alderson.eric.j Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Here are some pictures first to introduce you to this layout. The "old" layout was started nearly 30 years ago. Since we moved in our own Clubhouse (yes, we own our clubhouse...) around 20 years ago, we started a new extension depicting the railways in the area of Liège between 1950's and 1980's... There are loads of work involved on this layout, from the underframe (aluminium support + wood layout structure for the new section, all wooden for the old layout) to the command and control (all NMRA DCC, passing by the scenery and structures (with loads of structures scratchbuilt to represent local prototype...)... This is the work of a lifetime (I can't picture myself seeing this layout ever finished in my own lifespan...) Here are the few pictures I have made last week... Ricky. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alderson.eric.j Posted April 8, 2013 Author Share Posted April 8, 2013 OK. Now that I'm back home, here are a few pictures from the layout. First, this is how I made a typical Belgian river boat from a simple german kit... it's all scratchbuilt except the basic hull... That's how it all started : a kit package dropped by a club member on my table... And that's what I exactly kept from the original kit : just the hull and a few detail pieces. Then, with some plasticard, Evergreen & MKD embossed plastic sheets and some Evergreen strips, I started building the load compartments. At this time, the roof is added to the load compartments, with the front one left partially open to show the load. The beginning of the construction of the cab. It's a evergreen strip structure sandwiched between 0.3 mm thick Raboesh plasticard... The rear living quarters are built the same way... The cab elements being made, it's time for assembly. The load had been added in the open load compartment (here, coal for Liege's "John Cockerill" Steel Works). The cab is test-fitted on the boat. Now the cab comes to life, having been pre-painted, the interior detailed and the chimney added... Now the painting process is started. The boat is painted blue due to the name that was given to him : "Li Vî Bleû" (the Old Blue One, in Liège's dialect), based on a comics by François Walthery about a famous pigeon... And here is "Li Vî Bleû" on the River Meuse on the club's layout... So, just tell me what you think of this, and if you want more... Ricky. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctor quinn Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 Hi Ricky, Some excellent modelling there, I'd love to see more. Does the club hold an annual open day? Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alderson.eric.j Posted April 8, 2013 Author Share Posted April 8, 2013 Yes, it's in november (november 9 and 10 this year). I put it on the calendar with location information and some hotels in the area (near Liège Station, and a bit further from it). I'll be there of course, holding a clinic about weathering the two days, if it stays as it was last year... Just check the club's website (www.alaf.be - in french only, unfortunately...) for more insight. Ricky. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alderson.eric.j Posted April 9, 2013 Author Share Posted April 9, 2013 As you seem to like this, here comes a few more pictures. First, four pictures of my new scratchbuilding work : I call it sometimes "Arr Two Dee Two", but my friends rather calls it "The Meat Grinder" ! It's the "adaptation" in HO Scale (1/87th) of a landmark in Liège : St Vincent Church. It's a job that will take me around two years to be completed, and that means only the building. I will then have to scratchbuild the streets too (cobblestones carved in a special extruded foam isolation sheet) and that will also take me some time as I'll have to carve the stones one by one with a hobby knife and a sharp paper pen... Now, another batch of pictures on the layout... First, a few scratchbuild structures I made for the club. They all are inspired by real buildings that can be found in Liège. Detail of one of the buildings (inspired by a well known pub in Liège : the 'Café Lequet'), and the small street market stalls in front... Even the interiors are detailed... This building is also inspired from a landmark in Liège : the "Cloître St Michel", located not far from St Lambert square... The stones are embossed drawing paper from Zebulon... And finally, another view of the SNCV station I scratchbuilt using styrene, Slaters brick sheets, Evergreen strips and Wills roof sheets... The platform was handcarved in some foam board, each stone carved one by one. The figures, from Preiser, were hand painted and also modified to fit the prototype (for SNCV personnel...) It took me nearly one hundred hours of work to finish this building and its platform... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alderson.eric.j Posted September 15, 2013 Author Share Posted September 15, 2013 Hi there, Long time no post here, but was busy working on my book and on the club's layout... This little post to advise those who would happen to be in Belgium in November that the ALAF will hold its annual exhibition on November 9 and November 10, each day open from 9 AM to 5 PM. There will be possibility to buy sandwiches, Hot Dogs, pies & both beers, soft & warm drinks. Here is below the advertising for this year's exhibition. Eric Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alderson.eric.j Posted November 17, 2013 Author Share Posted November 17, 2013 I'm finally back on the Forum, with a small treat for you guys... I've finished the St Vincent Church model, and here are two pictures of it taken on the layout. The painting and weathering was done using Vallejo's Model Color and Model Wash paints as well as their range of weathering powders. My next project is already on the rails : a scratchbuilt OO scale GWR engine locomotive, inspired by the one in Didcot Parkway. I'll post some pictures as soon as the walls are assembled together with the floor in a new topic. Later on, I'll add more pictures of the process as I will build all the roof frame (steel beams) and details inside the structure. Till next time, Ricky. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ColinK Posted November 17, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 17, 2013 Very nice modelling and does remind me of visits to Liege to photograph Belgium diesels. Plus, ordering 'steak american' and expecting a beefburger, only to recieve a dish of raw mince! Is there an exhibhition in 2014? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alderson.eric.j Posted November 17, 2013 Author Share Posted November 17, 2013 Very nice modelling and does remind me of visits to Liege to photograph Belgium diesels. Plus, ordering 'steak american' and expecting a beefburger, only to recieve a dish of raw mince! Is there an exhibhition in 2014? Thanks, Colin. There will Indeed be an exhibition next year, our club's "Open Doors days" exhibition are to be held on the 8th and 9th of November 2014. This year's edition just occured last week-end, and that's when I first presented the finished model to the public on the layout. They even shot several "close-ups" for a subject shown in a regional TV news show to promote our exhibition. I'll make some more pictures of it wednesday (I have a board meeting there) and also take pictures of other new items on the layout (circus, commandos climbing down a cliff, paras walking trough the landscape, etc.). Eric. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted November 17, 2013 Share Posted November 17, 2013 Hi Eric, Wonderful modelling - a joy to see! I've done a bit of train spotting in Belgium and I found it a wonderful and fascinating place. Cheers, John E. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Cool model, I used to be based at liege with TNT Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alderson.eric.j Posted December 16, 2013 Author Share Posted December 16, 2013 Thanks guys. Rob, I know very well of TNT's base in Bierset (Liège's Airport). I used to go there for meetings when the Belgian Army light aviation choppers were based there. I also was lucky enough to fly thrice from this airport with small aircrafts (once with a Cessna 150, twice with a 250) and can't forget the view you have of Liège from above... About myself, I work more in the Center of Liège, based at the banks of the River Meuse since 1996... (18 years next february I'm based there...) and our Club is based in Ougrée, not far from that big red (and ugly) thing that houses the "Standard de Liège" football team on the banks of the River Meuse... (I say Ugly as I'm myself more a Fan of Chelsea FC and of the good old "Football Club Liégeois" (oldest Football Cub in Liège, who is in the lower divisions of the "League" in Belgium, but doing well to come back to the 1st Division). Eric. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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