Large Scale Central

Changing the look of LGB buildings

Has anyone tried to Americanize LGB/Pola buildings. I can see how you could maybe make them fit a southwest theme.

I have two buildings and some partials I’d like make more USA prototype.

One is the restroom building(?) The other is a one and a half story house/buisiness ?

I also have the bottom half of what I think was a two story switch/signal tower.

I can pretty much make anything but I have trouble with the original thought!!

Any ideas?

Trades?

Thanks,

Bill

wright

Ideas are hard to come by without pictures of what you have to work with :wink:
Ralph

I’m not computer saavy enough to post pictures either.

So I guess all is lost!

I have a bunch of Pola buildings I received as a gift that someday will get Americanized.

On this one I’ll change the chimneys by cutting off the little roof and simplify the balcony. Changing the roof to shingles would also help…

(http://lsc.cvsry.com/Post2/Buildings-01.JPG)

This station would get the same chimney treatment; loose the window boxes and shutters plus completely change the overhang to a more American style…

(http://lsc.cvsry.com/Post2/Buildings-03.JPG)

And this one I’ll probably just trim off the gingerbread from the roof trim and just paint…

(http://lsc.cvsry.com/Post2/Buildings-04.JPG)

The church will pretty much work as-is…

(http://lsc.cvsry.com/Post2/Buildings-05.JPG)

As will this small station with just minor detail changes…

(http://lsc.cvsry.com/Post2/Buildings-06.JPG)

Jon,

That’s a good idea. Changing the roof line as well as the shingle look will go a long ways!

I also have in this lot a little one story like yours.It has all the chimney roof accessory detail knocked

off.(I got it that way) It doesn’t have the random exposed brick so as is it fits pretty well as stucco bungalow.

Thanks For the ideas,

Bill

Anymore Idears?

Boomer,

Am following your thread with interest!

I have one like yours I plan to change. The ones i’m asking about are the style that Mr. Radder was kind enough to post pictures of.

Thank You For any and all ideas,

Bill

All but those first 2 will be a fairly easy convert to a southwest theme, the first 2 as noted both have too steep a roof slope, fixing that will be the tough part to something more lower, changing to spanish tiles will also help alot.

The dead giveaways are: roof pitch and tiles, window shutters, chimneys and brick work.

Steep roof pitch is very common out here in the west, where we have large snow mass to shed. Roof tiles are pretty common no matter where you are, color of the tile can be place specific, though. The chimney covers are place specific, but brick work is brick work.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Steve that depends what part of the southwest your in, mountainous high altitude places like Flagstaff Az or northern NM where snow can be common then yes the steep roofs will be found, but if your on the rain starved basins like Tucson or Las Vegas, having a pitch becomes less relevant.

Vic Smith said:

Steve that depends what part of the southwest your in, mountainous high altitude places like Flagstaff Az or northern NM where snow can be common then yes the steep roofs will be found, but if your on the rain starved basins like Tucson or Las Vegas, having a pitch becomes less relevant.

Vic, you are absolutely right. I thought the point of this thread was that these buildings were specific to Yurop, and had to have surgery to be 'Mericanized.

Flagstaff and Santa Fe are in the Southwest, aren’t they?

I was just trying to point out that “it ain’t necessarily so.”

Hey, that might make the basis for a song.

:slight_smile:

I modified the old LGB “Wild West”/Piko Pleasantown buildings to more resemble eastern “company houses” by cutting off the false fronts. I imagine you could also add them to some buildings, especially the board & batten one.

(http://www.the-ashpit.com/mik/P4230001.JPG)

Here’s a couple of Pola/Piko buildings that I’ve “Americanized.” I replaced the roof, cut the top from the chimney, and changed the balcony railing on the “Chalet.” The dormers were already broken when I got the building, so the new roof covered the carnage. I guess the Toy store building is technically already kinda American anyway, but I got rid of the fancy trim on top and added the awning. I also gave it some new paint and brick mortar. I tried to give it less of a victorian look and maybe a bit more mid-century small town America look. Hope this helps.

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/dieseldude/_forumfiles/IMG_4197.JPG)

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/dieseldude/_forumfiles/IMG_4204.JPG)

-Kevin.