EMvTW Discovery Special 3 - Section 31 Station

NOTE:  You can click on most pictures to get a larger view of them.

My next review of an Eaglemoss model once again covers something I normally would not have purchased.  First, while I do watch the series, because it is Star Trek,  I am not a big fan of Star Trek: Discovery.  And up until this purchase, the only other Star Trek: Discovery model I bought was the "smaller" Enterprise from Eaglemoss' Discovery collection.  The second reason that I would not have normally bought this model is, it is just REALLY big.  I prefer my models to be around the size of the "Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection" size.  The Discovery line is much larger than those other models, PLUS, this model was released as part of that lines even bigger Special Edition Issues.  And I have to tell you, the Discovery Special Edition models are even larger then the Official Starships Collection Special Edition models.  You will see what I mean at the end of this article.

The bankruptcy of Eaglemoss put me in an odd situation though.  As a result of the bankruptcy, the line of models I was purchasing and reviewing suddenly dried up, with the probability of never seeing any more new models again.  Thanks to a company purchasing the remaining stock from Eaglemoss, a few "unicorns" that I never thought I would see published are becoming available at a decent cost as long as I'm quick on the [PURCHASE] button.  Because of this, I was able to complete my Space Station collection from the Official Starships Collection with my recent purchase of the Caretaker's Array (See review at THIS LINK).  Out of morbid curiosity, I looked at the other Star Trek collections that Eaglemoss had produced to see what other space stations were made.  As it turns out, there were only two others, so to be a completionist, I went and purchased them.

And so, I present the first of two very large models, Section 31 Station.

We first get to see this station in the Star Trek: Discovery episode called "Project Daedalus".

Per Memory Alpha, "Section 31 Headquarters was a space station used during the mid-23rd century by the covert Starfleet organization Section 31. Listed as an abandoned penal colony, the station was used by Section 31 as a forward operating base and housed the AI known as Control."

If you would like to read more official stuff on this type of station, feel free to check out the following links:

Section 31 Station Information: Memory Alpha LINK and NO Memory Beta LINK

This larger model presents a lot to look at.  The extremely large format has provided Eaglemoss with a lot of canvas on to which to apply thier "artwork".

 
 
 

 

I suppose the first thing to mention is that unlike a lot of Star Trek's other stations, this one is not very symmetrical.  Because of this, Eaglemoss had to do a lot more work with this model.  

The sculpting and molding of the model does not disappoint.  From top to bottom, Eaglemoss crammed all sorts of tactile details into the model.  You have no problem making out the various levels of the station and all sorts of little greeble parts stick out in various random places.

The large hangar deck at the very bottom of the station is open and allows for a look straight through to the other side.  I particularly like that the support struts and connecting tube are open air instead of being painted on details.

The paint work is what really sells the model for me.  The paint looks like it has been badly applied, but this works fabulously for a station that is supposed to appear to be a disregarded penal colony.  

The mottled application of greys across the entire model give it a "chipped paint" appearance with red highlights applied everywhere to help break up what could have been a dull looking paint scheme.

The side landing pads and bottom hangar bay are also blessed with this nice paint work, thus completing the well used effect across the entire thing.

Normally, at this point in my articles, I would help you find the best place to purchase the model at a price that doesn't break the bank, however, those days came to an end with Eaglemoss' bankruptcy.  At this point in time, it becomes more of a game, periodically checking various merchant sites (Click on a logo below to go there.) to see if the model is available and at what price you can buy it at. 

   

I bought this model thinking that I would be disappointed with it, due to the size, and due to it being Star Trek: Discovery related.  In the end, I found that I had bought myself what may be one of my top favorite stations.  The paint work and molded in details provide a very cool model to look at, and I find myself picking it up from time to time to examine it yet again from a different angle to see if I discover something new.  If you are a collector of Star Trek space stations, and if you can find one at a decent price, I highly recommend getting the Section 31 Station as it is well worth the money.

As a completionist type of collector, it made sense to me to buy this station and put it on display with the others in the collection.

As always, I hope you found this article useful and informative.  If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to comment below.

So for now, "Live long and prosper!!!"



Additional Links To Photos Of My Collection:

Eaglemoss