TOWNSTREET GOODS

Stone-Cast Shed Under Repair

While rummaging through the attic, I came across a wonderful goods shed that I built over a decade ago, from a Townstreet Models stone-cast kit. Featuring in the pages of Model Rail magazine sometime in 2005 – as well as a DVD – the finished building never made it onto a proper layout. Confined to a box for ‘safe’ storage, the model has suffered a fair bit of damage over the years, not helped by three house moves in that time.

I thought it was high time that it saw some TLC and an improved painted finish. The original finish was created mostly by oil-based wood dyes, this being an excellent means of colouring bare plaster components. Alas, due to the amount of repair work necessary, the use of adhesives effectively seals the porous material, rendering dyes pretty useless. Indeed, the sections of the kit were treated with the dyes before assembly, for just this reason.

As well as repairing damaged walls and broken details, I also took the chance to fill some of the many gaps in the joints, something I neglected to do first time around. Deluxe Materials’ Create & Shape proved just the thing for working into the gaps, as well as building up missing areas of masonry. Once dry, the Create & Shape can be sanded and scribed to blend seamlessly into the surrounding relief. 

The canopy and platform have seen the most remedial work and, even before the shed has been repainted, it's looking much better already. The internal goods loading platform has gone missing, so I need to scratch-build another and I may take the opportunity to add some extra interior details and lighting. Hopefully, the building will find a home on a layout some day - it certainly deserves to be used.