Hi guys.

Well - 6 months has passed since my last post and recently I've been back working on this project. I took some time out to get my 'P & D Duncan Ltd Tap and Die' structure finished for the Wellington convention compitition at easter weekend. Since then I've been juggling this project and my 'C L Innes & co Aerated water manufacturers'.

I've been working on my plaster roads, and continuing the development of my planning for this project. This weekend I brought my corner diorama up into the garage and set it up next to my extention to check the road heights, widths, and continuity of viewing angles. At this stage I find the mock-ups very important. Certain lines of site need to be left open to lead the eye into the scene, add depth, and open up little cameos. On the other hand other views such at the roads hitting the backdrop, need to be hidden or at least somewhat discuised.

Here are some pics to give you an idea.

This first pic shows an overall of the two sections



This next pic shows the extention



Here's a view look longways towards the corner diorama. It shows the lovely depth of field that should result.



this view shows a close up looking up one of the curved roads



This pic shows the depth that will be created width ways (about 1 1/2 feet). With the curved roads at different heights the effect should create the appearence of a much larger and deeper looking scene. It also gives the oppitunity to model many more building fronts (or backs).



This pic shows the magnuson kit that I bought 2nd hand. It was a bit of a mess, so I cut it up, and I think should look nice tumbling down and around the road. The river to the back should also make another nice scene and leading line.



And this last pic shows a large view of the same area.



There is still quite a bit of hashing out to be done - especially to the right end of the module. I intend to keep my mix of approximately 2/3 masonery structures to 1/3 timber. The MDF mock-up in the front is Campbells 'Brets Brewery'. The paper structure at the back next to the corner module is a revised elavation for a fertilizer factory plan from a very old MRR article. The DPM MT Arms hotel will actually be a large timber hotel. Some of the buildings will be replaced with something different, but for the most part, things should remain fairly similar.

Thanks for looking in on my continuing project, and I'll keep you posted.

Cheers, Mark.

Great design ... love the hills and sweeping curves. You've sure got a lot of buildings to build now!

Thanks Dallas.

The variety is nice too. There was to be a lot of 10 or so story buildings made from spicing kits together like the MT Arms hotel, but after doing a couple of these, they get pretty monotonous. With this new direction I will be able to swap from the brick to timber, and from plastic to wood to plaster as well. It seems to be about twice the size of the corner diorama, so I'm guessing around two years to complete. Of course that depends on how many other things I have on the go at the same time! I'm working on completing 3 square feet of my layout a year - it might not sound like much, but the corner diorama has 12 structures on it, and a number of those were quite complex to build.

I estimate my L-shaped layout will take around another 16 years to complete, and I have now added a whole new section (about another 50 square feet - larger if I extend the garage!) based on a fictional South Westland / Fiordland railway. The scenery here is magnificant! Huge moss covered native forests hanging on the side of steep terrain flowing right down to crystal clear water, and snowy mountains in the background. I have always been very inspired by John Allen and Malcolm Furlow, and it will be nice to attempt something akin to their wonderful mountain scenes based on some of our countries wonderful scenery. It will also be nice to try to use my different compositional techniques to attempt to create a very deep and large mountain scene in not a very big or deep area.

Cheers, Mark

Mark,

Seeing the amazing thing you've done here has inspired me to attach the corner of my layout I was going to put a few buildings. Nothing like you have done, but I'm reconsidering using your ideas and method.

Thanks

Ralph

Looking good, Mark! :up: :up: :up:

Good to see Tellynott back on the active board.

Delbert

Good to see that the long & winding road has brought you back here Mark!

This is going to be a cornucopia of interesting structures & terrain!

Greg Shinnie

Hi Mark, I love the varying elevations. These combined scenes will keep visitors amazing with changing vistas as they peer into the scene from differing angles.

My daughter loved her trip to NZ...such a beautiful country. [:-apple][:-apple][:-apple]

I'm always impressed when I see how ambitious and not straight out of the box your projects are, Mark. No doubt there will be something interesting to follow there.

Thanks for all the nice comments Ralph, Delbert, Greg, Mike and Frederic!

Ralph - go for it! Its so much fun. I get such a kick out of this part of a hobby - even when I'm just peering along a curved polystyrene road looking at paper buildings, I get really excited thinking about how good it will (hopefully) look when finished. My biggest piece of advice would be - be eclectic. Start keeping a file of all your favourite scenes - even if they seem totally wrong for your corner. You can often use a concept from one scene on another, more fitting one.

Thanks Delbert! I get the impression from your approach to your bar mills 'General store and Orions cafe' that we share a similar modelling philosophy. When you started putting signage on your structure, more and more signs appeared until I thought 'that's too much'. But still more signs appeared and suddenly it looked 'right' and 'natural'. I feel when things are starting to look too cluttered there are two ways to go - take something away or add in more. I usually go for the second approach. Again, I did the same when writing music, often against the advice of my tutors, but it always seemed to work in the end. I think when someone you respect gives you advise, and you go your own way anyway, your reasons and arguements are clearer as you have to convince yourself (through good solid logic) that your approach it best.

Thanks Greg - I had to look that one up! To parahase:

This is going to be a "goats horn filled with grain and flowers and fruit symbolizing prosperity" of interesting structures and terrain!

I hope you get a laugh out of that - I got the giggles while typing!

And yes - it is a long and winding road - but I always seem to come full circle in the end!

Thanks Mike! You may have noticed all the gaps between buildings on the main street? That is deliberatly done to give glimpses of the alleyway behind. Glimpses are fantastic, but its much easier if you can plan them from the start! As the structures start to appear on the module I will be sure to accompany them with tales of the LBP's in the scenes. I'm reading a very well written book on the early settlers of Martins bay (Fiordland - very near where my fictional layout will be based). The stories are incredible, and I will dilligently take notes and encorporate some of these tales and personalities into my miniature world. I enjoyed very much reading your developing saga recently in the two month challenge.

Thank you Frederic! I wouldn't have it any other way. I love these 3-D puzzles, and enjoy using kits as scratchbuilding materials. I hope this thread will continue to be of interest to you all.

Thanks for checking in, Cheers, Mark.

Mark,you got a problem with goat horns filled with grains & flowers & even a sprinkle of prosperity?

Okay maybe Cornucopia was a bit much! :erm:

How about, chocked full of interest!

Greg Shinnie

..........

Mark,

I model in HO, so my idea was to build a scene around and to the back of my harbour and then as it goes up and back try and use some N scale

buildings and mabe some additional smaller ones all interspersed in the trees and bushes to try to force perspective in the shortest possible space.

I got the idea from watching Earl Smallshaw's video on Modeling the Mystic, here is the link;

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/M..._EarlSmallshaw

Seeing what you have done with such a small space may fit right into my plans.

Thanks

Ralph

Man this is so good.





I use the woodlands scenic's foam elevation strips, BUT your method is a winner. Well done. I really need to try it.


Your town scene remind me of one of my projects awaiting to be worked on. Like you, any sort of curves, always does for me

http://www.modvid.com.au/html/body_mason_avenue.html

I must catch up with you, next time I'm in NZ

cheers mate

"M"

I love those changes in elevations and the constant changing of building angles. You've convinced me that I need to stifle my linear thinking for my next project.

George

Thanks guys - you're making me feel like the king of curves!

Delbert - I think your signage works, and looks quite orthentic. I hope we will see many more fantastic builds from you in the near future after your long break from structure building!

Ralph - I have some great articles by Earl Smallshaw in old issues of MRR. I remember one in particular (I think by him) with a river crossed by a rolling lift bridge, a tall curved tressle, and a factory served by a siding also on a tressle. The space was extremely tight, but yet by great design, leading lines, and verticle displacement the scene looked much larger and much deeper than it really was.

Mario - I see so many of the same structures, and even a couple of inspirational George Sellios pics we share in common. I hope to see your city scene progress in the near future. And you are always welcome to visit here in Christchurch - I would take great pleasure in showing you around our city (as long as it wasn't our wonderful architecture you wanted to see!) I should also be able to arrange a couple of layout tours for you if you had the time. Trainz weekend is on here in Chch every August, and the train show is on in October. I have been asked to speak at this years Trainz weekend - another first for me!

George - I'm pleased to have had some input in your new non linear approach! I'm sure you'll find it a lot of fun, and the headwork of making complex structures work on steep slopes is very rewarding.

Back to the workbench! Thanks for all your interest - I shall try to get enough done to merit an update post by the end of the weekend.

Cheers, Mark.