Kensington Olympia in n scale

[acg5324]

Prior to a evening session Gin Tasting at Bettys in Harrogate tonight I thought I'd get a bit more done to the Bristol Cars showroom / Hotel.........well better than doing work after the Gin tasting!

 

A couple of pictures showing progress.

All the sides to the bays have been added and the roof has been made but not attached as it will be easier to glaze the top floor with the roof off. The roof of each block of bays is wider as it acts as a balcony for the top floor. This has glass sides. 

i will need to make some of the windows on the top floor into doors otherwise no one will be able to get out.

 

 

A face on view of 380 and 368 Kensington High Street. 

Looking on the Bristol Cars website today I see that they have rebranded the showroom using signage that looks like its off a K type bus........but bigger!    

Edited March 28, 2018 by acg5324

[St Enodoc]

Prior to a evening session Gin Tasting at Bettys in Harrogate

Crikey! Last time I went to Betty's I could only get tea.

[acg5324]

Sister in law had arranged a charity Gin tasting evening. She is one of the managers there.. 6 gins almost no tonic.

[acg5324]

After having been to a Langthornes Buffalo produce today and had the meatyist beef pie known to mankind and chips for lunch I can barely move....but I have just managed to get the first of the bays constructed and glazed too.

As usual there will be curtains to add before its permanently fitted. 

 

York Model Railway Show at the weekend and I do have a pass out to go....probably Saturday.

[St Enodoc]

York Model Railway Show at the weekend and I do have a pass out to go....probably Saturday.

You'll enjoy York. Always a show that features some serious modelling without taking itself too seriously.

[acg5324]

I’ve been a few times over the years it’s a very good show if a little cramped in places.

[acg5324]

All the rest of the windows in the bays were cut out today and glazed. I’ll add the window frames and curtains tomorrow prior to gluing everything in place. This will leave me with the signage, windows and doors etc for the ground floor. Signs have already been printed off.

Pictures to follow.............

[acg5324]

Another weekend another Model Railway show. York was very good once again, plenty of N Gauge and good layouts at that, especially Heworth Sidings and St Ruth, based on Penzance and 2mm FS.

Bought some bits and bobs including some fine etched grills that might work for my class 25 conversion.

Pictures tomorrow.

Edited March 31, 2018 by acg5324

[acg5324]

Just one picture of the latest building today....well at the moment....

 

Bay windows all added, glazed and curtained and populated...........I've since added the top floor windows and ground floor floors and walls, plus the signage. I'll hopefully get some pictures posted later.

 

Below are the few trinkets I acquired at the York show yesterday.

[acg5324]

Some ground floor details being added which need to go in before the glazing and next floor are attached.

The left hand one is the foyer lounge for the Hotel and yet to be started reception for the car showroom. The right hand one is the car showroom! The car is a card kit from the Papermau website of yer actual Bristol Car......not sure which model. I've reduced it to be about 16ft long and printed it out on photo paper and assembled it. The figures are to hide the obvious issues with making it in card so small. The flooring for both is a marble tile from the internet just repeated as a pattern.....it is there the photo has washed it out. The backgrounds ditto and just printed on to photo paper. Tables and chairs I think are some spare Faller ones, people are Merten and Faller.

Signage is produced on word and printed on to photo paper.

[acg5324]

All the windows and interior sets are now installed.............the TWA building will start to get some interiors next. The only thing to add to the Hotel now are the top floor balcony rails and some roof bits.

Looks like I need to re-stick some of the brick paper too. Blow ups are so cruel.

 

Edited April 3, 2018 by acg5324

[acg5324]

Got the top floor balconies added today and the last interior floors added....so other than some roof details the building is finished. Next project will be to complete the Interfrigo van and make a start on the roads and bridge at the south end of Olympia.

 

Photo to follow......

[acg5324]

After a day off from doing any modelling yesterday I managing to get the Canal tunnel at Kings Cross marked off at the second attempt enroute to another 'Control' reunion at The Garland in Redhill and a few pints of Harveys best supped with friends...................................

 

The balcony rails are now installed .

[St Enodoc]

Just one picture of the latest building today....well at the moment....

 

Bay windows all added, glazed and curtained and populated...........I've since added the top floor windows and ground floor floors and walls, plus the signage. I'll hopefully get some pictures posted later.

 

Below are the few trinkets I acquired at the York show yesterday.

Shouldn't the person in the third floor room have drawn the curtains?

[acg5324]

I knew you’d spot that.....what took you so long!

[St Enodoc]

I knew you’d spot that.....what took you so long!

Been in Japan for a week's holiday - Kyoto Railway Museum is superb.

[acg5324]

A shock today, went to the boomerang dept at B and Q and actually found three bits of 12x34mm batten from the same pack that were straight! These will be the supports for Kensington High Street, Holland Rd, Warwick Rd and the bridges, after I check the clearance. The roadways are 5mm ply these were to B and Q’s usual standard, but when screwed to the battens will be OK.

 

I’ve made a start on 25083. This will be my fifth class 25 for moving the Motorail trains and some cross London freights. 25083 was one of only 5 boiler fitted class 25/3’s which means I won’t have to alter the underframe details from the Farish Model.

 

I’ll post some pictures later.

[acg5324]

25231 is the donor for 25083....

 

Firstly centre window enlarged and former doors removed. a bit of filler added to the inside for strength.....

 

The 25/3's have two side windows each side. One side they line up with two of the grills for ease of positioning. On the other side only one lines up with a grill.

 

Once the windows are cut out I will then remove all the grills from the sides and decide whether to use etched grills for the cantrail or just score a grill pattern on them.

[acg5324]

The battens from B and Q remain mainly straight, currently stored next to the layout. I’ve just discovered that my Mitre Block has gone astray so I can’t cut the wood yet. A trip into town tomorrow will include a diversion into Barnitts.

 

I have done a little bit of work on 25083 today and will post some pictures later.

I’m thinking that I will just scribe the cantrail grills and frame them with strip plasticard.

[acg5324]

All the bodyside grills that needed removing are now filled in and sanded flat, cab centre and bodyside windows done. I will need to replace the gutter once the cantrail grills have been added. Loco has been for a wash prior to the photos to get all the dust off.

 

Edited April 12, 2018 by acg5324

[acg5324]

One thing about Model Railways as a hobby is that there are so many disciplines such as electrician, engineer woodworker, artist etc.... and researcher. Building Olympia has entailed quite a lot of research by book and the Internet. The fact that London is changing so rapidly means that buildings that were there in the 70s have long gone and in some cases so have there replacements.

 

Two big buildings remain to be built on the current boards before the smaller shops and the Hand and Flowers pub are built. Charles house on the southern side of Kensington High st will be for later and will need to be shrunk big time to fit. The P.O. Savings Bank HQ has been demolished and replaced by more flats but there are quite a few pictures of it on the web and old street maps have its outline. On the north side of the high street opposite the Bristol cars showroom was St Mary Abbots house and another car showroom belongs to Moors Garage. This building has been demolished and replaced by another office block which has subsequently been modernised and reclad so that it looks nothing like it originally was. Luckily I tracked down the planning application which includes a history of planning for the site...weirdly no date for the replacement building but there is a full set of drawings. It looks like another 1980s brown brick office but it gives me plenty of detail. It’s just a shame St Mary Abbots house date isn’t listed and no photos either.

Edited April 13, 2018 by acg5324

[acg5324]

A little box arrived from Liverpool today containing two GF Leyland Nationals. These will be chopped to make a LT National with Centre doors. In the same box was a ODC Midland Red Plaxton Panorama. The fate of this coach will be as passenger transport for the TWA building once fleet names have been removed.

 

The class 25/3 has had the cantrail grills added to one side so far.....I’ll add some progress pictures later tonight.

 

NGS meeting tomorrow. should be able to finish the class 25/3 and I’m taking the Interfrigo ferry van in to finish off.....plus it’s a chance to play trains.

[acg5324]

A pleasant day at the NGS meeting, class 25/3 finished bar cab front handrails ( made but not fitted ) and it all needs painting.

 

Leyland Nationals chopped up and reassembled to make up the twin door version.

 

The Interfrigo ferry van which has been loitering in a box had some work done on it. Sides finished, door runners and latches added. Just needs some end and underframe details plus the ladders and platforms to finish it prior to painting.

 

My NGS Carflats had a run around the layout with 25011, one of them had an easily solved issue with the Close coupling system after which they ran faultless, even being propelled at highest speed for several circuits.

 

Pictures to follow after I watch where my wife’s Grand National money falls over.

[acg5324]

Well not even enough for a penny chew from the Grand National today.....Mrs G's gee gees romped home in 11th and 12th.......those that finished that is.

 

 

First up is the Interfrigo ferry van

 

Then the Leyland National......finished cutting this at home as I'd forgotten to take the second body with me!

 

 

I'll get the class 25/3 photos posted tomorrow.

Edited April 14, 2018 by acg5324

[acg5324]

For a change I’ve been doing some work on the layout itself over the weekend and today. The road layout and bridges have been set for the baseboard that has the TWA building etc on it.

Modellers license means that Warwick Rd now crosses the railway line!

My relatively straight battens from B and Q weren’t quite as good as they seemed with one batten ranging from 34 to 36 mm deep along the length so some planing was required. Some nice curved......it should be flat.....5mm ply was screwed down to keep it flat. It will get glued later as well. The roads have been marked out with the main ones set at 110mm wide which is enough for 4 lanes, parking and pavements.

 

I will get photos posted along with the class 25/3 later.