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About this blog

UK outline train ferry terminal project in n gauge loosely based on modern southern region prototypes borrowing heavily from Dover Western Docks, Admiralty Pier, Folkstone Harbour, and a little bit of Harwich. Imagine if the channel tunnel hadn't caused the train ferry to close and instead the two complimented each other and built international traffic upto the present day. 'Seahaven' is my realisation of that idea. 

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Entries in this blog

Bridges, boats, and lighting mast bases...

So today has been spent on alot of detail. Taking lots of thin balsa strips and neatening tunnel mouths and providing a bit more structural detail on abutments (additional bridge abutment detail)    (tunnel mouth neatened up ready for some 'concrete' paper   After a comment from another user here I spent a lot of time checking clearances with two types of wagon before sticking down the walls to the HM customs warehouse    (an early train load
Paul Robertson

Paul Robertson

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Painting the billboards...

You might have seen sometime back that I had created a sign sheet with some billboards. To test the theory and the new range of acrylic paints that I had just got I thought I would knock up some billboards and give it a go at painting them.      This was the sort of look I was going for which seem pretty standard with a timber close boarded base. So once again it was out with the balsa wood and marking and cutting    (a base blank marked out with the dims of
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Paul Robertson

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A temporary office...

So today I had a bit of time to do some more modelling and advance my scratchbuilding skills. I need a portakabin type structure to act as a combined office for the ferry and train staff on the quayside. Having done a bit of research on sizes of units and suitably scaled them down to n gauge I started to produce the model   (my sketch drawings and scaled dims of a standard 12155x4050mm portakabin. I initially cut the floor and roof out of thick balsa and glued together with stren
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Paul Robertson

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More signs, barriers, and some point levers

More detailing around the lower yard today having painted the track work yesterday.    (das clay and ballast on the lower yard)    (trackwork painted)    The first detail around the yard were more crash barriers to prevent vehicles driving onto the tracks   (barrier by the parking bay)    The next detail was point levers. I made these by bending some 1mm brass tube with plyers and sticking them in some 3mm thick balsa.   
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Coming together...

Some times modelling can feel like a very slow process with very little to show for large amounts of time spent fiddling around. Then one day suddenly everything seems to come together to start looking as one might have hoped.    The past few days have been a slow process of trying to get the road surface looking right and introducing road markings. Lots of wrong turns smudges and lessons learnt. Today has seen a bit more progress in the right direction.    First job of the d
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Small architectural details...

Large chunks of modelling time over the weekend had been spent constructing some wooden trestle legs out of wood I had lying about. Those are still work in progress but very much needed to get the layout off the carpet and away from little fingers and accidental bumps.    Tonight was my first model night of the week and so I first tried to make some gully grates out of balsa wood as I'm trying to cut down on the amount of money I'm shelling out. Unfortunately it wasn't a success so I n
Paul Robertson

Paul Robertson

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A mini production line...

So having created a security kiosk I was happy with yesterday and with only a limited bit of building time this evening I decided to set up a little production line to produce the two others I required.    (sort of cabin I was looking to create found on a Google search with some useful dimensions that just needed dividing by 148)   By close of play I had managed to complete all three:   (three completed cabins)    And located on the layout
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Paul Robertson

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Fiddling with fiddly balsa...

Having got the basic shell of a station building I wanted to give a bit of detail and shadow relief to the structure.    (starting with the picture windows. In order to get the thin balsa strips to bend enough I had to cut against the grain to allow the grain to bend for me)    Having got the window sills and frames I then turned my attention to the first floor roof which needed a bit of filling. I wanted a lift shaft at the end of the station to give a bit of height. T
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Paul Robertson

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Mixing the civil engineering...

So today was a lot of bits being done round the layout to complete minor bits and bobs whilst waiting for the pva glue water to dry out. The video I watched said the layer of pva would take about 1 hr to dry. Try about 24hrs! So I had plenty of time to do other things   First job was marking out the precast concrete units for the bridge abutments. Having completed this all the lines were weathered to tone them down a bit   (all lining complete)    (some
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Stop Go...

So today the self adhesive road markings arrived from scale model scenery. Having read the instructions which seemed straightforward enough I gave it a go. Tried out one of the cycle lane logos first as a test which with a bit of help from a craft knife and a strip of masking tape. This all went well so tried a 'stop' white lining for the Linkspan. A few minor issues with trying to get the various letters to unstick themselves but in the end all was well. Having managed both stop white lining de
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Paving the way...

Did a bit of work around the station this evening. Produced some brick walls to the rear of the viaduct to represent the rear of the structure. I also used some modern platform paper to complete the finish of the platform surfacing.    (paving paper done from scale model scenery. Like the look of the tactile paving)    (brickwork parapets 'laid' along the backscene)    I also have had time to do a bit of bodge wiring. Whilst my father is a retired electr
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A quick update...

Just a quick update tonight as I didn't have much time. The shrubbery has grown dramatically today with the rest of the embankment covered up. I've left a small amount of embankment clear for a small diorama depicting a landslip.    (embankment fully vegetated)    There are two structures that will adorn the top of the cliff. The first was an abandoned WW2 observation bunker. These were always very crude bits of architecture so thankfully quite easy to model. Digging th
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Tidying the tarmac...

So today was trying to make the best of my clay road surfacing which hadn't come out as I wanted. Firstly I came out with the sandpaper to smooth the surface down as best as possible.    There had also been some shrinkage down the sides of the road overnight as the clay completed dried out.    (clay coming away from the kerb)    In order to fill these gaps out came the balsa filler which did a good job of filling this ready for painting.    My
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My first scratchbuilt building...

As well as more work on the civil engineering today I also made my first scratchbuilt building. A security kiosk. I need to make about 5-6 of these so this was just a trial run   With a bit of painting and so correct signage I think it should do the job. Greater scratchbuilding challenges lie ahead.    (first attempt at a light mast base. Unfortunately couldn't cope with my drilling a hole in it)    (attempt no2. Working better. This 5mm diameter 3
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