Catacombs Model GalleryMoonbase Alpha
Catacombs Model GalleryThese photos were taken in 2012, thanks to James Winch.
The buildings are made of block board covered in polystyrene sheet, decorated with polystyrene panels and Sasco Wall Planner vinyl stickers. There are also model kit parts (mostly the Revell Gemini kit) and even a couple of Gillette disposable razors.
The buildings are marked underneath by red numbers, indicating their position. The Main Mission tower in the centre is building 0, and the numbers increment generally from the inside out in a clockwise direction. The numbers did wind in and out: building 1 is alongside buildings 21 and 20 in the anti-clockwise direction. Oddly, two buildings are marked "11". In all there are 25 buildings, excluding travel tubes, launch pads and other small terminal buildings.
The buildings are shown in their approximate original layout, as of 2012. Two of the surviving travel tubes are pictured. Some panels and kit parts are fallen off, revealing the wood beneath. Many of the buildings are spotted with mildew, although a couple have been cleaned. The model is undergoing cleaning and restoration.
Photos from Alpha: 2014 convention, September 2014
The "cross" of the central tower is asymmetric, with one longer side at an angle to the others.
Contents copyright Martin Willey