Jim, Just my 2 cents worth but I think you may be on to something with the rocks stacked up around it. It may be all Hollywood hype but I always heard dynamite was supposed to be kept cool and a rock building built into the rock wall seems like the logical choice. Personally, I think I would try to make the front wall cover the opening in the rocks as if the whole cave was the building.
Just my opinion and your mileage may vary. Keep up the great and educational posts!
Steve
Jim
You could try using un-sanded tile grout as mortar. Mix it up as described on the box and spoon it on each wall using a sponge to work it into the gaps. Since it is made for grouting tile it is relatively easy to use like this.
I originally built this pump house by gluing flat stone pieces onto a basic form made from pink insulation board. Once dry I grouted them. The shinny coating is driveway-cement sealer. When I get around to weathering it will not have the sheen.
Like your building the stones are not smooth or flat so the grout gathers in the low spots. I could have removed all of this with more effort. I will put it down to learning curve as this was my first attempt at this. For those who are curios the stones came from a granite dealer and off-cuts from smoothing pieces to make tombstones. They are about 3/8" to 1/2" thick and 1/2" wide. I cut them to link using tile cutter pliers.
Don’t give up Jim. It is going better than you are giving yourself credit for.
Thanks for the encouragement folks! I think I’ll try the Boomer grout method. Meanwhile I glued on some missing rocks using Goop and have started building a door. I’m going to go with insetting it back into the hill as in the last photo and will see if I can build a level platform for it (mortar plus pressed in stones maybe) and put some other rocks around it to nestle it in there.
Cheers!
After grout, looking better. Thanks Boomer! Anybody want the other 9.999 pounds of grout? This didn’t take much 
Lucky you, I tend to mix too runny and always get smooth when I don’t want it!
We all have extra, be careful, experience has taught us, as soon as we get rid of it, we’ll need it.
Of course if you save it … well you’ll always have it.(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
Got the door on and the roof ready to be attached. Maybe next weekend I can get this in its final spot, tucked away in a rocky nook.
Well done Jim
Why the green roof stack ?(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Very cool Jim.
Very Nice Jim, now you need one setting next to it that looks all blown out
Dennis
That looks great, Jim! Very authentic, rough, rock masonry.
In retrospect, I’m quite happy that I picked an era and rough-and-ready train operations type (early 1900s logging, mining) that actually encourages me to be bad at doing construction :-). Screwing up just “adds character”
When I start building real buildings for my town (hotel, saloon, general store, etc.) then we’ll see if I can get something that actually looks decent.
You will get better with practice.
Dig it!
I’ve put the TNT storage building in place and added a Locomotive Joe light to it (not yet hooked to live power).
Next step is to build a walkway, stairs to connect this to the main platform. That will hide the bottom seam between the building and the rock.
Then I have to figure out how to use some of that cool artwork that Boomer posted in his dynamite history lesson and decorate some boxes for the front of the building.
Cheers!
And some signs, Like “No Smoking” and “Explosives”
How bout a shack covered with those ‘boxes’.
Something to keep Boomer out of the rain to have a cuppa joe and a smoke without a bang!
Um, I can’t help but notice the 2 wires coming out of the shed. Are they headed to a detonator? Better call Security!
Jim
That looks great and getting better all the time.
I like John’s idea to use the boxes as siding (and I am gonna steal it). I did something similar using flattened cans of blasting powder for a roof. This came from an article in NG & SL Gazette on a house in Bodie Ca. You can find the entire build here. https://cibolalmrr.com/structures/moonshiners-shack/
Have to scroll down to the part on printing on foil. Had to do this in secret…Mrs Boomer would have blown a gasket if she knew how much I abused her printer on that project.
This technique is still a work in progress. Don’t want to side track Jim’s thread. I promise more info on my next generation attempt later this fall in its own thread.
Sweet !!!
When will you blow it up ?
Rooster, I used to think that am M-80 would make a nice blast but I heard this week you can buy M-160s! You could blow up the whole layout with that!
