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

[grahame]

There is, of course, a difference between tiles and slates, with slates being a natural product and tiles being manufactured (concrete, clay, etc.,).

 

I've measured the ones I used on the shop model (although I can't remember if Redutex categorise them as tiles or slate) and their width is less that 2mm each (with just over six in a 10mm section) so around a scale 9" wide - perhaps a little small but, as you say, probably not noticeable.

 

 

[ikcdab]

Slates varied hugely in size, depending on the quarry, date, application etc. I do think that on a single building they tended to be a regular size. This web page is interesting.

http://www.roofconsult.co.uk/articles/tiling/tips78.htm#:~:text=By 1933 there were over,to 10 x 6-inch.

 

 

 

[Nick Holliday]

4 hours ago, ikcdab said:

Slates varied hugely in size, depending on the quarry, date, application etc. I do think that on a single building they tended to be a regular size. This web page is interesting.

http://www.roofconsult.co.uk/articles/tiling/tips78.htm#:~:text=By 1933 there were over,to 10 x 6-inch.

 

 

 

As this piece from the Slate Association shows, in the past it wasn't unusual to have different sizes of slate, with the smallest at the ridge, and the largest at the eaves. Examples can still be seen around the country, but I haven't been able to locate one I photographed from the walls at York a few years ago to demonstrate the effect.

[Spotlc]

Why not buy it direct from the makers, they have an English language site: https://tienda.redutex.com/en/gaugescaleh000modelingtexture/1094-064ac111-sidewalk-8435570202561.html

Mike

[grahame]

Here's another gratuitous model pic while I decide on the next project and wait for the deliveries of the materials I've ordered. . . . .

 

 

 

In the meantime I might also see if I can try and get my rather dated and currently non-working printer working to make some signage. Fingers crossed.

 

 

[grahame]

During this week just gone, the supplies I ordered on line last weekend have all turned up including Peedie etched palisade fencing, mountboard, slaters 2mm brick embossed plasticard and the Redutex terracotta tiles sheets from DCC Supplies. And yes, they are a match for the favoured squared grey slate tiles they also produce (and that always seem OOS). It just needs a quick coat of grey paint - Halfords grey primer would suffice or Humbrol aerosol grey or even brush painted. So that's an option for ordering, although I do like that Spotlc has provided and on-line link to their site (see post a few above). Has anyone tried to use that yet? 

 

 

 

 

 

[Gedward]

Bovey Tor station built using the 'Pendon' construction method.

 

 

[jazz]

Very nice work.

[phil_sutters]

With your knowledge of the South Metropolitan Gas Works, have you come across any information or pictures of the internal railway or tramway as the OS maps term it? It was still on the maps in the 1950s and they show a system running from the Surrey Canal to various points around the site, although the lines don't appear to have come down to the area you have modelled.

Best wishes for 2021. Phil

[grahame]

I've seen a (very) few pics of the locos and a plan of the track layout on the web but I didn't file them. As you say the railway was mainly concentrated around the north end of the site. The coal didn't arrive by train but by boat and barge along the canal so I guess the railway wasn't that necessary for shunting arriving trucks/trains. The S Met Gas company owned barges and ships, some of which models of were on display in the area offices when I was there. However the railway, engine sheds and retort houses had all gone by then. In their place a modern looking school (the regional training centre) was built and a large staff car park (partially on the cycle track that was in the works). To the bottom (south end) was build the appliance warehouse.

 

The plan (below) must have been late 60s (possibly very early 70s) just before the petrol filling station was built in front of the RTC (as I've marked) which had a loop around forecourt and is basically how I remember the site. The car park was between the RTC and warehouse and roughly where the cycle track (long gone by then) used to be. Towards the back were various DED (distributing engineers department) buildings. I don't think you could get all the way north to the canal by then although in the past the site went back and west along the canal to the Old Kent Road at canal turn where the Livesey Institute (for workers) was. I did go there occasionally at lunch time for a game a snooker and a few beers but you had to walk up the OKR. 

 

 

 

This plan/map below is a little later and shows the road loop in front of the RTC for the petrol station and one of the holders appears to have gone - although there were four when I was there. The Institute was on the far left of the map across the road on the north side of the OKR from the Peckham library.

 

. 

This pic shows the old site with the cycle track/sports ground in the works site at the bottom centre. The retort houses can be seen along the canal which runs left to canal turn at the OKR. In front appears to be coal handling and was where the majority of railway tracks were. The works site extended west along the canal side edge (you can just make out a couple of smaller gas holders) and apparently the works once has a total of seven. The railway also ran along that section of the works as well.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 10, 2021 by grahame

[phil_sutters]

The Southwark interactive map shows the track layout up until 1952, but it had gone by 1964.

[grahame]

Finally, with the recent delivery of Peedie etched fencing, I've managed to get the palisade security fencing installed around the electrical sub-station. It was quite fiddly and is in three sections. Now I need to source a suitable fencing for the works site boundary of that area, and add kerbs, and . . . . .

 

 

[Spotlc]

Grahame, out of curiousity I registered with the Redutex site and put a couple of items in the cart. I live in France, and the postage was 8.99 euros, so I imagine that after the Brexit thing it could be prohibitive to post to UK.  I have heard horror stories about import duty and UK vat being added to things without warning, so ordering direct maybe not such a good idea after all!

Best, Mike

[grahame]

I've registered as well and they also quote 8.99 euros for postage to the UK. Within Spain it is cheaper. There is also a local sales tax (presumably the equivalent of VAT) added. There is no duty due for importing toys/models in to the UK so none should be added. And I think there is an allowance/value for personal goods imported before VAT can be levied.

 

 

 

[Spotlc]

Give it a whirl then! The nearest shop to me that sells it is in Poitiers, which is a 120 mile round trip and they don't have a big selection, so the post is cheaper than the fuel and parking!!

[grahame]

Ah, Poitiers. Another ignominious defeat of the French by the English as part of the 100 years wars along the lines of Crecy and Agincourt. The battle not only resulted in a heavy French defeat by a smaller English force but also the capture of their King John II, his youngest son and most of the French nobility who were there. I visited the battlefield site in 2019:

 

 

[Spotlc]

Nice little city though, Notre Dame la Grande has one of the very few Byzantine facades in France, and has been supebly restored recently, and the Hotel de Ville (town hall) is a tour de force! (And the only model shop for miles around!)

[grahame]

Modelling seems to be taking a back seat with just little bits and pieces occasionally getting done. However, below is a gratuitous photo of the gas holder station taken today and how the recently made shop row fits in front - should people not mind such almost visual repetition.

 

Nonetheless I'm quite pleased with the building/structures grouping and progress, but there is still lots to do just for this scene . . . and I couldn't get my old printer working so I'm going to need to order one that can be delivered. Any suggestions for a relatively cheap one?

 

 

Enjoy and stay safe.

 

 

[grahame]

2 hours ago, Spotlc said:

Nice little city though, Notre Dame la Grande has one of the very few Byzantine facades in France, and has been supebly restored recently, and the Hotel de Ville (town hall) is a tour de force! (And the only model shop for miles around!)

 

Yep, had a quick look around the Notre Dame la Grand RC church. We didn't have much time there as we were on our way south to meet up with others, but here's a couple of the snaps I took - trying to handhold a long exposure inside:

 

 

 

 

 

[aardvark]

15 hours ago, grahame said:

Any suggestions for a relatively cheap one?

 

For what it's worth, I'm carefully considering/procrastinating over one of the Epson midrange printers that have Durabrite inks.

[simonmcp]

If you are only going to use it occasionally I would get one where the head is included with the ink cartridge, HP definitely are and some Cannon ones. I know the cartridges are dearer but I had two Epson printers dry out and clog the print head, totally useless, unless you want to try putting brake fluid through to clear them.

[Welchester]

23 hours ago, grahame said:

Yep, had a quick look around the Notre Dame la Grand RC church. We didn't have much time there as we were on our way south to meet up with others, but here's a couple of the snaps I took - trying to handhold a long exposure inside:

 

The most interesting building in Poitiers is the Baptistery. I can't find my photographs at the moment (because they're probably old-style prints), but here's the Wikipedia article.

Edited January 12, 2021 by Welchester
speling

[Spotlc]

We must be careful that Grahame's thread doesn't turn into pages from National Geographic!  But here is the Baptistery:

 

Not a stone's throw from St Pierre Cathedral which also has a spectacular facade:

Best, Mike

[simonmcp]

6 hours ago, Spotlc said:

We must be careful that Grahame's thread doesn't turn into pages from National Geographic!  But here is the Baptistery:

 

Not a stone's throw from St Pierre Cathedral which also has a spectacular facade:

Best, Mike

That'd be a challenge in 2mm scale

[grahame]

I'll try and get the thread back to a bit of modelling (although I don't mind some subject wander especially if it's something of interest).

 

A few pages back I made a Knightwing Pacermaker portacabin model kit having dug it out of a dusty storage box. At the time it was the only one I could find but I was sure I had some more, and while rooting about today have found three further kits - which I've decanted all in to one bag (so I can misplace them all together next time). I also found an unmade Ratio kit of two SR concrete platelayers huts. These are tiny structures but typical of the SR.

 

Although I prefer to make my own models I'm happy to assemble and paint these type of kits for use on the layout especially where several will be used. They (the huts and cabin) are of typical structures that can be found in many places and are pretty good little kits which, of course, you do need to assemble and paint, rather than simply unpack as with RTP stuff. So I've quickly assembled the huts (but not yet painted them):