What to use for modelling/scratch-building (Materials?)

[Firefly16]

A new discovery I overlooked in my post above: the unbranded inner faces of the papier mache lids of those long one dozen egg boxes from supermarkets are a good starting point for ballast detail. Approx 3" wide when the sides are removed, when moistened (but not to the point of disintegration) the edges can be folded under to the required width. To avoid creating something like the original Triang track base, the folded edges can be pinched into a more irregular profile with the finger tips, while additional depth can be created by slipping material of choice inside the fold. I've yet to experiment with curved sections, with the possibilities these suggest for banking.

[GeraldH]

I've just discovered that candy floss and toffee apple sticks can provide very nice square section timber that is thicker than matchsticks and stronger than balsa wood, although these might have been replaced by plastic in some cases more recently?
Balsa can be used to make effective seating in non-corridor Triang coaches including clerestories.
Sawn off Triang coach bogie rivets are quite useful too. They can reinforce or create body fixing points that take self-tapping screws. I have quite a supply from replacing old open axlebox bogies .

What did you do with the bogies?

I think they were sold as a job lot of bits and pieces on Ebay. Virtually nothing goes into the bin on the BNR .

[Mountain]

No worries.

[daleks04]

Thank you all for your suggestions. What is hard is getting a pristine finish I am finding.

Any suggestions?

[End2end]

On buildings, prime things first. I use cheap grey primer. It also helps show up any discrepancies / faults.
Thanks
End2end

[luckymucklebackit]

If you are building signals (especially Ratio Kits) or anything else that needs handrails a box of dressmakers pins is handy, they make great uprights and signal arm pivots, although you have to open out the pivot hole slightly with an appropriate size drill.

Jim

[Bigmet]

... What is hard is getting a pristine finish I am finding. Any suggestions?

Most of this is down to practice, and finding the materials and techniques that work best for you.

Take fillers as an example, I use the superfine Milliput, because there is never any need to file or sand it. Working it with water before it cures enables a completely smooth finish to be produced, that needs no subsequent filing or other abrasives on it, much simpler than the alternatives. (Also works on items my wife breaks or damages, garden tool handles and the like, which wins much gratitude when a repair of a much liked item can be achieved.)