Grahame's N/2mm bashes

[Grahame Hedges]

HHC was one board 5ft 6" long and just 22" wide in order to go through the loft hatch. It represented a slice of South London suburbia outside the inner urban area. SLD was meant to represent the inner city urban environment where the railway is on viaducts.

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Just found the track plan for HHC, which shows how small the layout was:



Behind the backscene board was a small fiddle-yard - just two tracks in each direction IIRC. Most of the buildings were based on real ones including two pubs from Croydon and one from Peckham.

 

[AJC]

I remember that I'd seen Hedges Hill Cutting in pictures long, long before I saw it in the flesh: I couldn't believe how small it was! Still - for my money anyway - the best evocation of the suburban south London railway I've seen which, given the tiny footprint, is no mean achievement.

Adam

 

[Phil O]

Both of those layouts just ooze sarf lundun and the southern of my yoof. Do you have any more photos of SLD and a track plan, perhaps?

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Some more SLD pics:

 

[Grahame Hedges]

These 1981 Ford Cargo trucks are 3D prints from Shapeways. They were made available as 1:160 scale but I asked the designer if he'd rescale to 1:148 and make them RHD and he obliged. Both are supplied as three parts (chassis, cab and body) with box van bodies that need separating and assembling. For one of them I've decided to bash it as a scaffolding truck and knocked up open drop side body from plasticard. Scaffold poles and boards to add, and painting and glazing for both. Here they are having been cleaned and primed (in grey, white and black) but do need a little tidying up;

 

[Richard Insole]

I am a little late to this thread... just scrolled back through with my morning cuppa' and boy... you have some really crackin' work here Grahame. I can only but imagine the amount of work that has gone in here!

Quick question, What is your building material of choice here, when bashing your buildings? Apologies if you have previously mentioned this in your posts.

Cheers,
Rich

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Thanks.

The building carcasses are made from mountboard card. Then the outer walls are either card or embossed brick plasticard (or a lamination of both) depending on finish required. The earlier ones on HHC and SLD are all card with Builder Plus brick-paper covering. Details are a mixture of styrene strip or card depending on requirement. Roof finish is Redutex for tiled ones or plain painted card for flat roofs.

 

[Grahame Hedges]

A little slow progress on the scaffold truck. I've got the main colour on and black paint on the cab including the black louvered 'aeroflow' radiator grille that was a feature on many Ford vehicles of the era, window surrounds and the lights and indicators. The side windows will be formed from the PVA type liquid glazing. These details seem to be very small and make my painting, when photo enlarged, look terrible and like I've got very shaky hands. Is N/2mm scale getting smaller?

 

[Allen M]

. Is N/2mm scale getting smaller?

Grahame
YES a long time ago and has now virtually vanished.
However your efforts are very good.
Regards
Allen morgan

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Luckily being very myopic I can see N/2mm scale models close up to my eyes very clearly - it's larger scales that I have a problem with. They need to be further away and then they are out of focus, even with glasses, and out of reach. But it's painting that I'm struggling with ATM and I guess that would apply to any scale and probably be more noticeable in larger ones.

Anyway, I've knocked up a load. It needs a few extras adding like a ladder or two, a bag of clamps/feet/fittings and the obligatory bit of red rag hanging off the end of the poles. I've made it removeable as it was put together in a bit of a rush and I'm not sure how effective looking it is although bearing in mind its tiny size hopefully I'll get away with it:

 

[Tim Hale]

Grahame,

Is HHC still extant and in your possession, its atmosphere was so impressive.

Thank you

 

[Grahame Hedges]

I sold HHC quite a few years back. But AFAIA the club that bought it still has it and did exhibit it (before the pandemic shutdown of exhibitions).

 

[AJC]

A little slow progress on the scaffold truck. I've got the main colour on and black paint on the cab including the black louvered 'aeroflow' radiator grille that was a feature on many Ford vehicles of the era, window surrounds and the lights and indicators. The side windows will be formed from the PVA type liquid glazing. These details seem to be very small and make my painting, when photo enlarged, look terrible and like I've got very shaky hands. Is N/2mm scale getting smaller?

View attachment 138470

I think you may be being a bit hard on yourself. On my screen this lorry displays at roughly the equivalent of H0 scale and looks really very good at that size. That said, it's setting yourself high standards that makes your work so good. Keep going.

Adam

 

[Grahame Hedges]

I've started to get a bit of detailing paintwork on the other Ford Cargo to get it up to the same stage as the scaff truck but it's taking me ages. I seem to have lost some of my modelling mojo and have lots of other non-modelling things on the go. However, the white box Cargo needs a windscreen cut and fitted as well as more paint (red wheel centres, etc), and hopefully to get some suitable decals to pimp it up as a BRS Truck Rental version:

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Here's something a little different - a scratch-built road sweepers hand cart made from plasticard and wire. In N/2mm it's tiny and the photo reveals I need to undertake a bit of tidying up, perhaps sort those wheels out, and finishing.

 

[Grahame Hedges]

Here's some recent painting of tiny things - 3D printed N/2mm scale NSE style ticket machines and permit to travel machines:

 

[Tim Watson]

Crazy!

Tim

 

[Overseer]

That is quite a compliment from someone who specialises in doing impossible small things. Tim probably won't remember but when the old London Area Group of the S7 Group used to meet at Keen House Tim would sometimes pop in and pull the latest under construction loco out of his pocket for us to admire. It was quite a contrast to our S7 models needing large boxes to carry around.

 

[Joe's Garage]

I too remember the 2mm lads at Keen House in the very early days of Copenhagen Fields, always very impressive modelling. Is there a relationship between doctors, dentists and finescale in very small scales?

Graham I have alwas thought the Builder Plus brickpaper was ver effective, is it still available in 2mm? I have a small amount for 4mm tucked away!