Scratch-built card and styrene structures (based on real buildings around London Bridge)

[grahame]

Here's a heavily cropped pic, from one on the layout thread, showing an interesting jumble of roof types and chimneys;

 

 

 

[Siberian Snooper]

Where's Mary Poppins, when you need her?

 

 

[bridgiesimon]

Oh hell yeah, a model of Mary Poppins flying across the rooftops would be awesome!!

Stonking modelling though!

Best wishes

Simon

[grahame]

My next planned stage is to lay track and build the platforms on the through station board. I've moved it indoors to work on, but I need to have a quick shower, pop down the Post Office and drop a cheque off to a friend. However, hopefully I can get some work done on it this weekend interspersed with the football.

 

 

 

[roundhouse]

Looks just like how I recall that 70's footbridge. Used to use it a lot  and in later years I remember it leaking quite badly in heavy rain.

[Siberian Snooper]

 

26 minutes ago, roundhouse said:

Looks just like how I recall that 70's footbridge. Used to use it a lot  and in later years I remember it leaking quite badly in heavy rain.

 

It always looked like an ugly afterthought to me, I assume that it replaced something much prettier.

 

[grahame]

Today, along with going to the post office and launderette, and currently watching the footie, I've managed to crack on with the through station board. I've made and added the viaduct wall by the old SER 'flat iron' building, laid some plain track and started on the platforms using Peco platform edging. Things are slowly moving along.

 

 

 

 

[grahame]

A little progress on the through station board with the centre section of platform 1 & 2 now surfaced - although it needs finishing and painting. But it allows testing the footbridge in place with a temporary other platform in place. 

 

[grahame]

Here's a quick snap to show my construction method for the platforms (should it be of any interest) and the progress of the through station board.

 

[grahame]

Here's a pic from the era I'm looking to model (London Bridge 1983 courtesy of Lamberhurst CC BY-SA 4.0 Wikimedia Commons) showing the platform finish. Hopefully I can replicate it.

 

[Peterem]

They look a lot cleaner than the platforms I remember at London Bridge. Someone must have made a real effort to scrape off the discarded chewing gum and sweep away the piles of cigarette ends.

 

[grahame]

There is something a little odd about the photo; not only are there no passengers or staff on the platforms but the footbridge panels are light grey rather than the brown (that matched the canopy edging) it was usually painted, and there's no white edging to the platform flag/paving stones (which I understand was introduced in the war to help out during the black outs).

 

 

Edited July 7 by grahame

[NScaleNotes]

Looks like there's someone holding a broom at the bottom of the stairs on the left but it is a little eerie for 10:30am, in London, on a weekday!

[grahame]

A very cruel close-up of a view similar to the one I've posted on the layout thread:

 

[grahame]

Next step is to make the bridge thingy that carried the cables from the top of the footbridge to the SER office building. Quite fiddly to get to the right length (so that the building and footbridge sit in their appropriate positions) and the end follows the contour of the building which has an angle at the point it joins. Currently here is it just resting in place with the side panels to be made and added. It looks about right to my eye, and that's what I use for much of my modelling - the trusty mk1 eye complete with myopia and an astigmatism. Apologies for a very similar snap to the previous one but it's about getting the detail right, or at least roughly correct.

 

 

 

[grahame]

And here it is, almost complete. It seems to fit nicely in place on the platforms and butts up to the SER building. The passenger stairs and the cable bridge are now attached and in primer grey. Just need to add details and a re-paint.

 

 

 

[grahame]

I've now got some top coat colour on the footbridge, although it's a little messy and needs touching up. And then there's a whole host of details to make and add such as poster board frames, lights, signs, roof cables, etc., but I'll probably leave that and get on with other things. In the meantime here it is just plonked, but not fixed, in position.

 

 

 

Edited July 11 by grahame

[grahame]

The next building project is a block containing a pub and a more modern apartment block. It's located towards the east (right) end of the layout which is the more proto-lance (between free-lance and proto-type) section, although both will be based on real buildings from the area. Here's the block area cut to the appropriate shape and size required. I'll build the carcasses directly on it so that it all fits:  

 

[grahame]

The block will be a commercial premises (rather than a residential block) based on the Pearson Professional Centre that is currently located in that position but scaled back to fit. The pub will be based on the Lord Clyde from relatively close nearby but obviously adapted to suit. Here is how the site base fits with the other structures already made (apologies for the poor quality photo but I was in a hurry) so hopefully clear as mud:

 

 

 

Edited July 14 by grahame

[grahame]

The main carcase for the commercial block is now up and running constructed from mountboard. The front and side feature walls will be cobbled together from clear acrylic and styrene sheet panels, and hung on the carcase.

 

 

[grahame]

The main structure of the pub is also now made, built and fixed directly on the site ground board. The far flank wall of the pub won't get detailed as it faces away and won't be able to be seen.

 

 

 

And here's how it fits, butted up against the warehousing and terraced row to complete the block;

 

Edited July 16 by grahame

[grahame]

Some basic blocks of colour (grey on the flat roofs and pavement) now on, and Redutex tiling cut and added to the pitched roof at the rear of the pub. 

 

 

The front wall is also cut from embossed brick styrene sheet ready to be decorated with detail as this is the fascia that will most easily seen when on the layout. 

 

[grahame]

A little progress on the pub frontage this evening (unfortunately I'd spent much of the day sorting out my prescription which was ballsed up yet again). The fascia needs some tidying up and I think I'll slim down the window sills that look rather chunky:

 

 

[branchie]

Awesome modelling Grahame.

 

If only I could aspire to the levels which you consistently achieve with your modelling 

[grahame]

This pub is roughly based on the Lord Clyde in Southwark which is relatively nearby in real life. It makes five pubs on the layout - Duke of Clarence, Shipwrights Arms, Antigalligan and the St Johns Tavern (all in Tooley Street) - with possibly a sixth being the Barrowboy and Banker. That is currently in the Bank Chambers building, which is modelled and on the layout, but it used to be a National Westminster bank and only became a pub during my target modelling period. Consequently I've not yet decided to finish it as a pub or bank.

 

There did also used to be a pub, the Oast House, on the station concourse. And a couple in the north side of the viaduct in Tooley Street but I'll probably not bother to model them as they won't be able to be seen on the layout.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 17 by grahame