Modellings tips and answers - Modelling urban scenes - Videos

This week in history

On Thursday 7th November 2019, a Chinese freight train runs east to west through the Marmaray tunnel under the Bosphorus, thus becoming the first Chinese freight train to run directly to Europe.  The Marmaray tunnel was opened in 2013 and as such directly links the continents of Europe and Asia.  With rail traffic able to route via the tunnel, China can now  be directly linked to Europe by rail, with most freight journeys taking approximately 12 days.

The inclusion of cameo and figure sets into a layout is a highly effective method of bringing life to a scene.  They can be used across a wide variety of environments to add those realistic, day-to-day touches that helps to develop a visual tableau that a casual observer can immerse themselves in.  A few figure or cameo sets can help the modeller develop a series of inter-connected vignettes, each with its own story that helps develop the overall theme of the layout.  Often, the most effective vignettes are those that depict everyday mundane activities that we can all understand and relate to.  Let's look at a range of everyday figure and cameo sets that could easily be utilised to help add interest to an urban scene.

Travelling by train in an urban environment can provide a unique window and insight into the everyday lives of a town's inhabitants.  Most houses front onto a road, so conversely, many train routes overlook the rear aspect of those same houses.  The passenger window of a suburban train offers a unique perspective on the landscape.  It is great to sit back and watch the ebb and flow of Town life from a comfy seat and watch as gardeners lovingly tend to plants and flowers whilst enjoying the fresh air.  Each garden has its own unique identity, some simple in outlook, whilst others apply deft touches such as flower bikes  to establish their own distinctive flavour.  Municipal areas such as the town park are also tended to with care, as evidenced by the teams involved in grass trimming  down by the benches under the poplars.

Elsewhere in the park, couples walk down by the river whilst children play nearby, squeezing as much fun as they can out of the half-term break.  The park is a popular location for both young and old alike.  With its wide open spaces, it is a great place to come and enjoy some fresh air and a slower pace of life.  Some enterprising traders have also taken the opportunity to visit and have set up an impromptu selection of stalls to tempt the hungry palates of passers-by.  The distinctive aroma emanating from the Bratwurst BBQ stand  has attracted the attentions of a number of hungry citizens.  Not to be outdone, the  Piaggio Ape mobile pizza baker is also in attendance, aiming to interest hungry bystanders.  For those with a more sweet tooth, the  Piaggio Ape, soft ice cream  vendor is also on hand.

Whilst the park maybe busy, other areas of town are also equally active and host to some interesting and diverse activities.  The goods yard beyond the park is shortly due to undergo some refurbishment work.  In order to prepare the groundwork for the new development, a team of surveyors are conducting an initial inspection of the proposed works site.  Intriguingly, another group of specialists are also at work in the goods yard.  Following an attempted break-in at one of the warehouses, a crime scene investigation team are busily combing the area for evidence.  Meanwhile, back at the main yard office more mundane matter are the order of the day as a team of carpet fitters  have arrived to lay a new carpet in the main office.

Beyond the good's yard the roads and pavements are busy with the comings and goings of shoppers and pedestrians attending to their everyday concerns.  This time of year seems to be a popular seasons for municipal repairs and maintenance.  The presence of building site accessories  on an approach road to the station indicates that the pothole repair party are busy at work.  Similarly, a group of bricklayers with scaffold are busy conducting some repairs to the outside of one of the station buildings.  Our destination is near at hand as our train finally pulls into the station, slowly passing waiting passengers, some singly and some in small groups.  Others are visiting the station  Newsstand to grab a paper to read on the journey home after another busy day in the office.

Urban scenes are busy environments with lots going on and plenty of visual impact to keep the casual observer engrossed.  A particular environment can act as an interesting visual stage.  With the addition of appropriate figure and cameo sets these individual stages then come to life, each with its own unique tableau telling a particular story of urban life and adding another rich and engrossing layer to the overall effect of the layout.  With well known manufacturers such as Busch, Noch, Preisser, Bachman and Woodland Scenics supporting a large and diverse selection of items, the possibilities have never been better.

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