Garden Railway Forum

Thought it was time for a new building project. I've thought about a Church for the MJR and it seemed fitting to try and model the recently demolished Stanley St Peter's Church. It was quite a unique building and so as well as a challenge it should be quite an interesting addition to the railway (if it all comes together!)



Taking inspiration from the FBGR http://gardenrails.myfreeforum.org/ftop ... 0-asc-.php I decided to use foamboard as the building material.

I started with a mock up cut out of a variety of scrap material I had that could duck tape together

Then a long job of marking out the foamboard



and marking out brickwork using a screwdriver

And here's where we are as of today, still a long way to go!

Wow, what wonderful shapes you have already captured. I can't wait to see this progressing. What is your plan for the window material?

Wow, I'm impressed with the grandeur of this. Quite a unique prototype to be modelling and I'm looking forward to more as it progresses.
What are you intending to do with regards to weatherproofing the foamboard?

This is an ambitious project and you seem to be progressing well. I have been impressed by the use of foamboard too. I doubt I could use it on my railway as the wind would bee so strong I would never find it in the same place twice.

Indeed, tried buildings in wood, Perspex and now foamboard. Have to say favourite so far, easy to work with and looks to be really weatherproof. I've a test piece that's been sat in the garden au natural for a few weeks now and it's holding up really well. The location will hopefully protect it from wind.

As for the Windows, have some clear Perspex to try. Thinking of using a sharpie or similar to detail them. The original building didn't have stained glass so going for that look which should be a bit easier  :D

I wouldn't worry too much about the weather. I've got a number of fairly large structures built from foamboard that have been outside since 2013. Apart from the birds pecking at the bridge parapet, presumably looking for gribblies, the only bit that has suffered from weathering is the Humbrol peeling off an applied styrene coping, the emulsion paint on the rest of them is fine!

How is your Stanley Station building holding up to the weather conditions Planty? That was an impressive build too and you made a nice job of it. I remember a rebuild because of the water penetration into the MDF but did it work?

A fine looking building, now sadly gone. Good luck with the model, I look forward to seeing it complete.

I do know a little bit about this church and one story that sticks in my mind is when it caught fire in the early years of the 20th century a local miner ran in and rescued the brass lectern from the flames. When it was time to replace it in the rebuilt church the Rector asked the chap if he would do the honours and carry it back in. He couldn't lift it this time and it took three of his mates and him to manhandle it back.

planty:117573 wrote:Indeed, tried buildings in wood, Perspex and now foamboard. Have to say favourite so far, easy to work with and looks to be really weatherproof. I've a test piece that's been sat in the garden au natural for a few weeks now and it's holding up really well. The location will hopefully protect it from wind.

I'm assuming it's the plastic coated stuff as opposed to the card-faced stuff??

Where do you get yours from?

Rik

Peter Butler:117576 wrote:How is your Stanley Station building holding up to the weather conditions Planty?   That was an impressive build too and you made a nice job of it.  I remember a rebuild because of the water penetration into the MDF but did it work?

Perspex rebuild of the walls that were MDF worked a treat, been outside all winter and held up really well.

ge_rik:117580 wrote:

planty:117573 wrote:Indeed, tried buildings in wood, Perspex and now foamboard. Have to say favourite so far, easy to work with and looks to be really weatherproof. I've a test piece that's been sat in the garden au natural for a few weeks now and it's holding up really well. The location will hopefully protect it from wind.

I'm assuming it's the plastic coated stuff as opposed to the card-faced stuff??

Where do you get yours from?

Rik

That's right. Got it from foamboardonline.co.uk
5mm Foam PVC 420x297mm (A3)

planty:117588 wrote: That's right. Got it from foamboardonline.co.uk
5mm Foam PVC 420x297mm (A3)

Great, thanks

Rik

ge_rik:117602 wrote:

planty:117588 wrote: That's right. Got it from foamboardonline.co.uk
5mm Foam PVC 420x297mm (A3)

Great, thanks

Rik

I couldn't find PVC foamboard on the foamboardonline site (only card faced - probably my ineptitude with browsing) - but I managed to track down PVC board on here:
https://www.simplyplastics.com/catalog/ ... c-88/p-299

I clicked on the 'standard sizes' tab to get A3.

Rik

The last building I made, the Station Hotel, needed a big sheet and I ended up getting sheets of insulation sold for going under laminate flooring! Works a treat.

A weekend of work to start assembly of the walls and applying some buttresses to the outer walls. Slowly coming together.

Another day another few hours on the church, starting to come together. The detailing though takes time and progress slowing down.

Wow! That's more like a cathedral. Didn't some of those take decades to complete?

Looks really impressive!

Rik