Grahame's N/2mm London Bridge train set

[grahame]

Here's a short update on a few things undertaken on the layout this weekend, although none are of any great consequence or dramatic effect. Not only did I need to order a single slip but I've also had to order a large radius curved right hand point. I've a few left hand ones but it's RH that is needed. That means no progress on the station throat trackwork.

However, I've effected a repair on the flat top tower crane and the New London Bridge House office block and I've fixed down the bridge over Boro High Street deck so it's smooth enough to continue to lay track to the west end return loops and fiddle-yard. I've also slightly adapted the crossover so that the left hand end is lightly curved to lead in to the angled platform lines.

And here's a pic taken today, just for the sake of it, of the through platforms.

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Damn. I'm going to have to put modelling on hold for a while. I got run over yesterday and spent most of the day in hospital. A car reversed in to me knocking me flying and hitting the asphalt hard. Ambulance and police were called and I was rushed to A&E. Luckily no bones broken but I'm now quite immobilised and in a lot of pain (knee, ribs, chest, elbow and shoulder) as well as a sling.

 

[oldravendale]

Grahame - that is really rotten for you. Hopefully the driver will be prosecuted for "due care and attention" but that doesn't help your situation and I'll guess that the driver was really upset about it. Deep down the vast majority of people are very decent.

Brian

 

[Tim Watson]

Mend well & quickly!

Tim

 

[John57sharp]

Ouch! I hope you recover well and quickly Grahame.

John

 

[Joe's Garage]

That is not good news, here's hoping a speedy recovery Grahame
All the best
Julian

 

[Tim Watson]

Can’t remember if I’ve posted this before, but it gives Grahame a good excuse for a fuzzy back scene…


And the view today (literally)


Tim

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Great pics. The first view shows the whole of Battlebridge House (both sections built at different times) but shortly before demolition. It's lower left just above the platform canopies and left of Aston Webb house. Photos of Battlebridge House are rare. All the cleared land behind/right was developed as part of the More London regeneration project.

 

[grahame]

I'm recovering from the accident well, although I've still got bruising on my arm, cuts/scrapes on my knee and I'm in pain requiring regular codeine tabs.

This morning a new lens (Viltrox 20mm f2.8 FE) for my camera arrived. So a few quick test shots including one of the layout. Here it is just cropped and reduced in size (the original is over 20MB). I like the dramatic look from the wide angle of view. I need to use the focus bracket function on the camera for image stacking to improve depth of field which tends to be a requirement on miniatures photography:

 

[grahame]

I was hoping to get to the Ally Pally show today but there were no main line trains to London from either of my local stations and according to the website no valid return route. I didn't fancy spending 8 hours over the day on rail replacement buses and diverted trains so I bailed out. And instead took a few snaps of my layout, of which here's one;

 

[David B]

Loving the 3H in that setting Grahame - I used to enjoy watching and hearing them (in blue and grey by then, working turn and turn about with 3Ds) thumping their way to and fro on the Central side. Is there any chance of some details on how you made it?

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Loving the 3H in that setting Grahame - I used to enjoy watching and hearing them (in blue and grey by then, working turn and turn about with 3Ds) thumping their way to and fro on the Central side. Is there any chance of some details on how you made it?

It's cobbled together from various bits; bodies are Farish MK1 coaches with BHE brass side overlays, cab ends from TPM, underframe details white metal castings from BHE and truss rods are etched ones from Ultima, roof details scratch built from wire etc, air horns from TPM, buffers from NBrass locos, motor chassis from bashed Farish class 158, bogie side frames from Farish.

 

[Grahame Hedges]

After a few months lay off I've had another test out of video creating

I certainly need to learn to be smoother with panning and zooming and to improve the focusing.

 

[David B]

Wonderful modelling Grahame - you‘ve nailed the gritty, quirky, almost claustrophobic character of that part of London that I remember so well. Evening rush hour in the 1980s as watched from the eastern end of the Central Division platforms was a non-stop spectacle of operational precision, all relying on the iconic, ubiquitous and indestructible EE507 traction motors, plus the skill of the operators, platform staff and drivers. The old Southern Region was an amazing organisation. I can’t wait to see your lovely EMUs and DEMUs at work on the layout.

 

[grahame]

Several holidays later, the most recent to Florence, Italy, and with the heatwave cooling a little, I've managed to make an effort to get underway with some modelling. I've made up some NGS VCA wagon kits. They need roofs which I'm going to resin cast using a VBA wagon one as the master. Also I'll be casting the pyramid skylights on the station forecourt canopy.

I've partially made up a couple of masters but they need finishing with corner edging added for the frames and then the RTV moulds made. I'll cast them in some clear epoxy resin I picked up yesterday from Hobbycraft while out shopping for cat food. There's a lot of them to cast, so maybe I'll make a couple more masters.

 

[grahame]

Yesterday I finished the masters, mixed up the chemicals and poured the RTV silicon moulds. I waited until this morning for them to cure before de-moulding the masters and getting them ready for casting.

The van roof only needs four castings produced using the Polycraft resin for four NGS VCA wagon kits that I recently made, while the pyramid skylights will need a large number cast from clear Hobbycraft resin. I did manage to cobble together a third skylight for the mould. But with 44 skylights required and just three in the mould that's 15 separate batch castings needed. I hope I've got enough of the chemicals. If I get some time today I'll have a bash at test casting from these moulds.

 

[simond]

Grahame,

could you not make another mould using the same 3 masters, it would halve the duration of the operation!

best
Simon

 

[Grahame Hedges]

I had thought of that and would have done, but unfortunately I'm out of the RTV silicone mould rubber chemicals. I only had just enough for the two made.

 

[grahame]

This heatwave is oppressive - I struggle in such heat. With mixing the chemicals being exothermic I've paused work on the casting efforts, and today have made some good progress on the terminal station trainshed roof which is cutting and gluing mountboard and plasticard. All the north side individual pitched roof main structures have now been made with just the sloping ends to cut and add along with the ridges.

Currently I'm sitting out on the patio in the shade with a cup of freshly brewed tea and slice of carrot cake, and a portable fan gently blowing on me. Hopefully I'll get the roof finished later today and dusted with grey primer. Here's how it is ATM: