The outer formers for the 1 in 35 approach were fixed in place with a hot glue gun. A strip of hardboard the width of the track bed was taped to the bottom of a length of aluminium angle to keep it rigid, and then placed on and glued to the outer formers. The intermediate formers could then be glued in position and to the underside of the track bed as can be seen in the photograph.

A suitable gap was left to accommodate the coaling stage itself, and the process was repeated for the 1 in 100 incline. The overhanging lengths of hardboard will be trimmed off before the coaling stage is built.

Although the structure is strong, we decided to add bracing, fabricated from off-cuts of hardboard - the first pieces are visible in the photograph. Although the incline will not need to support great weight, it is better to be safe than sorry!

The incline was then covered with interwoven strips of card, bonded with a hot glue gun, using the mock-up to ensure the incline correctly mated with the structure. Sufficient allowance has been made for sleeper height and further covering of the incline to bring the finished structure to the correct size and profile.

Also visible are further track templates that are being carefully positioned to retain the precise alignments afforded by Templot.

The scanned image on the mock-up shows the outline of the water tank that was a prominent feature of these distinctive Great Western structures. To our surprise, the pattern on the tank sides is simply decorative paint and not, as imagined, a structural feature. This became clear from photographs taken at Didcot (see below) and subsequent examination of photographs of similar structures in various books.

So, for one of our weekly model railway sessions, we visited Didcot and took hundreds of photographs of the shed and the coaling stage, both inside and out. Unfortunately the turntable now at Didcot is not a GW pattern one and so was of little help

As luck would have it, we were inside the coaling stage when a Pannier drew up alongside and we were able to see the workings of the tubs used to coal engines. Replicating those will be an interesting modelling challenge!

The picture shows the rather overgrown access stairs leading to the coaling stage; it shows some of the important details such as the decoration on the English bond brickwork. We were intrigued by the intricate stairway, in particular the need for the extra steps to the access door which opens into the interior which is also reached by the continuation of the steps to the ramp level above.

The undergrowth will not be replicated on the model, as I have not seen this in any photographs of working sheds in the days of steam.

The brickwork in this picture is a good illustration of the importance of a site visit to record detail. The brickwork at the left is stretcher bond - and probably, therefore, a later addition; that visible through the open doorway is English bond.

I am not sure that the doors would be in such fine condition during the 1950's, but they are a testament to the dedication of the members of the Great Western Society and an indication of the massive job they have in keeping the infrastructure in good order - not, perhaps, so "glamorous" as restoring steam locomotives, but vital, nevertheless, in preserving our railway heritage.

Even if you are not planning a model, a visit to Didcot is thoroughly recommended. There is an impressive stud of locomotives and rolling stock and it is a great day out and a way to help support the Didcot Railway Centre and the Great Western Society.

You can see the basic shell in the photograph, and already the characteristic shape of a Great Western shed is apparent. The building is big - 840mm long! I have stationed a Pannier tank at the entrance to give a sense of scale and you can also see the inspection pits, described in the Baseboards chapter. Although these will be largely hidden once the structure is complete and stocked with locomotives, their presence is, nevertheless, important in capturing the character of a shed.

The basic structure uses card; when glued with suitable bracing it makes a very strong shell.

The area in front of the shed has been covered with hardboard and is a site for future development. Current thinking is a row of terraced houses backing onto the shed boundary.

The roof tiles on the office block have also been generated in a similar fashion; the resulting print is cut into strips that are overlaid to replicate the overlapping rows of tiles, which ensures that rain water runs down the roof to the gutter.

The vertical stripes are the girders of the steel framework of the shed structure; the upper part of the walls and much of the roof are clad with corrugated asbestos.

The original building on which this model is based was erected during the 1930s as part of the Government loan scheme, intended to help the country out of the great depression by creating jobs; the Great Western Railway was one of the companies that took advantage of the scheme to improve its infrastructure.

Working on this model is very difficult due to its size (840mm by 310mm) which makes it very unwieldy. The problem will get worse as details are added, especially the clerestory roof with walkways and handrails!