MRTV CANAL BLOG
With the construction of a canal on the ‘Modular Layout’ featuring heavily in the next few films from MRTV, I’ve put together for you some of the pictures I took recently as a reference source for planning and making this feature on the model.
The Modular Layout is the vehicle I’m using to demonstrate techniques and approaches that a newcomer to the hobby will find useful.
This model railway is not a representation of any specific location - it includes features from all sorts of places round the country that I find attractive, modified as necessary at the modelling stage to, hopefully, eliminate inconsistencies such as Autumnal foliage at one end of the layout with Springtime at the other.
Whether you choose to make a railway this way or based closely on a particular place - do what will please you. The opinion of others as to your choice will depend much more on your approach to technique and the realism you achieve with your modelling.
Remember one thing when making this choice. To truly replicate a specific location can take up a lot of space. Try to select the features, buildings, landscape etc. which define the location and will make it instantly recognisable then model these in as much detail as you can.
The following pictures were taken on the Grand Union Canal, just south of Hanwell. The first three are detail shots of gear operating the 'paddles' in the lockgate to release water from the lock chamber into the pound between locks.
Looking downhill on the flight of locks leading from Hanwell to the Thames at Brentford
Narrowboat travelling down from Stoke Bruerne, Northants.
Lockgate detail.
Turbulance as water transfers from lock into pound.
Lockgate detail.
Looking uphill across pound towards lock. A figure in shot helps to judge scale when replicating as a model.
Detail of lock cill.
Weight of water in lock chamber holds gates to a watertight fit.
Moving from lock to pound.
Locks on Grand Union Canal will take two 70ft narrowboats, beam just under 7ft.
Another cill.
Narrowboat and lock keepers cottage.
Paddle gear detail.
Canal water is not always murky and dirty!
The next series of pictures below were taken on the Wey and Arun canal near Loxwood in Sussex.
Restored lock.
Restored lock chamber.
Rebuilt bridge.
All that remains of Gennets Bridge Lock.
Lock detail.
Lock in course of complete reconstruction.
No dark satanic mills here but still a canal.
The remaining pictures are on the Thames at Richmond.
View of Richmond Bridge from downstream.
Detail of bridge bearing, Chertsey Road bridge at Richmond.
Detail of exotic brickwork - railway bridge overThames at Richmond.
Reading to Waterloo train approaching Richmond.
Waterloo, Weybridge and Windsor train crossing the river at Richmond.
Underneath the arches.
Thames lock at St. Margaret's sized for larger vessels and pleasure steamers.
Over Richmond on final approach to Heathrow.
these are wonderful and informative pictures. i wonder if model lockgates in oo scale can be bought someplace? the old hands are not as subtle as they once were so making small items is getting beyond mea bit. any advice would be welcome. thanks, shaun
Posted by: shaun linton | 09/02/2011 at 07:35 PM
Thanks for the resources - My father is thinking of building a canal. He started his 'dream' setup ages ago with some cash he raised from an equity release scheme, and the its completion still isn't in sight!
Posted by: Sharon | 09/26/2011 at 11:23 PM