Grahame's N/2mm bashes

[Yorkshire Dave]

<<<< INVERTED CLICHE ALERT >>>>. The bus is under the bridge. I repeat, the bus is under the bridge..<<<< INVERTED CLICHE ALERT >>>>

The advantage on modelling inner urban areas - you can get away with buses on or under bridges....

You probably won't be able to see the bus or any other vehicles under the bridge when all the other buildings are in place (as plonked here, without being fixed in place in the pic below). But it's nice to know that there is something there. Or is there?

Ah, with smartphones you can drop them into the streets and take photographs at street level so vehicles, etc would be noticeable by their absence.

These areas would have been inaccessable with larger cameras when we were confined to helicopter views.

 

[simond]

to be fair, busses under bridges are not at all an uncommon sight in that there Lunnun. I guess they make good places for bus stops!

 

[grahame]

The advantage on modelling inner urban areas - you can get away with buses on or under bridges....

Ah, with smartphones you can drop them into the streets and take photographs at street level so vehicles, etc would be noticeable by their absence.

Yep, definitely an advantage.

I've been using a tiny compact camera which is actually smaller than most smartphones (certainly in length and width, although probably about twice as thick), but I wouldn't want to drop it on to the street when the layout is finished as it would be almost impossible to reach from the front of the layout and to have room to pick it up between the tall buildings. That's a snag with N/2mm - everything is a whole lot smaller including the roads and one of the reasons why I take snaps as I progress the layout.

 

[grahame]

Here we go, another pic for the sake of it (but not much progress in the last few days) taken from outside the shed through the side window.

 

[grahame]

Today I've knocked up the plate girder sides for the bridge over Borough High Street. They are not finished and need detailing and painting but the main structure and shape is there even though they are not fixed in place.

It appears that it is two bridges smooshed together, hence the two different shaped sides, and also the underside details (although I'll not bother with modelling that). And, of course, there are now three bridges with a complete new one recently added in front (but that is outside my modelling period) which necessitated demolishing quite a few buildings including those in the foreground of the first pic.

And, yep, a bus under the bridge. But mainly to check that the bridge is sufficiently high enough for buses to pass underneath.

 

[timbowales]

"smooshed", that's not a technical term that I've heard before?

 

[Grahame Hedges]

"smooshed", that's not a technical term that I've heard before?

Not to be confused with smooched. ;-)

 

[Joe's Garage]

From a Google search Tim...."chiefly US, informal : to press or force (someone or something) into a small space. They smooshed us all into one room."
I must be getting old, I hadn't heard it either!

 

[grahame]

Trees are something I find tricky to model and make look good, consequently, with only few on the layout, I've opted for RTP ones. A friend of mine has a number of 4D modelshop trees on his layout which look very good so I ordered a few from them. Apparently the smaller ones have flat trunks but most people underestimate how tall trees are and need to be even on an N/2mm layout. I choose their top of the range ones and was impressed with their service - they're posted the day you order and arrive the following day. Here's two, medium height ones, for the front of the layout and I've ordered, today, some taller ones for the tree next to the cathedral and Bank Chambers building and one for the other end of the layout between the gas holder and Hatfield Close tower block. But that's about it for trees on the layout. The pic, of course, is incomplete - everything is just plonked in place and there are many things still to add such as kerb stones and railings.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

The pic, of course, is incomplete - everything is just plonked in place and there are many things still to add such as kerb stones and railings.

And all the other street furniture plus the all important classic LT concrete bus stop.

It's just amazing how much is required for a 'modern' urban street scene: street lights, litter bins, road signs, road markings, litter, etc, - all the stuff we see, take for granted and walk around.

 

[Grahame Hedges]

And all the other street furniture plus the all important classic LT concrete bus stop.

It's just amazing how much is required for a 'modern' urban street scene: street lights, litter bins, road signs, road markings, litter, etc, - all the stuff we see, take for granted and walk around.

Yep, I'm going to have to make quite a few LT concrete bus stops (probably carve them from styrene) and a lot more street lights (probably from wire and tube). I've been looking to see what is available in N/2mm scale but there's nothing suitable that I've found (unless anyone's knows and can recommend). However I've got some 3D printed litter bins, etched manhole covers and drain grids, and I add the road markings (white and yellow lines) by hand using Posca paint pens. Road signs are quite straightforward but there's sooo much to do.

 

[grahame]

It's about a month since I've been able to do any modelling and a little over two weeks since the operation. The cast comes off and the stitches taken out on Tuesday coming. Hopefully with some physio I'll be back to progressing my layout very soon. Today I was able to take a couple of snaps for the first time since the accident. Here's one, and the bus is not under the bridge. It shows how much I've to do; street furniture, traffic lights, lampposts, drain grids, shop front detailing, and so on . . . .

 

[grahame]

There's been some gradual improvements after following the physio set exercises. Although there's still a way to go, with there still being stiffness, swelling and pain, I've been able to start on some light modelling. The railings/balustrade sections (3D prints from SmartModels) along the footpath in front of the cathedral have been painted and added in place. And I've made and added a small section of building to fill a gap at the very front of the layout. Next to make and add is the distinctive 1970s lampposts, with their large circular heads, on the central reservation at the start of London Bridge.

 

[grahame]

There are buildings on the other side of Borough High Street where the unpainted card pavement is. Here they are just plonked in place, but it's looking rather bare and deserted without traffic, street furniture and figures;

 

[grahame]

I'm now able to undertake a little light modelling, like making the central reservation lampposts with large circular heads, but still mobility restriction and quite a bit of pain particularly in the shoulder;

 

[John57sharp]

Good to see that you are making progress Grahame. Hope the pain goes away soon, those lamps look great by the way.

John

 

[grahame]

I'm still in quite a bit of pain but I'm due a hospital (fracture clinic) tomorrow. In the meantime here's a few samey pics as I've not been able to do much modelling;

 

[Tim Watson]

Maybe samey, but very impressive samey. More please.

Tim

 

[Joe's Garage]

The overall effect is very impressive, just shows how much of the overall scene can be included in 2mm or N gauge.
Keep modelling Grahame
All the best
Julian

 

[grahame]

I've recently got a new camera that has the facility of auto focus bracketing and then stacking the images off camera to give a larger in focus depth of field. Here's an early attempt: