The next task was to tackle the bay window at the rear of the Stationmaster's house. I used smaller windows here, as I believe is accurate for the prototype. It's possible the window next to the bay windows was also smaller than those of the front, but one thing I had to concede in this project was possible errors due to lack of detailed plans.

I made a paper template to ensure the windows would fit and so I knew how it would fold and fit.

Then I cut a piece of plasticard to the right size and shape, removed the windows and dropped it into a mug of hot water. This made the plastic more supple and I was able to carefully bend the plastic over a steel rule. Care must still be taken as the plastic is liable to snap.

The windows were then fitted to the inside. As the bay window would be a closed unit and I wanted to have some blinds inside, it necessitated painting and glazing early, as I wouldn't be able to access this area later. Plastic tabs were added to the walls to allow fixture of the decorative brickwork strips. Window sills were also added from strips of plasticard across the whole model.

The surrounding areas were masked, the window frames sprayed with a white primer and painted with while acrylics. I made a bit of a mess here and thought the primer alone would be enough, leading to me over spraying and leaving a dis-satisfactory finish. I had to remove much of the paint and start again. None of this should show on the final product.

Once the paint was fully dry I used some Deluxe Materials Glue N Glaze to add the glazing. I like the slightly distorted effect it gives when dry, as if the window is transparent but you can't fully make out what's beyond. It'll be good for buildings with no modelled interior.  I also added a piece of yellow paper to simulate a blind behind the glass!

Then came the magical moment when all the walls are assembled! I like to cut away a thin slice of the backing so one of the walls butts directly against the brickwork of the next. When working with card it's easy to cut this away later as needed. Plastic glued to plastic is much harder to separate! In future I'll need to accommodate this process earlier on. I reinforced the joins with strips of 2mm square rod.

I'm going to make my own tiles from card for the main structure, but settled for a spare piece of Wills tile sheet for the top of the scullery. This helped add some rigidity to the whole thing at this early stage too.

Slated strips of plasticard were added to the dormer windows at the top. I have to be really careful not to knock these off. I can be very clumsy!

The two chimneys were constructed in a similar fashion to the rest of the building and extended further down than needed for the sake of rigidity. Everything I did from this point forward was mostly for that reason as much of it wouldn't have been seen.

The chimneys were subject to some extreme guesswork and I'm certain they're a little short. Adding the stepped brickwork around the top I was able to add a little more height. The stems of spent cotton buds made great chimney pots! Some Das Clay spread between the pots and allowed to air dry makes for some good-looking mortar too. I applied a thin layer of PVA first to help it adhere.

Plasticard sheets were cut to form the roof, supported by the beams made earlier. As stated before, I will be adding my own roof tiles so they will be glued direct to the plain roof. It's a nice change from having only a few roofing sheets which have to be cut to a perfect fit; my own tiles can be cut to cover any gaps. As it happens I actually did a reasonable job on the roof for a change! Some Deluxe Materials perfect plastic putty was used to fill some of the more egregious gaps, the effect of which will be most visible once the primer coat goes on. I'm pleased with how it has turned out so far. Get ready for part 3!

All for now,

Jonathan