Grahame's N/2mm bashes

[Grahame Hedges]

St Thomas's Street at the front.

I've just looked at google maps and street view to place some of the buildings - or more correctly what has remained. The area around London Bridge is almost unrecognisable now.

Quite a number of 70's and 80's buildings have disappeared with the cost of land at a premium in cities.

Yep, many of the buildings have been demolished often while (or since) I have been making them. Even Colechurch House and London Bridge Walk is now slated for re-development which is a euphemism for demolition.

These are still around and I've started undertaking some finishing and detailing work on St Thomas's church (making and adding doors, the round windows, ridge tiles and the wall with the arched door way between the courtyard and the one in front of the Georgian terrace):

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Here's a couple of pics I don't think I've posted before (apologies if I have) that might be of interest, although they're probably similar to others that have been shown and with just a little progress:

 

[Grahame Hedges]

I've been sourcing detailing items for the construction/building site. These are mostly 3D prints purchased on-line that have been cleaned, prepared and painted:



The palletised cinder/breeze blocks and cement bags are from Shapeways. Of the three cement mixers the centre one is a white metal kit (Thameshead Transport Models I think) that I've had for a while while the other two are 3D printed efforts recently acquired - one from Shapeways and one from DM Models. I've added new larger wheels to one of them as they both had tiny things like castors (as can be seen on the other) which I'd guess would make it hard to manoeuvre over a building site. Since the photo was taken I've found some other wheels and replaced those on the other mixer. But overall, and bearing in mind their small size, they are probably all acceptable for use as detailing items.

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Modelling seems to have taken a back seat recently for reasons I can't seem to put my finger on. But here's a gratuitous photo I recently took that might be of interest. It was set up to illustrate some N/2mm buses, an AEC Routemaster (made from a BHE white metal kit) and a Leyland Fleetline DMS (converted from a Cars Workshop Hong Kong bus model) at a bus stop for an article about N gauge London buses. It was just quickly and roughly mocked-up using unfinished building models and a bit of cardboard for the road:

 

[John Ross]

"A bit of cardboard for the road" Was it Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin that sang that?

Compliments on two excellent models, the wheels in particular make them look the business.

All the best

John Ross

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

t was set up to illustrate some N/2mm buses, an AEC Routemaster (made from a BHE white metal kit) and a Leyland Fleetline DMS (converted from a Cars Workshop Hong Kong bus model) at a bus stop for an article about N gauge London buses.

All looks very good. It shouts 1970/80s London. Excellent.

 

[Grahame Hedges]

After a period of modelling inactivity (mainly due to the weather and undertaking household projects), I've started to get back in the swing and have begun to put together the tricky viaduct support section/abutments and bridge over Joiner Street just up from Findlaters Corner. I've also made a start on the bridge plate girder sides - it has three rather long upright sides (two with curved tops and one straight/flat).

If anyone is interested, here's some pics of the various recent projects. Firstly the three girder bridge sides:



And a fun project of assembling a new Smart Models kit of 1970/80s space invader games machines;

Above is the kit. The model machines are 3D printed. They had a gentle going over with a fine sanding stick, washed/scrubbed with cream cleaner using an old toothbrush, rinsed under running water, dried, glued to a thin wooden stick (cut from an old spatula) and given a dusting of grey primer:



Then a quick blast of gloss black and an attempt to add the waterslide decals, although that was pretty fiddly and tricky. They have to be accurately cut out as they are printed on white transfer paper (which would show if not trimmed right up to the printed colour shape edge) and some of them are absolutely tiny. And the photographic enlargement (below) is very cruel in showing how dodgy my cutting out and sticking has been.

 

[Grahame Hedges]

My bank holiday weekend modelling project was this N/2mm scale ABC cinema. It's based on the Regent/ABC at Chatham (High Street) although it was demolished in 2004 and a block of flats built in its place. I made it for fun as I've no need for a cinema, but it will probably end up on a friends layout so I'll leave it to him to select the film(s) and print off suitable decals/signs for the canopy. The advertising of a film name would instantly date it to a specific year and I'm not sure what year he is modelling (just that it the 60s, I think).



Here's a little about the history of the cinema:

Originally on this site was the Imperial Picture Palace which opened in 1914. It had 1,674 seats and was re-named New Regent Cinema in 1927. Taken over by Associated British Cinemas(ABC) in 1929, it was closed and demolished in January 1937. (The new Ritz Cinema was located diagonally opposite, and although it was built for Union Cinemas, it too was taken over by ABC).

ABC built a new larger Regent Cinema on the site, designed by their in-house architect W.R. Glen, the auditorium had a particularly finely detailed ceiling. The Regent Cinema opened on 11th July 1938. Seating was provided for 1,115 in the stalls and 755 in the circle. Provision was made in the plans for a Compton organ, but one was never installed.

It was re-named ABC on 30th October 1961 and was closed on 22nd January 1972 for conversion into a triple screen cinema. ABC 1,2 & 3 opened on 15th June 1972 with seating for 528, 366 and 172.

It was taken over by the Cannon Group in 1986 and re-named Cannon. It later reverted back to the ABC name in a management buyout. The ABC was closed on 3rd January 2002, two of the final films shown "Harry Potter" and "Lord of the Rings" had been playing to sell-out performances.

On 9th April 2002, the building was damaged by three fires, which were considered arson. A further fire set by vandals caused further damage in September 2003. The former Regent/ABC was demolished in December 2003. Retail units were built on the ground floor, with flats above, catering for key workers and the homeless.

 

[Grahame Hedges]

I've just flicked back through this/my thread and realised that it's mostly buildings and road vehicles, so here's some of my trains that'll be required for the layout. They were made some time ago so are undergoing a renovation and upgrading process at the current time:







The pics are rather cruel (although they're N gauge scale and none are available RTR) which gives an indication of the work on them needed.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I've just flicked back through this/my thread and realised that it's mostly buildings and road vehicles, so here's some of my trains that'll be required for the layout. They were made some time ago so are undergoing a renovation and upgrading process at the current time:

So that's loads of 4-SUBs, 4-EPBs, 4-CIGs, 4-BIGs, 4-CEPs, 4-BEPs, 4-VEPs, 2-HAPs, 2 EPBs, classes 319, 455, 456?

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Here's a brief report on my latest modelling efforts. Not up to the standards of other 2mm modellers but perhaps something a little different from the norm. It the assembly and adaptation of a Walters Cornerstone kit of a 'gas storage tank':



It's basically a gasholder with above ground level water tanks and my aim was to try and make it more representative of a British type frame guided gasholder with below ground level water tank that was more typical of those in London and the South East. Like this one at Old Kent Road:



I've cut down the rigid fixed water tank to represent a moveable 'lift' (a section of the holder that rises and falls) and made and added cross bracing to the bottom level. It's not fully correct or accurate but hopefully now looks more like what I was after:

 

[AJC]

I like that very much indeed - the colouring looks spot on from the one I recall in Yeovil that went, probably 20 years ago.

Adam

 

[Tim Watson]

That looks excellent Grahame. Is it for the LB layout?

Tim

 

[Grahame Hedges]

That looks excellent Grahame. Is it for the LB layout?

Tim

Thanks. And possibly, although I think the nearest gas holders to LB are those in the Old Kent Road. Perhaps I can include it towards the edge/corner where there's is less planned adherence to replicate the prototype. And I did work at the OKR gas works in the 70s so a bit of personal nostalgia.

I've had the kit for many years (got it quite cheaply - it's expensive now) and have made and bashed it recently as a small modelling project for the fun.

 

[Grahame Hedges]

I like that very much indeed - the colouring looks spot on from the one I recall in Yeovil that went, probably 20 years ago.

Adam

Thanks.

The colouring was very much experimental but I was quite happy with the result. It looks a little dark in the photo but that's all about lighting.

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Here's a quick report on my latest recent project which has been putting together a military train. The wagons are all NGS kits - with the Warwells needing a fair bit of work to go together well. All are unfinished with the bogies to complete including fitting etched hand brake wheels and adding decals. The Land Rovers are just ODC RTP efforts while the Saxon APCs are NGS resin kits that I've assembled (very easy with few parts) and painted. Here's how it all looks so far. The train will also include appropriate vans (VEAs and VDAs):

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Here's a closer, lower shot of the Warwell wagons and Saxon APCs from the aerial view (above). There a few things left to do like chain down the loads, perhaps some weathering, painting the axle box covers and adding the bogie hand brake wheels. The kits didn't include them and I've had to separately source suitable etched ones for all the five wagons. I've started fitting those the Warflats but not yet added their decals, while the Warwells have decals on but no hand brake wheels - yet. Anyway here's that gratuitous photo (should it be of interest):

 

[Grahame Hedges]

I've been a bit side-tracked recently so modelling has been a bit slow, but I've now painted the axle-boxes, added handbrake wheels and decals to the bogies and matt varnished them, for both the Warflats and Warwells:





Next to consider is adding loads, although I need to order some chains for tying them down, and then perhaps some weathering.

 

[Grahame Hedges]

I've been making a block, based on the Southwark district gas offices in the Old Kent Road, to go with the gasholder kit that I bashed. It's a typically nondescript almost utilitarian office block, but with some pretensions that are far from achieved. The only thing of note architecturally was the rather grubby atrium that hardly shows as a feature in the model.

Here's progress so far. Not quite complete - roof details and hopper-heads and down pipes to make and add. And the photo is just a quick snap with a compact camera:

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Further to my photo, posted above, of the N/2mm scale Southwark district gas office building, I've now made and added the roof details and hopper-heads and down pipes for it.

More recently I've been scratch-building a rather utilitarian single storey pre-fab structure, that was in front of the office block. It was the medical centre for the gas works in the 1970s although it now appears to be the 'Cliwom Sanctuary of Praise' which according the the internet is a multicultural liberation ministry church. Whatever that is. How things change over time. The more modern Old Kent Road gas showroom, that was in front of the medical centre right on the Old Kent Road next to the entrance gates has been demolished and the area appears to be a playground for the 'church'.

My model is very much compressed and scaled back, as space is at a premium, but hopefully is representative of the real structure. It's not complete as there are several details, like a raised tank on the roof and porch for the main entrance, to make and add. The entrance part of the gas works is starting to take shape. Here it is so far, if anyone is interested.