Seaside Pier Models

[Chrisonthepier]

I am an Executive Committee member of the UK National Piers Society and the manager of the Society's website. We have been trying to create a list of models of seaside piers in any medium. I only recently came across the world of paper modelers and have been looking to see if anyone has produced a model of a pier, either from the UK or elsewhere. I would be very grateful for any information on this or if there is any possibility of paper models of these iconic structures being made.

[ghshinn]

Check out Fiddler's Green (http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/). In their set on New England buildings there is a pier, available in three downloadable sizes.

Garland

[Miles Linnabery]

Dear Chris:
Also David Hathaway at Paper shipwright in the UK.
Paper Shipwright | Card models from the UK (http://www.papershipwright.co.uk/)
He has some nice peirs.
Hope this helps,
MILES

[Kevin WS]

Chris,

You are things king of the traditional English seaside pier?

I have never come across one.

But David Hathaway may be interested in creating some.try him.

Or else there are many talented people here who may be willing to do something.

Suggest to the scale of 1/250? Match the majority of shop models. Larger piers would have to be smaller scale!

Good luck!

[Chrisonthepier]

Thanks Guys, Yes as Kevin has indicated, I don't think I was clear enough in what we regard as a 'proper' pier. We really mean the large seaside pleasure piers that were mainly built through the 19th century, perhaps the best example of which was Brighton West Pier, now tragically just a wreck. The two examples you indicated wouldn't qualify as they are too small. You can get an idea of what I mean from our website. I can't include the URL here but if you Google for 'piers' you should find it.
Chris

[rickstef]

For those of us in the US,

Think Santa Monica Pier, or Coney Island Pier, or even the Sea Isle City Pier, which was destroyed in Superstorm Sandy

[D-H]

At a scale of 1:250 a pier could fulfil its function as a dock for paddle steamers taking on day trippers on trip to the seaside. Would make a nice diorama.

Making a crowd of Edwardian day trippers in 1:250 would be "fun" too!

D

[Kevin WS]

Here is the link to the site. Have a look - nice stuff there! Maybe someone will be inspired?

Piers - National Piers Society Homepage (http://www.piers.org.uk/)

[Chrisonthepier]

A diorama featuring a paddle steamer would be very good although not many piers still have useable landing stages suitable for vessels of this size.

[looker]

Now I wouldn't want to frighten anyone but at 1:250 a model of Southend-on-Sea pier, which is the longest in the world, would be just over 28' 4" (8.78m) long. :):)

[Chrisonthepier]

Burnham-on-Sea Pier on the other hand would be less than 6" (0.15m) long so it looks likely that the same scale cannot be used for every pier.

[Kevin WS]

Suggest to the scale of 1/250? Match the majority of shop models. Larger piers would have to be smaller scale!


Correct. For the smaller scales (and bigger piers) 1/600 and of course 1/1250 which matches the metal waterline scale models (Hornby etc).

[silveroxide]

I made a scratch built mooring pier for my gondolas here. http://www.papermodelers.com/forum/ships-watercraft/13302-venetian-gondola-5.html I hope that this is adequate for you research.

[Papercaptain]

Well, Chris, there's a commercially available paper model of an east german seaside resort pier in 1/120 (model railway TT) scale at the site of Mitteldeutscher Kartonmodell-Verlag
Index (http://www.mdk-verlag.de) (go to Modelle, then to Architektur, then to Seite 4 (=page four), there it's # 1019, Seebrücke Ahlbeck - on the Baltic Sea) - fairly simple to build.
Kind regards
Papercaptain

[cct]

We have been trying to create a list of models of seaside piers in any medium.
Hi
Any luck so far?
Are you looking for someone to design and make models or just to catalogue a collection of photo`s of models?

would this be for commercial purposes or to set up a collection for a 'museum' of sorts?

Please explain a bit more here.

regards...

[Chrisonthepier]

Thanks Papercaptain. I see the kit and will look into it a bit further.

[Chrisonthepier]

cct - we are exploring the feasibility of creating physical models of piers, particularly those which are now lost. This is for a potential museum project.

[cct]

cct - we are exploring the feasibility of creating physical models of piers, particularly those which are now lost. This is for a potential museum project.


I see, then in this case I think that 'Architectural' model scales would suit the potential models better!

What resources do you have for the lost piers - building plans, photo's, sketches, background history?

and... I think the easiest way to do this would be to design on a small scale and maybe highlight important features in a larger scale to show details, any thoughts on this.

In fact how much detail does need to be shown and do you need to show colour, meaning that can they be made in 1 -6 colours and be of differing materials?




cct

[Chrisonthepier]

cct - The scale will need to vary as the relative sizes of various piers can be very different. The detailed plans for the piers, especially the lost ones, will be a challenge in itself - some of the lost piers became lost before the turn of the century and in some cases there are only one or two known images of them. Colour will be prefereable if at all possible, but we may have to accept that we will never be able to find out what their actual colours were. As you can see, this is quite a daunting task.

[cct]

Certainly a daunting task, if there's not much to go on. This could lead to a lot of guess work and copying and adjusting from other similar piers. In which case it is probably worth keeping the models simple and only representing the known (or close) dimensions and together with quite orthogonal shapes to represent the buildings.

1. Steel work/frame structure.

2. Walkways and fencing/railings etc.

3.Add simple buildings at accurate or appropriate dimensions.

Could be laser cut from MDF, card stock and perspex/acrylic and use varying colored 0.5 - 1.5mm card/paper where needed.
Etching these materials can represent details for brickwork and or steel work (think brick patterns, rivets etc...).

I guess if you keep the models simple and support them with added photo's, documentation etc. this will suffice for the visiting public - yes/no?

[cct]

I`ve sent you a pm.

[Chrisonthepier]

cct - The basic platform structure would be the most straightforward, although very fiddly with all the supporting piles and cross-bracing. But older pier pavilions, which actually form the main area of interest, were very ornate. The question of which one to start with is currently being explored and it will probably be one of the least old, ie. one which was lost in the middle to late 20th century. My favourite would be Margate Jetty.