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Kit-bashing Metcalfe Card Kits

 Most of the Metcalfe kits are designed as straight or square structures, so if you need to make a building for a strangely shaped area then you need to be prepared for a little bit of additional work.

For those familiar with making Metcalfe kits ( other suppliers are available) and those contemplating doing so for the first time, there are a couple of Golden rules.

Rule 1 . Read the instructions carefully

Rule 2. Don't throw anything away (even on completion)

there tends to be additional bits of thick card ideal for bracing buildings and spare sheets of stone, tiles and brick paper. Get yourself a bits box and hold on to them.



For this article I am building an N scale Railway bridge (PN146/7) with the additional problem of it crossing a curved double track as you can see above.  Ignore the trains underneath in the holding area. That will be hidden before final installation.

I initially built the thick card bridge former ( square structure) and set it aside to dry. Testing on the curved track revealed a clearance problem that would inevitably cause issues when running trains.



I cut the box with a scalpel at the edges ( 2 more hidden) where shown. This allows you to then twist the box to achieve a best fit of the track at each end of the bridge. When this position was established it was then glued back in place with an offset.  Thin paper was used to secure and strengthen as shown below.



The next stage is to add the internal arches. The kit can be made as a single or double road over and both parts are included on the same sheet within the kit. I could attach one side of the arch as per the instructions but as you can see from the photograph the other side will no longer match.



I used the piece for the single arch, removed the tabs and separated the two stone strips for later use. The double arch part was fitted to one side then glued to the arch formers and the opposite wall maintaining the alignment with the bottom edge. As the wall has shifted, a new score line was added  and the paper cut at the wall brick junction to allow it to wrap round. (see below)


Now the modified single arch can be glued to the uncovered arch former and overlap the previously installed arch. One side is installed first and allowed to dry before attaching the roof and other side, again keeping the base level.




The paper will need scored and cut to allow attachment to the front wall and when this is compete using a sharp scalpel, you can remove the excess paper from each end. A black wash should be applied to the cut edges and where the paper overlaps internally. Then the two  stone sections originally cut from the single bridge can be glued in place.



Now the installation is pretty straightforward with the front, abutments and walls to be built and then attached to the former. The other end although displaced fits perfectly

I have not installed the deck as yet and the box section former for each side will need modifying to allow for the displacement. In addition some electronics have to be added under the roadbed before assembly. But that's another article.

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