Factory Scene For Your Layout / Diorama
A FACTORY SCENE FOR YOUR LAYOUT / DIORAMA
In this article we’ll take a look at a number of kits from the Scalemodelscenery.co.uk range to create a industrial factory scene. The starting point for this industrial scene is the KX001-OO Low Relief factory building. This kit is designed as a low relief building which sits at the back or along the sides of a layout. Giving the impression that the rest of the building goes beyond the edge of the layout. An Ideal way for creating a scenic break to hide the fiddle yard storage tracks from view.
The KX001-OO 1930’s Factory kit is ideal not only for the steam era but also ideal for modern era. As club founder Justin Noble points out that many old factory buildings similar to this kit, are still standing & in regular use. One is such example similar to this kit is near Railwaymodellers.com HQ. With careful use of other scenic kit items this factory kit can be backdated or set in the modern period. Lets take a look at setting this kit in the modern period.
First of all we start off with the KX001-OO 1930’s Low Relief Factory kit. You can buy this as a pre-printed / Pre-Laser Cut kit which can be found here: https://www.scalemodelscenery.co.uk/shop/kx001-oo-low-relief-1930s-factory-oo4mm176/?v=79cba1185463
Or if you have a printer then the same kit is available as a download kit from http://modelrailwayscenery.com
It’s also available in here in the club shop to purchase with your club points too! The kit comes with full colour instructions & photo’s guiding you through the build. Allow for an afternoon or a couple of evenings to build this kit.
Tools you’ll need are:
- Craft knife & spare sharp blades
- Steel ruler or straight edge to help with cutting
- Sissors
- Roket card glue or UHU glue
- Glue stick such as Pritt Stick
- Old cloth for wiping a way any excess glue
- Cutting matt
Having followed the instructions & built the kit give the kit a coat of matt varnish to seal & protect the printed texture wrap layers. Then place to one side to leave to dry.
Perimeter wall & gates
Next we’ll add a wall to create the factory perimeter wall. So in keeping with the factory building i’ve selected the KX002-OO 6ft Industrial Brick Wall & Gates kit. Again available as pre-printed https://www.scalemodelscenery.co.uk/shop/6ft-industrial-brick-wall-gates-oo4mm176/?v=79cba1185463 (a pre-laser cut version is coming soon) & as download version from both Modelrailwayscenery.com & in the club shop.
This kit again comes with full instructions & has the option of being built as a double side wall or a single sided wall. A choice of two different weathered steel gates are included for you to choose from. I’ve opted for fitting the larger rusty grey gates for this article. The gates come as pairs so can be modelled both closed or left open. Glue the gates onto the wall gate pillars as shown in the photos. If building a longer wall the kit comes with a number of pillars to do the corners, as well as on the straight sections. These pillars also cleverly hide the joint sections between two walls.
As before once built seal with matt varnish & leave to dry. Next we’ll look at some hardstanding for the factory yard.
Perimeter wall & gates
Next we’ll add a wall to create the factory perimeter wall. So in keeping with the factory building i’ve selected the KX002-OO 6ft Industrial Brick Wall & Gates kit. Again available as pre-printed https://www.scalemodelscenery.co.uk/shop/6ft-industrial-brick-wall-gates-oo4mm176/?v=79cba1185463 (a pre-laser cut version is coming soon) & as download version from both Modelrailwayscenery.com & in the club shop.
This kit again comes with full instructions & has the option of being built as a double side wall or a single sided wall. A choice of two different weathered steel gates are included for you to choose from. I’ve opted for fitting the larger rusty grey gates for this article. The gates come as pairs so can be modelled both closed or left open. Glue the gates onto the wall gate pillars as shown in the photos. If building a longer wall the kit comes with a number of pillars to do the corners, as well as on the straight sections. These pillars also cleverly hide the joint sections between two walls.
As before once built seal with matt varnish & leave to dry. Next we’ll look at some hardstanding for the factory yard.
The factory yard – Hardstanding
So for the factory yard various ways can be done to give a concrete floor effect. Here i’ve used the TX134-OO Weathered Concrete Hardstanding Texture Sheets. Two other versions are a available, one being for use with setting railway track into the concrete (LX096-OO Hardstanding kit), the other LX103-OO Hardstanding extension kit.
https://www.scalemodelscenery.co.uk/?s=hardstanding&post_type=product&v=79cba1185463
Cut the hardstanding texture sheet to fit your yard & glue using a glue stick such as Pritt Stick or spray mount glue. Carefully lay the texture sheet making sure not to trap any air bubbles, debris bits etc under the texture sheet. Once laid into place leave the glue to dry.
Adding iron work – Drains
Most hard standing has some form of drainage for rain water, manholes for drains etc. So i’ve included them on the diorama using the AX013-OO Ironwork, Drains & Manholes texture sheet. https://www.scalemodelscenery.co.uk/shop/manholes-drains-ironwork-ax013-oo-4mm-176/?v=79cba1185463
A varied selection of all types of iron work is included on the AX013-OO texture sheet, so plenty to choose from to add variety to the yard. Cut out from the sheet using scissors or a craft knife & use a dark coloured felt tip pen to colour the white edges around the manholes etc. Glue into place using a glue stick, roket card glue, UHU glue etc. Once glue has dried seal the concrete hardstanding with a aerosol matt varnish.
Plant the Factory
Next job is to fit the factory in place. Use Roket Card glue along the bottom edge & along the back of the factory & carefully place on to the concrete hard standing. Making sure the factory fits square against the backscene at the same time. It’s worth adding a little bit of grass or earth scenic scatter along the bottom edge of the building. This will help blend the building to the hard standing & represent weeds & dirt that is often found along bottom edge of the walls.
Vents
To add more detail interest to the building i’ve added some industrial roof vents in the form of the AX037-OO Gooseneck Industrial Roof Vents kit https://www.scalemodelscenery.co.uk/shop/ax037-oo-gooseneck-industrial-roof-vents-pack-of-12-oo4mm176/?v=79cba1185463 And on two of the windows, medium sized indutrial vent fans from the LX039-OO kit.
The fans i’ve painted & given some light weathering using weathering powders. A small amount of glue on the back of the fans & the bottom of the roof vents is all that is needed to secure them in place.
Other wall detail items
To set the building in more modern times i’ve added the A/C (Air Con unit) AX038-OO kit to one corner of the building. https://www.scalemodelscenery.co.uk/?s=air+conditioning&post_type=product&v=79cba1185463 As seen on the right. Another modern detail worth adding is a AX071-OO CCTV camera 3D printed kit https://www.scalemodelscenery.co.uk/shop/ax071-oo-wall-mounted-cctv-cameras-pack-of-4-oo-4mm-176/?v=79cba1185463
Fancy lighting? A couple of working wall mounted flood lights which i showed in a recent article would be a great addition to the building. https://www.scalemodelscenery.co.uk/shop/ax055-oo-3d-printed-working-led-wall-mounted-floodlights-pack-of-6-oo-4mm-176/?v=79cba1185463
Other detail items
I’ve added two other items to the factory scene. These being some pallets & industrial 200L blue barrels. There is both a laser cut pallets & 3D printed pallets in the Scale model Scenery range. I’ve opted to fit the 3D printed ones.https://www.scalemodelscenery.co.uk/shop/ax063-oo-3d-printed-real-wood-pallets-pack-of-24-oo-4mm-176/?v=79cba1185463 On the factory scene i’ve placed them in various stacks & also lent some up against the wall. Worth a breaking a few to represent some damaged pallets.
The AX057-OO Blue 200L barrel is the final item fitted to this factory scene https://www.scalemodelscenery.co.uk/?s=barrel&post_type=product&v=79cba1185463
To back date this scene carefully choice of period items like the wooden barrels in the link above, older style pallets, packing crates etc, help set the period modelled. So the factory will fit in great with a wide period / era range. If you’ve used this kit post up some photos for club members to see, may be of help to inspire fellow members to model an industrial scene.
Happy modelling
Trackbacks/Pingbacks