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

[grahame]

Its an impressive building. Luckily it's off the planned modelled area.

 

My first visit was in the early/mid 1970s to the infamous Becky's Dive Bar that used to exist below the building before it was closed by the health and hygiene people in the late 70s. Next door (to the right) is the Southwark pub that was one of the few pubs in London where you could get a pint at 6 o'clock in the morning as it was open to serve breakfast to the market porters. Both the pub and market have changed - it no longer seems to be a fruit and veg wholesalers with big lorries unloading overnight but is now a trendy retail stall based market.

 

The dive bar under the hop exchange did reopen, after renovation, in the 80s for a while but was soon closed again. More recently it was renovated, enlarged and re-opened as the Wheatsheaf, as a temporary replacement for real Wheatsheaf around the corner in Stoney Street that was closed while the top floor was taken off to get the new railway bridge over it. I also seem to recall that there is, or was, a strange German beerkeller bar in/under the Hop exchange - not to be confused with Becky's.

 

G.

[darrel]

Outstanding modelling I'm amazed at how quickly you are building these as well.

[grahame]

Thanks for the feedback and compliments.

 

Progress has been slow for a few reasons, not least because it's now got to the dull task stage of making window frames (a bit like ballasting, I suppose) and because I've been side-tracked making and painting a 1:144 (N gauge) scale Hawker Hurricane kit (from a Russian company):

 

 

Not having any authentic aero-colours I had to mix the colours from the paints I had, so they're probably not very representative, and they were just quickly slapped on with a brush. I must sort out the fit of the canopy. But overall the model is quite small and the canopy is smaller than a little finger nail.

 

G.

[grahame]

I've got the side wall completed and in place, and some Redutex tiling on the small extension roof. With just the windows to make and add to the main front wall (although there's 21 to do), and fit it in place, plus a few roof details to add, the building will be completed as far as I'm going to do until it is required on a layout.

 

So now I'm casting around for the next building to model. Not that there's a lack of choice. The overall terminus train shed roof is weighing on my mind but until I have the exact dimensions I can't really make a start on it.

 

G.

[grahame]

Finally got all the windows in place and the front wall on - although slightly skew. It's not quite finished but that'll be it for the time being on this building and I'll start on another:

 

 

G.

[Southernboy]

Most impressive Grahame. You mentioned weathering previously, out of interest, are you using powders / other technique?

Edited January 20, 2017 by Southernboy

[grahame]

Most impressive Grahame. You mentioned weathering previously, out of interest, are you using powders / other technique?

 

For the bank/pub building I have just used weathering powders (applied with a brush) and a bit of damp kitchen roll. The aim was to gently tone down the white colour and add a little variety. I'll probably re-visit the weathering when the buildings are sited on a layout so that they can be adjusted to provide an overall consistency.

 

G.  

[bmthtrains - David]

A beautiful collection of building models Grahame, inspirational modelling as always.

 

I think I can guess both the period and location from what you've modelled so far, and all I can say is I look forward to seeing this layout when it's complete. Will it travel or stay at home?

 

David

[grahame]

A beautiful collection of building models Grahame, inspirational modelling as always.

 

I think I can guess both the period and location from what you've modelled so far, and all I can say is I look forward to seeing this layout when it's complete. Will it travel or stay at home?

 

Thanks. The layout, when it gets built, will be the London Bridge area in the late 70s, 80s and early 90s - but mainly the NSE period. It'll be a stay at home one and I need to move first.

 

For the next building project I think I'll tackle St Olafs House. It's a stylish and art-deco structure built 1928-1932 and is now grade II listed and part of the London Bridge Hospital complex. It's steel framed and clad in white Portland stone, six storeys tall and has a relatively small frontage that is quite open. Should prove a challenge although as usual I'll simplify and compress - it'll be at the back of the layout.

 

http://www.modernistbritain.co.uk/post/building/St+Olaf+House/

[Southernboy]

St Olaf's House: A most interesting building and excellent choice sir!

 

The long, continuous runs of windows across floors one – four are a nice feature, and the lettering for the name of the building itself really quite distinctive.

[grahame]

My initial thoughts and plan is that St Olaf's House going to be a low relief building featuring the Tooley Street front as it's located well back from the kerb, slightly behind Colechurch House (already modelled) and will probably be up against the backscene board. With the style complexity (each floor is slightly stepped back from the one below) I will probably be making it from plasticard (and without my traditional card frame to hang complete flat walls on). Consequently the build perhaps ought not be in this card modelling section but having stared this thread I'll apologize and continue.

 

This morning I visited a local exhibition (Guildford) to stock up on more plasticard sheets and liquid poly glue. Next is to draw up some sketches and work out the build plan.

 

G.

Edited January 22, 2017 by grahame

[grahame]

I been spending some time working on the N Gauge Journal so progress has taken a back seat but this afternoon I undertook some on-line research and drew up a scale sized front elevation plan. Compressing it to fit with the other model buildings has been tricky to maintain the character and style but hopefully it will be recognisable:

 

 

 

G.

[phil_sutters]

St Olaf's will be quite a challenge - but you are not afraid of challenges, are you! I have a small selection of photos which probably don't add much to your references above, but here they are anyway.

[grahame]

After a few days away from modelling I've managed to cut the first bit of plastic for St Olaf House this afternoon;

 

 

G.

[grahame]

A little progress with the ground floor this morning while listening to the radio. But that will all change at lunchtime when the mighty Lions take on Watford live on TV:

 

 

 

G.

[grahame]

Ooops, I got a bit ahead of myself there - the big match is tomorrow - so I've managed to get the side walls on:

 

 

G.

[grahame]

Yesterday was spent watching football and celebrating Millwall's fantastic win - their second Premier team scalp in this years cup.

 

Today it's back to the model and starting to build up the sides. So up we go on the left side to be followed by the right, and then the long horizontal bay windows that connect them. Each floor is cut and added separately to get that stepped back look of the real building. It's a little tricky as the curved end corners needs to be maintained, but also stepped, and the windows still need to line up above each other, but I'm quite happy with progress so far. There's a little flexibility in the plasticard construction to it can be pulled square if need be later. 

 

 

G.

[grahame]

And a little while later, up goes the right hand side. The top (6th) floor has yet to be added but it's different to those below and has no windows at the ends with just a few in the centre section.

 

 

G.

[grahame]

And finally for today I've managed to get the top floor ends on with their flat roofs:

 

 

G.

[Southernboy]

Woosh!

 

I don't know how you work so quickly and at the same time with such competence Grahame.

 

Impressive work.

Edited January 30, 2017 by Southernboy

[grahame]

A little more this morning:

 

 

Hopefully it is starting to look like St Olaf House even if not absolutely accurate.

 

G.

[grahame]

The next stage is to think about, design and build the long horizontal window bays. I had it in mind to use the Scene-Setter glazing bars (see page 78 of the N Gauge Journal 1/17) from the very beginning. So I undertook a quick test dry-run using two sizes that I had. The smaller ones:

 

 

and the larger ones:

 

 

The smaller ones seem to fit better lengthwise but on the real building the window bays are only four panes tall like the larger ones.

 

G. 

[grahame]

I've decided to go with the larger pane size glazing. The white glazing bars will need colouring - I'll probably try using a 'felt' marker type pen if I can find a suitable one in the house. In the meantime I've added the lower parts of the bays. They need beading fixed to their top edge (looks like that will be fiddly) but are now glued in place. The glazing below is only resting in place as it will need to be fitted after painting and I guess installing it will also be fiddly as it doesn't simply glue in place from behind and a top sloping section needs to be added to them. 

 

 

G.

[phil_sutters]

I've decided to go with the larger pane size glazing. The white glazing bars will need colouring - I'll probably try using a 'felt' marker type pen if I can find a suitable one in the house. In the meantime I've added the lower parts of the bays. They need beading fixed to their top edge (looks like that will be fiddly) but are now glued in place. The glazing below is only resting in place as it will need to be fitted after painting and I guess installing it will also be fiddly as it doesn't simply glue in place from behind and a top sloping section needs to be added to them. 

 

 

G.

My, you do like giving yourself a challenge! Beautiful precision work as usual. Glazing is always a tricky bit, especially on complex architecture like this.

[grahame]

Apparently in 1979 the lettering over the loading/unloading entrance read 'Hay's Wharf Head Offices' rather than the current 'St Olaf House' (the sign over the doorway on the right was 'St Olaf House' as it still is). Presumably the large lettering changed when the building became part of the private London Bridge Hospital, but does anyone know when it happened?

 

http://reeddesign.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/02.jpg

 

G.