Beany's Metcalfe OO/HO Engine Shed

[chrism]

Some of the buildings in their range are excellent. I've seen many built up on railway layouts over the years; and was looking at a number of the buildings at Warley show. The brewery caught my eye as a base for a nice scene, as did the old factory and warehouses - just ripe for a nice industrial northern setting with railway line running close by and a canal and viaduct .... (don't tell me - I need a model railway layout - I have access to one and help build stuff for it when I want or get pressganged as it is)

[beany]

The brewery caught my eye as a base for a nice scene, as did the old factory and warehouses - just ripe for a nice industrial northern setting with railway line running close by and a canal and viaduct ....

The brewery and factory are smashing kits - I'll get mine out of the loft tomorrow and take some photos.

Ongoing progress today (well yesterday really, it's 01:08 now)...
The roof trusses are actually mounted on self adhesive paper so you just ease them off, punch out the inserts and double them over on themselves and hey presto, ready to fix into the slots in the side walls of the shed.


I think these are the best part of the kit and make it look really authentic.




The roof vents are made up of eight layer of alternating plain card spacers and printed yellow and black vent louvre pieces, although the yellow wont be seen in the end product. A vertical spacer is mounted first in the roof crease to butt the vents up against.




The small workshop then goes together the same way as the main shed - glazing in first, then fold back and glue any tabs, fix doors to folded back tabs, close the building up then add the roof and gable end.




I added a floor as a strengthener really - that's the beauty of these kits, you can always add bits and pieces and make them more robust.


Just the detailing and touching in of the seam lines with some acrylics and maybe a touch of weathering with pastels left to do.
Cheers
Al.

[SJPONeill]

Once the glazing is in place the Inner Wall can be attached to finish the 4 layer wall sandwich.

Sometimes, with large flat areas like this that have to be sandwiched, there is a risk that the parts may distort slightly (or a lot ) as the glue cures. One way of reducing this is to sandwich the parts between two flat surfaces one of which has some weight behind (any Jane's The World's volume will do the trick) it. To prevent glue oozing out and possibly marking the weighty objects and enabling them to become permanently attached to your build, try some Gladwrap or cling film on each side of the part...

[beany]

Sometimes, with large flat areas like this that have to be sandwiched, there is a risk that the parts may distort slightly (or a lot ) as the glue cures.

I have to admit that has been the case here, but I was just too lazy to organise the very thing you suggest - and I even have a large Janes I can use
The distortion hasn't been too bad in this case, but I will definitely put more effort into future builds.

[splash]

I have a couple of Airfix steam engines in my stash so I might need to get one of these to go with them.

Regards Splash

[beany]

I have a couple of Airfix steam engines in my stash so I might need to get one of these to go with them.

You can make some lovely static dioramas, and of course they look great with a real layout and some live running.

Here are the brewery, factory, and a previously built engine shed hastily arranged up in the loft to give an idea of the effects that can be achieved. This is before adding figures and vehicles and any other "street furniture or accessories...

[splash]

That looks brilliant, the buildings give a lot of atmosphere to the display.

Regards Splash

[chrism]

Those buildings do look good. Your teasing us now with those shots of your loft layout. I guess it must be a reasonable size up there?

[Molly-new]

Wow, that does look good.

[splash]

Is that a Q1 locomotives?

Regards Splash

[JohnRatzenberger]

I do as Simon suggests - put the part between sheets of wax paper then put a weighty tome on top - Hamilton's 2-volume bio of Montgomery is excellent for the purpose ....

[beany]

Those buildings do look good. Your teasing us now with those shots of your loft layout. I guess it must be a reasonable size up there?

I think it was 27' by 7' when I measured it (if you want to know what that is in metres... go and live in France ). It goes right around the outside edges of the loft.

Is that a Q1 locomotives?

It sure is mate - one of Hornby's finest. I actually dropped it on a hard floor soon after buying it and knocked of some of the front buffer beam and gear assembly, but managed to effect a Heath Robinson type repair and got it running again, which delighted me because I was convinced she was just destined top become a static display piece after my gross clumbsiness.

So, just the roof vents left to do and the workshop chimneys, and I'm calling it finished, although I will have to break out the paints and brick paper to fill in some of the move obvious cardboard folds and joints. Pretty pleased with this one. I think the shots of the inside are quite atmospheric. When I get time I'll take her up into the loft and put some track and an engine or two inside for a final photo shoot.



Chimney post are made from cutting the coloured section from the instruction sheet and rolling it around something with glue on the edge of the paper - I found a cocktail stick to be an ideal diameter for this purpose.


Finished - as far as the instructions are concerned anyway, but I will add some finishing touches and weathering at some point.






You can almost smell the smoke and ash from the engines lingering in this shot, and imagining the sun beaming in through the skylights


Cheers
Al.

[splash]

The light and shadows look brilliant on those internal shots all you need is a whif of smoke.

[JohnRatzenberger]

Nice, I have to get some of them for when I get my engines & cars done !

[SJPONeill]

Looking at those exposed edges, Al, I wondering if you might not scan and print some of the brick pattern on to some thin (maybe 80gsm) paper, align it with the joins in the bricks and use it to conceal the edges? If you cut the paper with the blade angled inwards you might get enough of a chamfer to get it flush along the edges of the joins...if that makes sense..?