Conway Street bus depot

Left: The eastern garage viewed from the Conway Street (southern) side. A broken down-pipe has caused the growth of moss and brick dis-colouration. The corporate image of the National Bus Company is displayed. Note the sign portrays the new `nationalised` image in stark contrast to the classic lines of the garage building design.

The criteria 

1. The maximum dimensions available for the diorama is 3` 2" x 2`6".

2. The design to be built so as to be transportable with a view to being possibly exhibited.

3. The design to incorporate a built-in storage area for the model buses and their boxes.

4. A represatational rather than prototypical diorama to be built to keep things simple and straightforward.

5. A six-month time period to be alloted in which to build the diorama.

6.Costs to be kept to a minimum.

The model and its construction

The whole diorama was in fact a first attempt at model diorama building and as such was to act as a `learning curve` for any future projects. The baseboard is 9mm plywood covered with card from an opened-out shoe box. Upon this were built two Metcalfe bus garage card kits which were suitably customised, the office block in particular.

  The first task was to make up the garage wall sections which were done as per kit instructions. However, the kit provides so that the roof apex is biased on the diorama north-south axis. For the

Viewed from above, with roof removed, the interior of the western garage. Note the roof frames; a 50% reduction is necessary for full-size hands to position the model buses.

A conductor stops an open-top Bristol FS Lodekka at the eastern garage exit observed by a women and her children.

The view that inspired the whole diorama. Various former BH&D Lodekkas, all in Southdown or N.B.C. livery, parked inside the real Conway Street bus depot, May 1974.