Large Scale Central

In-ko-pah RR: New project

Modeling
#1

Last year I got kind of burned out on the railroad stuff, plus had a lot of other things going on. So I took a break from it that lasted over a year. In October I finally got started on a new project for the railroad. I’m building a new structure to replace one of the oldest buildings on the layout. Unfortunately I’m having some bad tendonitis in my right arm which has slowed my progress considerably, but here’s a look at what I’ve done so far…

The bakery building in Dos Manos built ten years ago. A decade of constant exposure to the elements has taken a toll on the structure:

The biggest issues were due to the materials and methods I was using at the time. The windows were glazed with thin polycarbonate plastic which has yellowed and fogged. The second story windows were built so that they could actually be opened, which made them very flimsy and subject to warping, for a feature I never used.

The false front was too thin, and made of styrene. It warped, creating a gap that allowed water into the building. The roof and second story were both removable to provide access to the interior, but this also caused problems with gaps, leakage, and fit:

The new building will be made using Sintra PVC board for walls and other major structural components, with styrene details. Access will be via removable rear walls which will be secured with stainless steel screws. All windows will be permanently closed, and glazed with real glass. The design will be basically the same but with a few changes.

I started with the frames for the second story windows, building them up from various strips of styrene. I lightly scribed each strip with simulated wood grain:

The walls were cut from a sheet of 6mm Sintra. The exterior sides of the walls were scribed with grooves and wood grain, and then I began assembly:

The storefront features lots of windows and a recessed doorway. I built this entire assembly a section at a time using styrene strips. I used steel machinist’s blocks to keep everything square. (I didn’t have those when I built the original structure, and as a result the storefront was slightly off-square.)

When I tried to fit the storefront assembly to the structure, I found that I had made an error in that portion of the structure. So I had to tear out a section of the wall and overhang. Then I rebuilt it to correctly fit the storefront assembly:

That’s all for now, more later.

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1 Like
#2

great to see you back at it Ray!!!

#3

fine, that the LSC-masterclass in modeling is back!

but seriously: it is a “crime” to retire such a fine, weathered building from a layout.

i would have made some - visible - new repairs to the old building.

#4

Rick Marty said:

great to see you back at it Ray!!!

yea, what he said…

#5

Glad to see you building again, Ray. I do love your videos of your desert travels but I’ve missed watching your craftsmanship. You may continue now (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#6

Ray, great to see you building again. That old building would be a good start for a ghost town feature on your railroad.

#7

Yay! I second or third delight at following your build. Nice start!

#8

great to see you back at it Ray.

#9

Nice Ray, been looking forward to another of your buildings.

#10

Exactly what they all said ^^^^^ there… Welcome back and a great start on the building… (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#11

Ray… Did you add some styrene to the false front to give the “Loose Board” look, or did you use other magic in the sintra?

#12

Dave Taylor said:

Ray… Did you add some styrene to the false front to give the “Loose Board” look, or did you use other magic in the sintra?

Yes, I forgot to mention that. I used some strips of .005" and .010" styrene to make it look like some of the boards are coming loose.

#13

Hmmmmm……Burnout, I think I know what that is. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)Good to see another beautiful creation Ray.

Shane

#14

Beautiful, Ray… Good to see you back at it…

#15

Great start to what I’m sure will be another beautiful building. You have probably mentioned this in the past, but, what adhesive are you using for pvc to pvc joints? I just started using Azez brand adhesive at work. No long term results yet but, other than slow set time, I have been pretty happy with it.

#16

Jon Radder said:

Great start to what I’m sure will be another beautiful building. You have probably mentioned this in the past, but, what adhesive are you using for pvc to pvc joints? I just started using Azez brand adhesive at work. No long term results yet but, other than slow set time, I have been pretty happy with it.

I use Weld-On 16. For bonding small bits of styrene to the PVC, I sometimes use liquid solvent such as MEK or Plastic Weld.

#17

Time for an update…

Here’s a look at the removable rear walls. The lower wall has an opening for a door which will only be visible when looking through the front windows – giving the illusion that there is more to the building:

I glued styrene strips around the top of the interior walls to support the ceiling. The ceiling will be removable for access:

Here’s the ceiling. I was able to salvage the light fixture from the old building. They were made from two different types of fancy buttons. The two eyelets are for recessed lighting over the window displays:

There are two more “recessed” lights in the overhang in front of the store:

I decided to make the false front taller, and also thicker. I added this piece of 3mm Sintra to the rear, after scribing boards and wood grain onto it:

Then I added a 3/4" strip of 6mm Sintra to the front, at the top. Next I built up the decorative elements using some 1mm Sintra and various strips of styrene. The corbels were salvaged from the old structure:

I also added a sloped and angled section to the roof, because it will be up against a taller building with a sloped roof:

In progress:

I used Evergreen V-groove siding to make the wooden sidewalk, and scribed woodgrain into it. I also glued the roof onto the storefront and finished adding a few bits of trim:

Next I built the two pillars that support the overhang. I wanted them to be a little fancier than the originals. I used .188" square styrene strips, and built up the details using various widths of .020" styrene:

Now for some paint! I started with the exterior side door and the second story windows. I sprayed them with white primer, then used house paint thinned with water to give them a dark, weathered wood color. I built up the color a little at a time, beginning with a lighter brown, letting it dry, then adding additional layers of color until I had the effect I wanted:

That gave me a base over which I would apply the final colors, which will be white with blue trim. On the original building I had used maroon for the trim, but it quickly faded and turned brown. I think the blue stands out better and may last longer. As with the base colors, the white and blue were applied in thin layers until the desired look was achieved:

That’s all for now, more later. Enjoy!

.

#18

That is such a unique building, Ray and you make it look easy to construct. I assume you will be adding LED’s to the eyelets but do the surface lights (buttons) have an LED in them as well? Thanks for sharing your construction progress. I learn new techniques each time I see one of your posts.

#19

Dan Hilyer said:

That is such a unique building, Ray and you make it look easy to construct. I assume you will be adding LED’s to the eyelets but do the surface lights (buttons) have an LED in them as well? Thanks for sharing your construction progress. I learn new techniques each time I see one of your posts.

Thanks. Yes, the light fixtures will all have LEDs. The fixtures made from buttons have a hole drilled into them, and there are holes in the ceiling, so the LED can be inserted from above.

#20

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