Over the Christmas break (which now seems like such a long time ago) I attempted to scratchbuild a new engine shed for my upcoming Pottington Quay layout. I have never developed the skills to scratch build to real effect and this effort was just to get the feel of some new materials/techniques. I made a rough out of an engine shed in foamboard and then coated this with PVA glue and DAS clay. This was then scribed when half dry with the sharp point of a needle file and a patchwork of stones was made on each wall. The roof was made from individual paper tiles, cut from plasticky circulars posted through the front door, glued down with PVA glue. The doors and windows were made from wooden coffee stirrers that I recycled from work - which is an excellent source of free scale wood!!
Finished derelict engine shed - minus a few little details - namely guttering and drain pipes.
I particularly like the 'Keep out' sign hand painted on the window
This had various shades of acryclics washed over it before a few sprays of mouldy green around the base - a common of feature of many older buildings in the wet atlantic climate of Devon. The model was always designed as a derelict shed, just away from the new modern facilities of the wagon repair works. To this end, it will be obscured from view by vegetation and is just being used to form part of the 'scene'. The building has things like broken tiles/wonky roof and snapped planks in the boarded up windows/doors to give it a dilapidated look, attempting to make it look like it belongs to to the bygone steam age before rationalisation. There are various little tweaks I need to make to it to finish it off, such as some guttering and drainpipes. However, it is largely finished - and I am pretty happy with it. For sure I know it is not perfect - but it is a first attempt and I certainly know where I went wrong with this one, ready for a more serious attempt next time...and it was great fun to make. We spent many a happy Sunday afternoon watching TV with me sitting on the dining room table building this, as the winter rolled by - lovely memories.
Back of building showing the mouldy green.
The main shed before the roof was finished - I used a Dance Hall brake van under construction to give me a sense of how the finished building would scale up.
The front of the building - I think it needs an old lock added.
Having seen the results that some other modellers get using these materials I was keen to give it a go and having achieved this with my first go and I can now see a way of making more realistic and individual buildings for my layouts. This is a step into a new world of modelling for me and I am keen to make further progress with scratch building.
