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

[grahame]

I think I've added enough detail on the pub frontage - I could add more but too much can make things look overly cluttered and messy. I've also got undercoat and the base brick colour on, with detail painting to be done next. Then it'll be adding doors and glazing, and gluing it in place:

 

[grahame]

With my camera to hand and the sun suddenly shining brightly, I was able to get a quick snap of how the new block is shaping up with the other buildings:

 

[grahame]

Paint is now on the frontage and the upper windows are installed (although I need to adjust the bottom left one). The frontage is not fitted in place as that will wait, along with other fragile things, like the chimney pots and flaunching (yet to be made), doors and ground floor glazing, while I turn my attention to the frontage of the commercial block next.

 

 

 

[grahame]

I've made a start on the frontage of the commercial block. None of the fascias are fixed in position as they need detailing and painting. And that will leave just the smaller front wall to do (which faces the front of the layout and is masked by the viaduct):

 

[cornish trains jez]

On 17/07/2024 at 13:34, grahame said:

Paint is now on the frontage and the upper windows are installed (although I need to adjust the bottom left one). The frontage is not fitted in place as that will wait, along with other fragile things, like the chimney pots and flaunching (yet to be made), doors and ground floor glazing, while I turn my attention to the frontage of the commercial block next.

 

 

 

Excellent work Grahame! Will they be serving real ales?! 
 

Best regards,

 

Jeremy

 

[grahame]

18 minutes ago, cornish trains jez said:

Will they be serving real ales?! 

 

 

But of course.

[grahame]

A quick test of the block in place on the layout shows it won't be easy to see the pub frontage, but at least I know it's modelled. However, the far side flank wall is plain, along with the terraced row of houses next to it. Nothing in the view below is fixed in place and pavements and roads are yet to be made:

 

 

 

[grahame]

No modelling done over the weekend as on Saturday it was the village parish day on the rec (including a real ale bar) and Sunday I had guests. But this morning I've got the pub frontage almost finished and fixed in place and the details on the commercial block wall. Next to make the smaller frontage of the block, paint them both and get them fixed in place. Then there's details like chimney pots and flaunching, the pub yard gate and so on to make and add:

 

 

[grahame]

The forward facing wall of the commercial block now made, and both painted and fixed to the carcass. Still some details to add to complete but here is how the last part of the block now looks in position (although not fixed) on the layout.

 

[grahame]

Chimney pots and flaunching, pub yard gates and a little dirtying down now added. The pic shows how the building block compares against a standard tea mug for size, emphasising the relatively small nature of N gauge, showing why N gauge is a great scale for getting more in to a limited space and how it is possible to scratch-build structures based on real buildings.

 

[grahame]

After several days (actually most of the week) of sweltering heat kyboshing any modelling activity (I suffer with the heat and humidity), today is much cooler and this morning I've ventured out to the railway shed. First thing was to take a photo of hopefully the whole layout, well, as much as I was able to fit in by hanging over the end, showing many of the buildings that are currently plonked in position which is rather samey to other snaps. Next is to plan and think thorough the next actions.

 

[letterspider]

How about some temporary track laying, to allow you to run trains? 

[Siberian Snooper]

I would say track laying and or the arches on the north side, if you're going to fit them, before access gets to restricted.

 

 

[Ian Smeeton]

On 24/07/2024 at 13:45, grahame said:

Chimney pots and flaunching, pub yard gates and a little dirtying down now added. The pic shows how the building block compares against a standard tea mug for size, emphasising the relatively small nature of N gauge, showing why N gauge is a great scale for getting more in to a limited space and how it is possible to scratch-build structures based on real buildings.

 

 

I think that your 2 quart (1/2 Gallon ) tea mug shows us that you are really modelling in 7mm!

 

Also, the residual heat from that much tea probably adds to your heat issues.

 

Fantastic work.

 

Regards

 

Ian

[grahame]

I took the recommendation given by a few people and got an aerosol of BIN Zinsser. It has definitely helped improve the dark marks but getting it on and overcoating in that heat yesterday (28' seems like 29 according to the weather and a lot warmer in the shed) was a hot and sweaty operation, although everything dried very quickly. The dark show through marks that emphasised the batons and corner posts are now eradicated with Just the shadow from the lighting now, but other than that a lot more happy.

 

 

[grahame]

On 02/08/2024 at 13:14, Siberian Snooper said:

I would say track laying and or the arches on the north side, if you're going to fit them, before access gets to restricted.

 

 

The north side arches/viaduct wall is something that I've been considering for a while now. Obviously it doesn't need to be finely detailed as it won't be seen (apart from in exceptional circumstances), but something is required. And I'd like it to be strong enough to help keep the track bed in place, yet flexible enough to follow the curved shape. Consequently card will be insufficient and I'm looking for suitable material options.

 

The track bed, particularly the sections with points, need to be removable to fit the motors underneath, wire up, detail and paint. And should anything fail and need replacing in the future.

[Siberian Snooper]

The radii look reasonable, so you may get away with 4mm ply, if necessary you could put some partial cuts in it to allow for tighter bends. I got some down to around 6 inches, by cutting and soaking it in a bowl of boiling water, and then clamping it in place and giving it a good coating of PVA on the outside of the curve.

 

 

[grahame]

I've spent most of the morning laying the road (from mount-board card) that forms Station Approach and sweeps around past the bus station and becomes London Bridge Street. It was rather fiddly to cut to fit accurately but I'm relatively happy about how it has turned out. Next is to sort out the supports to form the appropriate slope and paint it. Here's a pic of an LT DMS bus passing under the bridge on its way to the bus station.

 

 

[Siberian Snooper]

Makes a change for the bus ro be under the bridge, rather than on the bridge.

 

 

[grahame]

Just spent a little while trying to get the new road area supports correct and in-place. It's very fiddly to get everything to line up; heights, angles and fitting horizontally against buildings. I'm taking a break now and have left some of the buildings plonked in place that I was using to ensure accurate fitting but still some fiddling to do.  

 

 

 

[ian]

That looks like a painstaking task Grahame, but, as the photo shows, well worth the time and trouble.

[simonmcp]

Regards the supports for the elevated track, I used Mount Board on a friend's layout and used enough layers that it is strong enough to walk on.

[grahame]

2 hours ago, simonmcp said:

Regards the supports for the elevated track, I used Mount Board on a friend's layout and used enough layers that it is strong enough to walk on.

 

Yep, I'm using mountboard for the roadway. But the supports aren't for strength but to hold it in the required shape and position as the roadway slopes in various directions and needs to join/butt up with sections already in place. I do find that mountboard will hold in position with sufficient strength and without flexing if glued to appropriately spaced bracing/supports.

 

Edited August 9 by grahame

[grahame]

I've spent some of today sweating in the shed getting the roadway for Station Approach, London Bridge Street and the station forecourt which includes the bus stands, in place and fitted. The centre area will include New London Bridge House skyscraper and the old tube station entrance building (both now demolished) which I've already made. The buildings on the right in the pic below, including Telephone House, Fielden House and a couple of others, need to be tweaked a little to fit accurately on the slope and sit flush on the pavement, and one needs a complete frontage made and added. The pic below is an unusual view taken through the shed side window.

 

[grahame]

It's been sweltering hot and sunny today making it very hot and sweaty in the shed. That's limited the time I could spend in there and progress things. Nonetheless I've managed to tweak the frontage of Telephone House so that it sits flush on London Bridge Street road/pavement. Fielden House only needs a little work while the building between them (the red one in the pic below) need a complete frontage made and added - hopefully I'll be able to get that done (or at least started) tomorrow.

 

Here's the left end of the layout showing the rear of the buildings that front London Bridge Street behind the under-construction steel framed building site and the Georgian style terrace (from right to left - the white one is Fielden House, the red one needs a front and the yellow one is Telephone House.