Introduction

Most urban combat landscapes have all sorts of “street furniture” in them, installed in peacetime. Sewer and storm-water run-off systems are common wherever there is a combination of people and paved surfaces. Plusmodel is offering ready-made details like sewer hatches for urban dioramas.

review

In the bag are two grey resin grates with hatches measuring a scale 19” by 14” (22” x 17” with frame).

Similar grates are common from my childhood in the States, and are probably also found in many other industrialised nations that have storm-water drainage and paved roads. The typical set-up is a removable metal grate in a metal frame with ledge, set in concrete at the lowest point in the paving. This could be the middle of a lot or the edges of a paved road, butting against the curb. The metal grate is a loose fit, but is immensely heavy. By casting them with deep sides, Plusmodel are encouraging the modeller to leave an open space below the grate just like the real thing.

Conclusion

These are common in the US, but probably around the industrialised world too. By leaving off any writing they can be used anywhere. You’ll need a paved surface to use them, and the real ones come in an almost infinite variety of shapes, sizes, and grille designs, but these are a welcome detail for dioramas.