TFW’s workshop & Copenhagen Fields

76043

Western Thunderer
What is interesting is the artist has placed an ex-SR W 2-6-4T on the North London Lines viaduct. I would therefore presume a photograph must be in existence depicting this otherwise it's an odd choice - unless the artist knew his locomotives.
Rule 1 applies to artists too. :) I'd argue they invented it.
Tony
 

Tim Watson

Western Thunderer
There were workings by Southern locos over the NLR. More concerning is the 5-5 of the train and the fact that the viaduct has lost some tracks.

Tim
 

adrian

Flying Squad
There were workings by Southern locos over the NLR. More concerning is the 5-5 of the train and the fact that the viaduct has lost some tracks.

Tim
I thought the freight arrangement was a subliminal message - like morse code! - Used in fiction by Desmond Bagley where a scientist had hidden his secret research in the arrangement of his model railway wagons. ( in the days before desktop computers ).
 

Rob Pulham

Western Thunderer
It is amazing in model railways how an object or image can set the hares running in directions which lead to unexpected projects. One such is this painting by Wrenford Thatcher, b 1944, British (print available from Norski Noo’s gallery):

View attachment 251263
I am not sure what Tim's date of 1944 refers to but the painting must have been done much later than 1944 as it depicts an A4 in BR Green with one of the BR Emblems on the tender.

I did mentally question whether it might have been one of the original few A4's that were painted Doncaster green before Garter blue was settled on for the livery but the lack of side skirts on the loco belies that.
 

Tim Watson

Western Thunderer
I met the sprightly 81 year old artist at the NEC show and Norski Noo, the gallery owner, who had a stand featuring his paintings & prints. Fortunately, the Belle Isle print wasn’t there otherwise I might have been tempted, but not sure where I would hang it…
Apologies for not explaining the 5-5 bell code for a divided train. In the meantime, my rendition is slowly making progress. I have now had enough of gas holders. As mentioned previously, here is a picture of the hard horizon in use for setting out the uprights, using a fine point brown pen.
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The tops of the gas holders and horizontal girders were roughed-in using a simple plywood jig. The light-coloured steel work was marked up using a fine white paint pen.
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One thing that has really come into its own with this work has been the use of Tamiya aerosol matt varnish to seal the surface when happy with the appearance, so allowing further adjustments to be made without disturbing the previous paint.
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Having looked at various photos, I suspect that the coal drops and canal could just about feature, but certainly the Western Goods Shed to the right.
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Having the hint of the canal would be quite fun, as that would complete our portrayal of transport methods.

Tim
 
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Tim Watson

Western Thunderer
The 2D granary building has an interesting optical effect if you focus on it and move sideways - it changes shape, as you move probably due to the perspective drawing.


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The next stage will be the Regent’s canal, St Pancras locks and the Plimsoll Camley St coal chutes. The Western Goods Shed will probably wait for the whole layout to be assembled.

Tim
 

Grahame Hedges

Western Thunderer
A good effort with representing the holders from a distance, as one who spent many years working amongst them and visiting a good number of gas holder station sites. And yes, that is what their locations are known as and indicated as such on many maps.
 

Tim Watson

Western Thunderer
After a great deal of studying photos and maps, the back scene at the south end of Copenhagen Fields is finished (for the moment). It was fun to Include the canal, lock pumping house and Plimsoll coal chutes. Making the Western Goods Shed was very challenging. The complexity of its roofs (hipped with a partial gable) makes the Hagia Sophia look like a council house. The pulping house chimney acts a good focal point, whilst the Warren truss bridge helps to pull the scene together.

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The Western Goods shed is quite feint, which I think will work better on the main layout and there will be another painted horizon on the backscene, to take the eye westwards.

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The canal reflects the main layout sky rather than on this small diorama and is a work in-progress. The Warren truss bridge carried coal wagons across the canal to the Plimsoll coal chutes on the other side. The pumping station next to the lock was to conserve water between the Grand Junction and Regent’s canal (I think). It stopped pumping in 1929. The background trees are St Pancras gardens.

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The obligatory finger picture shows just how small the details are.

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Let’s hope it all works on the main layout…

Tim
 
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James Spooner

Western Thunderer
Tim,

I think what you have achieved here is amazing. If I were to venture a further improvement (and who am I to make such a suggestion but I do it with the best of intentions), it would be to introduce some variation into the horizon. It doesn’t have to be anything specific but old photos of London show an irregular horizon usually punctuated by church spires and steeples (they being the highest constructions until post blitz reconstruction). I attach a random photo of London as an illustration.

Nigel

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Tim Watson

Western Thunderer
Thanks Nigel, fully agree. Part of my current reticence for doing that is that those type of features will be introduced when the scene is incorporated onto the whole layout, using the backscene ‘proper’.
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St Pancras old church tower should definitely be poking out of the trees in the park, but, on consulting Google maps there aren’t that many spired churches in this part of London; a few neo-classical style emporia, but these are not so tall. It should be remembered that the Euston Road, the ‘New Road’, was equivalent to the M25 in early 19th C London and railway construction took out large swathes of local buildings, where present. There is a lot of greenery to consider, namely the Regent’s Park. Having checked out some aerial views, I have just included Euston on the near horizon, to complete the holy trinity.
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I simply can’t wait to see what this all looks like next weekend in Manchester.

Tim
 
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Tim Watson

Western Thunderer
Apologies for the drip, drip, drip of this thread, but I promise this will be the last picture of the backscene before it is seen on the main layout. I have applied a yellow ochre wash to all of the new bits: the grey tones were all too blue. It is now more compatible with the 3D part of the layout where I use a lot of green when weathering. Gives some idea of the tortured thinking behind my painting technique.
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In other news, here is a QR code for viewers to get their bearings at the south end of the layout.

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Tim
 

jonte

Western Thunderer
Apologies for the drip, drip, drip of this thread, but I promise this will be the last picture of the backscene before it is seen on the main layout. I have applied a yellow ochre wash to all of the new bits: the grey tones were all too blue. It is now more compatible with the 3D part of the layout where I use a lot of green when weathering. Gives some idea of the tortured thinking behind my painting technique.
View attachment 252968

In other news, here is a QR code for viewers to get their bearings at the south end of the layout.

View attachment 252969


Tim

Fabulous stuff, Tim, and whilst perhaps considered ‘trivia’ by some, this ‘step by step’ approach is something that fascinates me and helps to see how others do things, and isn’t this how we all learn and hopefully benefit from seeing new techniques etc.? I know I always pick up new ideas, and surely sharing ideas is the purpose of a forum?

Thanks for sharing,

Jon
 

D869Zest

Active Member
An excellent show - practically a 2mm Association mini-meet in our corner with St Ruth, CF, the Roadshow and occasional forays by Undercover 2FS agents Jerry and Mick from their base of operations at Trerice in the other hall.

I managed a rare clear shot of CF on Saturday evening too. Annoying that cameras always make layout lighting look weird when in reality it's completely fine. Not sure what the ammo tin is for... couldn't spot the machine gun.

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