Well, first ever blogg!
Calison-Halt has progressed rather well for my first ever layout, but it's got a long way to go yet!
Oh before I go any further Calison-Halt........?
The Wife's name is Alison and my step daughter is Ciara so Calison....Ciara had a lot to do with that!
Right where was I,
Oh yeh, the layout has now been moved back onto the OO layout so I can start work on the Retaining walls and Tunnel portals.
Yep, All Scalescenes, why you all may ask?
Well I tried the engine shed and really enjoyed building it, and once I'd bought all the glues and card, may just as well carry on using the kits, it's also not too difficult to design my own structures, using the same techniques.
I also think the finished result is very good, another plus is if I make a cock up, I just print what ever I need out again and carry on...has been done lots of times!!
This is a mini tutorial of how I built the Tunnel Portal, this is OO but it would be the same for N apart from cutting out the edging bricks.
1. Kit all printed out and glued to stated thickness card.
The tunnel mouth has been printed out and you can choose which line to follow depending on what you want, I needed a slightly bigger openning than any of those, so using the cross hairs and a compass I just slightly increased it.
View attachment 4603
2. Once you cut around the guide line you put this onto the front face of the tunnel and draw a line to the shape of the openning.
You will then cut this out on the front face.
I use a Stanley knife retractable type with the snap-off blades, this is because they bend slightly which makes it easier to cut around a curve and also it's really only the point that is ever worn away, so makes sense to snap off the point and use the next bit.
3. The arch cover layer glued to the arch base layer or former, I try and get the rough shape then leave this wedged in the arch cut out in step 1. This gives the former almost the right curve.
View attachment 4604
4. A few people have asked how I managed to get the arch looking right with the edging bricks, well, I try and cut out each individual brick on OO gauge, on N it's more like every 3-4 bricks as shown below.
View attachment 4605
View attachment 4606
5. I now glue this into the arch of the front face and leave to dry.
View attachment 4607
6. Once dry I use an off cut of card a spread a little glue to the backs of the edging bricks and glue them down.
This shows all the parts have been cut out and glued to the correct shape and covered with the matching 'cover-layer' or brick pattern sheet.
Just needs assembling now.
View attachment 4608
7. All done just got to fit it on the layout along with everything else!
Made a start on the retaining wall, just needs the pararpet wall and top capping to finish it off. I'm not really happy with this so may start again and make another, I did say it was good being able to print it out when I made a cock up didn't I!
View attachment 4609
View attachment 4610
So there we go 2 tunnel portals all done, just need to build the N gauge engine shed and finish off the scenery on there, then crack on with the OO, all fun and games!
Oh the tunnel portals and retaining wall are all the dark red brick!
Calison-Halt has progressed rather well for my first ever layout, but it's got a long way to go yet!
Oh before I go any further Calison-Halt........?
The Wife's name is Alison and my step daughter is Ciara so Calison....Ciara had a lot to do with that!
Right where was I,
Oh yeh, the layout has now been moved back onto the OO layout so I can start work on the Retaining walls and Tunnel portals.
Yep, All Scalescenes, why you all may ask?
Well I tried the engine shed and really enjoyed building it, and once I'd bought all the glues and card, may just as well carry on using the kits, it's also not too difficult to design my own structures, using the same techniques.
I also think the finished result is very good, another plus is if I make a cock up, I just print what ever I need out again and carry on...has been done lots of times!!
This is a mini tutorial of how I built the Tunnel Portal, this is OO but it would be the same for N apart from cutting out the edging bricks.
1. Kit all printed out and glued to stated thickness card.
The tunnel mouth has been printed out and you can choose which line to follow depending on what you want, I needed a slightly bigger openning than any of those, so using the cross hairs and a compass I just slightly increased it.
View attachment 4603
2. Once you cut around the guide line you put this onto the front face of the tunnel and draw a line to the shape of the openning.
You will then cut this out on the front face.
I use a Stanley knife retractable type with the snap-off blades, this is because they bend slightly which makes it easier to cut around a curve and also it's really only the point that is ever worn away, so makes sense to snap off the point and use the next bit.
3. The arch cover layer glued to the arch base layer or former, I try and get the rough shape then leave this wedged in the arch cut out in step 1. This gives the former almost the right curve.
View attachment 4604
4. A few people have asked how I managed to get the arch looking right with the edging bricks, well, I try and cut out each individual brick on OO gauge, on N it's more like every 3-4 bricks as shown below.
View attachment 4605
View attachment 4606
5. I now glue this into the arch of the front face and leave to dry.
View attachment 4607
6. Once dry I use an off cut of card a spread a little glue to the backs of the edging bricks and glue them down.
This shows all the parts have been cut out and glued to the correct shape and covered with the matching 'cover-layer' or brick pattern sheet.
Just needs assembling now.
View attachment 4608
7. All done just got to fit it on the layout along with everything else!
Made a start on the retaining wall, just needs the pararpet wall and top capping to finish it off. I'm not really happy with this so may start again and make another, I did say it was good being able to print it out when I made a cock up didn't I!
View attachment 4609
View attachment 4610
So there we go 2 tunnel portals all done, just need to build the N gauge engine shed and finish off the scenery on there, then crack on with the OO, all fun and games!
Oh the tunnel portals and retaining wall are all the dark red brick!
