My own style of architectural modelling has been developed over 50 years, and in the main has been created with good quality thick card. Once it was sometimes found in good packaging, however I now purchase my board from art framers. This product is museum quality, acid free and white, (Museum Mat Board) although the main reason for using this is because it’s a multi ply board and of a decent thickness that needs little internal support and represents wall thickness well without having to laminate a second piece to it. Be aware however, it’s expensive! Lesser cost versions are available if you shop around. My last purchase was for a single sheet of about 30” x 40” and it was $80.00, however it will go a very long way in 7mm and a lot further in 4mm. I use a standard craft knife with snap off blades for most of my cutting and a scalpel for finer work, all on a self healing cutting mat. Incidentally, to some foam board is a cheaper, lighter option to high end card, but needs to be cut as with all card, with a very fresh blade. Personally I have used it in some applications but the softness of the core didn’t appeal to me where openings had to be created for doors and windows.

To compliment the use of card as the main structure (photo 1), styrene is used extensively for windows, doors, bargeboards etc., as per this simple coal office. I am certainly not out to create a museum piece, but you could say abstract creation that fits in with the other buildings on my layout and often such as this, are not even derived by plans, but on seeing a suitable prototype in a magazine, or just by browsing the web for suitable prototypes that I feel fit my needs. If a more formal structure is to be created, such as a station building, it’s of course important to have plans to work to. The resizing capability of my printer has many times been used to scale to the required size.

In this example, Redutex has been used extensively for the brickwork and roof - photo 2. Those fancy tiles were most unlikely to be used in reality, but I had a sheet handy! There are many other options available such as Ratio and Wills for 4mm for both the walls and roof, although slates are probably best reproduced relatively easily by cutting a strip of thin card two tiles wide, then cutting the bottom row up to the centre of the strip. The bottom layer is laid first, then overlapped going up the roof. Very effective.

Back to the coal office. First I started with a simple card shell and place the walls together to see if I was happy with the overall ‘feel’ of the building. When I was satisfied, and there are many occasions when I have trimmed the structure as it was too big, or completely started again when too small, I then cut out the window and door openings. The Redutex was then stuck onto the shell as a complete wraparound, making an effort to have the shell dimensions match the brick course on the corners. Mine doesn’t! A scalpel is then used to cut a slit vertically on the window openings, then across the top and bottom. I was then able to push the membrane through the window opening, and by turning upside down, from the back I grasped the ‘tabs’ and pulled them hard so that the brickwork was tight into the visible sides of the window opening, then stretching it back and attaching it to the inside of the shell as it’s self adhesive.

To create the sash windows (photo 3), I placed a piece of styrene of a suitable thickness behind each opening. I then drew around the opening with a hard pencil. This gives a template to then cut out the outer frame. When held in place behind the void it is important to see the framework, so not to make it flush with the wall opening. At the base of the frame an additional amount is allowed so that the cill when fitted will still allow an equal amount of frame to show. Using a suitable thin strip of styrene I glued it across the back of the ‘frame’. Then pieces of styrene were glued above left, right and top of each central frame member but again allowed to be seen from the outside for the top sash. This same process is then repeated for the bottom pane but importantly the three pieces of framing now need to be flush with the sides of the frame as principally they are spacers. Finally the process was again repeated on the bottom but this time ‘inboard’ to create the lower sash, a second thin strip to create the cross bar added first. I hope the photo gives enough detail to explain the process. Windows are normally glazed by microscope slide glass if the opening is suitably small. The window frames are painted first, and then the glazing added using a rubber based cement. This has the benefit over solvent of not melting the styrene and as it is real glass, a cocktail stick can be used gently from the outside to remove any squish - photo 4.

In my case as the model is 7mm/foot, I have used S & D Models drainpipes and guttering. I have also trialled the Gordon Gravett suggestion of half round styrene for the gutters with the top surface painted black. Even in 7mm it is really hard to note there is no real ‘gutter’ once mounted under the tile overhang. Of late I have also used some excellent components from Giles Favell (www.gilesfavell.com) and his laser cut gutter and down pipe clips are excellent.

I hope this quick overview of my building technique will encourage more modellers to look over the railway fence and further enhance their layouts. Go on, have a go! Photos 5 and 6 show the completed Coal Office in place on the layout and then "bedded in".