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

[grahame]

Up bright and breezy this morning, made a pot of tea, fed the cat and been out shopping for the Sunday papers and some food for the week. And since I've got back I've had a bash at the basic carcass for the upper lever - the drum structure (most likely the stairs/lift and ventilation shaft) as well as the tile cladding for it. The circular part is cut from an old black peppercorns plastic container and the rest is mountboard. I'm quite pleased with progress:

 

 

 

[grahame]

Next a switch back to the ground floor front wall and cut out the apertures and add some relief features - not much as it's pretty plain.

 

[grahame]

It's starting to look like a LT tube station although there's still lots to do such as: the roof dwarf walls and coping stones, the canopy, roof details, and the tall cast concrete LT roundel. Plus painting should help accentuate the stripy look. And I need to straighten the right side of the entrance/exit opening.

 

 

The exit/entrance is quite small, but then it is on the real station, reduced significantly over the years:

 

 

 

 

[grahame]

Coping stones and primer grey now on. The two tricky assemblies, the curved canopy and the tall cast concrete roundel, are yet to be started but they are iconic LT features and should make it look right.

 

 

Next to the real tube station is a narrow four storey building (a hotel I believe) as can be seen in the prototype photos above with a tall featureless flank wall towering over the station. As I have a model of a similar building (narrow and four storeys tall although not of the actual building) I've placed them together to get an idea of size and whether they look appropriate and correct and if the sizes are about right:

 

 

 

[grahame]

I've got some basic blocks of colour on the structure - although it does need tidying up and some weathering. The two outstanding parts, the canopy and the roundel, will be made and painted as separate assemblies that simply need gluing in place when ready:

 

 

[grahame]

The top storey is now glued to the ground floor, I've repainted the coping stones (as they seemed rather dark but probably still are), tidied up the vent grilles painting, added a little weathering powders to the roof, matt varnished it and cut a card template for the canopy to work from and ensure a snug fit. Other than that not a lot this morning . . . 

 

 

 

Edited October 18, 2021 by grahame

[phil_sutters]

Not a station I expected to see modelled. Are you modelling the whole of Borough High Street, Grahame? In the 1990s, Riva, the cafe on the ground floor of the neighbouring building had the contract for Southwark Social Services training day and conference lunches. Very nice sandwiches, samosas etc. they made too.

[grahame]

This is about as far as I can go with the station ATM, so time to think through what the next project will be:

 

 

[Siberian Snooper]

How about biting the bullet and building the layout, so that we can see all the fantastic architectural modelling in its natural setting.

 

 

[grahame]

It's all in hand, but I've got to organise the building of where it will go first.

 

 

[Siberian Snooper]

In which case, there can't be much left to model, is there?

 

 

[sb67]

@grahame that looks superb! As someone who takes six months to agonise over a factory back I am so envious of anyone who can re create real buildings in miniature. You're description and photo's make it look so easy. Loving this thread 

[GreenBR]

Back with a bang! great to see you at it again its been a while. Great work as usual and so quick, and in N gauge.

Regards

[grahame]

Some of the more recent models I've made aren't necessary for the layout (being away from the location being depicted) but will probably find their way on to the part of the layout that I've not properly planned out and help set the scene and location in that section (although the laser cut wood pigeon sheds are unlikely to be accommodated). It's more about the fun, enjoyment and satisfaction I get from making N/2mm models and selecting interesting items to have a bash at. Nonetheless, there's still quite a bit of essential infrastructure, including the trainshed, viaduct and station buildings, that need to be constructed.

 

Anyway here's (hopefully a last) pic of the my tube station model. It's not an accurate representation being compressed and simplified, and it does need finishing like the coloured LT roundels that protrude from the ground floor frieze, station name and various signs (much of which will need to wait until I get a new printer). I've temporarily put it between two other placeholder buildings and a bus to give a sense of place and scale:

 

 

 

 

 

[Siberian Snooper]

The trainshed should keep you occupied for awhile, with all those trusses, but quite repetitive.

 

 

[grahame]

Yes, quite a nightmare proposition. But I've been thinking through a few potential dodges to simplify things. One is possibly to arrange for York Modelmaking to laser cut the trusses and I'll probably cast, in resin, the support columns. Fortunately the side support walls are already effectively done.

 

The foyer, ticket office and travel centre roof, with all those little pyramid skylights, is another tricky proposition. . . .

 

It's a lifetime magnum opus, and not to be rushed.

;-)

 

 

 

[aardvark]

On 20/10/2021 at 02:04, grahame said:

It's a lifetime magnum opus, and not to be rushed.

 

Well said.

[Steadfast]

Hi Grahame,

Hope you're keeping well.

I've just had a catch-up of the thread as I was in London the other day for an appointment on Southwark Bridge Road. It was only as I was wandering about and saw Tooley Street that it all clicked that this was the area you're modelling. I didn't have long to look about, but you've got the character spot on, and although the area has changed a lot, it still helps to place your modelling.

Loving the work on Borough station.

 

Jo

[grahame]

I've had another bash at miniature freehand signwriting - this time the pub name 'St John's tavern' using a bullet tipped paint pen. It was difficult to control and be consistent, but with it being N gauge scale (meaning the lettering is very small) and it will be at the back of the layout (so difficult to see), I'm hoping it will suffice. The other pub, 'The Antigallican', is yet to be tackled - I might take a different approach.

 

 

 

[grahame]

I've added some plastic letters I had for the Antigallican. They're only 2mm high so by the time I'd painted them they were a bit messy when glued in place. But, it's a low relief model for the back of the layout. Next I need to get a new printer so I can print some posters and hanging signs, and not just for this row:

 

 

 

[grahame]

I thought I'd undertake a little side project of making an art deco garage based on the one in the village where I live. It won't be an exact replica and is compressed to make it smaller - for example the newer wing on the left (a car dealer business) has been left off.

 

 

The pic above was taken on a Sunday - usually there's quite a few cars on the forecourt and the concertina shutter are open. The petrol pumps were removed long ago and the garage is now an autocare business offering MOTs, servicing and repairs. Here's how far I got this afternoon with everything so far cut from mountboard card:

 

 

 

[grahame]

Not much modelling today. Just the addition of some wall columns and the coping stones, then several coats of white primer. Next to tackle is the tower frontage, which I'll be making out of plasticard.

 

[grahame]

I've now tackled the tower with just the window and door panel at the bottom and fascia boards around the top to add. And to think about how to represent the clock. Then next to consider and have a bash at is the pitched roof over the left wing, and then . . . . .

 

[grahame]

A little bit of progress, but I'm now off out for retinopathy screening:

 

[grahame]

Been a bit busy today, with the financial ombudsman and my bank, so not much modelling done - just a little bit of colour which needs touching up and weathering. And next to tackle is the reception entrance and window section at the bottom of the tower, then the concertina doors: