Making a China Clay Dry for ~£35
Entry posted by GraemeWatson
470 views
Having purchased a single China Clay hood several years ago, in a North East Model Shop, I knew naff all about China Clay workings never mind what it was.
Having a penchant for Western Region diesels, I wanted to build a small playground end to end layout to accommodate them.
An eleven foot potential space across IKEA billy bookcases was the starting point.
Being a fan of scratchbuilding I wanted to tackle a Clay dry to allow the effective display and operation of WR stock. It also dawned on me that China Clay workings could easily be modelled from 1920s GWR to present day.
The clay dry utilised the Kernow/Bachmann Scenecraft design, as well as photos found in railway books. The History of the Redlake Tramway was particularly useful.
I made measurements to allow for one Bachmann five plank to be served by each awning.
I also fancied that a group of four wagons fit the shunting parameters that the layout space gave me.
The superstructure is constructed from ?6mm foam board, braced with further foam board held in place by multi purpose uhu glue.
The stone work is DAS air dry clay, applied to a neat PVA coating on the foam board. The clay is kept malleable by dampening with water whilst being scored and scribed with a clay tool.
The hardest part was coming up with the classic tapered chimney. I don't have access to a lathe to turn wood, but a trip to the local rag man yielded three small table legs that fit the bill perfectly for a Cornish chimney. Roofing is Wills asbestos.
All in all, raw materials cost about £35 assuming a decent selection of modelling tools at your disposal. Construction time: ~forthnight of on and off work.
-
1
2 Comments
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now