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

[grahame]

The old shed is down and disposed of, and already burnt on the bonfire. Next to prepare the ground ready for the base. But as that isn't due to be laid until 29th May, my bit of prep work can wait until next week. The new garden room is due to be erected from 5th June.

 

[westerhamstation]

Hi Grahame, will it be a N gauge size shed covered in plastikard, or a full size timber one. Take it easy and plenty of rest breaks.

All the best Adrian.

[grahame]

3.5m x 2.5m and not cheap.

 

[Ian Morgan]

1 hour ago, grahame said:

3.5m x 2.5m and not cheap.

 

 

That's a lot of plasticard   😜

[grahame]

Yep, it's bigger than it looks. Those paint pots are absolutely massive.

;-)

 

Edited May 13, 2023 by grahame

[grahame]

If anyone is interested in progress, the new shed base is now down. The white area is the interior size (3.5 x 2.5m). Presumably the walls go on the silver strips/edging and the roof overhangs all around. That all gets built in about ten days time. And then the electrics will be installed.

 

[grahame]

The layout shed build is underway. Here's the start and end of the first day. There's still more to be done; window to be installed (to the right of the door), guttering added, etc. And the electric installation is scheduled for about ten days time

 

 

 

Edited June 5, 2023 by grahame

[alangdance]

Hi Grahame. Nice build. Is this a self build. I am looking for some thing Like this. Where did you get it from.

[grahame]

It's not self build. It's supplied as a kit of parts with fitters to put it together. And it wasn't cheap, but tbh at my age I wanted something relatively decent and built for me (too old for that malarkey these day) and have in installed relatively quickly (too old to wait years). The company was Green rooms/green retreats and they have two showrooms one at Twickenham which I visited.

 

 

 

[grahame]

The building work is finished. Now to wait for the electricians - they're not due for nearly two weeks.

 

[grahame]

And inside it's very plain so not a lot to see (plus its difficult to photograph space). The inside floor area is a fraction under 11ft 6" (3.5m) by a bit over 8ft (2.5m) which is probably not to bad for N/2mm scale - double that to 23ft by 16ft for an OO/4mm equivalent layout space. But it's 'obsons as I couldn't have had it any larger anyway.

 

 

 

 

Edited June 7, 2023 by grahame

[grahame]

Now I can get down to some final layout planning and baseboard building. And arrange to have a proper pathway down the side and patio laid. Then the garden can be tidied up.

 

I think my modeling mojo is returning. I'm quite looking forward to cracking on with the layout and getting all my N/2mm buildings out (the construction of them outlined earlier in this thread) and placing them in position. But probably lots to do before then. And even before any trains can be run.

 

[grahame]

I spent the weekend in Sutton Coldfield demonstrating N gauge wagon kit building at DEMU's ShowCase exhibition:

 

 

Then yesterday the electricians arrived to connect and wire up my new shed. Lights, sockets (one with a USB) and consumer unit installed in shed (and an oil filled radiator - not that is needed in this weather) and connected to house with a new consumer unit with MCBs. I'm ready to go.

 

 

  

[grahame]

The timber for the baseboard framework has been delivered. I've carried it through the house and in to the new shed on my own. Nine bundles of 8ft lengths and two 8x4 sheets. I must be getting old as it's knackered me in this humid heat. And I'll need more wood particularly to build a small workbench under the window and for the side/end return loops.

 

 

 

 

[grahame]

Now that my new layout shed is in place I've started a thread in the layouts section to describe the building of the layout: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/180443-london-bridge/#comment-5232007

 

Hopefully that will allow this thread to continue with covering the construction of model buildings and structures (for the layout), with the new thread covering things like the baseboard construction, track laying and the infrastructure - basically the layout.

 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2023 by grahame

[grahame]

I was always aware that the reality of building an operational model railway and fitting pre-built structures on it would cause some opportunities and necessary amendments. The first two have now already arisen. 

 

Firstly, the 'lowish relief' row of shops on the west side of Borough High Street will need some modification. This is due the extra curveage required to get the tracks off scene at the left end of the layout with an acceptable radius. The back corner of the building will need slimming down - not an excessively onerous or difficult task. And besides it needed to be re-visited as it had never been fully completed.

 

 

 

Secondly there is an opportunity to widen and improve my Southwark cathedral model which is very much a progressively compressed low relief effort. This means I can increase the depth and make it overall more prominent. I'll need to check out the real building and ascertain what I can do without too much destruction.

 

When I get around to these two card building amendments/developments I'll report it on this thread - should it be of interest.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 1, 2023 by grahame

[grahame]

I trimmed away a suitable section with a sharp scalpel blade having marked it up with a pencil. It does need a little tidying up in the photo below.

 

 

A piece of card was taped in position to test sufficient had been cut away.

 

 

Then the card was trimmed to fit and glued in place. That's the first issue dealt with although the row does still need finishing.

 

[grahame]

For the second issue I've made a start on the cathedral this afternoon. I've kept the Lady Chapel/Retrochoir as I'd originally made but extended the choir and high altar area by two inches necessitating adding in two new flying buttresses. The transept/crossing and tower remain as the flat facsimile with minimal relief detail. The model is effectively partially hidden behind the railway bridge/viaduct and is lower than the road with a herb garden in front of the Lady Chapel meaning it can't be any deeper.

The new additions have been primer coated and now need painting to blend in with the other parts. And that'll have to wait. The 3D part is not properly lined up in place with the 2D section in the pic below. Currently they are not joined.

 

[acg5324]

Good to see some progress Grahame.

[grahame]

I've got some colour on the recently extended low relief cathedral and both parts are now joined together. But I probably need to add some details.

 

[Siberian Snooper]

Looking good!!

[grahame]

More buildings are required for the layout. As I start to lay out those already made (see the London Bridge layout thread) it helps locate the viaduct and where new buildings are required.

 

One such is a corner location where the viaducts and lines will curve around to reach the off-scene return loops baseboard. Here is the location with a footprint plan from paper:

 

 

Being at the less London Bridge end of the layout and where I've squeezed in the Old Kent Road gas holder station diorama plus being behind the viaduct it will really need a tall building, I thought I'd have a bash at a tower block from further down the OKR towards New Cross Gate. It's a block I lived in, in the very early 70s on the 7th floor, so a little nostalgia.

 

The pic below is from how I remember it and will attempt to make it, but since then it was clad in all grey (which has subsequently been removed due to the fire regs) and is now in terracotta brown/red tiles. It looks worse now than it did in this pic:

 

 

[Calnefoxile]

1 hour ago, grahame said:

Being at the less London Bridge end of the layout and where I've squeezed in the Old Kent Road gas holder station diorama plus being behind the viaduct it will really need a tall building, I thought I'd have a bash at a tower block from further down the OKR towards New Cross Gate. It's a block I lived in, in the very early 70s on the 7th floor, so a little nostalgia.

 

The pic below is from how I remember it and will attempt to make it, but since then it was clad in all grey (which has subsequently been removed due to the fire regs) and is now in terracotta brown/red tiles. It looks worse now than it did in this pic:

 

 

 

Grahame,

 

And no, you can't have the low relief one you did for Hedges Hill Cutting mate 😜😜

 

Cheers

 

Neal.

[grahame]

I've been detailing the shops on Station Approach (later renamed Guildable Manor Street) so that I can get the triangular section completed and in place to fit the bridges and viaduct. Just one (Willian Hills bookies - the dark blue one) to fit out.

 

[grahame]

The betting shop front is done, except for branded signage which will have to wait until I get a new printer. But it will only require gluing to the outside so I can progress.