I still don't like the RMweb blogging feature, but thought I'd give it another try. I'd intended to do a lot of modelling during the summer, and have done quite a lot on my O/O-16.5 gauge Cheapside Yard, but getting back into modelling led me to discover lots of interesting stuff about why I'm so disorganised, and not good at starting and finishing jobs, and I've been working on things to help deal with that. So it's been a worthwhile distraction, as it's just possible I may turn into a prolific modeller, although anything has got to be better than the last 20 or more unproductive years!

Last Christmas I started building Ingletyme, a OO layout intended to get me started with layout building again, and have something running quickly. It didn't get far for various reasons, and has now been dismantled. So this Christmas I'm having another try, with a similar theme, but a new plan, as a test to see if I really have learned how to get things done. While I've been planning it, I've started on the buildings, that will be mostly Scalescenes card kits.

I've been fiddling around with Scalesecenes kits for a while, making mock-ups for Ingletyme and Cheapside Yard, but this is the first time I've made any for real. Unusually for me, I've built the first few following the instructions, so I won't bother with blow by blow accounts. This is what I've produced so far, on my nice tidy workbench that's currently dedicated solely to building card kits:

First up was the old free Small Goods Store, that's no longer available. It's quite a straightforward kit, although a bit less sophisticated that the more recent ones. The front and back walls fold up from the floor, and when I came to fit the ends I found I hadn't got the folds in quite the right place, so there will have to be some junk or something piled up around one corner, as the worst bit of misalignment will be on the visible side right at the front of the layout! I think It's probably a good idea to be prepared to make the buildings twice, once for the practice and to find where things can go wrong, and a second time to get it perfect. I want to get on with the layout, so won't build another now, but might some time.

The second building was the current freebie Weighbridge & Coal Office, which is pretty small, but very solid. I found a few problems with this one. Following the instructions carefully, but without my brain engaged, I made up two glazed windows, and when it was too late realised there is only one window in the building, and I should have stuck frames on opposite sides of the same piece of glazing! I suppose I could have reprinted it, and tried again, but instead I stuck the two windows back to back, and have an extra thick front wall! I don't think it shows, and may help to hide the strange quirk in the design of the kit. Whether you're inside or outside the building, the door knob is on the right of the door, which is why there's no interior detail, as no one can get in! Strangely, that internal wall also has no brickwork printed on it, while the other three do.

The design is quite clever, as the downpipes are part of the inner end wall, that is wider than the outer layer, and the door end is stuck to the side walls with no visible join. But the same method is used at the other end, with no downpipes, so there is a visible join in the brickwork on the front wall. This won't matter to me though, as the front of the building will face the backscene. The badly done join in the brickwork on the chimney won't be seen either!

At the back, the corresponding join is hidden by the corner of the chimney, and this is the side that will be at the front of the baseboard. I didn't get the chimney and roof lined up very well, so this is another candidate for a new build some time. I need to find something suitable to make a chimney pot.

The last kit where I strictly followed the instructions was the road bridge. This will be at the end of the layout, against the backscene, so only one side will be visible. I haven't made the wing walls yet, as I'm not sure if they will be needed. I bought some magnetic corner clamps while I was building it, and they make getting the corners square so much easier than anything I've tried before. I need more of them!

I didn't get the parapets the right length, so may have to get a bit creative with greenery to hide it!

It's been a useful learning experience, and I was definitely getting better as I went along.

The next building followed the instructions for most of the build, which isn't finished yet, but is now starting to diverge from them. I've got another bridge and a tunnel mouth, or possibly two of one or other of them, to build, and I may have trouble not following the rules for them, but I'll try!