Tuesday 8 March 2011

Tens of units

One of the things that fascinates me about this hobby is the murky corners to which it takes you. With the bridge more or less complete, my attention turned to t'other end. This quick snap taken today is pretty close to what I want - visualise a couple of bufferstops where the pavement is and you're halfway there.

What I don't want to do if I can help it is to rush out and spend twenty quid (Ha! if I had twenty quid) on a Pikestuff kit. This kit and the Knightwing porta-cabin have become to the modern layout, what the Airfix engine shed was to the layouts of the 70's... rather predictable.

However I do need an industrial unit (and indeed may need a porta-cabin).

Enter the murky waters.

For things that do basically the same thing, i.e. a tin shed with a big roof there's a hell of a lot of variety. And then of course there is period... they tend not to come with build dates on the keystones. Which is a typical design for a mid 1980s build? I dunno. Even in industrial parks where the build is simultaneous they all seem different. Take these two: The UPS on the right has a third more brickwork and long windows, it's neighbour to the immediate, left more extruded section and no windows - not from this view anyway.

What this is giving me is a sad bloke walking around taking photos of big sheds and counting brick courses (Mr. left-hand shed has thirty above an 18" plinth. Yes, yes I know. Welsh layout/plinth...'The plinth of Wales'... already been done). I'm already ahead of this now and photographing bus shelters (you want to see the variety in those!) and porta-cabins. This is a kit-free zone.

1 comment:

  1. Oh dear. There are two of us taking photos of industrial units then. I did the same stood on the station near Aston Villa's football ground - where I had been for a conference not for "the beautiful game". Result is on Melbridge Box Company: http://www.pagenumberone.co.uk/layouts/Boxfile/buildings.htm And you are right about the building kits. These things are simple to build so why not buy the materials and DIY ?

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