HOW TO BUILD A CONCRETE RAIL OVERBRIDGE
Always up for a modelling challenge, Peter Marriott set himself the task of building a bridge from scratch using foam sheets… and he’s glad that he did!
PHOTOGRAPHY: PETER MARRIOTT
Foam pieces and Styrofoam are useful materials for modelmaking, especially when forming scenic contours or the basic structure of buildings. Hard foam is particularly easy to work with, not least because it cuts quickly, and its lightweight nature is perfect for portable layouts. Cutting is made easier if you have the right tools, such as a hot wire foam cutter or special long-bladed foam knife, both of which create very little mess.
I recently decided to have a go at recreating a typical modern concrete rail overbridge from 6mm thick hard foam sheet. It had occurred to me that the rough texture of the foam would be good for representing concrete, with the help of a little paint of course!
OO GAUGE 5 hrs
The various parts were cut with a Woodland Scenics Foam Knife (which sports an effective 50mm long blade), after which the edges were smoothed with fine abrasive sheets. Once all of the pieces were shaped, I turned my attention to fixing them in place using Woodland Scenics Foam Tack Glue which dries more quickly than regular PVA-type glues, although I felt it best to leave everything overnight to dry fully.