The Canal Scene - part 1

With a spare voucher I had for Christmas I bought a Scalescenes 'Canal Scene in a Box File' kit for £10. This is a standalone diorama, or can be fitted into the corner of a layout. The track options can be created to match up to an existing siding on your layout. Once I had downloaded it I realised I had quite a big job to do. With 34 pages of Kit parts, to mount on Card, and 22 Pages of instructions (236 Steps in all), it was the equivalent of a 1000 piece jigsaw but in 3D. There is the base, with your railway tracks embedded in the surface, then a canal barge, then three buildings and a bridge to construct. I started with the base and the barge.

Having finished the base and the barge, the buildings are constructed in order, Building A, B and C. The key here is to get good quality card that won't bend. Unfortunately some of the card I was using wasn't that good, so the finish isn't as good as I was hoping for. I could rebuild them of couse, because once you have downloaded the kit you can use it over and over again, but I first have to source a better quality card. They also recommend three different thicknesses, and the parts fit together best if you stick strictly to the thickness of card suggested in the instructions.

Anyway, here's building A in progress.

The picture below shows where the building will fit in the box file. A backscne will be added on the lid, and they send two versions, an A3 version for if you have an A3 printer or two A4 pieces if you haven't. You will see it later. The back wall of building B is also visible in this picture.

That's it for part one, buildings B anc C will follow shortly.