9 N Gauge Model Card Buildings. Pub, Shops and more

I have spent many hours creating, designing and then finally making many of my model buildings from scratch using the very same PDF files I have created for others now to use if they wish. I am up to 9 buildings so far as shown below.

My 9 N Gauge Buildings

See them now on my layout in the pictures below. As you can see I have made more than one of some, in fact you could make a whole village with my one pack of 9 buildings. They are all available in one zip file on Etsy for just £1.99.

Coal & Water Station N Gauge Card Model Plan

Print and build an N Scale card model of a coaling stage and water tower, combined. The plans are in PDF format and can easily be printed onto A4 thin card or A4 paper which can then be glued to card. The model can be quickly and easily made by just cutting out and gluing the tabs etc. Get it on Etsy or Bonanza

OO/HO Gauge Building Maker Software

I have now created an OO Gauge version of my N Gauge Model Planner software. It is also a free full version with no limitations.

A very easy to use application to design and plan OO scale or OO/HO gauge card models. It can be used immediately without any learning curve. Simply drag lines and snap them to a grid. Measurements are shown in real size and clip art is included. Plans are easily saved with labels and notes if required. An example complete thatched cottage model is included which is ready to print out and build. Textures included are walls, brickwork, tiled roof, thatched roof and more.

I made the OO gauge thatched cottage below to test the program.

1950/60's Garage and Petrol Station N Scale Card Model Plan

 Print and build an N Scale 1/160 card model of a 1950/60's garage and petrol station. The model is based on the Aidensfield Garage in the 'Heartbeat' TV series set in the 60's. The plans are in PDF format and can easily be printed onto A4 thin card or A4 paper which can then be glued to card. The model can be quickly and easily made by just cutting out and gluing the tabs etc. I have included a coin in one shot to give you an idea of the size when finished.

 

To build this you need the following:

1. A fine sharp craft knife

2. UHU hart adhesive or similar (quick drying)

3. Metal rule

First print out the pdf file plan directly onto A4 thin card or onto A4 paper which you then stick to thin card. Then follow the instructions below. It is probably best to start with the garage so you can get used to the pressure required for cutting through the card and for scoring.

Garage

1. First cut out the walls piece complete. Score the vertical grey lines for bending, after the whole piece is cut out. If you want the doors in the open position, cut out the door apertures. Cut out the blue wall connector. Carefully bend all the walls along the scored lines and glue the wall connector to the inside of the side wall where they join above the door aperture.
2. Cut out the inside strengtheners and glue them inside the end walls.
3. Cut out the front double and side double doors. Cut out the side door and main front door spacers and top fascia boards. Glue both sets of doors in position either open or closed. Use the spacers as a guide to how wide you can have the doors open. The spacers allow the tops of the doors to be covered by the fascia boards. Glue the appropriate spacers above both sets of double doors. Stick the fascia covers over the top of the spacers.
4. Cut out the roof and then score the lines along the tabs so that they can be bent back double against the main roof. Fold and glue back the two longest sides first followed by the wall end tabs.
5. Once dry glue the roof to the main walls.
6. Cut out the chimney stack, score and bend to shape, then glue together and then in place on the roof. Stick the small chimney capping stone to the top. On this instruction sheet you will find a strip of brown. Cut this out and roll between finger and thumb to make the chimney pot. Once rolled nicely, add a touch of glue to the end to fasten. Once dried glue this in place.
7. Cut out and build the petrol pump, stand and oil tank if required. The two small squares either side of the pump are swinging arms once folded and glued to the top of the pump. I added some black cotton from inside the swinging arms to the sides of the pump, for the petrol pump pipes.
8. Finally, when dry you can touch up any white areas carefully with a small brush and some water colour paint or some felt tip pens.

Get the model plans for this in my Etsy shop

Suffolk Pink Tiled Cottage & Garage

This is the Suffolk Pink Cottage and garage included in my free PC Windows program, N Gauge Model Planner. (Completely free, download below)

Download N Gauge Model Planner for Windows

Instructions for making this are as follows:
 

Not recommended for small children without Adult supervision

To build this you need the following:

1. A fine sharp craft knife

2. UHU hart adhesive or similar (quick drying)

3. Bostik Quick Stick glue stick or similar

4. Metal rule

Firstly you need to print the plan and the texture sheet out on A4 paper. Using the glue stick, fix the wall texture to some thin card (preferable plain on one side). Lay the wall plan section over this and lightly glue on some waste areas so that the paper doesn't move while cutting. Cut along the green lines and lightly score the red ones for bending. Do this for all the parts of the plan.

After removing the windows I added some clear plastic to the inside and on top of that glued the window decoration. Then I glued the walls together using the end wall inside strengthener. Once dry I added the floor section inside for added strength. I cut the door texture out a little larger than the door space on the model and just glued this inside. The porch is an added option and built the same way.

For the chimney, fold along the scored lines carefully and fix together. Then glue this to the main building over the side with the joint running from top to bottom of the wall. I used the glue stick on the top side of the roof piece, once cut out. Then I stuck it to the back of the roof texture so that it was in the centre and also the texture was overlapping on all sides. I cut around the texture, glued and folded the overlapping pieces onto the underside of the roof. Once the roof is stuck in place on the walls I added a small central piece of roof texture to make the ridge. I finished the chimney with a small card block and rolled two pieces of paper between my fingers, plus a little glue on the end for chimney pots. I painted the pots with water colour before attaching to the chimney stack.

Garage

The garage walls and doors are already printed onto wall texture, so just cut around the outline after sticking to card. Score the three vertical lines where the walls need bending and cut out the front doors and the back window. I then glazed the back window by gluing a small piece of clear plastic inside across the back. Cut out the small green block next to the roof texture and cover with wood plank texture to form a bench. This workbench then glues underneath the back window and forms support for the two side walls. For the doors I fixed them to the main walls in the open position after covering the reverse with the same door covered paper. Make the roof the same way as for the main cottage.

For both models you can use a little water colour paint and a fine brush to cover any little errors.

Get this model plan in a pdf download at my Etsy shop

N Gauge Railway Modelling

I recently decided I needed a hobby away from the computer. When I was a boy I created a OO Gauge model railway layout in my bedroom on shelving one foot deep around the entire room with a removable section across the door. My dear old Dad helped me with the shelving but I created the layout and all the added accessories myself. It was a double track layout with sidings, two stations, moulded cuttings made from gyproc coving adhesive and a tunnel. I made many buildings from card kits, had a road system, farm and a helicopter pad with working helicopter (well the blades were motorised but it didn't fly). I also completely lit the layout with small lampposts and Christmas fairy light bulbs.

When my sons were younger, I created a smaller OO Gauge layout for them and me to enjoy, which included many of the locomotives, coaches and accessories from my own childhood layout but on a single board which could be slid under their bunk beds.

Now much older but still a boy at heart I thought that I would give railway modelling another go. Not having so much space I decided that N Gauge might be better as it is roughly half the size of OO Gauge.

I have now bought a Graham Farish junior starter set to get the size required for my baseboard. I plan to start building the actual layout when the weather gets a bit warmer as I will be creating it in the garage on a pasting table. In the meantime I am creating some model buildings from card kits and my own scratch built creations.

So far I have built the Metcalfe PN109 N Gauge card kit red brick style station buildings and the platform kit . I created my own newspaper kiosk, benches and telephone boxes seen in the photos below.

Some careful water colour brush work covers the white corners shown when the card is bent. I also made the steps up to the station as none were included with the platform kit. Close up photos don't really do N Gauge justice as the models viewed in real size by the naked eye give a much better impression. Zoomed in photos seem to just highlight errors and glue streaks :)