Miniature buildings from lined strawboard

Meccano Magazine, pg 26-27, Jan 1928

 While trying to figure out which 1928 issue of Meccano Magazine had the Meccano soccer ball article I stumbled across a story called Miniature Railway Accessories in the January issue. As the title says, it's about making buildings and bridges and such things for model railways, but not from Meccano, from cardboard.

I've been trying to find the first magazine articles that discuss making miniature buildings from Bristol board (I've made a few posts here, here, here, here, and here on historical approaches to using cardboard for miniature building construction) and thought this might be one.

No such luck, but the article is interesting nevertheless. The material used is lined strawboard:

As cardboard provides the whole of the building material, it is necessary that it should be of good quality in order to secure the necessary rigidity. Suitable cardboard for the purpose may be bought from any paper and cardboard dealer or even from a local printer or bookbinder. Trouble will be saved if the correct specification is given when ordering namely, “three 30in. by 40 in. or four 22 in. by 32 in., 1 lb. white lined strawboard.”

The term “lined” signifies that one side of the strawboard is covered with white or tinted paper, and this type of board is similar to that used in the making of chocolate boxes and boot boxes. Although the lining is really introduced to prevent the cardboard curling or altering its shape, it will be found easier and more interesting to draw the necessary plans on the white or coloured surface than upon the board itself with its colour of dirty straw.

The author goes on to demonstrate his building technique by constructing a viaduct. It makes use of tabs and glue to hold the structure together and provide rigidity. No mention of scale is made, but given the year, and that this is a Hornby publication, I’m assuming it’s Gauge 0 from the look of the little layout.