Grahame's N/2mm bashes

[Grahame Hedges]

It's interesting to see someone has taken the idea to produce 2mm model buses of prototypes not commercially available so to speak.

Having seen the photos and read your 'Titan Trials' I would feel the same way and probably not even touched the model given the amount of work to clean and correct minor inaccuracies.

Could the N scale Leyland Atlantean provide a starting point or is it the wrong shape?

There are two N/2mm RTP Atlanteans - a single door version from BT which is, I think, cast metal, and a two door version from Bachmann Scenecraft which is woefully underscale (even smaller than 1:160 for some reason). Consequently I've persevered with the N-Train 3D print despite it being very blocky and simplified with a rough finish. I've grafted the lower front from my aborted conversion of a HK Cars Workshop Fleetline to a Titan project on to the 3D print to get the necessary front end curvature:


And built up the roof with plasticard and filler to get the slight doming on it:



Currently I'm playing around with the wheels as the one supplied with the N-Train print, although printed in the finer FUD material, look a little big making the bus ride high. I've temporarily fitted the ones from the CW Fleetline (as that is now effectively destroyed) to get an idea of how they look:



Despite the photographs being cruel and close-up, I'm quite pleased with how far it's come from the boxy, featureless 3D printed model I started with. After all it is a small N/2mm model measuring just 2.5 inches long and 1.25 inches tall. It's now looking like a little toy of the actual prototype even if not fully accurate. Hopefully, the rest of the work, tidying up, painting and glazing will help make it look like a little model.

G

 

[Grahame Hedges]

I didn't get much further with the Titan B15 before a package arrived in the post with an order from the 2mm Scale Association. As I'm keen to crack on with the project the bits are for I've put the Titan to one side. I'll have to get back to finishing it off at a later date.

 

[Grahame Hedges]

There's not been a lot of modelling from me recently, but I've had a bash at a 3D printed brake tender. It's not exactly in the same league as Tim's exquisite micro-engineering scratch-building and only required attempting to smooth the printing stratification effect, replacing the moulded handrail grabs with wire, adding some brake handwheels and slapping on some paint.

It's not quite finished and there's still a little to do (touching and tidying up paint, finishing off the weathering, etc.). And apologies for the poor pic it was taken quickly with a snap-gun compact as my DSLR is in for repair/service. I know the decals aren't quite correct - these Stratford built angular brake tenders were heavier than the rounded type at 37t - but they are what were on the Fox sheet :

 

[Grahame Hedges]

A N/2mm building row, based on a real one in St Thomas Street, still not completed but a little progressed recently:

 

[John57sharp]

That’s very impressive Grahame.

Merry Christmas!

John

 

[iak63]

There's not been a lot of modelling from me recently, but I've had a bash at a 3D printed brake tender. It's not exactly in the same league as Tim's exquisite micro-engineering scratch-building and only required attempting to smooth the printing stratification effect, replacing the moulded handrail grabs with wire, adding some brake handwheels and slapping on some paint.

It's not quite finished and there's still a little to do (touching and tidying up paint, finishing off the weathering, etc.). And apologies for the poor pic it was taken quickly with a snap-gun compact as my DSLR is in for repair/service. I know the decals aren't quite correct - these Stratford built angular brake tenders were heavier than the rounded type at 37t - but they are what were on the Fox sheet :

View attachment 114337

View attachment 114338

Seriously tasty brake wheels!

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Not much to report on. I've scratch-built several LT 1970s bus stop shelters and attempted an LT concrete deco style pole and flag. It's whittled from a piece of styrene with a glazed timetable window and the finial carved from plastic rod. It's a little chunky but will have to do until I can find something more suitable.



For my first New Year modelling project I'm attempting to scratch-built three N/2mm wagons - Interfrigo refrigerated vans (dia E375). Here's the early start (with lots yet to do). My plan was to make one body and resin cast several:

 

[Grahame Hedges]

My 'plan' for the Interfrigo refrigerated ferry wagons is to use the body as a master, produce a mould from it and then resin cast several. That way they will at least all be similar (unlike trying to make separate ones) and hopefully quicker, even if they display my dodgy, wonky and inaccurate building techniques. I've started on three chassis (not yet complete and the same is true for the body) so with luck I'll end up with a short rake of three.

In the pic below the main assemblies (roof, body, and chassis) are all separate and just resting on each other. There is still lots to do and add like roof hatches, axle boxes, brakes, handbrake levers, dynamo, bottom door runner, ferry lashing hooks, buffers, couplers, etc. I'm looking to add the handrails and the vertical door looking bars (from wire) and the end step/platforms after casting.

 

[Tim Watson]

A wagon with that wheelbase will soon find any dodgy track Grahame!

Tim

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Probably. The wheelbase is a little shorter than the Farish VGA van and that's reported as a notoriously awkward rider, especially on bends.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I like the bus shelter and flag which must be tricky in 2mm scale.

And apologies in advance for my LT pedant mode - shouldn't the crossbar on the roundel be black?

 

[Grahame Hedges]

And apologies in advance for my LT pedant mode - shouldn't the crossbar on the roundel be black?

Yes, that's what I thought but unfortunately the ones with the route indication squares below were blue on the pre-printed self-adhesive bus stop signs from Modelmaster. I have noticed that the modern LT bus stops now have all red roundels (including the cross bar) and white for request stops as usual. Wasn't blue for night buses? See here: London (Bus) Stop Flags. where there is one with a blue cross bar marked 'coaches' (and an orange circle).

However, I think the Modelmaster ones are a tad too small - if I cut to the edge of the square route indicators as should be the flag looks too small so the one fitted is only temporary until I can 'sort it' out. And hopefully arrange one with appropriate route numbers.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Yes, that's what I thought but unfortunately the ones with the route indication squares below were blue on the pre-printed self-adhesive bus stop signs from Modelmaster. I have noticed that the modern LT bus stops now have all red roundels (including the cross bar) and white for request stops as usual. Wasn't blue for night buses? See here: London (Bus) Stop Flags. where there is one with a blue cross bar marked 'coaches' (and an orange circle).

It may appear Modelmaster may have not quite done their homework and probably didn't foresee LT modellers spotting this .

I think the blue bar and orange roundel for the coach stop flag came in when the buses were deregulated and TfL created. Thus providing coach companies with dedicated bus stops to probably prevent them blocking normal service bus stops. It is possible the all red roundel and bar started to appear at this time. The blue bar originally appeared on early tram stop flags (and remained) before LT adopted their standard bus stop flag.

The night bus stops relied on E plates which were originally black and are now blue.

Red Arrow bus flags were black with a white roundel and RED ARROW in the bar as shown in the link. You could have these on your London Bridge layout for routes 501 Waterloo station - Aldwych - Holborn - St Paul's - Bank - London Bridge station and 513 Waterloo station - Aldwych - Fleet Street - St Paul's – Cannon Street - London Bridge station.

The only other blue E plates were used by LT for some their country area express routes e.g. Green Line 727.

However, I think the Modelmaster ones are a tad too small - if I cut to the edge of the square route indicators as should be the flag looks too small so the one fitted is only temporary until I can 'sort it' out. And hopefully arrange one with appropriate route numbers.

They do look small. Re-scaled photos of the real thing should suffice.

I was fortunate when making mine as I acquired an original flag and some E plates from Garston Garage many moons ago...



.... to photograph and resize to 7mm scale.



LT bus stops and flags are a subject in their own right.....

 

[Grahame Hedges]

I'd certainly like a N/2mm AEC Swift/Merlin or two to use as a Red Arrows but unfortunately I don't think there is anything suitable to use as a starting point for modelling one. Such a shame. I'll have another cast around but I guess it'll probably mean a complete scratch-build and my project list is huge already.

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Back to the Interfrigo wagon. I wasn't happy with the roof - it was too peaky, wonky and each side slopes had melded in to one panel rather then the two at different angles. So I've made another. Here's that latest effort which I'm more pleased with although it's difficult to see in the photo the long narrow roof panels at different angles:

 

[Grahame Hedges]

From the plasticard master (above) I've produced a RTV silicon rubber mould and have cast a few acrylic resin copies. On two of these I've added wire handrails and vertical door locking bars and given them a blast of white primer. The last of three to do and then to concentrate on the chassis/underframes, producing suitable decals and the end steps/platforms. It's slow and gradual progress . . . .

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Modelling has been rather scant recently - I seem to be plagued with feeling unwell and a number of infections and I'm currently on another course of antibiotics.

Nonetheless I've recently been undertaking some building work on Fielden House - the side that will face the front of the layout although (the bottom section at least) will mostly be hidden behind other buildings. Fielden House was (it's now demolished) on two levels. The upper level was at the station forecourt level with to the right Southwark Towers (not in view below but was the tallest building torn down in the UK when it was demolished to make way for the Shard). There were public stairs (at the end of Fielden House) that led down to the lower level of St Thomas Street and Guys Hospital. A bridge from the upper level was added that went over St Thomas Street to a McDonnalds.

The front of the building features a wall of windows (lattice style like the other side) that I've made from styrene strip. There's still some tidying up and detailing required but it's a little recent progress. It's not an exact replica but hopefully captures the character and style of the real thing.

 

[Tim Watson]

Super stuff. Will you put Vic Oddens camera shop on the corner at station level?
There used to be a one man band perform on the steps to the lower street level in the late 70s.

Tim

 

[Grahame Hedges]

This 'social distancing' is providing extra modelling time. Over the last couple of days I've been starting to make and add details for some of the unfinished buildings I've put together in the past. I've added chimney stacks and pots, the complete rear side and gutters and down pipes to the 4-storey burger bar and Budgens shop building. There is still the Budgens shop frontage/display to do and perhaps some weathering, but otherwise that building is just about complete.

Prior to that I'd made a complete building model, not an exact replica but hopefully recognisable, of Telephone House the back of which is facing the viewing position. I've kept the details fairly limited and basic - so as not to overwhelm the model and bearing in mind it will be partly hidden. There is still one fairly major (and potentially fiddly) detail to be made and added (at the left hand end). And that is the outside iron fire-escape staircase. But I need to obtain some material for that, so it will have to wait. However, hopefully it looks like the back of a fairly tall urban 40s/50s office building in the 70s and 80s:



Yesterday I was fiddling around making the frontage for what I term 'cobblers corner' (junction of St Thomas Street and Borough High Street and Kehoe's - specialist in shoe repairs, leather goods and key cutting). I opted for the shutters down look as in this pic. That saves on making glazed windows and shop displays.



The tiny canopies were quite fiddly and they need some further matting down to make them more like material. I'm not looking forward to trying to sign-write them. Also I didn't bother with things like the wavy/scalloped edge at the bottom - too fiddly and frilly. And the canopy along St Thomas Street doesn't extent further right as on the real thing as I've reduced that distance to provide some compression, but hopefully it captures the look and character.

Here's how the whole N/2mm block is shaping up with the buildings just temporarily placed in position (including the burger bar and Budgens shop building mentioned earlier). Strangely, when I list the things still to do on it there is still quite a bit of work required. Today I hoped to tackle more on the cobblers corner building where there are ridge tiles to be made and added, doors to be fitted, and so on, although I won't be attempting the canopy sign-writing yet (I think I'll need to practice first):

 

[D6356]

Graham, This does look first rate - common excellent standard and attention to detail. It does not give its scale away even after a detailed study. This is something to aspire to and inspire! Keep well at this time and hope all goes well.
Robert