The humble PortaKabin as seen across many railway yards and stations across the UK.
You can buy the 3D printer file for this model by clicking here.
Often a bastion of British workers’ breakrooms, with a paraffin heater and a stained Formica-topped table with several chipped mugs, an electric kettle, a huge box of tea bags, a pound bag of sugar and a dubious bottle of milk with the tinfoil cap stuck back on the top.
The PortaKabin was the refuge from the cold and rain where you could get a hot brew while the rainwater puddled on the Lino-covered floor from your boots.
I remember the overwhelming heat and smell of these in winter and again the overwhelming heat in summer with the little hopper windows all open not making a blind bit of difference to the temperature inside.
Working from the many images on the Internet I created a simple version in Tinkercad, 4 walls, a roof, and a floor.
About 30 minutes later the 3D printer churned out the parts.
Into my makeshift spray booth. AKA a cardboard box, painted in a mix of sand yellow, dark earth, and grey.
Here they are stacked on the Diorama awaiting the windows and doors to be fitted.
After the PortaKabins sat on the Diorama for a while I decided I didn’t like the colour. I resprayed them a light grey, and then finished off the support/stacking bars in black.
As you can see, after painting them, the 3D print lines are more pronounced. I will probably re-print these in resin.
I 3D printed it again in resin
OK, I had to do it. I sent the file to my Resin 3D printer. The difference is night and day.
It’s not painted yet, but it’s been over 42C here this week (109F) and it’s just too hot to be in the garage.
Latest updates...
OK, I know. I can’t make my mind up. With the ones I printed on the resin printer, I painted them “beige”
I still have more to do with the windows, doors, and detailing.
