Booking Hall

Today's efforts have concentrated on the main roof of the canal warehouse. Yet another mock-up was made to test whether to have a hipped end on it, but in the end I decided that an extended gable would look better, and it gives me somewhere to put a faded sign. After that little exercise the basic structure was knocked up, with the added complication of wanting some holes in the roof to add to the air of dereliction, which in turn meant some interior detail (a couple of trusses). I've just drawn up the valancing to go under the projecting canopies so cutting them out and sticking them on, followed by slating, is tomorrows job.

Now the upper storey is assembled and just needs the copings around the parapet fitting, a canopy over the door making and some rainwater pipes adding.

Thanks Josh, trouble is, I get a bit carried away sometimes and make a lot more work for myself!. I guess 40 years of being a building surveyor means that I can't just 'let things go'.

After a bit more detailing, the canal warehouse lower walls were glued in place, followed by the platform, and attention has turned to the first floor and roof section. I started by spending the whole morning making the turret roof to go on the first floor tower section. The slates are from a Scalescenes kit and the leadwork is nicked from the Model Railway Scenery 1930's low relief factory.

Thanks Stu, that's just the impression I was hoping for!

This weekend's work has focussed on building the loading platform. This is built up from card and balsa, with a piece of foam pizza base cut to shape then scribed and distressed, before painting with various shades of emulsion paint. Note, I misread my ruler and made the paving slabs a scale foot too long!. I need to add a circular base for the crane, and steps leading down to the tunnel after which I can then glue the building sides in place, followed by the platform; and then crack on with the first floor and roof sections.

Thanks Marly51. Much as I would like to crash on with the build, I find that spending time on making a mock up for a complicated structure is time well spent in the long run!

A couple of days work has produced all the main structure sections for the canal-side warehouse and preliminary work on the wharf and loading platform has started. Before I install the fixed (lower) section of the building on the layout (the roof and upper storey has to be removable to allow the box lid to shut) I want to weather the track whilst I can still access it easily.

Mocking up the canal-side warehouse. This will feature a two-storey section giving access to the street on the upper level.

This wallpaper from from a certain nationwide chain of DIY stores with a big orange sign makes reasonably convincing setts of the 'not particularly well laid or cared for back street variety' - and very cheap if you just rip off a few feet from their sampler roll!! I'll dig out the holes a bit more and fill them with grot/puddles.

Thanks Job's Modelling, that looks really good. worth considering I think.

The back part of the first additional box is now largely 'first fix' complete, although I need to either make or buy some corrugated iron sheet(s) to clad the covered unloading area, but until then I'm working on the roadway/tunnel top backscene that will screen the view into the original fiddleyard box.

Well, that's the hugely complicated wiring finished, and all tests OK.

That's the boiler house pretty much finished until I glue the base section in place, when I will add some rain water pipes and weather it. Before I can do that i need to install the controller jack plug and section isolating switches and wiring in the rear wall of the box where it will all be hidden by the building.

Thanks Corbs, usually UHU, as here, but occasionally PVA for certain jobs.

Having got the idea of a roof ventilator in my head, I decided - reluctantly - that I'd have to build it, but once I got started it was simple enough. The main framework is 1.4mm mount board and the sides and louvers are cereal box card, the louvers being almost cut through at the ends and then just tweaked to an angle with tweezers.

Having looked at it for a day, and, more importantly, having looked at numerous photos of West Midlands mills, factories and the like, I decided that the stone just wasn't right, either in appearance or colour, so it's been replaced with Scalescenes aged brown brick. When the glue has dried I will cut out the windows again. The brown cardboard mock up has been made to test the look of a corrugated shed to hide the exit to the fiddleyard. If I'm feeling in need of more 'fiddling about' I might make a lantern ventilator for the boiler house roof.

Some progress over the last couple of days with the boiler house. I thought I was going to clad this in brick paper, but as the factory on the backscene is depicted in ashlar stonework, I decided to use coursed rubble for the 3D bit, with brick detailing. Of course, the backscene is most likely depicting the front of the factory, whereas the boiler house would probably be hidden away around the back, but hey ho. The lower part will be fixed in the box, and the roof and chimney will both be separate pieces.

Hi Martyn, it came from the 'Railway modelling on a limited income' Facebook page, in the files section. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1432769530314576/files/

Work on the bridge has stopped temporarily until I get some ballast, so I've turned my attention to the foreground of the clothing factory. I've modified a free download backscene print to make it 3D and now I need to build the boiler house bit. This will use old, weathered brickwork to give it a Victorian appearance, whereas the single storey workshop extension uses more modern stretcher bond brickwork to suggest something put up in the late 1940's/ early 50's, but now disused and feeling the effects of the downturn in the cotton and clothing markets of the early 1960's. I haven't made the flat roof and parapet yet. The siding adjacent to the boiler house will disappear under a corrugated asbestos or iron canopy to mask the exit to the fiddle yard.

This bridge is taking waaaayyyyy longer than it should, but as I've made it on the skew, every part is different! Almost there now though, just the ballasting and weathering to do, but I'm not happy with the removable canal abutment, so I may remake that. I'm having a play around with a free download of a derelict factory for the back of the left hand box, which will be the next thing to think about.

Lattice girders now finished and primed, these will be let into the bridge deck shortly. Removable abutment made but not yet finished.

One side of the plate girder bridge is nearly complete, I still have the above deck girders and brickwork to weather and the brick parapet walls to build, but it's beginning to come to. As a change from the mainly blue brick I used in the previous two boxes, for this bridge I've used Scalescenes 'weathered aged brown' brick, with blue brick detailing. For the continuation of this bridge over the canal I've decided to try and make lattice girders out of card, just to add variety!

Bridge girders built and awaiting painting. First section of wall installed. Characteristically, I've made work for myself by putting the bridge on a skew, and adding blind recesses in the brickwork.

Thanks for adding your thoughts Simon, no, the exhibition will come around with frightening speed!!