that looks like it came out pretty nice. I just happen to have some concrete patch from my failed loading dock experiment so may have to give that a try for a future base.
Did some work today and did it while having a train running. Best of all worlds. Got the building walls all cemented and it’s in the garage curing , so did some work on the Hilyer Refrigeration System, since I don’t have a 3D printer like the cool guys I took some Aztek board and cut, carved, filed and whittled some elbows for plumbing pipes.
Trains running. . . Leave it to a desert troll to run trains in January. I hope you fall on a cactus… okay to be fair it was 45 degrees today.
same here. 45° - but Centigrade… 
The Troll ran trains again today and didn’t do a thing as far as Mik . Also sat out with my short pants on while enjoying a tall cold beer! BBQed a couple of moose ribeyes! 80* 
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Pete,
Are you sure you’re still in Lassen county and not in Adelaide right now?
Arizona , what most people think of as hells entrance in summer with lots of days over 110* Fahrenheit, not sure how far above 40 Centipede that is , yes I know it’s centigrade. But we were in the low 50* and below freezing a week or so ago, supposed to cool of on Thursday with rain again
yeah I will give you a pass and retract my falling on a cactus comment. You reminded me that this past summer you had weeks of temps that where slightly cooler than the core of the sun. I guess its all a matter of perspective. I get to go outside and enjoy my backyard in summer when the temps are pleasant. You get to go outside and enjoy your back yard in winter when the temperatures are pleasant. Carry on and enjoy being able to be outside when the oven temp is not set to broil.
Working on some details for the building. It’s all what others have kindly referred to as ops quality, or as my next door neighbor growing up used to say “we ain’t building no dammed piano!” rest in peace W F Reed. Anyway I’m showing this now and it’s close to finished, y’all will or should recognize the parts I got that will be about the only thing I have spent money on
The fans are USA locomotive fans , and they will stay black because if you take them apart it is a very frustrating hour to get the fan spindles back into their proper spots so they will spin:rage:
that looks great Pete. I kinda thought those might be USA fans or some such. From the beginning I had thought one could use those. But not knowing your plan or your parts bin, I didn’t say anything. But they look great.
I am very encouraged by the cement patch on foam. I want to make a small bridge/tunnel thing for an area that is kinda worthless and it would be a visual divide between two sections. Was considering wood cribbing but now I am kinda thinking a “cement” structure made this way.
Building is looking great, Pete. You did a fine job on the cement application over the foam, actually looks like you knew what you were doing 
That Hilyer AC company really puts out a fine looking unit. I’m sure the folks inside will appreciate it come summer.
Am I getting vibes of Art Deco, here Pete?
Ummmm…are there other kinds of pants? 
It’s 37 here (98.6f) , but it’s too early “tomorrow afternoon”, for beer or going outside and running winter trains.
Yeah there are, something called full length shorts , just like your normal shorts but in my case a slightly longer inseam from normal 12-14” inseam to 34”
Does this build have at least a crusty old light build? Can i park my Cascadia out back?
Cascadia parking at the Truckstop down the street about 10 miles
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I pioneered this technique and wrote the article as included in Garden Railways Magazine in 2010:
Real Cement, The Quick, Easy Way
We have a few structures on the Tortoise and Lizards Bash Garden Railroad that are made of “coated” Styrofoam. Styrofoam of itself is quite impervious to the elements and once coated to protect it from UV rays will be here a long time. While latex-based paint can be used as a coating, it adds little weight and provides no protection from dents, marks, etc. to the structure. As such, we like to use a “mortar” on our Styrofoam to encase it in a shell. Additionally, using this method, one can easily fill cracks, level uneven areas, and “fix mistakes” in the foam structure.
The first Styrofoam structure we made was a two-story house coated with a “stucco-type” mortar, and while most of the structure still looks fine almost 10 years later, the mortar on the backside that is hit by the sprinklers, turned soft and deteriorated over the years. As to be expected, most products have a limited life in the garden when subject to twice daily watering.
Another problem when working with Styrofoam and the application of mortar is the limited working time. Once mixed to the desired consistency the mortar must be applied in a timely fashion as it continually thickens, often requiring dilution as you work with it.
But the worst problem we’ve encountered when working with mortar is the spreading process, which is akin to putting peanut butter on toast. As you spread the mortar, it likes to “roll” over the surface rather than adhere in a nice smooth, even layer. Furthermore, it’s a mess to do and clean up afterwards.
But what it we could first apply the cement to our structure in a nice even layer, then wet it?
We’ve found hydraulic cement, sold for water-sealing masonry, to be extremely durable and we use it to seal cracks and gaps that develop in our concrete water features. Hydraulic cement comes as a fine powder with a very limited working time once mixed with water. (It can actually be used to seal underwater leaks with the water still in-place.) Once dry, it forms a hard, waterproof surface of real cement that is quite strong. Having no sand or aggregate, it is much finer than the typical mortar mix making it easier to spread onto a surface. However, it is still messy with a very limited working time, much more so than regular-type mortar.
We needed a way for the townspeople to get over the retaining wall at the Chameleon Caverns Hot Springs area on the Tortoise and Lizard Bash. Using 3/8” plywood and yellow carpenter’s glue, a stairway with landings and handrails was constructed. After completion of the wood structure, it was painted with outdoor paint. Spray adhesive was then used to coat the surface and a sieve was employed to strain the hydraulic cement powder over the “sticky” structure. A spray bottle of water was then used to moisten the cement and it was allowed to dry. The end result was a nice stairway that appeared to be made of poured concrete.
Over time moisture got into the plywood and delaminated the layers that expanded at different rates. This then cracked the hydraulic cement at the steps, but as shown in Photo 1, the cement facade was actually quite resilient and held together as a solid sheet.
Winter is the time to do new projects and maintenance and this year’s included replacement of the stairway. It is easier to cut a straight line than a zigzag and management determined that a simple ramp would suffice for replacement. A new structure was constructed of scrap Styrofoam pieces glued together with yellow glue. A stationary belt sander is used for shaping the foam and new handrails were bent out of vinyl-covered wire. The handrails were placed into the foam to mark their positions and removed. Cut-off pieces of the wire were reinserted in these positions to leave the stanchion holes in the concrete (Photo 2).
We find it best to work in a plastic concrete trough. A piece of newspaper is laid in the bottom of the trough, and in the same manner that the wooden stairway was treated; the outer facade of the ramp was coated with spray adhesive. (The newspaper is easily changed out and keeps the trough from getting “gummy” from the spray adhesive.) A reaction between the foam and the adhesive was noted and the use of the spray adhesive on the foam was discontinued. (If one intends to use spray adhesive on foam, try a scrap piece first.) It was determined that the adhesive is not necessary so long as the working piece is kept fairly horizontal.
The newspaper was removed and the structure placed directly in the trough. Hydraulic cement was poured into a sieve and sifted evenly over the structure leaving a nice, smooth, thick coating.
If the structure has small holes, cracks, glue gaps, etc. in the foam, a finger, putty knife, straight edge, etc. can be used to push the dry cement into these areas and build them up near flush. The area is then wiped fairly smooth brushing off the excess powder, fingerprints, etc. A smooth layer is then sifted atop this.
A spray bottle filled with water is then used to mist the cement until it becomes wet. We like to do this until the powder is thoroughly saturated. Excess water on the surface is then absorbed by sifting a little more concrete over the wet spots. Furthermore, at this time more material can be sifted over any remaining low spots to build them up and level them out. One can actually alternate spraying and sifting to build the concrete up to any desired thickness/strength.
Once the material dries, a file and sand paper can be used for any necessary shaping (e.g., leveling a road that “crowned” during the sifting/buildup process). Once everything is leveled to satisfaction, a light sifting/misting can be used to blend the surfaces and remove any tooling marks.
Thanks Todd, I found your article and tried to follow it, the only thing was the patch mix I used had sand in it so it isn’t the finish I had hoped for, may now buy the right stuff that has a smoother look