grahame

The next building project will be the corner block at Bermondsey Street and Crucifix Lane (which is basically the continuation of St Thomas Street along the front of the viaduct). I've done some on-line research and plotted out the floor plan for the block and building. I'm planning to include a representation of the Sarsons malt vinegar brewery on the plot next to the building (I know it's not in the right place but at this end of the layout there is a lot less adherence to the actual area). I've sketched up a very rough character drawing of the block and estimated heights. The model will be another card and styrene overlay structure with the floors based on my plan drawing.

Apparently the current/new issue of 'N Gauge Now' magazine (#36 Winter 2023) will be the last one. Their website says: "This will be the FINAL issue of N GAUGE NOW - at least as a four-times-a-year publication, and consequently there will be NO subscriptions available for 2024. It is likely that a special N GAUGE NOW 2024 Annual will be published in good time for the International N Gauge Show (TINGS) next September."

What's planned for its replacement?

They do seem to have a gradually evolving and changing range. As they introduce new models they drop older ones from the range. You'll probably have to hunt down a retailer that has one or two left in stock.

I've added a small parapet to the roof and painted it, picked out the raised floor lines, and fitted the windows to one side. I've also made a start on the balcony windows/doors - just the top floor done. They are from Scene-Setters glazing grids with the frames thickened up and the panels coloured in with a Posca white paint pen:

Very slow progress on the layout, I'm afraid. I've shaped up the approaches board and prepared its supports where it joins the west end bridges section. This will be removeable as it will include the points (see pic above) and effectively bridge the section between the station board and the west end over roads board - both of which have no point work. I've also added a small roof parapet and the windows on one side of the Tustin estate corner block, but still have the balcony windows/doors to fit (except the top floor one);

Not Kitt the (talking) car?

My 'low relief' representation of Southwark cathedral is progressively compressed (although not complete). The lady chapel/retrochoir is full relief, while the choir is progressively reduced depth/low relief, until the transept and tower are reached which are 'flats' (albeit with some relief). The scale also reduces a little to the rear to give an impression of depth and distance perspective:

With issue #4 of my magazine now printed and received, and the initial flurry of orders having died down a little, I was able to get back in the shed for considering how to progress the next stage of the layout. I've managed to trim the viaduct track deck boards to a more appropriate size and shape and have started to work on the exact positions for the points at the west end of the station. Note, on the left edge of the pic, I've now got a dehumidifier installed (with the green light). Along with the oil filled electric heater supplied with the building, it's quite homely in the shed.

Yesterdays batch all now packed and posted. And a new batch now listed.

The packaging envelopes, which I ran out of at the weekend, have finally arrived - I did order them last week. That means I'm now able to list issue four of the new magazine on ebay as well as a listing for issues 3 and 4.

Only just discovered this thread and very impressed. There's certainly some fine modelling and attention to detail in getting things looking spot on.

You're cracking on with that. The grey primer makes the details really 'pop'.

Yep, that would be nice, but it's tricky to print things without a printer. And I'd still have to queue up to get them scanned and the proofs stamped.

That would be nice, but the post office still has to type all the post codes in to their system to generate the post charge label and a proof of posting receipt for me. And I've still got to pack and address them all.

The good news is that issue #4 is back from the printers, but the bad news is that I've had to order new stocks of the packaging envelopes. When everything is in place I'll post up details with a cover pic and link to the relevant page on eBay. However, please note that I'll be listing it in small batches so that I, and the tiny village post office/newsagents, are not overwhelmed. A new batch will be listed after the previous batch has been packed and posted - but don't panic; there's sufficient to go around.

While I was in the shed to check the fit of a new partially built tower block building (see my cardboard buildings thread) I took a couple of other snaps of the layout (despite little progress) which are posted here (just for the hell of it). Firstly a jumble of roof types (towards the right/east end) with the new low relief tower block in the corner, and secondly the left/west end more commercial area.

It's worth checking the spelling on those TV licence scams, they often get licence (a noun) and license (a verb) mixed up.

A base coat is now applied (I need to add some paint effects, if I'm up to it, to make it look like concrete and pebbledash) and I've taken it out to the shed to see how it fits in place:

The tedious job of cutting window apertures and adding balconies is complete, the walls glued in place, and it's had a coat of primer. Next some rubbing down and tidying up, then painting and adding windows, plus any details.

It's another tower block, that is designed as low relief (in two directions) to go in the corner and disguise the internal shed cladding quarter round baton. It is based on one of those at Tustin Estate (Peckham, Old Kent Road). There are three tower blocks on the estate that are 18 storeys tall which were slung up in the early 1960s and are now undergoing redevelopment. My version is 16 floors to provide some compression and prevent it being too dominating, plus, being at the back of the scene, it also a slightly smaller scale.

Last night I embarked on the next bit of cardboard engineering for the layout. Here's the stage I got to. Can you guess what it will become?

You're gonna have to paint some clothes on them if you'll be using them as passengers in your coaches. . . .

A garret is the top of a building aka an attic. I guess the herbs stored (maybe grown) there would have been medicinal ones (such as opioids) used in the operations rather like an apothecary.

As well as Southwark cathedral I also have this N/2mm model on my layout. It's formally St Thomas's church, but now houses the oldest operation theatre in the UK, as a museum, along with a herb garret which are both open to the public. It was constructed by the Guy’s hospital governors in 1703 to a design by Thomas Cartwright, a 17th century English architect, and replaced the original one built in 1212. It ceased to be a church in 1899 when the parish was merged with St Saviours which later became part of the Southwark cathedral diocese.