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


grahame
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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi Grahame

 

Have read all fifty posts of this thread and have found it hugely  inspirational. Although I intend using brick papers in 4mm scale, I am rethinking my methodology to match yours, building an inner framework first (rather than fitting inner supports to an outer skin).

 

Looking forward to seeing your next updates, and hope all is okay with you health wise.

 

Regards

 

Steve S

 

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Thanks for your endorsement of the thread.

 

There is nothing wrong with using brick papers on 2 and 4mm model structures - some can be very effective. It's just that the best brickpaper (IMO) in N/2mm is no longer available and the small stock I have is all red brick when London yellows are required. Plus with a lot of buildings I wanted to introduce some variety, including relief, as well as try out embossed sheets. On previous layouts I had tended to use mainly brick and tile papers.

 

My health is fine ATM, thanks. The cancer is in remission.

 

G

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  • 3 months later...

I've been busy on other modelling projects such as vehicles and wagon kits (see elsewhere on RMweb), as well as holidays and the usual life chores, so this thread has taken a backseat of recent. However, I've been asked to display some of the London Bridge area buildings I've made at the forthcoming Farnham MRC exhibition :  http://farnhammrc.org.uk/?page_id=158

 

Therefore I thought I'd better make an effort to do some more work on them as none are truly finished. This morning I've been undertaking some more window fitting and glazing on Denmark and Emblem House - it's got quite a few and there's still more to do:

 

DSC_8075.JPG.f522ac06542b0cbc192193890115143b.JPG

 

This is a quick snap of progress to now with the model sitting in a drawer. It should be remembered that this is in N/2mm scale but it's quite a large building - hopefully the tea mug gives a sense of scale. Luckily this will be at the back of the layout behind the station so it doesn't need to have a huge amount of detail. And, or course, although based on a real building it is very much compressed and simplified.

 

G

 

 

 

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This afternoon I've also added windows to the building next door - 29-31 Tooley Street.

 

DSC_8078.JPG.4223b19a5fb579d035fbb5f4d4fc93ea.JPG

 

 

The ground floor for this building needs modelling but the pics I have are all very modern showing the later green wooden frontage. The listing gives these details ; https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101385966-29-31-and-33-tooley-street-riverside-ward#.XUMEpm5FwjY and I have two poor period, almost thumbnail, photos. So I need to undertake some more research. But that's it for today - I need to do some cooking.

 

G

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The Historic England official listing has a photo from 2001. I have this one below from 2005, There is one on line, also from a rather oblique angle, from 1910. 

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-london-bridge-station-tooley-street-london-1910-artist-unknown-135269966.html

All look rather similar to its current appearance.

R0011496.JPG

Edited by phil_sutters
A better version of the 1910 image was located.
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Thanks. The Alamy 1920 view is interesting - lots of horse and carts and trams lines with Dominion House next along the road which would have been quite new then.

 

This 1982 view - https://www.architecture.com/image-library/ribapix/image-information/poster/shipping-offices-2933-tooley-street-southwark-london-seen-from-the-southwest/posterid/RIBA58154.html - (which is possible to zoom in on) shows 29-31 looking different to the green wooden frontage added in 1986 when the London Bridge Hospital acquired it and converted it on to their women's centre. 

 

I've just noticed that this thread has now had over 100,000 views and is 50 pages long.

 

G

Edited by grahame
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28 minutes ago, grahame said:

I've just noticed that this thread has now had over 100,000 views and is 50 pages long.

Congratulations - I am sure you have given many tips and much inspiration through those pages.

28 minutes ago, grahame said:

 

 

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Chimney pots, flaunching, ridge tiles, side plaque (Chapman Shipping Limited) and the basic structures for the outer ground floor properties now in place for 29-33 Tooley Street. None of the ground floors are retail/shop outlets and look commercial like workshops, warehousing or offices. The windows are high and masked off to prevent looking in. The centre ground floor appears to have brick infill panels which I'll try to tackle next. Then it's doors, glazing and details, although for this model, which is behind the viaduct/station and will be at the back of the layout, I'm hoping to get away with much.

 

DSC_8080.JPG.dd37360c2a5fb30a804341371475fec7.JPG

 

G

 

 

 

 

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Ground floor centre section now made and fitted, plus glazed. The ground floor is roughly based on that in the 1982 photo. The doors are to be made and added and that'll be it for now on this building.

 

DSC_8081.JPG.eb35f19927c6f3fecc69f22e7a10bdbf.JPG

 

G

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This pic might be of interest on this thread. It's three low relief models (that will be at the back of the layout) in their correct order/positions as they were along Tooley Street. It depicts Denmark House, Emblem House (formerly Colonial House), 29-33 Tooley Street and Dominion House (demolished mid 1980ish and replaced with the Cottons Centre). This last one needs the ground floor finishing and straightening up, and ground floor windows need fitting in Denmark/Emblem House.

 

525714827_2019-08-03-14_57.11ZSPMax.jpg.a8d97fc92aa5cf0549a3a3fe2e6cf9f7.jpg

 

G

 

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I've undertaken a little improvement work on Denmark/Emblem House - straightening up the ground floor and adding mullions, transoms and sills to the first floor windows. It does help make thing look a little better. And here's a little information about the buildings for anyone interested.

 

'Colonial House' built 1903, was later (certainly by 1982) renamed as 'Emblem House', is Edwardian in style with an intricate faience frontage. I've simplified it for modelling although there are some details still to add like the wrought iron balcony balustrades and the ground floor windows to sort out. It's a pretty big N gauge model at 6 stories high. The front doors are large at around 9-10ft high and the sills of the ground floor windows are above people's heads as they walk past.

The red brick attached building is 'Denmark House' built 1908 for the Bennet Steamship Company as their offices - there's a representation of a steam merchant ship on top of the large carved plaque above the cornice - and is grade II listed. I had a bash at trying to roughly model the plaque just using a few layers of plasticard but it's very basic and representational. There's also a very elaborate cartouche above the entrance door which I've not modelled although there is a space to fit one if I ever get around to attempting it. Both buildings are now part of the London Bridge Hospital complex.

 

Here's a very cruel close-up photo. On my lap top screen it is just about full actual size. Luckily people won't be able to get as close to it on the layout as they can to a computer screen!

 

DSC_8098.JPG.7742fdf7ef6196cddbfa8dda46dfe421.JPG

 

G

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I've started to revisit unfinish buildings and add some of the missing details to get them closer to being in a finished state. Here is Fielden House where today I have made and added windows/glazing to the red brick section, railing and a frieze along the length that was used a greenery planter;

 

DSC_8103.JPG.6046a0ba977232ece6a0f16575b1956b.JPG

 

The large opening next to the white door led to stairs down to St Thomas Street. I recall the door and window were a tobacconists/cobblers/newsagents shop but later became a coffee shop/cafe (as in the pic below). Fielden House has since been demolished so no more chances to check tings out.

 

697267594_LBb10.JPG.8f4e6f896d97c622e8a3a94324ca862e.JPG

 

 G

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I've finally got the little end canopy on and a representation of the row of planters along the length that weren't there when the building was opened in 1954 - https://www.architecture.com/image-library/RIBApix/image-information/poster/fielden-house-london-bridge-street-london/posterid/RIBA75491.html but I'm looking to replicate as it was 30 years later (which is still over 30 years ago). Apologies for the poor quality snap:

 

DSC_8105.JPG.05633b3feb2d409ae75bd3b4c1402ee8.JPG


Apparently, according to the RIBA site it "was built as the headquarters of the Emergency Bed Service for King Edward's Hospital Fund for London and was part of a war damage reconstruction on a restricted site by London Bridge". The side in the pics is not the front and will face away from the viewing position so I doubt I'll bother much more with any further detailing. I've not started the other side (the front) as it extends down to St Thomas Street level and I've not yet worked out what the exact height it will be. And even that view was obscured by buildings built in front of it.

 

G
 

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I've moved on to revisiting Battlebridge House (see earlier in this thread). It's another low relief model that will be at the back of the layout. Like others I've recently made improvements to, this also had a lack of a ground floor frontage when I originally made the carcass. I've started with some painting and making the left end (the original part of the building before it was extended) foyer entrance. Next for the main ground floor fascia.

 

G.

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Last night I made a start on the front fascia panels (while the football was on) but today I've got to load the car up with rubbish sorted out at the weekend and take it down the council tip. Nonetheless here's how far I got:

 

DSC_8106.JPG.b8b23d16bc63480ccc88233c1a39aa0d.JPG

 

G

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Little progress since my return from the tip (and the road was closed so a lengthy diversion), but I've tried to take some overall progress photos to give an idea of the building. Unfortunately they show it as a rather plain, dull and not very well modelled structure. Hopefully when the main wall panels are fitted in place (currently they're just resting) and have windows/glazing installed it will look better :

 

DSC_8108.JPG.96846770fe4daea85aca04a2c6205bfe.JPG

 

The pic below shows the row of buildings to the left of Battlebridge House as well as Battlebridge House. None of this entire row remains and they were all demolished in the late 80s/early 90s. In their place has been erected some pretty uninspiring corporate blocks including a Hilton Hotel. On the right (not pictured here) is Aston Webb House which, being listed, is still there and is a building I have already made (see earlier on the thread).

 

DSC_8109.JPG.1de7c6edd0804f60387456059eede28b.JPG

 

G.

 

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3 minutes ago, Phil Howe said:

Apologies if I have missed it elsewhere Grahame, but I would be interested to see a "how to" of your white-framed windows above.  Do you just use a paint pen and ruler, or is there some other witchcraft in play?

 

The frames are Scene-Setters Glazing Bars (available in various size grids) with the outer window frame thickened up with a white Posca paint pen. I'm pretty sure there are further details and pics showing 'how to' earlier in this thread.

 

HTH.

G. 

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I've completed the last section of the ground floor of Battlebridge House. It's a little rough and ready but at the back of the layout behind other buildings . . . . hopefully I'll get away with it:

 

DSC_8110.JPG.53ac4fdf6ba0aa9d4feb0c8f9c374549.JPG

 

Having included the row of buildings next to Battlebridge House in a pic above I've now started on finishing that. The right hand one, with green tiles and the shop/offices as 'Clarkair International' (travel agents, I think), has a fancy frameless all glass entrance which might be a little tricky to make. However, I've made window frames and glazed the odd triangular shaped window above and also added Scene-Setters glazing to the building next to it where it was missing. Plus the facias are now fixed to the carcass:

 

DSC_8112.JPG.a1b629897798a26814d1cfb2407d53db.JPG

 

These close up photos that get displayed right across the screen larger than life size are very cruel . . . . 

 

G

 

 

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I've had a bash at the frameless windows/doors for 'Clarkair International'. It's not yet fixed in place (and simply plugs in as a module or sub-assembly) as I need to add the window display (posters, dummy pilot, etc). All the building facias are now fixed to the carcass - it certainly squares and straightens up the row. Probably need to start on the 'Duke of Clarence' pub details (frosted windows, brewery signs, etc.):

 

 DSC_8116.JPG.c76c67487da2a9d14fba737b342a7940.JPG

 

G

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22 hours ago, alangdance said:

Just love your work.

one question how do you paint your brickwork. It looks like you don't bother

with the mortar.

 

 

Thanks. 

 

Generally I give brickwork a complete covering of the base brick colour (over a grey primer coat) such as desert yellow for London stocks. Then for where I've used brick embossed plasticard sheet I use a few techniques to try and simply/quickly paint and give and indication of the mortar courses. I use a very thin wash of light grey (for new/cleaned mortar or darker grey for old) across the surface and/or a 6B pencil gently rubbed/smeared across the surface with my fingers which highlights the bricks leaving the base colour between.

 

If it's on 'brickwork' at the rear of the layout where plain cardboard is used (usually on flank walls) then there is no obvious mortar courses to paint and I usually simply weather with washes, powders and pencil. There are, of course a lot of surfaces in an urban environment that are not brickwork such as concrete panels and blockwork. In the relatively close-up pic below you can see brickwork (upper left), a tiled finish (upper right), stone blockwork (lower left) and what I believe was polished marble sheets (lower right). However, in N/2mm mortar courses (and block joints) are not something that would automatically stand out and be obvious, and you need to zoom in very close to see them.

 

DSC_8123.JPG.bd4f248fe5848c355492d473917a24fd.JPG

 

The building below (cruelly enlarged larger than life-size and close-up) is an example of where a light grey wash has been applied to embossed brickwork but you need to be fairly close up to see the individual brickwork effect. One issue is that the mortar courses on N/2mm brickwork is too large and the bricks are too rounded (looking rather like dashes and dots), but overall it the impression of brickwork that I've tried to capture rather than the absolute individual brick detail. What I hope I've achieved is the look and atmosphere of the actual real buildings. 

 

 DSC_2135cr.jpg.6df9b7c7cac5d3863ead80dcdca611c5.jpg

 

HTH

G

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