Urban grit…
As the train slows and wheels screech the view changes from the back of houses and factories to flats, offices and transport infrastructure woven into the fabric of the city. Skirting the centre, constantly developing, a blend of old and new, of man made and nature fighting back, I love this part of a rail adventure…
Perhaps only natural then that I would try and recreate this in miniature, to distill this into a model railway. The character becoming a blend of realism through art, inspired not recreated, the feel rather than a particular prototype. Rationalisation and evolution of the railway feels central to the story and is represented by the abandoned route behind diverging beyond the platform, and potentially a rationalised station with lifted tracks, this suits a longer and narrow composition and I had in mind something small, compact and achievable. With the railway on a viaduct it gives the surrounding buildings and industry a lower hierarchy, perhaps they could be rendered with less detail? The sharp clarify of the railway becoming just colours and shapes rather than texture beyond the retaining walls?
Cameo presentation, perhaps a Lack shelf in OO or Mosslanda in N. Removable fiddle sticks to create that ‘exhibution’ or 3D painting to display at home when not in use… on show rather than in the cupboard. A scene that invites conversation from those interested in railway modelling, and even those who aren’t? A focus to showcase your passion for this hobby, the craft, the love of model trains?
And for us, the railway modeller, such a scheme provides a home for a collection of DMUs and Sprinters. Location and period agnostic, you can run a Regional Railways Sprinter one minute, a blue DMU the next and a Northern unit afterwards. Limited just by our imagination, playful yet full of life, full of the character that drove the energy in my opening paragraph.
Until next time, more soon…
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Once again, you provoke some memories from the depths of my mind. I remember travelling from college in Wrexham back to Lincolnshire several times. Sometimes through the suburbs of Birmingham. Sometimes Leeds and Bradford. All the time through scenes like you depict in this scheme. Just as I thought I was going to plan an N scale scheme inspired by the old timber Pont Briwet road/rail bridge near Penrhyndeudraeth. You give me some totally different food for thought.
ReplyDeleteHi Ian, always happy to share ideas that spark interest and memory… perhaps there is space for both medium term? Am urban layout like this will require a lot more modelling than one set in rural Wales!
DeleteThis is exactly the kind of scene that enthrals me when I'm on a train journey: travelling through a city getting all these snapshots of street views and the disregarded ugly and decayed rear views of businesses and terraces. Some might say its not a nice view, but to me that kind of run down urban scene and decay is endlessly pretty and thoroughly fascinating in its own way.
ReplyDeleteI’m glad I’m not the only one! These days young and old seem glued to their phones when travelling by trains missing some of the quiet contemplative inquiry of enjoying the view passing outside the window.
DeleteWhen I travel to the office the usually route takes me via London Bridge to Blackfriars, this is very much of the same feeling with almost train set curves and gradients and ever changing surroundings - replicating some of the modern architecture in model form would be interesting or perhaps even a construction site. The "branch" viaduct also doesn't necessarily need to be lifted, there is still a single line in situ on the chord allowing access to Cannon St from the Blackfriars direction but it's clearly very rarely used.
ReplyDeleteI’ll have to take a look on Google Earth, thanks Stephen!
DeleteThat's a really neat micro idea, James. Definitely filing this one away for future reference, possibly swapping the open route to behind the viewblock and having the foreground bridge removed, leaving just the abutments remaining.
ReplyDeleteI think we often try and maximise 'play value' in our small spaces by modelling all the track and routes, but sometimes less is more, as in this case.
I too often look for disused spurs and trackbeds diverging away form the open route when travelling by trains. Using googlemaps and the useful rail maps online to see where the railway used to go. https://www.railmaponline.com/UKIEMap.php
Thanks Alan, they sound great ideas!
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