build.

The small size stipulated and a couple of ideas gleaned from others on Rmweb caused me to throw my hat into the ring.

I re-read the rules and noted the proposed voting requirements, and drew up a list which in Industry we would have referred to as “Aims and Objectives” which, somewhat modified from the first post were :-

 

Base the Diorama on a GWR goods shed at Hockley (B’ham),

( http://www.warwicksh...wr/gwrhd686.htm )

intended to be viewable from all four sides, at near eye level, possibly on a rotate-able base, following Mikkel’s (in his “Farthing Layouts”) comments about making the viewer see inside his structures, rather than bird’s eye views.

So I dreamed of a diorama structure with

(1) A foreshortened blank wall with the despatch siding.

(2) A narrowed front with the prototype 5 tracks and foreshortened canopy, and a shortened and narrowed representation of the office building.

(3) The receiving (road)-side with a shortened and narrowed canopy, with views into the interior

(4) The back, (impossible to model the whole length) without an end wall, completely open allowing views of the interior with all its steel work, crane etc.

In essence it would be rather less than a sixth of the prototype’s scale length.

The width of the internal platforms would have to be rather narrower than scale.

 

The trials and problems encountered are detailed in the thread at

http://www.rmweb.co....-lights-fitted/

 

 

The resulting Diorama was exhibited at Mickleover on Oct.1st and 2nd.

 

One of the visitors was kind enough to photograph the display and has allowed me to use his pictures here. (All photos copyright Spike Naylor)

 

A three-quarter side view of the receiving bay, Horses, animal and mechanical, wait. The LED bulbs in the roof can be seen.

 

A meat van being pressed into service with crates of merchandise, no doubt someone will get it in the neck for such a transgression! The open doors are not a regular feature on models, and this van was one I experimented on, and time constraints forced it being "pressed into service"

 

Typical of the throughput of the shed, there are a variety of owners of the vans on shed, a couple of unbranded open wagons at platform 1, one with coke for the coming winter's braziers. Platform2 has a couple of NE vans, platform3 has a GWR Syphon, Platform4 an SR ventilated van, and platform5 a rake of three of those misused Meat vans.

The switch for the lights can be seen top left. It was turned to have the toggle horizontal and virtually invisible, late on Saturday!

The construction of the roof windows is covered in the original thread and has receive favourable comments.

 

With the roof removed, the Foreman's office on the mezzanine can be seen. It's top is level with the roof beams and it houses the battery for the lights. The battery is a very snug fit an the slight bow in the front disappears when it is inserted! That porter will never get the door open!

 

A close-up of platform5, with the SR van rolled to this end of the track. Apologies for the white blobs which are "white-tac" to stop the vans rolling off into orbit as the diorama is rotated. All the vans were very free rolling. The vibration of people walking past was enough to start them moving!

 

Photos in the construction thread show full frontal views to compare with the prototype, but I repeat one here. It does (just) show the turntable which was accepted by viewers without comment!

 

Thanks to all who have read and/or commented on this project.

[Mike Bellamy]

Very pleased to be able to have Hockley Goods on display at the Mickleover (Derby) show last weekend. It created a lot of interest and the high level viewing allowed the visitors to see the amount of detail Don has created in a small area. I can't wait to see what next year's challenge will be - we can take up to 25ft before we block the fire exit

 

Mike

 

Edited for spelling - Don built the diorama - Dan is my boss at work !!

[DonB]

Just realised that I have not posted size proof photos any where. I did originally have a "picture frame" surrounding the 20x11 base, but removed that following clarification of the regulations.

The size-proof photos will be found now at the end of the build postings, (at post #61) previously linked.