Studio Scale Time Lord Space Station (Doctor Who 1986)

[PB Props]

Fellow model makers, I could really do with the help of your collective hive mind on a project that I've been researching for a while, if you'd be so kind.

The model in question is this, a space station built in 1986 for Doctor Who. I think it's a lovely model, but unfortunately the original was badly damaged in a fire and I'd like to try and recreate it, but I'm stuck on the vast amount of kit parts that adorn this piece.

It's very early days on this project, but obviously you have to start somewhere - and part ID seemed to be the obvious place.

I can see there are elements of the MPC At-At kit dotted around it, various Plastruct elements and I'm aware that there are also Gundam pieces (which I know nothing about) but that's pretty much as far as I got for this side of the potential project.

I'll attach some images and with luck, some of you may recognise parts.

I know this is going to take a long time and will probably be no doubt very expensive, so some certain amount artistic license may have to be taken, but it can't hurt to do as much research as possible now, just so that I can start to plan what course of action should be taken with this.

Anyway, if you can spot anything here, please feel free to educate me.

Thanks!

 

[joberg]

Wow...talking about "Nernies/Greeblies/Widgets Central" I'm not too familiar with kit parts as other fellows here, but you'll have all my admiration for tackling this space station
Seems to me that some of the antennas are brass etchings, some plastic girders (cranes, bridges...maybe from model train sets).
The paneling is insane, but you could draw the panels with various techniques: pencil, airbrushing, etc...
I'm afraid that some parts will have to be scratch-build and then molded to have repetitive ways of placing them onto the model. Don't forget that your hardware store might have a lot of pieces you could use on the model.
Good luck...you'll need it

 

[PB Props]

Wow...talking about "Nernies/Greeblies/Widgets Central" I'm not too familiar with kit parts as other fellows here, but you'll have all my admiration for tackling this space station
Seems to me that some of the antennas are brass etchings, some plastic girders (cranes, bridges...maybe from model train sets).
The paneling is insane, but you could draw the panels with various techniques: pencil, airbrushing, etc...
I'm afraid that some parts will have to be scratch-build and then molded to have repetitive ways of placing them onto the model. Don't forget that your hardware store might have a lot of pieces you could use on the model.
Good luck...you'll need it

Yeah Joberg, there's a lot of work to be done here which is why I was hoping that those of us who are familiar with kit parts may be able to cast their eye across it too to see if they can spot something. I've nailed down some and you're right, there appears to be a lot of brass etchings, the train kit elements look like they come from Dapol and Airfix and I'm also sure there may be war ship and submarine parts in it too.

I can see vintage toy parts, a few plumbing bits, as well as a bunch of other stuff, though to me it just looks like the BBC Effects department threw the contents of a model and hobby shop at it. As such, I know that I'll be fabricating sections and moulding / casting them to add on. With something of this scale and complexity, I really feel that I may have to go for "close enough" so long as the right shapes are of the correct proportions and are in the right place. What I don't want to do is spend the next 20 years searching for parts and throwing thousands of pounds at it. At the end of the day, I'd like to see it made in a timely fashion.

Here's hoping. And thanks for the wishes of luck - because, as you say, I am going to need it!

 

[swhite228]

Just a quick look and I think some of the spheres are from the Revel 1/34 Gemini kit, the round "lid" parts look like the top from a Caddy-Matic which is a British device that hung on the wall and delivered a measured amount of tea at the press of a button. There are several models but it resembles the taller unit (which was also used for pats on the Space 1999 large Hawk model).

 

[PB Props]

Just a quick look and I think some of the spheres are from the Revel 1/34 Gemini kit, the round "lid" parts look like the top from a Caddy-Matic which is a British device that hung on the wall and delivered a measured amount of tea at the press of a button. There are several models but it resembles the taller unit (which was also used for pats on the Space 1999 large Hawk model).

I do see where you're coming from with the Caddymatic, but here they are dished heads from EMA / Plastruct sat atop an acrylic ring, but I do think you're on to something with the Gemini kits - I'm sure various space related models have been used here, but I'm not too familiar with what was / is available.

To make it easier for folks to pin stuff down, I'm particularly interested in the kit detail add ons, rather than the main structure elements, so for example, the main spire is constructed from ABS or PVC plumbing tubing from a DIY store (rather than architectural tubing) and the buttresses coming off that is yet more EMA / Plastruct parts, but it's the stuff stuck to these that interest me. I can see brass etchings, what looks like missiles from something (and so forth) stuck to those parts. Then there's all the other add ons...

This may help folks:

Everything seen in the white cast sections have been taken care of. It's all the finicky plant on bits that I'm keen to try and nail down what they are or what they could be. Maybe I should have included this picture earlier - apologies to all readers and spotters.

Thanks for your reply!

 

[TazMan2000]

MPC/Revell AT-AT neck.

TazMan2000

 

[Pepperbone]

View attachment 1506859

MPC/Revell AT-AT neck.

TazMan2000

....how?......wha?......

 

[TazMan2000]

....how?......wha?......
View attachment 1506920

My mistake, it was AMT/ERTL.

Edit...sorry. I guess that was in white and you already have that.

But the piping that goes up towards the flying buttress type things look like plastruct pipes and valves.

Second edit. I guess I did remember correctly the initial kit was by MPC.

TazMan2000

 

[Pepperbone]

My mistake, it was AMT/ERTL.
View attachment 1506921


Edit...sorry. I guess that was in white and you already have that.

But the piping that goes up towards the flying buttress type things look like plastruct pipes and valves.

TazMan2000

You must've been a Where's Waldo Champion as a kid.

 

[PB Props]

My mistake, it was AMT/ERTL.
View attachment 1506921


Edit...sorry. I guess that was in white and you already have that.

But the piping that goes up towards the flying buttress type things look like plastruct pipes and valves.

TazMan2000

You're right, the At-At necks are on the white cast section, but the legs and the valves are a plant on, these are already on the list. But I'm fairly convinced that the part on that section, just above your yellow circle is possibly from a Gundam kit. I'd love to know what that is.

Here's a picture with some thoughts:

There's so much of it across the model that I'm fairly certain it'll be an uphill struggle, but if I can get as close as possible, I'd be happy.

Thanks!

EDIT: TazMan, out of interest, what are the differences between the MPC At-AT kits (which is what I'd assumed this was) and the AMT, is it scale, detail? I didn't know that there was an AMT version, cheers!

 

[TazMan2000]

You're right, the At-At necks are on the white cast section, but the legs and the valves are a plant on, these are already on the list. But I'm fairly convinced that the part on that section, just above your yellow circle is possibly from a Gundam kit. I'd love to know what that is.

Here's a picture with some thoughts:
View attachment 1506953

There's so much of it across the model that I'm fairly certain it'll be an uphill struggle, but if I can get as close as possible, I'd be happy.

Thanks!

EDIT: TazMan, out of interest, what are the differences between the MPC At-AT kits (which is what I'd assumed this was) and the AMT, is it scale, detail? I didn't know that there was an AMT version, cheers!

Difficult to tell without a ruler or something to reference scale.
Maybe not Gundam but Robotech for the robot 'underwear'.

TazMan2000

 

[TazMan2000]

You must've been a Where's Waldo Champion as a kid.

Still am.

TazMan2000

 

[kh39]

Xabungle kit?

 

[PB Props]

Xabungle kit?View attachment 1507141View attachment 1507142

kh39 - I think you've hit the nail on the head there, thank you so much as I was dreading that particular element as there are four or five of them and they feature in very prominent places. I've never heard of these kits before. Are there other "walker" kits with the same head or is this one the only one? I will look into these - there's one on ebay right now. This little find is rather exciting for me, cheers!

Difficult to tell without a ruler or something to reference scale.
Maybe not Gundam but Robotech for the robot 'underwear'.

TazMan2000

Underwear. That was my first thought as to what it looked like... I'll check out Robotech too, thanks!

 

[PB Props]

Greatest of thanks to kh39 for IDing the Xabungle kit, I've gone off and looked at pictures of an unmade version and it does appear to be correct, it even has several other key parts that feature elsewhere on the studio model. There appears to be two versions, a 1:100 scale and a 1:144 scale. My gut feeling is that it's the latter - I'll take a punt and purchase it, but at that price, I'll have to mould it and make duplicates in resin.

 

[kh39]

You're welcome! One of the "NO IDEA" parts looks an old 1/100 Gundam's waist part.

 

[PB Props]

You're welcome! One of the "NO IDEA" parts looks an old 1/100 Gundam's waist part.View attachment 1507260

That's the current thought about that bit and the upper torso section looks similar to the other bit that I boxed out too, not identical, but similar. Gundam (and now Xabungle) are kit lines that I'm going to have to learn more about.

 

[joberg]

They really raided the kit stock room on that one mate

 

[ajamodels]

Great space station design. looks like it should be in 'Red Dwarf'.
I think most of the parts are O, HO gauge building and scenery stuff.
Lionel, Vollmer, Kibri...etc.etc.

 

[PB Props]

Great space station design. looks like it should be in 'Red Dwarf'.
I think most of the parts are O, HO gauge building and scenery stuff.
Lionel, Vollmer, Kibri...etc.etc.

It is a lovely design and I guess the colour makes it look a bit like it could sit well in Red Dwarf. Most of the makers went on to work on that too when it came along.

As for the O and HO stuff, I'm in agreement with you there. I have a buddy who's into that, so I'll be shoving the pictures in his direction to see if he can spot anything.

They really raided the kit stock room on that one mate

Ah, tell me about it. kh39 will never truly appreciate how grateful I am for his spot of that singular kit. It features prominently in several places and I've been trying to fathom it out for years, now I know... I'm on a real high because of it. I was dreading having to scratch build that (not because I couldn't - I could) but because it's one of those pieces that really stand out (to me at least) on the station and it would have had to be perfect in every way. Now it will be!