Wombat Creek Tramways

This build is a bit different. I have made a roof without having something to put under it! And the shape – it is quite unusual for Wombat Creek.

As the composite photo shows, I started with a rectangular base. I used OpenOffice Draw to make a template for the supports. The four corner ones are ‘elongated’ versions of the regular side supports.

Next step was adding strips of 350 gr paper to the supports. By adding the paper as strips overlapping each other I get a ‘stepped’ look of the final roof (like roof tiles slightly overlapping each other).

The tiles are corrugated plastic strips. I did look into buying ready made roof tiles ‘Spanish style’ but I fund the price including postage too high. Instead I used some left-over sheets. The capping tiles along the ridges are tiny pieces of 50 gr paper.

Finally I painted the roof with ‘burnt umber’ with a small amount of red to give the tiles the appearance of yellow terracotta tiles.

Time consuming but fun to make the this Chinese inspired roof. Of course I have an idea of what will be under the roof, but it has to wait until shops are open again. I need some additional supplies.

For a confined spot next to the Regal I wanted a building (or rather a facade) which was rather short and at the same time with some features. After some investigations on the internet I found the Elizabeth Street entrance of The Royal Arcade in Melbourne. Short and distinctive. It came up quite well with only one ‘mistake’. I glued ‘1901’ above the wrong set of windows!

The Mechanics Institute to the right looks out of place. It is less than 10 mm thick and designed to fit in along the curve, but I think it needs to be replaced with a two or three storey building.

At the moment the newly laid track is just leading to the abyss (read edge of the layout). It will eventually be part of a loop around the gold mine and join the main line again at the intersection near the Bank. I had to do the track before I could proceed with the footpath (pavement) around the Regal Theatre.

The Hobby Shop is finished. All it needs is a proper sign to lure the customers in!

After days, weeks and months of drawing, measuring, cutting, glueing and painting my own designs it was rather nice and relaxing to sit down with a Metcalfe kit with just a bit of cut and glue.

The ‘Regal’ was intended to sit to the left of the photo, just opposite ‘Myer’, but I find the building to low for that position. Instead it will be the focal point at the end of Main Street. It is a low relief building so it sits perfect against the backdrop.

The building will be raised a few millimetres once the pavers at the front are laid. It will also be changed from a cinema to a theatre showing ‘Wildcat The Musical’. Not a huge success, though!

Citizens of Wombat Creek on their way to the Bank have stopped outside the Hobby Shop. They can’t believe their own eyes. Never has a town building been erected with such a speed.

The bricks have been removed from the windows and doors. The stone masons have begun their wotk on the foundations.

Flinders Street Station, which has been my inspiration for the Bank, supposedly has the longest facade in the Southern hemisphere. I do not have the space or time to model the entire facade, so I have skipped the middle part and gone straight to the far end. Even with this smaller part the space is not quite right, so I have had to do a bend around the corner! So in reality this part will be very loosely based on the real building. I do hope, though, the shop in the basement will be recognisable.

I team of ‘brickies’ cam around during the last couple of days. They did a great job but either forgot to consult the drawings or just working too fast. Any way they didn’t leave any openings for doors and windows! As the photo possibly reveals their mistakes should easily be rectified with a sharp knife.