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Old Lynmouth Scale Model |
| There
were two reasons why building a model was a problem. 1 had never built a
scale model and there was no room to build one in our flat. My wife Marcia
suggested using the dining room table after I estimated the project would
be completed during the winter months. It eventually took three years,
during which time we both became experts in the use of lap trays!
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The model is 144 inches (3.7 m) long X 48 inches (1.23 m) wide and made to
a scale of 280:1 using a 1904 ordinance survey map. Old photographs were
used as a guide to construct buildings, but the rear of properties is
rarely photographed which caused problems. Finding photographs of the
village taken from the three hills surrounding Lynmouth solved the
problem. Many hours were spent walking around the village sketching
properties that survived the flood. The loan of personal photographs from
residents was of great help.
Modeling
techniques were learned by reading model railway magazines, although the
size of available items such as trees, cars, and people were too large a
scale to use on the Lynmouth model. Everything on the model was built from
scratch except the figures. These were obtained from an architectural
model supplier.
Layering
polystyrene sheet and cutting it to shape with a bread knife made hills.
This was ffective but extremely messy, with polystyrene beads flying
everywhere. I became an expert at blocking the vacuum cleaner! Strips of
muslin impregnated with Plaster of Paris covered the polystyrene giving an
acceptable landscape texture.
Coarse
sand collected from Lynmouth harbour was perfect for creating riverbeds
and beaches. PVA wood glue was a good substitute for the expensive resin
used to make rivers on railway layouts but it took a worrying week to dry.
Trees
were made from pieces of dried reindeer moss dyed in various shades of
green. Foliage and ground cover are materials used on model railway
layouts.
Buildings
are of thin balsa wood with roofs cut from thin card. Windows were a
problem as the model is small and not made to a commercial scale. Many
Lynmouth hotel windows were also of a unique design. Marcia came to the
rescue with a suggestion, which was to copy window frames and doors onto
black card with a white pen. It was simple to photocopy the card onto
paper, cut out the widows with a pair of nail scissors and paste onto the
buildings.
A base coat of green emulsion was painted on the hills and appropriate shades of scatter material were sprinkled on a topcoat of watered down PVA glue. Small pots of acrylic paint obtained from art shops were used throughout the model. |