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Just thought I say that I've taken to your advice on scratchbuilding and now I've got myself a nice little scratch building of my own in the works. I found a building I like the look of on google and have managed to build it up to scale. My own version is completely different to the original one as it's low relief and it comprise of a small supermarket and a travel inn. How did you go about making the details for the shop like the food and drink packaging? I take the web is not as helpful on this.

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Just thought I say that I've taken to your advice on scratchbuilding and now I've got myself a nice little scratch building of my own in the works. I found a building I like the look of on google and have managed to build it up to scale. My own version is completely different to the original one as it's low relief and it comprise of a small supermarket and a travel inn. How did you go about making the details for the shop like the food and drink packaging? I take the web is not as helpful on this.

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for the update, sounds a good little project you got there! An Alan Partridge-style Travel Tavern would be fantastic!

 

With the shop interior, some of this can be found online - some heavy googling dug up product pictures, or searching for shop shelving pictures will bring up people who actually do take photographs of this for business purposes! Plan B, if all else fails, go shopping with a camera!

 

I got inspired by two unlikely sources - firstly - the later-gen Grand Theft Auto series of computer games and my sorely-missed shelf-filling roles at Woolies! GTA featured the shop interiors that look 3D but are just 2D images, and then at Woolies we used to receive the Planograms, images of shelves with products virtually 'stacked' on (though rarely did they all fit on in real life!!). I made my own version, having drawn out 'shelves' and then copied pics of Coca Cola bottles, sandwiches, magazines etc - popped together in CorelDraw (Powerpoint or even Excel would work equally well) and printed on the photo paper.

 

28185465592_fc613ded49_b.jpgScratchbuilt petrol station by James Makin for Worthing MRC's Loftus Road by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

As you can see, up close it's only vaguely realistic but from a distance, bang, you have a shop! Amazing what can fool the eye haha!!

 

27674026694_3cbe092532_b.jpgScratchbuilt Petrol Station by James Makin for Loftus Road from Worthing MRC by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

Very best of luck, look forward to seeing how you go!

 

Cheers,

James

Edited by James Makin
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  • 3 weeks later...
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Disaster on Loftus Road as Browning Tool Supplies catches fire..!

 

28008678510_08b01abe72_b.jpgLFB Fire Engine by James Makin for Worthing MRC Loftus Road by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

London Fire Brigade have been called in to prevent the fire spreading further and engulfing Kensington's premier tool suppliers...

 

27674142584_bf4871e33b_b.jpgLFB Fire Engine by James Makin for Worthing MRC Loftus Road by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

We've long had a fire engine on Loftus Road - one of the Oxford models of the Scania pump, fitted with a full selection of flashing blue lights by Pete Hollman. However, we've always been concious that this was still in the West Sussex Fire & Rescue livery, and that there were opportunities to add an extra dimension to the cameo scene.

 

28211812551_5a70fdb2fc_b.jpgLFB Fire Engine by James Makin for Worthing MRC Loftus Road by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

The back half of the fire engine is fortunately made from plastic, meaning it would be easy to open up and model the shutters in open position, with a range of fire equipment inside.

 

28186194502_b131a83caf_b.jpgLFB Fire Engine by James Makin for Worthing MRC Loftus Road by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

The shutters were drilled out and plasticard was used to form the interior - approx 5mm depth inside. The rear of the engine was also cut open to reveal the hose connecting area.

 

28211818171_f269e500f8_b.jpgLFB Fire Engine by James Makin for Worthing MRC Loftus Road by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

Many hours were spent looking at numerous photographs of UK fire engines with the shutters open, just to see exactly what they have inside, and how it is stored! I then spent many more hours fiddling around with plasticard, Blu Tak and wire to recreate the below - 

 

28186195932_bff5e2a513_b.jpgLFB Fire Engine by James Makin for Worthing MRC Loftus Road by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

In line with all my projects, I tend to go over-the-top with research, to try and get the best possible understanding before taking on the project. It was at this point the penny dropped that the London Fire Brigade do not actually have any Scania pumps - they have a Mercedes fleet! However, with the model already having had flashing lights painstakingly installed by Pete, we had to go through with it and this is a might-have-been, borrowing the livery elements from their mid-2000s fleet applied on our existing base model.

 

27674165804_05a8fae162_b.jpgLFB Fire Engine by James Makin for Worthing MRC Loftus Road by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

The LFB livery is fairly plain - an all-yellow rear, with a deep red cab and the classic single yellow stripe. 

 

All the equipment has been painted as per prototype photographs of a loaded Scania pump - complete with orange hoses and boxes for all sorts of life-saving tools!

 

28290192105_4925327319_b.jpgLFB Fire Engine by James Makin for Worthing MRC Loftus Road by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

27674602913_7c1cdd6d00_b.jpgLFB Fire Engine by James Makin for Worthing MRC Loftus Road by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

One of the more challenging parts was how to get the yellow lines to apply correctly over the textured cab body. I decided to apply fine cuts of Tamiya masking tape, pressed down and then painted in Humbrol 99 Lemon Yellow. This gives a pretty reflective look, and bends nicely round the curving body! 

 

Lettering and decals were all homemade in CorelDraw, including custom Kensington station boards and the intricate LFB coat of arms.

 

28211847401_fbe57e73b4_b.jpgLFB Fire Engine by James Makin for Worthing MRC Loftus Road by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

A fire engine is one thing, but of course you need some firefighters and evacuated people to accompany!

 

I started with some cheap unpainted people, leftover from my HST project, and started painting the basic parts of the uniforms.

 

28290209645_a559e2b4a7_b.jpgLFB Fire Engine by James Makin for Worthing MRC Loftus Road by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

As many will know, LFB uniforms have changed over the years, and can be used to date your layout very well. We've gone for a mid-2000s vibe and traditional black uniforms before later changes to the more current brown uniforms as worn by most brigades now. 

 

27674198054_a23a3ed36a_b.jpgLFB Fire Engine by James Makin for Worthing MRC Loftus Road by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

I also wanted to model the respirators (from cocktail sticks) and the helmets are just Blu Tack!

 

The firefighters were then painted yellow to start with (far right) and then the black borders marked out, and filled in very slowly! The silver reflective strips were then added until looking like the below - oxygen masks are in the process of being added when the pic was taken.

 

27674202874_d8e403e51c_b.jpgLFB Fire Engine by James Makin for Worthing MRC Loftus Road by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

27674208314_c807c20776_b.jpgLFB Fire Engine by James Makin for Worthing MRC Loftus Road by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

Here we can see Browning Tool Supplies' staff gathering at Fire Assembly Point 1, further down the road. The company's nominated Fire Marshalls can be seen sporting their Hi Viz jackets, while the shop floor staff are all in the smart blue uniform. 

 

28256026656_5ffa616ebe_b.jpgLFB Fire Engine by James Makin for Worthing MRC Loftus Road by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

27674629903_b9e2f3ca9e_b.jpgLFB Fire Engine by James Makin for Worthing MRC Loftus Road by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

Hoses are added from simple offcuts of red wire and affixed in place. 

 

28255958366_9d1f08ac6d_b.jpgLFB Fire Engine by James Makin for Worthing MRC Loftus Road by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

It won't be long before the LFB have this under control and save our Browning's Tools!

 

Edited by James Makin
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Great work, the fire engine decoration and interior look fantastic!

 

I thought all brigades were changing/have changed to the blue/black fire uniforms, do feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Matthew

 

Could well be, I've just come into this researching, many of the latest pics I could find seemed to have these brown uniforms! These are modelled on black LFB uniforms from a few years back! :)

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The 'Craftsmanship/Clever' icon is very apt considering this is brilliant modelling...with a very well thought up background plot (due to the amount of research). Excellent.

 

Jack.

 

Thanks Jack! Hopefully got many more cameos coming soon, now to finish off some of the scenics on our front extension boards!

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Great work, the fire engine decoration and interior look fantastic!

 

I thought all brigades were changing/have changed to the blue/black fire uniforms, do feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Matthew

 

Here in Dorset they wear a mucky khaki colour.

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Nice modeling there James, very impressed. One thing I do question is the choose of uniform color. I think during the 2000s the uniform was dark wine, not black.

Thanks, that is useful info. I think what I've gone for is the black that would've gone inbetween the earlier wine and the latest uniform, I've grabbed a shot from David Holt of Flickr, dated around 2012, be interesting to know the precise changeover dates of the various uniforms for modellers out there!

 

post-6896-0-81377700-1440403760.jpg

 

Promise I'm not normally googling pictures of Firemen on a Monday morning! ;)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Fantastic modelling there!

The fire engine & crew look superb,like the way you show how its done.

The scaffolding on the building site looks great as well you done a great job with that.

I can say that as i work as a scaffolder,this certainly ain't criticism but the only things its missing are braces & toeboards.

But who cares!

 

I put a facing point down on my own layout,wire'd it up & ballast'ed it before realising!

 

Keep the pics coming

 

Cheers

 

Ben

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