Wandering Around - Where do I get my inspiration? Building Station Road Part 2
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- Опубликовано: 11 июл 2024
- Once I have a vision for a large part of my layout, I seek out possible prototypes from which I can draw inspiration. In this episode I show how I find inspiration and the places I went before finally settling on a set of buildings which will be the top of Station Road.
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So many model railways are just track and trains plonked into a bit of scenery, no reason to exist. There is no heart in them, that's why Chandwell is different. There is a "back-story" behind it, every building has a reason to BE. The thought which goes on to create this world is what sets Chandwell apart from "just another model railway".
I am not a railway modeller myself but if I was I would like my world to be like Chandwell.
Well done, Michael.
George
Seeing the creative scope that Michael has on Chandwell made me decide on a TT scale (1:120) layout rather than OO gauge. I may end up making card buildings for the rest of my life to fill it!
@justinclayton3022 Once you start... you can't stop!
Thanks George. I am pleased that you can see what I am trying to achieve.
The Hickety Pickety nature of Chandwell is part of it's charm, each and everyone some how blends into one great landscape which you have created Micheal, real buildings from different areas working well 👌
Thank you! I am trying to keep everything looking cohesive.
Chanderosity intensifies. Posh buggers from Leeds tremble.
Trembling!
So you should be pleased with progress! Your videos are an inspiration and you articulate your thought process so clearly, i just need to have a play around in Inkscape I think!!
Thank you!
I think a hole would be good, although these typically lead to a courtyard, and I’m not sure that you’ve got enough depth - it would just be a cut through to the back of the row of shops and the railway beyond.
Indeed - this is puzzling me too. I am tempted to move the hole down the hill where I have more depth and model maybe some outbuildings that may once have been workshops, or stables. This would make it a bit more believable although it's a short street so they still could have just gone round the back. I'll see what the 3D mock-ups look like, and give it some more thought.
Great stuff, in particular I found the matching of the real street and the space for Station Road interesting, and several moments made me laugh out loud, such as the shop with ‘Bar’ left from before and the project coming to just over two pence! Agree on alleyways between buildings, most towns have this sort of thing and it adds a bit of mystery to it all. Excellent stuff. Thanks for sharing and have a good week!
Thank you! I also loved the "Bar". So funny. Alleyway concept has been dropped sadly but when you see tomorrow's video, I hope you will agree that the street is going to look great!
Alleys and ginnels are great. Hiding all sorts of interesting stuff in them, for the eye to explore!
Very exciting aren't they!?
Enjoyed the street comparisons. You have so many examples to choose from. You really do need one of those mysterious dark passages though. Looking forward to see your choices. Arthur
Thanks Arthur. Sadly I dropped the idea of the mysterious passage, but it may come back, you know I like to chop and change!
Station Road has so much potential.
Dropping a property would open up a few other options for sure.
There was a black and pink fronted shop at 3:19 that might fit the run down nature of Chandwell, but not sure if you would get demonitised!!!!!
Good luck with whichever way you go with it.
Hahah! This is a family show! :)
You are a true artist, Michael! It may be 3D, but the modeling is like an art gallery painting: beautiful, tells a story, and demonstrates creative expression. I can't get to the UK as conveniently as someone like yourself who already lives there, but even for you it is more convenient to use Google Maps! I began using it in the same way a few years ago, and it is absolutely a modellers dream to visit a location anywhere that has been recorded by the Google camera car, and visit at one's convenience at any time. I've also used the aerial footage if I need a footprint on a specific building. So many buildings might appear to be rectangular, but many can be trapezoidal, etc. And you can also get fine details from all angles, like drainpipes, vents, or a "look" of how dirt has accumulated on brick. The ability to get references on a project is just a modeller's dream! We live in the best age of modelling yet with tools and techniquess. For this reason, I am very grateful! Hobbies are very healthy for the mind and body! Thanks as always!
We are so lucky to have this tool. I agree 100%
Hey Michael,
New idea to fiddle around with... make the buildings interchangeable, so you can change the order up and down station road based on your mood or photo opportunity. You could even have multiple style tucked away on the shelf. Who knows what king of progressive story line you could come up with.
As always,
Just a thought,
Don
That's an interesting idea, Don! Not sure I can contemplate that as well as everything else, but I'll ponder it over the next few weeks! The way we could weave a story into it is quite compelling!
The stories when buildings change over time... Well, the day when you run out of space will be a gating factor. Unless the layout space gets larger. the only way I know to produce more space is with mirrors (Ha!) @@Chandwell
You were at uni in Sheffield? So was I! 😊 I even went to a few very good parties in a flat in the Meersbrook building, two mates of mine lived there before they moved to Glasgow. Now I've got a mental image of some of the run-down frontages from Hillsborough making their way into Chandwell.
Re the 'about 5 metres' widths, there was a live Time Team many years ago in York, I remember a segment with Sandi Toksvig talking with Stuart Ainsworth where Stuart said the frontages were roughly 16 ft / 5 m wide as that was the standard surveyor's rod used by the Vikings. Could be an echo of Jorvik-era land surveying 😊
Ah that's interesting - thank you for the info. Yeah, I was at Hallam (not the "Real university", as I was often told! 😊😊) but I loved every minute of my time in Sheffield (1994-1999).
id like an untouched complete row of stone buildings without a 1960s building within, great work.
So far, that's what you will be getting, but who knows... :)
We in Oz sometimes feel left out - that our towns and cities offer little in streetscape archeology, but the truth is many were built at the same time as your inspirations in Yorkshire 0 the late 17 and 1800s. Watching your streetscape views reminds me of little bits of Adelaide, Melbourne and what's left of Sydney and Brisbane. I no longer despair should my next layout be urban 1960s.
Adelaide, my home, such a unique place (more so 20 years ago) when we have a split of 1960s modernist buildings and lovely stone and brick in the cbd. the colour palette seen is just like a painting.
Super! I know nothing about Australian architecture; I always imagine it to be shiny, new, and impressive for some reason.
The shiny new bits will be gone in thirty years to be replaced by more shiny new bits because they leak, rust and suffer concrete cancer, but the original stone buildings put up by Adelaide's settlers will remain.@@Chandwell
👍👍Looks as though it will quite fitting to your layout! Will be very interesting to watch it come to life. You do an impressive amount of research, your back stories are great! 🚂🚂
Thanks 👍
Great video as always. Very excited to see Chesterfield Road making an appearance, it's just round the corner from me. Why am I so intrigued by the mysterious alley? I shouldn't be so seduced by such sinister snickets.
Hahah it's great isn't it!? I'll only include one if I can conceive of a reason for it being there. As Jonathan said in another comment, they usually lead somewhere rather than just the back of the street.
Love the idea of the alley. Maybe it could have been access to stables behind the buildings at one point, like for a brewery or such. Still possibly retaining its cobbles under the arch.. or cobbles showing through badly maintained tarmac. Beamish Museum in the North East could provide inspiration for the buildings history with its 1900 town and their Livery & Bait Stables. Then your usual magic to bring it forward 80/90 years into its dark and neglected future.
Good calls. I love Beamish. One of my favourite places. I've dropped the idea of the alley now, but hopefully when you see my full drawing of the street in tomorrow's video you will think I am on the right lines.
The fox is just around the corner from my office, over the canal. I work mostly from home now but it used to be leave the office, cross the canal, trip through the fox, and then off to the station.
The best route to the station is through the Fox! :) I was there on Monday evening for a couple. Love it.
Some brilliant architectural inspiration can be found in our northern Mill towns. I think you're pitching it just right for Chadwell atb Andy
Very true! Thanks Andy!
Sharing your sources of inspiration is one of the things that set your videos apart. Well done. Yes the Rules of Art (or Theater Scenery Design, or whatever) say that the foreground items should be shorter than those behind them, but they are not hard and fast rules. Stick with your vision unless it doesn't work at some point. Cheers from Wisconsin!
Yes! Thank you!
A great insight into your inspiration. I can't wait to see what dodgy goings on happen in that mysterious passage.
Keep on giving us awesome content mate.
Thank you! I've sadly dropped the idea of the passage, but it may come back. You know what I am like!
You definitely need one more passage, to mimick the one on the hotel at the back of the layout.
Well remembered about that one!
I don’t think you are building a model railway layout as much as a townscape with a railway line running through it. Thus, giving the town an added dimension. As I’ve said before adding people will enhance the scene. Maybe later adding sound will add to the atmosphere. 👍
The atmosphere of the town is my main focus. And I am loving every minute of it! :)
J.W. Laycock is hackig up dead bodies in that alley way. He's a direct descendant of J.T. Ripper. I like the taller shops, the weathered stone is a dekight. N gauge satelite dishes? Graffiti for J.T. Rippr's alley? Something macarbre would be great!
Hahah gosh, that would take Chandwell in a new direction!
Hi Michael! Always love seeing where you get your inspiration for buildings from! It's quite remarkable how accurately you've been able to model all of them to make them instantly recognisable when you see the real thing! Can't wait to see what you do with the dark alley, and see (or not see) what lies beyond! All the best, Ian.
Thank you very much! I decided to drop the alley idea in the end, sadly. But hopefully you will like where I've ended up going when you see tomorrow's video.
@@Chandwell- I'm sure I will Michael! :)
Hi Michael, really looking forward to seeing what comes next. I have started to look at the buildings around where I live and work for inspiration and ideas. Chandwell is looking run down, which is great. Keep up the great work.
Allan
Thanks Allan. Before I started Chandwell, I never used to look at buildings. Now I do, I have discovered so much that is around us that we never really see.
There is an old cinema near where I live that's now or should I say was an M&Co. A great building that might make it onto the layout in the future. There is so many ideas right on our doorstep.
@@hayridgemodelrail4046 there really are. It’s wonderful.
As always over the video Michael. It's also good to see you fronting the camera as you talk about your plans. In the real world there is no one point to look at a railway. There are no sides.. So having the buildings tall at the front shouldn't make a difference.. it is what you would find in everyday life... Personally I think it's going to look great, especially when eye level is down at track height. Craig
Thanks Craig! Yeah, for this series I have decided to show my face a bit more often.
2:44 RumbleTums has got to go into station road ;-)
Great idea! It's on the list!
Michael Great informative video as ever. Like all that inspirational prototype streets, using the Ilkley buildings as the basis but with detail feature from all the other streets you have shown will give that rundown Chandwell feel. The Sowerby Bridge cafe bar is brilliant that just says please model me, as it the sort of thing people might suggests isn’t prototypical. Yes I’m with other posters that the alley way section might be better in the lower row of buildings, as if it went into the brewery or pub yard. Also where you have the alleyway in the upper row might be the best for the gap with a demolished building & a overgrown cellar. On Station Rd the gap could be a boarded section covered in graffiti and circus poster. Could one of the upper row building be the empty carpet shop with circus posters. What ever you choose will be great as ever these are only possible suggestions from the real world. Liking forward to the 3D mock up. Ian
I definitely need an empty shop with circus posters Ian!
mysterious alleyway 👻
👻👻
I think I may be one of those advocating a 'hole' in your streetscape - not just a ginnel (which I also think would be great) but a whole missing tooth of a non-building which has fallen down. There was a lot of that in the time period you are going for. Then you can have fun with massive wooden buttressing they used to use to stop the next one in the terrace falling down, but best of all you can mess about with all the different wallpaper / fireplaces etc left on what used to be the party wall but which is now exposed to fresh air. I wonder if your sources of 'texture' can come up with various 70s wallpaper schemes?!
That is definitely on my ideas list. It's not in the design (yet), but who knows how I will feel when it comes time to make the upper part of the street. I do have some ideas in mind, so may still go in that direction.
It is official as of October issue of Railway Modeller you are now the 21st Century Allan Downes. Well done on the article really great to see and read. Now, let's watch this video.
Thanks for the sentiment, but I think I have a long way to go before I can be compared to the great Allan Downes! :) Hope you enjoy the video!
Great video as always Michael. Really interesting to see you get your inspiration. Looking forward to seeing the progress on Station Road. Thanks for sharing. Roy.
Thank you Roy! Always a pleasure.
Looking forward to next steps...The upper area nearer the station seems a little lass than the standards achieved to date, The mysterious alley is very interesting and the sigh over the bar sounds fun but I think the repeat of more than three of the same with only storefront changes might make the street a little dull by comparison with the glory of the rest of Chandwell
The drawings are a long was from complete in this video, and are just to block out general shapes. I hope that we will see that the standards are similar up at the top of the hill as well as down it! Watch out tomorrow for a step forward in detail and let me know what you think when you see the street in a more cohesive state.
Lovely video once again. You need a Chandwell poster for that green breeze block space behind you, at least while you film 😅
YES! I do. Good shout. I wonder if I can get one proportioned correctly and just pop it on in the video editor. Could have a different one every episode that way!
@@Chandwell The problem is if the camera moves from week to week. A slight angle can ruin the effect. Although blender has 3d tracking which is really cool, I don't think it's scriptable; which is how I would do it. Or just have a TV on the wall I suppose and do it in-camera.
@@doctormo yeah I’d not try to do anything clever. I’d have to make it anew each week. Or maybe I could just print one and get it framed!
I find myself in a 'down' moment so I'm catching up whilst the engineers install the new screens in a well known chicken restaurant chain of Portuguese origin. If you want a converted cinema check the Cash Converters in Black heath, West Mids. It has the turn of the century style of architecture. . . .
Thank you Stu. Always a pleasure when you check in a few weeks behind and then catch up.
Hi Michael, do you really have a north german bakery in your town, the "Moin Moin Bäckerei"? I love these nice frontages and the way you make your models.
Yes we do! It's been there for years, but I never realised it was a German concept.
It was great to go back and rewatch Creating A Sense Of Place for the reminder of the philosophy that guides your decisions. I still think that some varied height would make this next stage better, and a 1960s two-storey monstrosity occupying 2 or more of the 10 units is one good way to accomplish this. I assume a rebuild in progress is out of character for a Thatcher-decimated dystopian Chandwell, but the aftermath of a fire is a faithful way to sidestep this constraint. But enough of my ideas. I trust that your vision will be great.
So far I have designed the properties based on Ilkley without any variation. I'm still on the fence regarding a hole, or a shorter building, but as you know, I change my mind often and we are four months or so away from me being in the right part of the hill to make that decision. Keep prodding me, you never know!
Randomly my FB feed just shared an article about Dewsbury Post Office. Seems to be the sort of building that would look right at home in Chandwell
Oh yeah, that's a beautiful building.
Here's an idea for your Mystery Alley why don't you put a seedy massage parlour there, just in keeping with Chandwell
Hahah - this is a family show! :)
Suggested name for the alleyway company: “Shadrack & Duxbury Ltd.”
Brilliant!
There has to be a place for Dumpling City in Chandwell!
The buildings, imo, are only tall when you're at ground level. When you're filming it's easy to drone/helicopter over the top of them. More power to your elbow and looking forward to the next origami episode
You're right, Davie. I have no issues with the tall buildings along the front. I can't wait to see what they may look like in more of a 3D shape!
I find that I spend a lot of time on my model buildings frontages. one of my resources was a website of London shopfronts , lots of small cafe's and take aways etc. What I came here to say was that the roofs of the buildings should have more detail than we normally think of because we , (as Giants) are always looking down at our layouts.
This is fascinating. My first thought is how many of us walk down a street looking at architecture over shops? My second thought is what exactly are you building and why? I try to capture what is there and as such my exhibition layout has very few buildings because I am trying to capture the open country feel of a real location and my leaning is towards rolling stock. In your case it is obvious Michael that your main interest is the same, but with heavy emphasis on the structures.
Both of us in different ways are trying to achieve the same goal...creating a model railway which looks as realistic as possible. If that means placing buildings in the viewers line of sight then so be it. Sorry, wasn't meant to be this long. Cheers, Bob
Wise words and very well observed. Where do you exhibition?
Can you do One video how you take the building mesures ?
This one is quite close: ruclips.net/video/XBYcll_R66Q/видео.html
Do you have any formal background/training in any arts? Because you are really good at your models, and I mean REALLY good. It's the kind of good that I can imagine doing, but between my brain and my hands the signal gets lost.
I've known Mike for years and although he has a science background he is one of the most creative people I know. I'm quite envious of the way he manages to be good at both arts and science. He's probably too modest to tell you this himself.
Thanks Simon!
Thank you - that is very kind of you to say. No, I have no training in any kind of art. I am an IT geek through-and-through and have spent my entire life writing/configuring/managing the software development lifecycle.
Can you build scaffolding in N gauge... I mean a scaffold covered building would really be Chandwell
That's a good idea!
WOW! I found that scene of Bradford so depressing, with the ugly style of architecture and the metal “roll up” doors protecting the shop windows. So sad to see a city built like this. I do like your final choice of a street scene, Michael. Thank you for the educational videos. Blocking the view of the trains might be an issue?
That was a very depressing street, but thankfully not reflective of Bradford as a whole. The city centre has some of the best architecture around. The view of the trains won't be blocked. If you get chance, take a look at the video I mention right at the end, where I discuss that and show examples.
@Chandwell Oh, I am relieved about the other parts of Bradford having pleasing architecture. And I will watch your recommended video. Cheers from Canada.
Any chance of building Viewers,' Café so we can pop in for a cuppa after we've had a mooch around?
Yeah - great idea!
Noooo, keep 'em tall - it's real
Yeah!
Stagger the buildings of differing heights would make the scene more interesting. 🏦🏠🏬🏡⛪🏤🏡🏪
Yeah, it would, but I want to reflect an actual prototype in this instance, and the buildings in Ilkley are all of a similar height. The large tower from the Shipley brewery will be there to stick out like a sore thumb, so that will look good.