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

[grahame]

With a little trimming back of the forecourt building footprint and repositioning, there seems a bit more room, even with the same vans. But probably not enough for a petrol station unless the complete area was used, so lot it'll be.

 

 

 

[grahame]

A start on the compound building this evening using the two card footprint patterns I cut. One has become the floor and the other the lower roof level - the higher roof over the little workshop area is plasticard, as are the walls and shuttering. The building will mostly be hidden behind the shops so it's not exactly a fine and intricate piece of modelling:

 

 

Next a few roof edge details added and the front wall cut (the separate rectangle lying flat). That will need the windows and doors cut out and glazed before fitting in place. 

 

 

It looks a little nondescript and featureless but hopefully with painting and finishing it will look a little more suitable . . . . .

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

[grahame]

Some basic colour on, and the windows and door apertures cut out and added. However, the window wall is not yet fixed in place (in the photo below) but, bearing in mind its tiny size, it's taking shape:

 

 

 

 

 

[grahame]

I've made a start on the forecourt area, which I've tried to make look like concrete, and this is how it looks so far dressed with a few accessories:

 

 

The dumpster bin is a 3D print and the static caravan was scratch-built a while back. I've not yet decided on whether to use it - but if so it'll be behind the first shop on the front right hand corner (yet to be made). None of the cars or accessories are fitted in place and only positioned to give an idea of how it could look. 

 

 

 

[grahame]

I've glazed the door and glued the window wall in place. Then I caught sight of the building across the room and noticed how unnaturally bright and stark the white was, so I've given it a good going over with washes and weathering powder. In the pic below it doesn't appear to have been toned and darkened down much but in real life, believe me, it has. In fact I was wondering whether I'd overdone it  . . .

 

 

 

 

 

[grahame]

I suppose I need to next start on the shop row that overlaps the ground panel with the vehicle forecourt. I've only these rather blurry pics to go on, but they should be sufficient:

 

 

 

There's eight properties in the row in two broad groups; 3-storey ones and 4-storey ones. In order to hopefully fit things in for the necessary compression I'll not include them all. I'll probably go with from left to right 1st and 2nd, then 5th, 7th and 8th which should give an appropriate balance of types.  

 

Next is to roughly scale, design the models and draw up the frontages and footprint. And then start to cut card. Presumably people are interested in the construction of them although it might be a little drawn out timewise. I've an appointment at the walk-in NHS community hospital tomorrow and who knows how long I'll be there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[simonmcp]

All the best for your appointment. I am sure you will be at least ten times faster than the rest of us in construction. I never cease to be amazed at your speed of stunning modelling. Simon

[grahame]

The 3-storey shops appear to be pebble-dashed. And still in this day and age according to streetview. I'll need to work out a painting effect to replicate it - adding irregular stone relief to walls would be tricky and in N/2mm scale it always looks overscale. Also they are pretty small properties with each frontage not much more than the length of an estate car. And I've decided to make the two different types as two separate models and join them when finished.

 

 

[grahame]

While I wait for my xmas provisions delivery from Waitrose (did I order enough beer and wine) I can have a cuppa and put together a kit of parts. Well, walls cut from mountboard. And I can't help noticing how plain and small the actual building is:

 

 

[grahame]

The delivery hasn't arrived yet - a little worrying - but the building has been roughly assembled. The front window wall hasn't been attached as that will need finishing and glazing first:

 

[grahame]

The delivery has arrived and the provisions are put away. And the roof is now on the building. This is a deceptively straightforward and simple structure. The devil is going to be in the details to be added (like sills, fascias, coping stones, shop frontages, and so on) plus the painting and finishing to bring it to life:

 

 

 

[Geep7]

Such fantastic modelling on this thread. Looking forward to seeing them all together on the layout.

 

One question, what thickness of card do you use, and is it any specific type? I'm looking to do similar in 4mm scale, and have some artist mount board spare, but it seems a bit thick. What would you suggest?

[grahame]

I mainly use Daler Rowney mount board from Hobbycraft (£3.30 for an A1 sized sheet). I think it's 1.2 - 1.5mm thick. It's sufficient for N gauge models particularly carcasses and structural walls. I'd suggest you wouldn't want thinner for 4mm/OO.

 

 

[Douglas G]

How do you light your models for your desk top photographs, Grahame?

[grahame]

It can vary, but basically from the right is natural light through patio/french doors and often supplemented by artificial light from the left by a lamp fitted with 5000K daylight bulbs.

 

 

[Douglas G]

Thanks. I'm planning to do some photos myself soon of 2mm gauge coach interiors so was interested to know what you are doing.

[billy_anorak59]

I know you're going for a compound now, Grahame, but just for completeness, I reckon that the brand  of the filling station shown in the earlier screen-grab was 'Burmah':

 

 

Sorry - but it's been driving me mad...

[grahame]

48 minutes ago, billy_anorak59 said:

 

Sorry - but it's been driving me mad...

 

Driving, very good.

 

Are Burmah still around or have they changed name to Myanmar? 

;-)

 

 

[grahame]

Back from the hospital with bandaged foot, an appointment to return and the possibility of a minor op - I certainly hope not. But there's now some details and primer on the first section of the shops:

 

 

(Note regarding the photo - with it being dark outside and no natural light, the model is lit from both sides by lamps fitted with 5000K daylight bulbs).

 

 

[grahame]

Not happy with the sills that I added (above) looking too chunky, although I realise they need to be relatively bold as there is precious little other details to provide relief and interest, I've replaced them with ones that are more restrained and given it a coat of desert yellow. I've 'flown' all around the building in the streetview 3D aerial mode and these shops have very few details to model/add; no chimney stacks, nothing on the roofs, the only rainwater downpipes are at the rear and all the windows at the back appear boarded or bricked up. Odd.

 

Anyway, time to make a start on the other two shops in the row so I can pull it all together as one. They're more interesting although look rather dilapidated and unused. And I've been trying to think what sort of shops the all used to be. I seem to recall one of them, near the bus stop that used to be outside the end ones, was stacked in the windows with dusty and old radios. I don't think they were for sale - maybe repair or disposal. Probably one was a newsagents/tobacconists, but otherwise I'm at a loss. I'll have to make something up.

 

 

 

[grahame]

I've been a little distracted as the postie came with my subscription copy of Model Rail and it includes an article by me so I've spent a little time browsing. My article is about four chemical wagon bashing projects. However, the pages seem to be a little out of order. Page 73 should go (or be read) after page 75 as it refers to the building of project '4' - TDB vinyl chloride monomer bogie tankers - which starts on page 75. Otherwise I'm impressed that the entire article, concerning four projects, extends to six pages.

 

But back to the shops. Here's a pic of how they looked in 2017. It looks pretty run down - there's more grass on the roof than in my garden - although 40 years ago was probably a different story. Finding pics from then is very difficult:

 

 

 

 

[grahame]

I also had a stab at trying to get a pebbledash paint effect. I'm quite pleased with it so far - no doubt when things like sills, coping stones and fascias are picked out/painted, the shop fronts added and it's toned down with weathering, it might pass muster:

 

 

 

[grahame]

I've made a start on the 4-storey shops which will be attached to the others to form a small row:

 

 

 

[grahame]

A little cutting and gluing this afternoon and a dusting of primer and it's starting to take shape, although I've not yet started on the more intricate front window/shop front wall:

 

 

With the varied roof line and chimney stacks it certainly makes the row look more interesting and believable. And of course, with not all the shops/properties included, it makes the overall building a lot smaller and more manageable, but is still based on a real building and representative of a prototype. I'm surprised more layouts don't take that approach and continue with inappropriate RTP building and kits (that haven't been bashed or adapted) - or is that too contentious these days?

 

 

[K14]

6 hours ago, grahame said:

I've been a little distracted as the postie came with my subscription copy of Model Rail and it includes an article by me so I've spent a little time browsing. My article is about four chemical wagon bashing projects. However, the pages seem to be a little out of order. Page 73 should go (or be read) after page 75 as it refers to the building of project '4' - TDB vinyl chloride monomer bogie tankers - which starts on page 75. Otherwise I'm impressed that the entire article, concerning four projects, extends to six pages.

 

But back to the shops. Here's a pic of how they looked in 2017. It looks pretty run down - there's more grass on the roof than in my garden - although 40 years ago was probably a different story. Finding pics from then is very difficult:

 

 

 

 

 

Pretty sure that the left hand shop was a fairly notorious after hours drinking hole called "Scribbles" during the late 1980s & into the 1990s - No 731 OKR according to Google.