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


grahame
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I think I'm going to have to design the row myself using buildings from further along Tooley Street as a basis. And I'll probably start with the old Antigallican pub from a few blocks away that I recall going in many years ago. It's no longer a pub and only the façade exists with a new office block built behind it, but at least the architecture is effectively preserved. This is how it looked last year when I snapped it. And the building at the other end of the row looks interesting and eye catching:

 

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This is what it looked like in 1980 when it was a pub:

 

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And a poor quality colour snap here:

 

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Being that it will be at the back of the layout against the backscene and in low relief, the pub part will only be relatively small as it is quite narrow along Tooley street yet deeper down Vine Lane (which will be the truncated low relief side).

 

This is the interesting building at the end of the block (how it looked last year when I snapped it):

 

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Here's the current aerial view of the block and my plan of how I'll make adjustments to it for my build which will be as one complete model.

 

The thick black line is the extent of the modelling (from the front) so will form the back of the model to produce a low relief building. I'll leave out the section between the red lines to provide some compression and reduce the overall length of the block. And I'll need to back date the structure by not including the modern block (behind the pub frontage) and the associated flat and modern roofs.

 

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 Next to draw up a footprint plan and some basic elevation dimensions. Plus working out what the roof structure for the pub was.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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And with a few calculations, based on measurement of the aerial google view, the entire block is 164ft (50m) long. With the section to be removed that becomes 131ft (40m) which is 10.25 inches for the overall model length. Which seems about right to me.

 

 

 

 

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I've started to roughly sketch up the front elevation to scale, although the accurate marking up will be undertaken on the actual model walling (plasticard or cardboard) which will be cut out.

 

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12 minutes ago, K14 said:

Hold on...

 

Image is of the corner of Tooley Street & Abbots Lane c.1980.

Can't make out the shop names to the west, but the TGWU is quite obvious in what was The Old Kings Head.

 

 

Ah, yes, thanks. That's given me a bit of a quandary now.

 

I had seen that photo but can't think why I hadn't kept a copy with all the other pic files. Doh!

 

The Old Kings Head is listed on the lost pubs project website but only mentions that it is demolished and no photo.

 

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Really need a Kelly's Directory of the time. Can't find anything online for the 1980s, but the 1914 edition lists these:—

 

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I'll bet a pound that there was still a Caff & a newsagents in the parade until the end... not so sure about the rest.

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I've given it some thought and I'm going to continue with the Antigallican block. It's more interesting with a greater variety of buildings and architectural styles, and it's still in existence so there is some reference to it (despite being modernised). Besides I do remember going in the pub when doing a pub/beer survey in the late 70s (it was serving Courage Directors on handpump). I can always tackle the Old Kings Head block at a later stage if necessary (and I have room to fit it in) although I don't think it was a pub at that time (I certainly don't recall visiting it). Also as complete low relief block models it'll be easy to shift them about and re-order.

 

So this morning I've drawn up and cut the footprint plan from card which helps give a feel for size and shape:

 

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I've started making my usual carcass from mountboard card on to which to hang the walls/elevations. Because of the various roof/floor heights which break up the block length I've used the footprint plan card cut-out complete as a ground floor to provide some rigidity to the construction. I've done this in the past with various builds but usually the top level and the first floor are the complete structural horizontal members over the length:

 

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Some of the roof details are now in place. The pitched roofs will be covered in Redutex to give a nice tile relief finish. The end peaked roof is currently removable as it is not finished and needs to complex dormer window added. And it'll be easier to clad in Redutex as a separate assembly.

 

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I've started cutting some of the wall panels. These won't be fixed in place until fully detailed and completed including painting and window glazing. The pub frontage is rendered so is cut from plain plasticard and will be rolled around the curved corner. The centre building fascias are brick so have been cut from brick embossed plasticard. I'm out of the Slater's stuff so I'm using some Finecast N Flemish bond that I had. I'm not a great fan of it, but being at the back of the layout it will be almost impossible to discern the bricks from the viewing position and I have used it on other buildings:

 

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Progress has slowed down with adding of small details to the pub frontage . . . . and it's far from finished. I've left the curved section details until when it is curved otherwise they are likely to peel and break away when being bent. I'll add pre-bent and curved details then. But now is time for a break and to make an afternoon pot of tea.

 

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Probably the last pic/update for today - need to sort out my dinner. Here's the various sub-assemblies. It may appear that not much has been done since the last post but the pub frontage has seen some progress:

 

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I think this'll do for the pub (Antigallican) façade although there's still painting and windows/glazing to make and add. I've not bothered with fine and small details (like the door panelling, ground floor mid-height beading, etc.,) as this model will be at the back of the layout and behind other buildings and the railway viaduct. And it is N/2mm scale so the height of the façade is only a tad over 3 inches.

 

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Now it's time to crack on with other parts of the row . . . . . . .

 

 

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Next to tackle is the end building frontage, with it's complex and fancy architectural embellishments. I've started by cutting the front wall from brick plasticard and next is to mark it up. Obviously I'll be simplifying the details but hoping to include sufficient to capture the style and look. I'm leaving the ground floor shop frontages for the time being and will make those as separate sub-assemblies:

 

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All the window apertures now cut out, although I need to sort out the semi-circular windows - they need beefing up. I couldn't find anything suitable to draw/cut around and cut them out freehand, but they look rather weedy. But it's not a difficult job to improve. My bigger concern is making all the windows as they are different sizes and have stone mullions and transoms.

 

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Welcome information is that the angled wall at the end has only blind window reveals which saves on making windows/glazing and is simple to model. I've spent a little time on starting to add the architectural details to the walls of the end two buildings and to add the dormer window roof ridge to the pitched roof section. It was quite a tricky complex shape and took a little bit of trial and error. Both end sections (pub and the other end) facades are only resting in place and are not fixed. When that is done they will butt up and reduce/remove the gaps that can be seen below:

 

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Here's the last pic today of progress so far before I settle down to watch a bit of telly. There's five separate sub-assemblies not fixed together in this pic with plenty yet to do. And, hopefully, it's starting to look a little reminiscent of the real block (apart from the elastic band holding things temporarily together;

 

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I've re-jigged the demi-lune decorative topping, covered the end roof tent in Redutex, and added some more architectural details. I think that is probably enough now and others can be suggested by painting (although that stage is a way off AM):

 

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I've got some paint on the end building (some touching up is required) and I'm contemplating whether to add some of the white/grey horizontal decorative stripes as on the actual building. Is my shaky hand up to it and would they over-clutter the model? Perhaps just a few, similar to the reduction of the architectural details I added:

 

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Nearly ready to start contemplating making and adding windows/glazing, and then some dirtying down. This underside view of the wall panels is one that won't be seen when on the layout so I'm not concerned about the poor under edges (window sills, etc) painting. Hopefully it will all look better when assembled.

 

I had a bash at some of the horizontal stripes on the end building but this was as far as I got. I don't seem to have the same steady hand I had when younger. Curse the rheumatoid arthritis in the small joints.  

 

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This pandemic lockdown and time indoors means you can play around with things and experiment. Here's a black and white pic - the only 1980 pic of the pub I have is in black and white so it helps with comparison:

 

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