Black Country Blues

[Jason T]

Just thought I'd have a mess-around with a couple of mock-ups. Here is the first, taken from one of Combe Barton's links above. An old animal shelter / stables with adjoining carriage shed and (I presume) feed store.

 

 

 

 

Stable doors are possibly a bit close together and I have had to reduce the size somewhat (especially on the main barn section), but what do people think?

[Stubby47]

Very nice!

[Oldddudders]

The stables each need to be wide enough for Dobbin to do a turnround, as well as lying down comfortably (they tend to do this for a couple of hours a day).

[Coombe Barton]

The bit on the original pic is probably the feed store - that's a bit small for three stables on your mockup

 

How about losing the personnel door i the barn but allowing access through a person door in the main door. And cutting the number of stables from 3 to 2.

[Jason T]

Was just about to suggest losing one of the stable doors. Personally, I like the personnel door on the main barn as it adds to it a bit, although a small shuttered window or two may also fit well?

 

I'll await a ton of feedback on the mock-up before I actually start and this time, I'll use a sharp blade and actually measure up properly

[The Stationmaster]

11 'likes' to this post, but no comments as to whether it's actually any good, realistic, lifelike or anything else.

 

(As you can tell, I'm not sure !)

 

Sorry Stu - I missed 'liking' your 13.23 post yesterday - and I wouldn't like it if it wasn't any good and it would be nice to be able to do a job like that with the ability you have, smashing stuff (even if it is a funny shade of green - but you didn't chose it)

[Stubby47]

(even if it is a funny shade of green - but you didn't chose it)

I'm still not happy with the green on those gates, far too light a shade....

 

Still, thoughts are now moving along the road a bit to the derelict building, (plus elsewhere, but more anon).

 

With the 'purchase' of a delivery lorry, Bill decided to expand his yard into the old derelict building next door. He knocked down the end wall, and, using the existing internal walls, created a series of 'sheds' inside the existing outer shell. He kept the old ablutions area, thinking he could re-use for his yard staff, rather than them traipsing upstairs to the office toilet (plus he was getting earache about that from his secretary, Maisy).

[TheSignalEngineer]

Need to do the squeal, smoke and smell to go with it.

[PhilJ W]

I'm still not happy with the green on those gates, far too light a shade....

 

Still, thoughts are now moving along the road a bit to the derelict building, (plus elsewhere, but more anon).

 

With the 'purchase' of a delivery lorry, Bill decided to expand his yard into the old derelict building next door. He knocked down the end wall, and, using the existing internal walls, created a series of 'sheds' inside the existing outer shell. He kept the old ablutions area, thinking he could re-use for his yard staff, rather than them traipsing upstairs to the office toilet (plus he was getting earache about that from his secretary, Maisy).

As long as earache is all he gets from Maisy (Signed Bill's wife).

[Stubby47]

That's something we're missing : a human side to BCB, with a list of characters that populate the area, or pass through on the trains...

[Worsdell forever]

The three doors aren't stable doors but it is the 'Cart House', these will be wide enough to fit a cart or waggon in them so about 7-8' wide. the stable would probably be stalls accessed through a single door with probably a window on one or both sides.

 

Thread on stables here from a couple of years ago.

[Jason T]

That makes a lot more sense Paul, should have guessed they weren't stables by looking at them. D'oh!

[2ManySpams]

Andy Y can do smoke and D the smell...just need a mouse in a cage now.

[2ManySpams]

The people, animals and characters on our layouts all eventually get names - some after people we know, some after people no longer with us, some after pets. I suspect this layout will be the same but the condensed time period has meant we've not had time yet for character naming. Mind you we are building in names on buildings that mean things to various people, so all is not lost.

 

PS, happy with the ground effect in your yard Stu, even though (in the photo and on my monitor) it reminds me more of an ash type finish than concrete - hard to tell though. Still more than happy with it though.

 

PPS, noted the almost spoiler on the 'other' item - sorting the prototype for you tonight after a long chat with Andy B today at lunch.

[Arthur]

Imagine a train of coke from say Avenue coking plant to Spring Vale for a moment. These ran as occasional specials and I have seen photographs of three different trains carrying the headcode 8Z29, and worked by blue 31 or blue 37. I believe they worked via Derby, Wichnor and the South Staffs to Wednesbury, then via the P&O to Spring Vale.

 

Interesting Phil, so was that coke from Avenue to Stewarts & Lloyds at Spring Vale/Bilston? Avenue was built as a low temperature carbonisation plant specifically to produce household smoke less fuel. I'm surprised that the coke it produced was of suitable quality for metallurgical use. Nothing to do with BCB, just of interest to me

 

........constructed by the Patent Shaft for Metro Cammell.

 

Just some background,

 

Metro Cammell had owned the former Patent Shaft works at Old Park since 1949, it was no longer Patent Shaft.

 

Patent Shaft still made steel at their Brunswick works, and from 1956, after a brief spell of nationalisation, it was owned by Cammell Laird, 75%, and Metropolitan Cammell, 25%.

Edited December 4, 2012 by Arthur

[2ManySpams]

Now then young man, thought I'd wait to see the mock up on the big screen (not a small phone) before commenting. Had a chat with Andy B (WagonBasher) at lunchtime about something else and we touched on this building to.

 

It's been really tough to find photos of something that shows what we had in mind after the minor cul-de-sac of a gate house. The sort of 'abandoned farm outbuilding' we have in mind seems to have been swallowed up in the massive in-filling of the open spaces that existed in the BC before the 70s. I've looked at old maps of the area on line (the preview option on Cassini Maps has been very useful) and the open spaces with what I imagine would be the leftovers from earlier agricultural use have largely gone. With it, so have the old farm buildings but hey that's progress and many other of our subjects have been 'redeveloped' too.

 

I think Andy and I have the same sort of thing in mind, so failing to find a prototype in the area that is exactly right we've been forced instead to show inspiration type photos. These are all from the Geograph website, a very useful photo cataloging site, but all are present day not 70s.

 

Hopefully you'll see that the sort of thing we imagined is far less grand / imposing then the mock up and a lot more care-worn and Heath-Robinson in construction. I'm posting some links from an email to see if a direct copy and paste works and will add notes of what in the photo is the inspiration. If the links don't work bare with me while I recreate them.

 

General condition, materials and build:

http://www.geograph....k/photo/2271588

 

Style of dumped junk and scale of building:

http://www.geograph....k/photo/3003930

http://www.geograph....k/photo/2736383

 

Correct for scale and materials but not it's use (mine):

http://www.geograph....k/photo/2323546

 

No idea what this was but it looked an interesting remnant:

http://www.geograph....k/photo/3181858

 

I like the condition of these, not the use of stone of the height of the two-storey building:

http://www.geograph....k/photo/2839158

 

Still looking for more but hope this helps....

[Steve Williams]

I'm still not happy with the green on those gates, far too light a shade....

 

 

It is always difficult to try and assess colours second-hand, especially as one person's monitor is probably calibrated differently to someone elses, not to mention the fact that my original photo would have gone through a couple of digital processes before it appeared on-line. However, having said all that, is it a question of the colours being too light (possibly a bit on the right-hand model gate - although that could just be the ambient lighting when the photo was taken), or is it more a question of them being too bright. Looking at my original photograph, there does appear to be a fair bit of white in the green caused by natural fading. I would suggest that there is also, probably, a hint of yellow in the green in general, and in some boards there appears to be a bluey tinge, particularly top-right (maybe a hint of Humbrol Matt Blue no.89 or thereabouts added to the green). What does Old Gringo think, he has a better eye than me?

 

Steve

[2ManySpams]

Just thought I'd have a mess-around with a couple of mock-ups. Here is the first, taken from one of Combe Barton's links above. An old animal shelter / stables with adjoining carriage shed and (I presume) feed store.

 

 

 

 

Stable doors are possibly a bit close together and I have had to reduce the size somewhat (especially on the main barn section), but what do people think?

 

Love what you've done here as a mock up but i think it's too imposing for the site and I'd stay away from half timber / stone work in the build. Pity because it's a great building.

[2ManySpams]

There's some stuff here from English Heritage - this time in area

• http://www.english-h...one-Plateau.pdf
  
• http://www.english-h...d-Cank-Wood.pdf
  
• http://www.english-h...ts/97-Arden.pdf
  

And having found these - the whole country's National Character Areas http://www.naturalen...searchpage.aspx

 

 

Great find John, it's amazing what's on the web now.

 

On the Cannock Chase doc there's a few elements that caught my eye. Pg 6 Bottom Right photo - the low buildings in the foreground. Pg 9 Top Right. Pg 9 Bottom Right, perhaps a three bay version of the cart shed?

 

As Doc 67 says, the area has been extensively redeveloped....

 

Thanks.

[2ManySpams]

I'd love to see a flatbed with a load of new toilet pans...

 

No, no, no...we're going to have to get you some 'professional help' for this fetish!

[2ManySpams]

Don't forget we've also got CK's Cortina.

 

Great to have you along on this growing RMweb project, Paul. It's grown in to something much, much bigger than we (or probably Andy Y) ever imagined. What a great collection of folk on here - truly a joint effort, not just the volunteer builders but also the info providers and folk with ideas. Keep it all coming folks, much appreciated.

[Stubby47]

Thanks for the feedback.

The gates will be redone, though I'm using cheap acrylics rather than Humbrol enamels.

 

Chris,

For the derelict building, how big is the available floor space ?

I'm guessing 100mm wide, but how long ( along the road ) ?

[Jason T]

Yep, the links worked. Will have a bash at another mock-up.

 

I wasn't 100% sure about the other myself, hence why it was scruffily cut out and put together.

[Worsdell forever]

Thanks Chris, great to be here!

 

Oooo! the Cortina! It will be well travelled if it heads it's way up here, full circle almost as I was talking to the Captain at the very show where it started it's journey...

 

 

Got the fuel tank and rope cleats fitted last night.

 

 

Edited December 4, 2012 by Worsdell forever

[Mikkel]

Great thread Stu. A small question: I am interested in cobbles at the moment (us modellers get to say weird things!) and I was wondering about the sheet of cobbles you've used here. Couldn't find the source anywhere in the thread. Is it a Wills sheet?