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Job's Modelling

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  1. Job's Modelling
    For Northall Dock I try for the first time to create the scene inside out.
    I asked myself the following questions:
    - What is the story behind Northall Dock ?
    - What will be the mean scene ?
     
    The answer to the first question will be answered in another entry.
    The answer on the second question is: a loading scene by a warehouse.
     
    First some background information about the used model:
     
    In the late 1940s production of the 'Jen-Tug' began. It was a 3 ton articulated vehicle, available with a wide range of trailers, including a flat trailer, a wire-sided trailer, a box trailer, a tipping trailer, a shallow tipping trailer, a high-sided trailer, a swan-neck trailer with winch, and a container.
    The cab had an Austin A.50 four-cylinder, overhead valve petrol engine, with a capacity of 1.5 litres, and an output of 50 b.h.p. at 4,400 r.p.m. It had a built-in four-speed synchromesh gearbox, a Borg & Beck, single dry-plate 8 inch hydraulically operated clutch, and was mounted on an easily removable sub-frame. It also had powerful Girling hydraulic brakes with 11 inch diameter drums on both the tractor and trailer, a Jensen patent tractor coupling, operated from the cab, and a turning circle of 22 feet.
     

     
     
    A 1950’s picture of a Southern Jen-Tug
    The 'Jen-Tug' became quite popular, and was supplemented by an electrically-powered version, the 'Jen-Helec'.
    The vehicles were made at West Bromwich, and also in Jensen's factory at Stoke.
    Info from:
    http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/Museum/Transport/commercial/Jensen.htm
    On this website more info about Jensen Commercial Vehicles.
     
    Below the model I build as the central scene for my new diorama.
     

     
    First I gave the model a finish with a mat varnish, after I had added the load and lorry driver.
    Then I weathered it with pastels and pigments.
     
    Regards,
    Job
  2. Job's Modelling
    After Nice Street my wife asked my to design something with water again.
    I had done that before on my first attempt with the Scalescene factory and an Inglenook shunting puzzle.
     
    So I decided to build Northall Dock.
    Quit a challange in an APA box. I want to build something more than just a quay and a ware house.
    My starting point for the design were two pictures.
    One from John Atkinson from 1890 and one from Edward Hopper (not published here)
     

     
    The information on Northall Dock I found in the archives of the Northall Gazette.
     

     
    I also made the design for the diorama. First on an one to one scale to be sure it would fit.
    Afterwards I made the drawing. It is still possible I will make some adjustments when I'm building the scene.
     

     
    Next stage is to design the main scene.
     
    Regards,
    Job
  3. Job's Modelling
    I started Nice Street (Urban Scene) as a diorama.
    With a new build model and some models from Bridge Street I made a muck up in the APA Box
     

     
    Non of these models was used on Nice Street.
     
    During building the diorama I start to do more research about how to build a diorama. I already accepted the rule of thirds for the planning.
     
    Also read some interesting things about how to design an urban scene.
     
    Most information about building a diorama is to be found in other modeling diciplines. Especially the information from Sheperds Paine was of great use for my.
     
    One of the things I noticed was that when I came in to the room where the diorama is standing you can see the whole scene at once. The viaduct and the railway arches where the first things that take the attention. In this way the viewer will loose his attention in a short time, without seeing the details on which I spend a lot of attention.
     
    I’m fascinated in the way Sheperd’s Paine discripes the realisation of a black box.
    So I dedided to give that a try. I made a tryout and did some experiment with the viewing opening. These resulted in the final desing. With this viewing opening it is possible to see the whole diorama, when you look around.

     
    By my art supplier I found black presentation card, suitable to create the front of my black box.
    I have to add some glass behind the opening. Just from a cheap photo frame.
    This is the way it looks when you are looking to the central scene.
     

     
    regards,
    Job
  4. Job's Modelling
    “My aim in creating a diorama is to capture the essence of an urban, railway “connected”, scene in the late 1950’s”
     
    After building building Bridge Street I covered it with plastic against dust. This meant that it wasn’t visible any more. I also have to keep my hobby/work room as much as possible dust free because I’m very allergic.
    After a visit by Ikea I saw the APA box. After reading the user guide I decided to buy one to see if it was possible to build a convincing diorama in it.
    On an American website I found some information about how to create an interesting diorama. Later on I found a free e-book on diorama / black box design from Sheperd Paine, who builds mostly military diorama’s.
     
    First of all I started to describe my theme:
     
     

    · British Railways (Western Region)
    · 1955 – 1961
    · Urban surrounding in an fictive neighbourhood
    · British Railways (Road Service)  
    After this I described how to design the diorama in the APA-box.
     
     

    1. Dividing the base into thirds. (see diagram )  

     

    2. Dividing, if possible, the height into thirds.
    3.. Try to place the most important elements where these lines intersect (red crosses).
    4.. Design from the inside out. First arrange the main scene
    5.. Make sure your topic is suited to a single viewpoint.
    6.. Use the figure arrangement to create the rest of the scene
    7.. Decide on the size of the viewing window
    8.. Make a planning of the lightning  
    Below the main scene of urban scene. I would call this diorama Nice Street now.
    More about Nice Street in a later entry.
     

     
    Main scene.
  5. Job's Modelling
    Today I finished the painting and weathering of my first British Railway Road Service wagon.
    Used just for 4 acrylic paint colors for painting the loading: raw sienna, burnt umber, ultramarine and lemon yellow .
    Also used some metal gun and black paint and fineliners for detailing the load.
    Further weathering was done through dry brushing with: dirt grey paint and a chalk pastel mixture of: black, brown and white (my general weathering mixture)
    Below some picture of the result
     
    Hope you like the result.
     

    Loaded Scammel Scarab
     

    Scammel Scarab Western Region
     

    Placed in the diorama.
     
    Regards,
    Job
  6. Job's Modelling
    I had some days off. So I decided to write the introduction to the Northall Gazette.
    In the Northall Gazette articles I will try to give some background information to the diorama's.
    I see my diorama's as three dimensional pictures. So every person, car & building on the diorama is "real" and has his purpose for that moment.
     
    I will publish the Gazette pages as a picture. If you also prefer an PDF that posible too.
     

     
     
    And also a picture of the Eastern Pub in full color out the Society's Archive. Sadly enough the pub is gone, so the local costumers have to get their pint somewhere else.
     

     
    Regards,
    Job
  7. Job's Modelling
    This blog records the development of diorama’s of Northall a fictional neighbourhood in a large industrial city in England.
    The time setting is in the late 1950’s. The switching point to the modern society with live in now.
    The diorama’s will all have a relation to British Railway practice in Northall .
     
    All diorama's will be build in APA boxes as a black box.
     
    The idea of building Northall came when I build Bridge Street. Unfortunately not build in a APA box and the victim of the clearance program of the Northall Governance.
     

     
    Urban Scene is the first diorama build in this way, but not yet finished completely.
     
    To build the diorama's I developed my own design rules using information from different sources in the modelling world. I like to look out of the box.
     
    Here is a little Northall history:
     
     
    From 1850 on , sleepy, rural Northall has been enveloped by the expanding metropolis. Railway and canal construction brought further expansion.
    Growth continued until the Second World War, by which time Northall was completely built up.
    Older industries all closed in the 1950's and 1960's.
    In 1954 Northall had three distinct areas. In the north were houses from the 1930’s and factories. Immediately south of the railway were streets of terraces dating from c. 1870-1920. Farther south lay the old town, with the dock area.
    The railway line is situated on 29.921 feet above the surrounding streets.
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