GSWR Muirkirk Engine Shed
GSWR Muirkirk Engine Shed
This kit represents the GSWR Muirkirk Engine Shed. Muirkirk was a station originally on a GSWR branch line from Auchnileck supporting the extensive iron works and several coal pits. Muirkirk gained additional prominence when the Caledonian Railway ran a line from Lanark towards Ayr. This led to this large 4 road engine shed opened in 1879. The “Galloway” style was reminiscent of the other substantial sheds at Ayr, Dumfries and Hurlford. Unfortunately, the shed saw fire and reduced activity leading to 2 of the roads being demolished in the 50s and a new retaining wall being added.
The original building represented in the kit lay on a slope. Hence the office/joinery block at the rear had an elevated position. The kit offers modellers the opportunity to place the block at either the raised or a level position.
Thanks are given to Andrew Swan and the National Records of Scotland for help with the dimensions for this kit.
This bespoke 6 x A3 3mm plywood sheet (5 x A4 0.8mm sheet) model has been designed in 1/76 scale to capture the detail of this stone built GSWR Engine Shed.
The building requires glue. Choose a glue that allows at least a minute before setting to allow adjustments to be made during the build. Always test the build before using glue.
For finishing, we recommend first priming the surface, then painting with any acrylic or model paint of your choice. The material is etched, so any engraved detail such as brickwork or roof tiles will be visible after painting.
Important information about railway scaling:
All kits are designed in OO Gauge on 3mm plywood, so there are a few considerations to be made when scaling the digital files to other Gauges. The instructions provided will be the OO version as the build order is the same at different scales.
O Gauge Orders: When scaling to O gauge, there are manual modifications that may need to be made when assembling the kit. This is due to the thickness of the plywood when scaling the kit from the OO gauge material of 3mm to the O gauge 5.25mm material that would be needed. As this thickness of ply does not exist, we undersize the material to the closest thickness we have of 4mm plywood and recommend dry fitting the build first so that any joints that need to be sanded for a flush finish can be noted.
N Gauge Orders: Scaling to N gauge works well and has no extra modifications needed due to material thickness. Some parts will be very fine, so take care when removing them from the frame. If some window pieces are particularly fine, they can be reinforced by soaking them in glue before assembly.
TT Gauge Orders: Scaling to TT requires slightly more modifications of the designs before cutting, so please contact us if you’re interested in a kit, and we can provide you a quote at info@popupdesigns.co.uk.
Any other questions, tips or enquiries please don’t hesitate to contact us via our email address or contact form.
This kit is designed by Iain Ross and sold by POPUP Designs with his permission.