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

[grahame]

Perhaps, if it was just a bare location, I'll model a construction site for the 80s/90s building (rather than a derelict bomb site). Presumably it was a steel (or concrete) framed structure with brick facings. That should be an interesting modelling project. And the size could be very easily tailored and designed/made to fit the location. Maybe something like this as it also won't excessively block the view of Fielden House:

 

 

 

 

 

[Jim Martin]

I think a construction site would work well as a kind of "bookend" to the building under demolition you built a while back.

 

Alternatively, the "ruins" in use as a car park would be an interesting bit of inner-city land use.

 

Jim

[Ian Morgan]

This website does not appear to show a direct hit at that location, but plenty in the surrounding area.:

 

http://bombsight.org/#17/51.50471/-0.08498

 

I am currently working on the remains of the coal depot for Freshwater, which when the line closed was only half the length of when it was built. The eastern end wall was very 'temporary' looking compared with the solid wall at the western end. I am beginning to wonder if it was shortened by the Luftwaffe. York University has digitised all the bomb reports, and I can see that two bombs fell on Freshwater, one unfortunately causing two deaths. However, to see the full reports you have to be an academic or a librarian.

 

[grahame]

21 minutes ago, Ian Morgan said:

This website does not appear to show a direct hit at that location, but plenty in the surrounding area.:

 

http://bombsight.org/#17/51.50471/-0.08498

 

 

That's an interesting site although I'm not sure if it is fully accurate (presumably it doesn't record incendiary bombs as it appears that only HE bombs and parachute mines are marked). However, it does mark the infamous Stainer Street bomb hit that killed a lot of people sheltering in the tunnels https://www.londonremembers.com/memorials/stainer-street-arch-bomb .

 

Apparently the Terminus Hotel (on the NE corner of St Thomas Street and Joiner Street) was very badly bomb damaged even if not taking a direct hit. Wikipedia has this to say: "The LB&SCR also built the Terminus Hotel at the station in 1861. It was designed by Henry Currey, architect for St Thomas's Hospital and had 150 public rooms over seven stories. It was unsuccessful because it was on the south bank of the river, so was turned into offices for the railway in 1893. It was destroyed by bombing in 1941".

 

and elsewhere is this: "Both the London Bridge stations were badly damaged by bombing in the London Blitz in December 1940 and early 1941. The shell of the two stations was patched up but the former Terminus Hotel, then used as railway offices, was rendered unsafe and demolished".

 

while Kent Rail reports this: "[Southwark Towers] having been completed in 1975 on the former sites of the booking office and Terminus Hotel. The latter was built in 1861, but was completely destroyed by a bombing raid in 1940.

 

 

[grahame]

Looks like I'll be going with a steel framed building construction site. I've make a few measurement calculations, sketched up a very rough plan and design loosely based on the real 80s/90s building (below) and ordered some suitable 'I' beam styrene. I do already have some but it's probably not enough, so I've ordered the same again to match (it's Dorspring Models make).

 

 

I've also googled and looked through plenty of similar steel framed building sites (there's loads on the web). Many seem to be painted a reddish colour (probably some anti-corrosion protection) and there doesn't appear to be any standard design with them mostly being a jumble of beam framed rectangular boxes, so I'll probably be able to get away with winging it.

 

 

 

[Jim Martin]

I think it's a good choice. So much of your layout is going to be about the juxtaposition of old and new buildings, and this will show that dynamic change in progress.

 

It could be a very interesting model. There's scope for going below street level (I know you already have several levels) and showing concrete footings, or floors with the reinforcing mesh in place but the concrete still to be poured.

 

Jim

 

 

[grahame]

9 hours ago, Jim Martin said:

 

It could be a very interesting model. There's scope for going below street level (I know you already have several levels) and showing concrete footings, or floors with the reinforcing mesh in place but the concrete still to be poured.

 

 

I was planning on a concrete raft (made from card) for the footings/floor and to anchor the framework to, and agree having some rebar mesh panels around would be a nice touch. However, I guess they would be incredibly fiddly and difficult to make in N/2mm - so does anyone know of a suitable source? 

 

It's quite a cramped restricted site so there's not much space around for detailing props but many of the site photos fortunately don't show masses of stored materials and equipment. I guess the steelwork arrives preformed and the erectors just bolt it together. And the concrete would probably also arrive pre-mixed ready to pour in to the footings/floor.

 

 

[aardvark]

On 15/11/2018 at 03:22, grahame said:

I thought I had a yellow Posca pen for the yellow lines but couldn't find it - I'll have to get one. In the meantime here's how it is looking with a few suitable vehicles:

 

 

G.

 

 

 

I generally refrain from out-of-sequence posts, but, quite frankly, you've just blown my socks off.  I've enjoyed following as each building has been brought to life, but way back on 15 November, when you assembled with this segment of roadway ... .

 

My flabber has been gasted.

[grahame]

I can't do much to get on with the steel beam frame construction (until they arrive in the post) but I've tweaked the design, firmed up dimensions and made a start on the scene which will be a completely self contained sub-assembly. Card has been cut that will form the overall base for the scene (the building construction site) and go directly on the baseboard. I've also added a double mountboard thickness 'concrete' base slab. I note from looking at many such steel frame building construction sites that some are on complete floor footprint concrete rafts while others just have each upright anchored on a small concrete pad. The black dots are the locations for the upright beams.

 

 

[grahame]

I've got a few items that should help dress a building site scene (below l-r diesel generator/compressor, fork lift, dump truck and in front a cement mixer) that have been made up from kits and painted, as well as some other items like pallets and barrels.

 

 

 

[grahame]

Apparently the styrene I beams are now posted. With luck they should arrive in a few days time and I can crack on with the steel framed building site.

 

With the sun streaming through the windows this morning it was an ideal opportunity to take a snap of a model that just happened to be on the table in full sun light and with no artificial light. It certainly provides dark shadows and high contrast. This is also a building site but represents the demolition of a building rather than the construction of a new one that the new project will depict. As such it's probably a good comparative foil and excuse for posting another snap:

 

Edited May 20, 2020 by grahame

[grahame]

This morning I've knocked up some roof trusses from the small amount of styrene 'I' beams I had but now I'm waiting for the new supplies to arrive. And then I can get stuck in:

 

 

 

[grahame]

While I wait for the styrene 'I' beams, which will probably be a few days, I can start to tackle another project. 

 

Between Telephone House and Fielden House is a building (I think it is un-named) that will help complete the row in London Bridge Street and the backdrop behind the steel framed building construction site. This will have to be a very much compressed structure (although it's not huge in real life) as there is only a gap of 5 inches available, but it is relatively tall:

 

 

I'll check out some reference photos (hopefully I can find some suitable period ones) and then sketch up a rough plan for the building. It is currently mainly red-brick and fortunately I've recently re-stocked my supplies of my preferred red brick embossed plasticard (although I will paint it). And it is flat roofed so no need for Redutex tile sheets.

 

 

 

 

[grahame]

Zooming and cropping the building on an appropriate period photo makes is rather dark and very fuzzy:

 

 

While the current view seems to show not much change over the last 40 years:

 

 

It's basically a rather simple, plain and nondescript blocky building, so it should be easy and straightforward to knock up. Here's a rough sketch as I see it and next I'll draw a floor plan directly on mountboard ready to cut out to start making the carcass. The only issue is the large number of windows but I'll reduce their number with the necessary compression (due to reduced space availability) by having less columns of them:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[grahame]

A bit of cutting and gluing mountboard forms the basic carcass. Previous carcasses have looked a little like bookcases while this one, being taller than it is wide, gives the impression of a chest of drawers. Here's a quick check of fit for it between the two buildings.

 

[grahame]

Just the addition of a few more parts helps firm up the structure and ensures the building start to take shape.

 

 

But now it's time to put the kettle on and make a pot of tea.

 

 

[grahame]

I've cut the brick embossed plasticard window wall panels (there's only two) and these are just placed in rough position in the pic below. They'll need the apertures cutting, details added, painting and glazing before being glued in place. The small return wall on the tower section (with the roof top door) is glued in place as this will have no windows added. The tower roof is not glued in place and can be easily removed to make fitting the door easy.

 

 

I'm pleased with the progress although this is a straightforward building project. It's simplified by having no flank walls (that need work on) and a flat roof.

[grahame]

This morning I've started marking up and cutting out the window apertures. This is probably one of the most tiresome and repetitious tasks in the building process for large urban buildings with dozens of windows, but get it right and the effect can be great. I'll be using Downsglaze pre-printed windows for this building - it's always good to provide variety between various buildings as it can help add interest and individualise them:

 

[grahame]

All the windows are now cut out - over 30 just for this relatively small building and with only one elevation with windows. The ones on the larger panel are on raised strips as in the real building where they are jutted slightly forward in thin narrow tall bays. It's adds relief and interest to what would be an otherwise plain and unremarkable building. The bottom left of this panel (where there appears to be missing some windows) is for the addition of a lean-to type extension that I'll made and fit later. No need to model windows that will never be seen.

 

Here are the panels just resting in place. Next will be to add the various surface details, like sills and decorative trim, while they are able to be laid flat to work on;

 

[grahame]

Postie has been but no styrene 'I' beams - although it's rather quick to expect them to arrive already.

 

In the meantime the sills are on along with the bay tops and most of the decorative bands:

 

[grahame]

I've taped the panels on the carcass to take this photo which is to check progress, fit and how it looks in its rough appropriate location:

 

 

[grahame]

I've knocked up and added the lean-to structure at the bottom of the building (fairly roughly as it was difficult to discern details from the photos and is very unlikely to be able to be seen when the building is in place on the layout) and given the sub-assemblies/panels a coat of grey primer:

 

[grahame]

Not much since the last update but here's another pic of the new all grey building in place:

 

[grahame]

And finally for today, some basic blocks of colour are now on. Tomorrow I'm going to need to work on it to make it look more realistic. And then there's adding windows and details.

 

 

[grahame]

I've managed to tone it down somewhat so that it fits in better, and once I get the windows fitted it should look better. The pic is probably a little overexposed so that makes it look rather light/bright and I'd also forgotten I'd left the ISO set high which doesn't help either. But I'm relatively happy as in real life it looks fine:

 

Edited May 22, 2020 by grahame