"Slate Quarry:" Concept Drawings

Today I am going to start posting work I am creating for a short stop motion / live-action short film pitch for my Junior Animation Seminar. It's currently called "Slate Quarry." This is something very exciting and personal relating to British Narrow Gauge, from the inspiration I had from Thomas, that I believe you will enjoy. So here is the first post!

I am making models for this short I am just drafting for the future to make as I advance as an animator. The highlighted feature of the Ffestiniog Railway will bee the connection to the Slate mines of Dinorwic. I plan to show how the quarrys and inclines worked, and the journey the slate train makes from the mines to the harbor, where the slate is unloaded and shipped by sea or the river.

I have greatly appreciated your comments and words of encouragement for the past year, and for sharing your enthusiasm about Thomas and Model Railroading on YouTube. Thomas as you all know has been a huge inspiration for me. Often people on YouTube have said how much they look forward to seeing more of my own work. I have taken this very seriously, and for the work my school faculty have remembered me for was my scale modeling. So starting today I am going to share with you the model-making work I am doing for college class.

Let's get started!

This sketch shows the models I plan on making. I am going to model Prince! That is exciting because you know that this draws inspiration from Duke, Stuart, Falcon, and the Mid Sodor Railway, right? Well, this is the locomotive and the first model I've started working on which I will share later, so stay tuned for the coming weeks! There is also a little shunter, a classic Hunslit tank engine often built for British narrow gauge railways and industries.

I plan on modeling quarry wagons as you see here, with a slate load in each made of foam core. Also a guards van, this one based on those cool narrow gauge trains that would be loaded on standard gauge piggy-back wagons!

Then the quarry buildings, with a few open air-sheds I plan on using over and over again on different dioramas for different scenes.There is also the incline winding houses and side buildings, a water tower, lamps, posters, and maybe a station at the harbor quayside.

I've also tried sketching out how I want to make my dioramas, from the buildings to the scenic elements down tot he overgrowth, cargo and other bits and bobs lying next to them, the walls and bridge. These will all be modeled in card braced with balsa, and the stones for the quarry will be modeled with DAS modeling clay and foam core.

Now I know you will enjoy this! This is a blueprint I've made for prince, based on looking at some great photographs of him in the old days of the Ffestiniog railway. This drawing shows the locomotive measured in centimeters. This is the same deal as with the other narrow gauge engines in the past for Skarloey and Rheneas' line: it will be made out of cardstock, running on a Lego chassis, fully weathered, and spoiler alert: I've figured out how to make coupling rods for this engine!

I am really excited about this! I have shared it with my faculty, friends and fellow classmates for this class and they loved it! I believe you will too.

So be on the lookout for updates and progress, this is going to be a fun and exciting animation project!