In the recent issues of the ‘Narrow Gauge & Shortline Gazette’ magazine there have been adverts for a kit of a hotel, the drawings of which are from the long running series by Harry Brunk on his layout (recently sold) on the narrow gauge ‘Up Clear Creek’ Through the kind assistance of both Richard Smith (of MLS) and Bob Brown the owner of the magazine, I have a set of plans of the building. It is quite tall being three stories high: which rather over-powered my small hamlet for my railroad (the kit is to ¼” scale and being made of Hydrocal plaster, and as my scale is larger I could not use it). I have bought the magazine for a long time but of course the plan (from May/June 1989) was just before I started buying the magazine – hence the request for a copy of it. All good villages should have a hotel so the plans were studied, and the chief planning officer, who naturally is SWMBO, and is also in charge of the cash reserves, (though I do have most of the material in stock), for the town was asked for ‘planning permission’ for a small hotel – eventually, after much drawing and scribbling, on my part and discussions were completed to a reasonably satisfactory conclusion. These made a ‘mock-up’ of the building a good idea, so that was done in heavyweight corrugated cardboard, and displayed on its intended foundation slab… The committee (of two: me the builder and my wife, holder of the keys and cash), again discussed it and permission was granted subject to certain conditions. First it will be only two stories high, the hotel plans were for 3 stories – most of the buildings in my hamlet are single story and it will still ‘tend to dominate’ the area, but it managed to grow in width sufficiently to add a window to the width, and the building will be made to look like a wooden building, it also gained what I call a ‘Western shop front’ that was used in early hotel buildings in Telluride and other early mining towns of about 1880ish, you see my library does sometimes, produce ideas… The result is quite different to the plans that I started with! Many windows are needed for the building – as usual they are the first things to make as they provide the size for the holes in the walls, to accept them. That meant 28 sash windows, each windows being made of a total of 44 pieces, a shop front, and 3 doors as well, were needed. So it was time to start cutting 2and 3mm strips if styrene, for them, and make a new matrix for them to be built on, and build them; some are smaller than the rest so at least there was a (very) slight relief. The window frames themselves are made from a couple of layers of 1/2mm styrene, and the outer frames are two layers at right angles of 1mm styrene. The ‘Western’ shop front needed large pieces of ‘glass’ well it is clear styrene – from CD cases with all the edges cut off with my small circular saw working overtime on cutting parts. It has been assembled bit by bit with some multiple layers of styrene for the 4 pillars; the main corner ones will be further strengthened when the building is assembled with some right angled section PVC strip over them. The basic design is taken from the Grandt Line one, which is to a different scale. The wall are scored by pushing an Olfa cutter across them at 10mm centers, after the windows are cut out with a fretsaw, drill a hole in the window hole(to be cut out) with a drill to let the blade be fed through, and to allow it to be removed when done. The windows in the wall have the final pieces added; those in front are without the extra pieces: see the photo of the front and side wall below. The size of the hotel will be approx. 15” deep x 11” wide, x 22” high including the chimneys. Part 2 I have been using up a lot of time and paint on the hotel, and it is getting close to being finished! Still needed are some bits of the interior cross wall, and a couple of stove pipes for the back of the building (exhaust from the cooking, and heating for the office), then fix the interior, and add the yet to be decided name decal. As a result of Joe Ruiz, ( a member of myLargescale.com’ who quite rightly, said that something was required with the big windows that I had added to the front of my hotel, added for the front ¼ of the building, and small eating area. This is a massive compromise as is the length of the building – I think it should be at least twice as long – no space for that alas! So, one window was left out, and a cross wall designed – this has a couple of doors, and a central reception desk added to it. Above the desk there is to be a clock, which has been made already – it was missing some varnish at the time the photos were taken; and a couple of notice boards to add some detail to the blank upper wall – those will have some ‘squiggly’ writing on them and edges like some pictures which may also be included. The floor has a couple of tables, and chairs and a central round seat – ideas taken from the photos of the hotel Denton in Salida, in one of the ‘Trails among the Columbine’ series of books. There is not enough space so they are crammed a bit – the view is only downwards, as the windows have panels at the base. In addition to the floor, the interior walls have a window on one side which as it is visible from both sides, been fittec with some curtains, and a ‘Welsh dresser’ type cabinet on the other – again helping the look., the wall have a ‘mid height’ rail added around them between the colors of the walls, dark brown (Burnt Umber and Cream). All the assorted bits and pieces are made from scrap PVC solid foam sheet, and styrene card for trim. The outside of the building has been painted and varnished all over – the main wall color is masonry paint, with acrylic paint for the trim etc., the (double flue) chimneys have been covered in bricks, with (aluminum foil) being used for the flashing, and ridge covers (with an extra one where the 4 roof ridges meet), and plenty of glue to hopefully stop water ingress the chimneys are fixed direct to the under roof sheets – no holes but multiple layesr and glue have also been added there. The gables are supposedly the servants quarters, and each side of them where there are some 4 in total skylights above the (supposed) store rooms - which needed some light – so it was necessary to add some skylights! Windows are also placed in the ends to light the ‘end to end’ passage also assumed to be in the roof. The ‘shop front’ needed some fancy work (must provide a good impression for clients), so the design follows the ‘Grandt Line’ versions but at a larger scale; the upper windows have some blinds added to reduce the view – these are mainly 1.5mm (for strength against the sun) styrene with spacers to keep them off the clear styrene sheet windows. They also hide the marks from glue that managed to place itself in the wrong places! However the styrene does give some strength to the many pieces that the front has been made from. It is painted to look a bit like mahogany – acrylic Burnt Sienna color, with a couple of layers of dark brown ink, roughly applied = several coats to produce some variation the depth of color: then varnished twice. On the dark colored horizontal planks – which are assumed to be there for stiffening, I added some 16 tie rod end plates – these in real life are at the ends of ‘through building’ iron tie rods to hold it together – as it is rather large I felt they were needed – and they also, in my opinion, look good! They are 10mm diameter discs, with a central bolt on a piece of tube, and 4 bits each of sloping bits of strip to replicate the stiffening ribs – the originals would be cast iron, all being styrene. The entire building has been given a couple of coats of Satin varnish (it behaves better than ‘matt varnish’), for protection. The missing (and not yet constructed) stove pipes (double layer painted plastic ‘bendy’ drinking straws) will fit at the rear of the sides, this area being assumed to be the kitchen & office area – the ‘guest rooms’ all have their own fires for the cold Colorado winters the servants will gain from the heat drifting upwards and sideways from the flues. All doors have glass headed pins for handles, including those interior doors. Finally, the foundation flag has now gained its ‘bits of plastic angle’ to hold it down. So having waffled on for some almost 1600 plus words it is time for some photos – today though cold the weather was reasonable so the hotel was taken outside for its (a bit early), debut in the hamlet of Sycamore Creek, with some extra photos taken inside – here are a selection, with some extended captions - enjoy.
two walls and the scratch built windows
a view before the roof was put one showing the re-inforcements
a view of the building in position with some other buildings
wrong way round! But it shows the rear of the building with the office on the left, and kitchen on the right Almost finished - now if has been painted, but still needs a couple of stovepipes and a sign.
A higher view showing the roof and chimmney stacks and a final one the front view shows in position, but not fixed the interior that I spoke about
The floor, and back are shown separate they come together being 5mm above the foundation slab (some scrap being on the underside of the floor. Some details were taken from some photos of the Hotel Denton in Salida, and in one of the ‘trails among the Columbine’ series. The erae is very compressed! Enjoy! Yours Peter Bunce
