Metcalfe modelling - miscellaneous memories

[The White Rabbit]

8 hours ago, BR60103 said:

Did you do any of the early kits where nothing was pre-cut and they supplied a scalpel?

part of my lockdown work was doing both the original stationmaster's house and the re-release.  photos will probably not follow.

 

 

No, I had just transferred my 'affections' to plastic kits (mainly Wills). A co-conspirator on a layout project did though and he rated them highly at the time. That was probably the first time I'd heard of Metcalfe. I had a good look at the kits he did and thought they looked good and I certainly liked the artwork. It was one of those 'maybe later' suppliers you clock for potential future use - at the time I wasn't modelling a lot. There is (a very poor - sorry!) photo below of the layout we did - he built the Settle & Carlisle Goods Shed (offscene) and Dent Station for this, then the 'grimy old mill' at the front. 

 

When we opened the factory shop, we did sell off some of the last uncut kits cheaply. Railway ones and the (Corgi?) bus garage. 

 

I don't recall the original stationmaster's house kit, though I remember it being included in adverts. I have looked at the current one and wondered... I'm not making too many plans for the future at the moment but one possible scheme could see it or one of the Town and Country cottage range used as a HQ for a narrow gauge railway. Maybe... 

 

If you had both models unattached to baseboards, they could make an interesting comparison. If you do get the opportunity for photos, I'd be interested. 

[The White Rabbit]

I've mentioned the bridge on the Dales village earlier. It was made from the retaining wall kit as their road bridges and tunnel mouths had arches which were too long for what I had in mind:

 

 

This is the bridge over the Wharfe at Buckden, out towards Hubberholme. I wanted shorter arches than this, though similar stonework. If I'd had more time, I would have scratchbuilt something and included refuges as well. The old viaduct PO209 kit would have been ideal for adapting into a two arch bridge but that kit had been discontinued. So I took the arches and facing walls from the retaining wall kit, some stone sheeting and the internal support from a bridge kit and merged them together. I also used various scrap card to brace joins and some tarmac sheet to seal the bottom and prevent any 'water' from flowing into the model when I poured the resin for the river water. 

 

 

Because the retaining wall kit sheets come in pairs, I joined two sheets together - you can see the join on the left hand side of the right arch. If you cut carefully, including round the arch, then this is not too obvious, though I still used some 'ivy' to disguise it. The pier walls under the arches were cut carefully to align with the stonework courses on the facing walls. 

 

 

Sorry about the poor photos, these were just very quick snaps snatched in a few seconds on the workbench - as can be seen by the tools and materials scattered around. And for proper depth of field, at least at the time I took these, you needed better tech or a longer exposure - requiring a tripod, which wouldn't fit in the space without taking the chair out. 

 

 

The brickwork interior came from one of the bridge kits - the courses don't match of course but when in position it would be very hard to tell without using a dentists mirror or viewers grovelling on the floor, looking closely at the underside. And the width of the bridge kit paper was about the same as my bridge, so I used it and made construction a little easier. 

 

 

And the completed bridge, set into the banks, with capping stones and tarmac added. I added earth paint to the piers up to the finished water level and a little beyond to stop the resin soaking into the card and potentially ruining it. Darker shades of paint were used for the deeper water. 

 

I would have liked to have scratchbuilt this and taken proper sequential photographs but time was against me. But a riverbank diorama featuring a bridge and some Town and Country buildings is very appealing, so given time, possibly one day I'll revisit this. 

 

[BR60103]

You asked for it ...

I haven't made a setting for them yet. I've really made too many buildings for the layout.

 

[The White Rabbit]

8 hours ago, BR60103 said:

You asked for it ...

I haven't made a setting for them yet. I've really made too many buildings for the layout.

 

Thanks, that's an interesting comparison and shows how the kits have developed. I can certainly see how the laser-cut parts change the appearance. 

 

Some of Metcalfe's customers don't even have a layout. Or plan to make one. They are a minority but according to Nick Metcalfe some years ago, there are quite a few modellers who just build the kits, whether as something to do of an evening or for a non-railway diorama, countryside, townscenes or even wargaming. The feedback he got was that many such customers just liked building the kits and built each new one when it was released. Then kept them on a shelf, perhaps the way you might with (say) Airfix or Revell plastic kits of ships or cars. 

[The White Rabbit]

Staying at the east end of the diorama, the (unnamed) pub was adapted from PO254, the village shop and cafe kit. The 'shop' kit on the right hand side of the main street was built more or less as per the instructions, with a front yard and porch extension. (See also https://www.metcalfemodels.com/product/po254-00-h0-village-shop-cafe/). For this one, I left out the yard and substituted a front wall and walkway. The porch extension I cut down to form a built out dining alcove and I added an interior to this. 

 

The flowerbeds were given a strip of foliage mat, with GreenScene red, pink and white scatters glued on top to provide a colourful line of geraniums. Strips of horsehair and scatter gave the rather unkempt hedges. The rather worn looking lawn was modelled using textured paint (light earth & yard filth) and strategic scattering of Woodland's fine turf. The picnic tables are the Metcalfe mini-kit, with poles from plastic rodding. The umbrellas are included in the kit (see below). 

 

 

The tables are very simple kits, though care is needed to keep them square and not to fray the edges. The two photos below show three stages, the pack, the bits and the finished tables. 

 

 

 

Fine and sharp scissors are recommended to cut the umbrellas out from the sheet! 

 

I didn't detail the whole interior, just this alcove. With the large windows, it was rather visible and I thought a simple interior would look much better than a grey card shell. The chairs and tables are from Preiser (PR17201/17218) and although they are pre-coloured, I gave them a quick brush with matt brown. Busch provided the glasses (from 7783). Two tiny dots of glue later and we have a cameo of a recently vacated table. There are figures of diners, waiters and drinkers available, though as I found out when finding some for a regular customer wanting to populate his restaurant, not all are suitable for an English country pub or cafe. And figures are expensive! 😉

 

 

The dormer windows have pictures of flower vases on a black background glued behind them - these are not found in the Metcalfe kits but were a refinement I added to show what can be done with a little extra time. I have spent time on various graphics to provide some accessories for simple interiors, including front covers of favoured books... 

 

BTW, I can thoroughly recommend the plastic bottles with a fine nozzle pictured on the right. In my experience, when filled with Woodland's S190 scenic glue, they are very useful in dispensing small and precise quantities of glue. Much easier than the UHU tubes! One thing I used them for a lot was running along the base of buildings in the join with whatever the base was, then using a soft brush to cover this thin line with Treemendus earth. This does help 'bed' a building into the landscape. 

 

 

[The White Rabbit]

One last post on the village before moving on - 

 

 

A view of the eastern end while under construction. I usually use a couple of vehicles to help with road spacing - in this case, two land-rovers. I also find it helpful to have a few figures around to help gauge scale and depth perception - if it looks right, it is right... 'Fred' is having a little lie-down next to the fountain. Accusations of being tired and emotional will be rigorously denied... 

 

And one model built which did not see service on this diorama but was later used for the smallholding diorama described above - the small hen-hut, part of the farm building kit. Like @BR60103, I built a few more buildings than were required but which are very useful for trying out in different locations to see what suits a scene best. I wouldn't claim my refinements to be particularly imaginative but they did improve the appearance. Dark grey paint over the visible floor and where white card might show through (such as down the join between the the exterior walls). I also used this (Revell 74 'gunship grey') on the edges and grooves. Applying this from the inside and with a flat brush reduces the risk of an overspill staining the printed surface. One other technique I've found useful is to snip the tip of a right angled corner on floors off - not a lot, just a tiny piece - this makes the floor fit better and more snugly. 

 

 

I have a couple of pictures of the tools I use to download later for a later post but one very useful implement is the 'bulldog' clip. I keep a couple of dozen around and they help with kit construction. 

[BR60103]

I made some clips out of spring clothespins.  I turn the spring around so that the big flat bits turn into the clamping surface. It also spreads the clamping force out a bit to reduce deformation of the card.

 

[The White Rabbit]

7 hours ago, BR60103 said:

I made some clips out of spring clothespins.  I turn the spring around so that the big flat bits turn into the clamping surface. It also spreads the clamping force out a bit to reduce deformation of the card.

 

I've used clothes pegs for other scenery uses, usually on trees made from sea-moss. I might well give them a try on card kits next time I'm building one.

 

Yes, I should have said bulldog clips can be a bit fierce and if you leave them on for more than a few minutes, it's best to put a protective 'buffer' layer of card or plasticard over any printed surfaces so they don't get a depression embedded into them. I didn't here because I was working quickly - glue on, fold and secure, pick camera up, turn on, 'click', down, turn off and release the clip. 

[The White Rabbit]

Perhaps now might be a good time to talk about tools? I suspect many readers will have their own favourites and some (like David above) will have developed their own. I'm guilty of that too, nothing very exotic or sophisticated but a few things which make life a bit easier. Cocktail sticks, ear wax buds and bull-dog clips join the 'usual'/orthodox sharp knife, metal ruler and tweezers. 

 

I've mentioned Woodland's glue before - I do get on well with it, it's water soluble and concentrated, so I don't need a lot to stick bits together. I keep a 'ready use' supply in an old film canister and apply it with a succession of cocktail sticks (any supermarket). For fine work, I use the Metcalfe fine applicator which they sell - similar bottles are available from other sources though I've not had to look those up yet. UHU is what Metcalfe used to recommend - some modellers dislike it as it can be stringy and mark printed surfaces (if you are quick and tidy, the Woodland glue can be wiped off and either doesn't mark or only leaves a barely discernable mark). I still use it for internal bracing and building up multiple layers of 'grey' card. For more precise work, I use the Woodland glue, with or without cocktail sticks or applicators. 

 

I also use a home made 'shank' - it's occasionally useful for pushing small parts or dragging them into place if access is restricted. Likewise a small screwdriver. Tacky Wax is handy for temporary fixing of small/light pieces (Gaugemaster/Deluxe Materials usually recommend it for figures). Some children's building blocks can be useful as weights and to provide 90 degree angles. Occasionally I do use a protractor (from school days) - this was useful when kitbashing the viaduct kits into retaining walls. And I've just realised I forgot to include my scissors in the shot below! 

 

 

A flat brush and a pointed one complete the tools I use on a regular basis. Perhaps surprisingly, I tend not to use a cutting mat, despite having three. To protect my desk, I have a large book cover - larger than A3 - which acts as a good base. This was courtesy of a stint as a bookshop manager, a publisher gave many covers out for advertising - I salvaged one after the publicity run was over. If I do scratchbuild or kitbash, then a cutting mat comes out. 

 

Do you have any favourites or bespoke tools? 

 

 

[BR60103]

I'll try to photograph some of my tools tomorrow. (It's 10:00 pm here.)

One that I find useful is a steel tray with the edges folded up about 1/2". It has been made square in all respects so that it will hold walls at right angles for gluing (or soldering, if you prefer). By MicroMart. It comes with a set of magnets which used to be cupboard door latches. Runs into problems with buildings with odd extensions.

Also lots of little, tiny brushes with wool? dabs on the end. These take up less glue/paint than most brushes and so are more controllable. My dentist uses the same thing to put glue inside a cavity that she's drilled for a filling.

 

[The White Rabbit]

7 hours ago, BR60103 said:

... Also lots of little, tiny brushes with wool? dabs on the end. These take up less glue/paint than most brushes and so are more controllable. My dentist uses the same thing to put glue inside a cavity that she's drilled for a filling.

 

Sounds interesting. I've tried bristles from a brush (kinder and safer than using the cat's whiskers mentioned on ERs a few days ago!) for fine work such as painting eyes or lips on a figure but have never been happy with them. 

[BR60103]

 

 

 

 

 

These look like big pictures!

 

Top is the square tray, with some other items in it.

Next is the brushes -- called microbrush and available in several sizes, plus a version with bristles. When the cotton ball gets rotten, I snip it off and have a small plastic stick for spreading glue.

 

[The White Rabbit]

The ability to deliver small quantities of paint and glue precisely makes a big difference. I get through a lot of cocktail sticks but find that they do make life easier. 

 

The next memory is an incomplete one - I did intend to pen an article about it for one of the magazines but having lost some computer files and with the details of construction (six years ago) fading into the past, I'm not sure enough of what I did to feel happy submitting an article. 

 

It's probably one of the longest running projects (for the space involved!) on record. I originally started this back in 2007 when the farm buildings kit was released. Like many modellers, I had an idea and put some bits aside 'for later'. 🙄 A mere nine years later, I actually got round to it and built the shed - only to get interrupted again. Six years further on, I finally get to describe what I did! 

 

The kit is officially described as PO252 Farm Buildings (https://www.metcalfemodels.com/product/po252-00-h0-manor-farm-buildings/) - but with the very first delivery, I saw similarities between it and certain structures I'd seen in Wales for housing narrow gauge stock. Coaches rather than cows! A little later, the Tal y llyn Railway built their 'Guest House' which looks very similar to my model. I wish I could claim they pinched my design but it's probably just two minds working on similar tracks. 

 

 

As far as I can remember, this used two kits put end to end to produce a carriage shed about 14 inches long, capable of holding four Peco L&B bogie coaches. In the interval between initial inspiration and actual construction, Metcalfes brought out M0057 stone sheets which I thought looked better than the original block walling, so I used those rather than the original PO252 walling. The timber pieces were used, as were the internal arches pictured below. 

 

 

Because it's a kitbash, there were the usual compromises and fiddles. I tried to make use of as many of the kit's sections and pre-cut/formed pieces as possible but there were times when it felt like building one of the original uncut kits. The timber cards were relatively small compared to the stonework pieces, as the latter were cut from A4 sheets and the timber was from the original kit, designed to be a much shorter building. 

 

 

To keep the whole shell straight (or at least sort of...) I used two whole length pieces of card down the sides. These were reinforced by some spare 'side wall' pieces from the original kit and sandwiched between the gable ends (built as intended) and the cut pieces from the kit and the lower stone walls from M0057. 

 

 

The internal arch pieces and assemblies were kept and installed (almost) as intended to provide a base for the roof. The picture below shows one wall being fitted with these. 

 

 

One end of the shed was modelled with closed doors on the outside - this made things simpler for me but there's plenty of scope for variations and adding workshop or office space, I didn't use all the parts from both kits, though any build on or extension would probably require extra roofing parts. I used all of them for the roofing for the main shed. 

 

 

Once the internal pieces were in place, I added a floor (I had left space for this when fitting the side panels earlier). If I'd been building this for myself rather than as an indulgent research exercise, I'd have added detail at this stage, tools, storage, clutter... 

 

 

Since the photo above was taken, the (RHS) end doors and runner have been installed. There were sufficient roof pieces in two kits to roof this, though the end 20% is fractionally shorter due to having to rob the original kit's extension for roofing to fill the gap and this being slightly smaller than the main roofing pieces. Some ivy up the wall and creeping onto the roof will hide this... 

 

So, a cow shed with a difference... 

 

(If anyone would like this, it's surplus to requirements and available to buy, the roof is provided but not glued in place so you could glue track and anything else for the inside in place. PM me). 

[The White Rabbit]

Most of the models and dioramas done to date have been shown but even without half-completed and any future models which I've mentioned above, there are a few left. 

 

Unfortunately there's been a technical problem with some photos and while I can recover them, it will take a while. So I'll 'stop the clock' for injury time and hope to resume asap. 

 

Two photos to pause on - the special edition kit the Railway Modeller carried with one of their issues. I built this for a small diorama of a curved station platform to show off some of the scenery products I used to sell (both my own and other people's). The only real variation from the instructions were with the posters (mainly inside but also one on the end wall) - instead of using those provided, I reduced some original GWR and TR posters to size and fitted them to the boards. It felt appropriate geographically. 

 

[darrel]

I used to live in Skipton and its noticeable how many of the kits are based on real buildings in Skipton.

[Chris116]

Many years ago I built what I think was the Metcalfe Bus Garage. It was supposed to have three bays but I built it as a one bay bus garage and four short factory ends. I still have it stored and would love to build the same kit in a similar way again but sadly it appears to have been discontinued.

 

[The White Rabbit]

1 hour ago, Chris116 said:

Many years ago I built what I think was the Metcalfe Bus Garage. It was supposed to have three bays but I built it as a one bay bus garage and four short factory ends. I still have it stored and would love to build the same kit in a similar way again but sadly it appears to have been discontinued.

 

Yes, there were quite a few ways to build that kit (PO225). I took the three bay option for the one on the engine shed diorama above and also built one as a carriage shed (not yet pictured) with the three bays arranged end to end. It might not have been an 'exciting' or glamorous kit but as you've shown above, it was good for industrials and warehousing. I don't remember seeing it advertised for a while now but hope you can pick one up second-hand for a sensible price. 

[Chris116]

33 minutes ago, The White Rabbit said:

 

Yes, there were quite a few ways to build that kit (PO225). I took the three bay option for the one on the engine shed diorama above and also built one as a carriage shed (not yet pictured) with the three bays arranged end to end. It might not have been an 'exciting' or glamorous kit but as you've shown above, it was good for industrials and warehousing. I don't remember seeing it advertised for a while now but hope you can pick one up second-hand for a sensible price. 

Just looked on eBay and sensible price doesn't seem to be available. £40 was the best I found and at that price they can keep the kit! At least I now have the code for looking for them so a big thank you for that information.

[Tofufi]

On 10/09/2022 at 15:10, The White Rabbit said:

Back to OO. Today's diorama would probably upset Nicholas (Parsons, not Metcalfe) involving as it does plenty of repetition. Without any hesitation or deviation I have to say, I'm sorry I haven't a clue how to introduce the subject other than to say ... Mornington Crescent! 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for a fascinating thread :)

Does anyone know the PO number of the above kits? They, sadly, don't seem to be available any more but I love the look of them. 

[The White Rabbit]

1 hour ago, Tofufi said:

Thank you for a fascinating thread :)

Does anyone know the PO number of the above kits? They, sadly, don't seem to be available any more but I love the look of them. 

 

I'm glad you've liked it. One of the dioramas 'in progress' is of a pair of these houses with long back gardens, so hopefully I'll revisit the kit in due course. 

 

Yes, the code's PO266 and some descriptions refer to them as 'Voysey' houses. 

 

They were one of my 'favourites' too, like the single viaduct kit. Sadly both gone (with Chris' bus garage above). Good luck finding them second-hand and at a sensible price, though from what Chris said about the bus garage, I wonder if some dealers are taking advantage of their scarcity.