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

[grahame]

44 minutes ago, 37038 said:

Next challenge is to motorise it!

 

Luckily I didn't fit the driver figure so fortunately no need. Phew.

 

[DGO]

6 hours ago, 37038 said:

Next challenge is to motorise it!

Possible in H0/00 but I thing the tracks would be impossible to articulate in N 

[grahame]

If anyone is interested I'll be at the DEMU ShowCase exhibition at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall (23rd - 24th July) with a display/demo stand featuring some of the N/2mm buildings from this thread. Drop by for a chat or further information about how they have been constructed. The town hall is very close to the station. Details here:  https://demu.org.uk/showcase/showcase-2022

 

The photograph below shows my model of two conjoined buildings, 'Bank Chambers' (left) which was once National Westminster's first bank branch and is now a pub, and 'Bridge House' (right).

 

 

[Siberian Snooper]

Unfortunately, Sutton Coldfield is a bit too far to go under the present circumstances, as was the 2mm association showcase in Derby, last weekend, which should be more up your street and theirs, come to that. Although I model in 4mm I can really appreciate some of the 2mm modelling,  in particular Chee Tor and Copenhagen Fields, both of which have trains in the landscape. I get the feeling that your layout will be of a similar standard of modelling.

 

 

Edited June 20, 2022 by Siberian Snooper

[grahame]

Painting is underway on three of N'Tastic's new 3D printed commercial vans, trucks and buses range. My vans are two 1979 Mk2 Ford Transits (a short wheelbase and a long wb/high roof version) and a 1974 Leyland Sherpa:

 

 

Probably should have posted this on the Road Vehicles thread.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[grahame]

This weekend I'll be at the DEMU ShowCase exhibition in Sutton Coldfield Town Hall. I'm on a demonstration stand about making N/2mm structures. Well, it'll be more of a display of some of the building from this thread and an opportunity for a chat about making them. Drop by and say hello.

 

[grahame]

My current N/2mm modelling project is bashing a NGS Loriot wagon kit and Tomytec Poclain TY45 in to a ZYR Lowmac EK mounted with with Poclain grab excavator.

 

 

 

 

 

It's far from complete, still quite a bit to do, and, of course, there are compromises, but it is progressing relatively nicely.

 

 

Edited August 2, 2022 by grahame

[grahame]

A smidgeon of progress on my Poclain/Lowmac ZYR, mainly making one digger attachment and bashing the other Tomytec one:

 

[grahame]

By way of a bit of kit building fun I've recently put together a Ratio goods shed kit. The pic below is just a temporary mock-up setting:

 

 

And I've had a bash at a laser cut kit of a SR shark brake van. They're not particularly straightforward and it needs some decals and couplers added. I'm not sure about the 'wooden' finish of these type of kits although this van is actually made of wood back in 1949.

 

 

[grahame]

For a bit more modelling fun I've starting to make a 'ramshackle workshop', roughly based on the recent new Metcalfe kit which I quite liked the look of. However, I find that Metcalfe kits exude that distinctive Metcalfe corporate style of flat, slightly shiny surfaces, open corners, heavily outlined printed roofing and missing relief details. Consequently, I wondered whether it would be possible to knock up a more convincing model based on one of them.

 

Here's progress to date (but still a lot to do):

 

 

 

Edited October 5, 2022 by grahame

[grahame]

Basic blocks of colour are now on, but they need modifying and weathering, as well as still a lot of details to make and add:

 

 

 

[grahame]

Some progress on the ramshackle workshop. It's got the roof on, windows in and some colour on it but there still details to make and add (gutters, downpipes, flue, etc.,). The background buildings are some I've made for the layout and just used to block out the view of the household mess behind:

 

Edited October 7, 2022 by grahame

[Jim Martin]

Hi Grahame

 

I'm just catching up with this. It doesn't look all that "ramshackle", to be honest!

 

Jim

 

Ps. It was great to meet you at Sutton  Coldfield!

[grahame]

Thanks. It was a pleasant chat at DEMU showcase.

 

Yep, it's not particularly ramshackle but then neither is the Metcalfe kit version; probably just the name they settled on. I did want to make my model run down and possibly derelict, but realized that as I would sell the model, it might be best to make it as a going concern as that would probably appeal to more potential purchasers. And they could always distress and make it ramshackle if necessary.

 

[grahame]

It's been hard work tying to smarten up and finish a Parkwood resin cast body (purchased on ebay) of one of the BR D16/1 diesel twins but I'm coming down the final straight. It's not fully accurate and I'm not entirely satisfied with my efforts, but I've given it a go and hey . . . .:

 

[grahame]

I've just finished putting together NGS kit #18 which makes up in to two standard vans. It's a very cheap kit and provides you with two complete wagons (including decals) for under £5 each although I replaced the plastic Peco wheels with metal ones (which adds to that). Here they are prior to them receiving any weathering and requiring just a little painted detail such as white for the handbrake handles and silver for the buffer shanks.

 

[Ian Morgan]

8 hours ago, grahame said:

Here they are prior to them receiving any weathering and requiring just a little painted detail such as white for the handbrake handles and silver for the buffer shanks.

 

 

... and black for the buffer beam infills.

 

[grahame]

Yep, I used various coloured Posca paint pens, silver, white and black, for picking out the details. Then a coat of matt varnish to seal. Still got weathering to do.

 

 

Edited November 21, 2022 by grahame

[grahame]

Not much modelling of recent - just a little weathering for the NGS kits of BR standard vans:

 

 

And finishing off and arranging the printing of my latest magazine (now available on eBay - see separate thread : https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/165115-british-n-gauge-railway-modelling-issue-no3/page/4/#comments

 

 

[sb67]

Those wagons look good Grahame, how did you weather them, do the methods differ much from weathering in the larger scales? 

[grahame]

Thanks, but I'm probably not the best to ask or explain weathering as I'm more of a bodger and splodger than high class fine practitioner.

 

However, for the vans I first added a coat of deep brown MIG Panel Line Wash. This was then wiped with cotton buds in a downward direction to remove most of the pigment but leaves sufficient in grooves and places where dirt would collect. Then, when that was dry (at least overnight as it's enamel), I added weathering powders to give a more overall grubby patina. It's probably a little heavy, but these vans did get very dirty in real life.

 

I don't know if it's much different for larger scales but I'd assume that with a larger size it would be easier to be more specific with techniques in particular areas. I find N Gauge tends to be more general and overall for weathering.

 

 

 

 

[sb67]

Thanks Grahame, those vans always seemed to carry a dirty brown patina on them, and you've captured that very well 👍

[grahame]

I seem to have lost my modelling mojo of recent. Consequently have not done much and have not been in a position to update this thread. In an effort to kick start things I took some photographs of one of my scratch-built cardboard and styrene model buildings yesterday, ostensibly to try out some photo techniques. Here they are:

 

 

[westerhamstation]

Hi Grahame, Mojo is a elusive little git, it comes and goes without telling you, then comes back when it's had enough of what ever it was it went off for. Nice pictures and in N gauge some excellent modelling. All the best Adrian.

[grahame]

A little update on things associated with modelling.

 

Hopefully I'll be at the DEMU ShowCase exhibition in Sutton Coldfield (17th & 18th June) demonstrating the assembly of N gauge wagon kits. See the exhibition thread for details.

 

In the meantime I'm undertaking some hard physical work in dismantling and disposing of an old garden shed to make room for a new garden office to accommodate the new layout. At my age and disabilities it's hard work which I'm having to take my time over. Just barrowing a load of wood across the open land out the back to the estates communal bonfire takes it out of me. And I've already been four times.

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by grahame
add pic