DIARY DATES/NEXT MONTH

When Bole Laser Craft told the Editor their latest kit was on the way, but wouldn’t say what it was, he was in for a pleasant surprise.

Regular Garden Rail readers will know that I’m a big fan of the railways and tramways found on the Isle of Man, so when I opened up the mystery box to find a kit for Ballabeg station on the Manx Electric Railway, the temptation to drop all the projects I was working on for our sister magazine British Railway Modelling, was strong.

Building an MER station has long been on my modelling bucket list. Back in November 2018, we published a drawing for Fairy Cottage station, which I’d measured up years ago. Back issues are available from www.world-of-railways.co.uk. However, it’s not as attractive a building as Ballabeg, being more tin shed than a beautiful addition to the landscape, no matter how picturesque the name.

Opening the box, there were all the nicely cut parts we’d expect from a Bole Laser kit. Plenty of wood, but just as much corrugated plastic, essential for the prototype. This material is also available separately for scratch-builders.

Assembly wasn’t difficult or particularly time-consuming. Taken slowly, to allow glue and paint to dry between each step, a weeksworth of relaxing evenings will see the job done, or use a faster setting glue and do the job in an afternoon.

Either way, the result is a really pretty building that is accurate to the prototype, too.

You don’t need to model the MER either, tin sheds were very popular with the management of many narrow gauge companies, although passenger enthusiasm might have varied depending on the temperature!

The model could be an addition to a larger station complex, but I feel that, just like the prototype, it will look at its best used as a wayside halt. Just the thing for an extra station on your line. ■

The windows are built up in layers. I draw pencil lines on the back to make lining the panes up squarely behind the frames easier.

All the main components slot together and are held with waterproof PVA glue. A dry run is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the order of build, after that, make sure you keep everything square and it’s hard to go wrong. If the model is to survive outside, a coat of sanding sealer or varnish over all the woodwork is a good idea. The instructions say the wood will be “moderately” weather resistant, but it’s easy to improve things now, before the cladding goes on.

Vac-formed corrugated iron is fitted to the outside, carefully lining each piece up with the corners as well as the cut-outs along the top edge for the rafters. Using a plywood off-cut to help is recommended, although I don’t find it necessary.

The kit is a mix of laser-cut plywood and vacuum-formed high-impact polystyrene parts. Everything you need to build the model, apart from glue and paint, is supplied.

Put some PVA in all the notches and then fit the rafters before wiping away any excess glue. The ridge piece locks everything in place.