Exhibition Layout Project - Wingello Signal Box

Another slightly overdue post. Hopefully this one has been worth the wait.


Building Wingello Signal Box
I did not make too much notes during the construction of the Signal Box, but I have taken some photographs with a little bit of insight added.

Before I could start to cut up any styrene to build Wingello Signal Box, window frames had to be sourced. I was unable to find anything suitable on the open market,  therefore I decided to draw them up and and get them 3d printed.

Once the 3D Prints were received, the actual construction could commence on the Signal Box.

 Evergreen Clapboard Siding Styrene was cut to size.

 Preparing this cutout for 3D Printed Window Frame to be fitted.

Window provision being carved out. 

I managed to get the 3d Printed Window frame to fit nicely into the cut. This took me a little bit of filing to get the 3d printed Window Frame into place.

 Front window provision has been cut out. Front Window Frame has also fitted nicely into the cut once a bit cleanup work was done with a file.

I decided to use a few layers of styrene sheet more for the purpose to make the model robust as it should be expected to be knocked a round during transportation to future exhibition venues. In the above picture, the middle layer of styrene sheeting is retro fitted. This also allow the marking out where the windows and door openings needed to be cut out. 

The assembly started with one corner portion of the signal box. As you will notice, there are 3 x layers of styrene, the outer layer being the clap board siding, the middle being plan styrene sheeting and the inside layer being V Groove siding to provide the realistic look inside. All 3 layers were stuck together using MEK, which gave the overall wall thickness of 3 mm making it solid. Also notice that the middle layer is extruding out at the base. This has two fold benefit for this build by providing a provision on the outside for the styrene strip that represents the timber beam skirting on the base of this model and a provision to allow the floor to be fitted. By making up 2 separate corners, I was able to ensure that the structure was square before the corners got MEK together.

Both corner pieces were then joined together. I have used 1 mm styrene strips on the corners which were flush with the 1 mm think styrene clapboard sheets.

Styrene corrugated sheet for the roof was cut to size. 

Evergreen V Groove styrene floor was fitted. A provision was cut out to allow for a Signal Lever Block to be installed. Basically, due to the large window in front of the Signal Box which will be in full view of the public when at exhibitions, it compelled the need to place in some content to reflect its purpose. This Signal Box will be fitted with a Ratio OO Scale Signal Box interior kit, which not be prototypical but will fulfil the purpose.

I have also place in each corner of the base angles made from 1 mm thick styrene sheet, which was put into place to help keep the floor in place as well as keeping the Signal Box Square. Ensuring that the Signal Box remained square was important for the next step in constructing the roof section.

My aim to make the roof removable, but make sure it has a tight fit also. Like with the awning with Tumbarumba, I had the challenge with the bent corrugated styrene sheet. My Plan A was to just utilise two lengths of Styrene sheeting to keep the roof flat, Plan B is to use a 1.5 mm x 1.5 mm strip of brass adhered to the centre of the roof to make it flat. Hence the reason for the gap in between the two sheets of plain styrene. As you will see that I used styrene strips to meet up with the internal walls of this model.

I then started adding the external detailing of the roof.

The above two pictures shows the first phase of the roof detailing being completed.

The final stages of the roof detailing commenced and Plan A where a build up styrene would straighten up the roof section did not fully achieve the result that I hoped for, I then moved onto Plan B and added a strip of brass which was effective in keeping the roof straight.

Under the Roof detailing task completed. Guttering was also added.

It can be easily believed that the modelling of the awning cover of the entry into the Signal Box would be an easy task, but in fact it ended up taking good part of the day to complete and to get it fitted on the Signal box square. But I manage to get it right in the end.
I have also attached on the Styrene Strip which represents the wooden Beam skirting at the base of the Signal Box. It is also worth noting that I used strip of 0.25 mm thick styrene strip to make for a neat transition between the Clapboard styrene and the styrene strip that was used for the skirting. Without the 0.25 mm strip being MEK in between, there would have been a few unsightly gaps seen in the base of this model.

Wingello Signal Box almost completed. Remaining minor detailing will happen once the painting has been completed. This will happen at a later date.

On a closing note, the next few weeks do look promising in starting and finishing the final Exhibition Layout task to which I have been assigned too which is the Waiting Room Building for Wingello.