Non-Railway Modeller Needs More Help Please

Very nice compositions and scratch building.

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Very clever idea for the inside :+1:

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Hey, painting the advert doesn’t mean that you have to consume them!
There surely are instructions to be found on how to create them…

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Thanks for the positive feedback chaps, always appreciated, :+1: :slightly_smiling_face:.

G, :beer:

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Finished my Anderson shelter innards, it’s a tad rough build and paint-wise, but will hardly be visible once the front corrugating is added, but hopefully it’s better than an empty shell, :roll_eyes:.

Cheers, :beer:,

G

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Sounds like a plan; go for it! You’re right about it needing a lot of forethought, but you might as well dream big…

Cheers,

M

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I’m a little concerned about the location of the Anderson Shelter, not just because it’s a pity to obscure that lovely brickwork… You may have information to the contrary, but Anderson Shelters were issued to individual families who had gardens as they were designed to be partly subterranean (built in a 3-foot+ deep trench). In built-up areas such as you are depicting an alternative was the indoor Morrison shelter. This site may be of use:
Anderson Shelters – All about Britain’s WW2 Anderson Shelters
Oddly enough, in the “Other Shelters” section there is mention of a Wilmot Shelter in Berwick-upon-Tweed in the garden of one Lindsay Allason-Jones, a lady who often crops up on programmes about Hadrian’s Wall and with whom I am slightly acquainted.

Regards,

M

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Thanks for your kind words regarding brickwork and your input regarding Anderson shelters, :+1: :slightly_smiling_face:. I agree with you in general about Anderson shelters primarily being domestic and partially buried, however I did find the following image when searching for information on ARP shelters/posts…

I’m no expert, but it looks to me like an unburied Anderson shelter.

Having said that, I’m still in two minds as to whether I’m going to use my representation of an Anderson shelter as I think it might be too much clutter, :thinking: :roll_eyes:…I’ll finish it off and then decide.

If anyone has an opinion either way regarding ‘use it, or lose it’ please feel free to comment, :slightly_smiling_face:.

I’d not heard of the Wilmot shelter, they sound eminently more robust than the humble Anderson, :slightly_smiling_face:.

Cheers, :beer:.

G

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My vote is lose the shelter and keep the space a little more open.

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Maybe this helps with the advertisement:

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I agree. Having had a bit more of a look-around, there are other pictures of wartime use of Anderson Shelters as surface structures. All are surrounded by some sort of revetment (usually a couple of layers of sandbags) as this would be needed to stop the sides from splaying as there is nothing to tie them together at the bottom, particularly if a layer of covering material was placed over the top. The easy availability of the components must have seen them used in many ways other than those for which they were designed. Post-war those which were not reclaimed by the government for recycling or left in situ were dug-up and re-purposed; these would need only a few inches at the bottom of the walls to be sunk into firm ground to be free-standing, as the galvanised corrugated iron from which the components were formed was about three times as thick as that produced nowadays.

Cheers,

M

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It comes down to what your intentions are – is this a static deserted scene (nothing wrong with that btw), or will it have some kind of narrative either hinted at with inanimate objects or with some human presence?

We don’t know what other secret components you may have in mind, but without something like the shelter the scene is fairly anonymous so far - could be any time any place. Provided it’s adequately identified as such with period signs (to prevent younger players assuming it’s a tool shed) the shelter does fix the scene as WW2 era.

On the other hand, it does look slightly cluttered. So there’s a decisive opinion for you :roll_eyes:

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Your feedback and useful links are much appreciated chaps. It’s always good to get the views of others as sometimes it’s too easy for one to get pulled down a dead end path, and end up spending too much time on a wasted project, thank you, :+1: :slightly_smiling_face:.

G, :beer:.

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Hi all,

After the previous helpful feedback I’ve decided to shelve the Anderson shelter as I think it did end up looking a tad incongruous, though I still didn’t like the look of the area as featureless sloping ground,:thinking: :face_exhaling:.

I therefore decided to go for a compromise, :roll_eyes:, as the road/pavement slope slightly down to the bridge I’ve added in a small brick retaining wall so that the ground remains level.

I’ve added steps at the shallower end (these need to be carved/shaped properly once the DAS has dried). I’m thinking that I’ll add the stubby remains of iron railings (cut away for the war effort) and maybe a bench, just to add some interest.

I’ve also added a cut out an area for a partially buried German bomb. The hole is probably too deep as it stands, so I’ll probably end up with it shallower.

Cheers, :beer:,

G.

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That new section looks nice and can still see that lovely weathering on the retaining wall and the water marks from the drain pipes. All in all, although the Anderson shelter was a novel idea, you have probably made the right call leaving it off this one. Btw, I am off on a tour of Drakes Island in Plymouth Sound tomorrow afternoon !!

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The Anderson shelter is an interesting little piece and well done; but perhaps for another setting. Lose it.

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Thanks to John and Matt, you’ve both helped reinforce the decision to drop the Anderson shelter, :slightly_smiling_face: :+1:.

I’m envious John, have always wanted to see what’s there, I recall reading something that said it was used to hold French Napoleonic prisoners of war, and that the dungeons sometimes flooded at high tides…must have been dire, :unamused:.

G, :beer:.

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Hi all,

Reduced the depth of the ‘bomb crater’, added some ‘water’ and a pipe. Once it’s dry I’ll add pouring water.

Cheers, :beer:,

G

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Very nice mate … is that your usual still water technique for the pooled water ??

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Looking good,
Suggestion for ad: Daddy’s Brown Sauce. Though it doesn’t sound very appetizing. Or was it Dad’s? You guys seem to have both. I just remember liking it. Something to give those bangers a kick.

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