Got the walls cut. And here is roughly the layout for the front wall.
I also cut the length of the building down from 24 inches to 18 inches. While 24 is closer to prototypical it would take up a lot of real estate and given that this will be a crowded street front with buildings touching one another I figured this would be a more manageable size. To me its still a very large building.
In case anyone is curious this is 1/8 inch thick styrene
Looking good.
Sorry if I missed it: clad with wood? Or what?
Devon,
What are you going to use to reinforce the Styrene at the corners and to keep it from bowing?
Jim,
The siding will be lap siding made from a gazillion strips of styrene.
Rick,
While I haven’t completely thought that through yet I am thinking in the corners using strips about a half inch wide as gussets running the full length of the joint. And then as needed I will cut “walls” for the interior mainly across the width and maybe a central one down the center to keep it from bowing. The roof and 3/4" PVC base should also help with that. But to be honest I am winging it. This is the first structure of its kind and size I have built. The ice house was probably a similar foot print but made with Masonite on a PVC base. And while the main structure of the ice house is holding up splendidly the decking and shingles were a disaster after being left out one winter. So I am saying I am 0 for 1 on successful outdoor buildings. I have to be extremely humble when it comes to buildings and say I haven’t a clue what I am doing.
To add another note I am hoping to repeat my performance from the Rowenson Sand House from last year and put one of my fiber optic light engines in this and run some exterior lighting using a solar panel and battery for power. But that will be time permitting.
Rick,
When I built my big depot last year out of 1/8" styrene, I just blocked the inside with a couple full width walls, and scrap pieces to brace it. I initially thought it would be flimsy and flexible but once every was glued up including the roof, it was quite a solid piece. And my bottom is not a solid piece either.
Previously in my feed mill 6’x7’, I had a lot of unsupported sections and it held just fine with 1/8" styrene. 1/16" needs a bit more bracing, but the 1/8" stuff seems to hold well.
So I am still determined to find another copy of the photo I had that was a full front on view of this building. No such luck. But I decided to give an Ebay search a try. While I didn’t get what I was after, there were two post cards that clearly show it. Angles I have not yet seen.
Nothing really that I hadn’t already known or surmised about the building. Certainly no new revelations. But is nice to see new views of it.
On another note, the structure across the street from it is the OR&N (U.P.) depot. Both U.P. and N.P. ran trains into Burke. As there was no room for both rights of way in a rare collaboration N.P. agreed to a lease to allow U.P. to run on N.P. trackage in at least Burke if not the entire Canyon Creek valley. Since my semi fictitious RR didn’t have any depots I figure on modeling this one. The N.P. depot is just a plan boring box. Another reason to model this is Dick Whitney, for those of you who knew of him , had a not so small fascination (obsession) with these U.P. depots. I don’t know if this was a nationwide thing but many of their rural depots at least in my next of the woods were built exactly the same as this one. He had researched them pretty extensively and even had the opportunity to physically measure one that had been turned into a house. Shortly before his passing he and I were planning a trip to go examine another one that had been turned into a house. Unfortunately his health turned and he passed away before we could finish his work. While this maybe a somewhat cheesy thing, I was very very honored when his wife called me up and asked me to come by. She gave me almost all of Dick’s modeling stuff, some of which you have seen as I have used various pieces of it in some of my stuff. But one of the most special things she gave me was all of his research on these depots. She did so with no expectations of me completing the work but knew out of any of Dick’s friends I would perhaps cherish it as much as anyone could. Well I have several times cracked open the notebook and looked through this stuff. Now I have the incentive to use that stuff and make a model of this depot.
Great find, Devon. Do you have any idea the time frame of these photos?
Actually yes. Almost to within a 10 to 20 year time frame. 1890 it was not there. By 1923 its not there. And I cant totally say for sure but I am not so sure it was there in 1910. As mentioned before we are very lucky to have a fantastic photographic history of this area thanks to two photographers who worked together and whose collection is preserved at the University of Idaho. They started photographing by 1886 and went through at least the mid 1920s. And it is an extensive collection of over 1300 photographs. So its easy to see when it wasn’t there, when it suddenly was, and then wasn’t again. So the date range I am comfortable with +/- 5 years or so on either end.
Did you mean to say in1890 it WAS there but 1910-20 it wasn’t?
No. Pictures from 1890 have no buildings where this one would be. Then we start to see the street front develop. The Burke and many other buildings were built. Then by 1923 most all of that part of town is gone again. Same is true for the UP depot. Very short life span.
The sudden disappearance of sections of old towns usually had something to do with fire.
And that is what I thought/am thinking. But there is also good photo evidence of the only major fire in the town that i know of at least but thats not to say it didn’t happen that way. I probably could figure it out through some research but I am not that motivated.
While everyone else is making great progress on their project, I decided to take a .ini vacation in the middle of the challenge. So no progress. But I did happen to have a pleasant surprise. My favorite airplane is the Vought F4U Corsair. And in all places, in Driggs, ID (population like 10) there is a war birds museum and what do I find. . .
So worth any handicap it causes me in the challenge. Never been this close to one.
Now that is just cool, Devon and there is never anything wrong with spending time with Mama. Great photo, thanks for sharing.
Who said I spent it with mama??? But yes it was with mama. She is 99% of my world. I do allow 1% to everything else. Nothing like spending 4 uninterrupted days with your best friend
The Corsair is amazing and so are your windows and doors. My wife bought me a 3d printer for Christmas, a real surprise, and printing doors and windows is a perfect application for it.
So got back this afternoon (monday) from my mini vacation. Got the windows cut out of the face of the building and installed the windows and doors.
The wife was doing some research for me on the drive home. Came across a video documentary of Burke. She saw this picture and screen shot it. This is without any doubt the front of the Burke. Its the first good street level view I have seen of the front. So now I have some idea of what it looks like so I can model. It. Up to this point I was going to have to guess.
Unfortunately it answered some questions a day late and a dollar short. To late to go back now. But on the Sanborn maps it claims the Burke was a saloon and pool hall on the first floor and furnished lodging on the upper floors. What I didn’t expect was that each side of the first floor had a separate entrance and then a central door way that I assume is stairs leading up stairs. That would have been nice to model that way. But too late. It stands as I have it.
Great find on the photo. Devon. Looks like the boss may be a better researcher than you 
You may have to go back and redesign those bottom windows, I don’t see any with 12 panes and each one has a transom window too. Devon has some work to do yet 
The more I sit here and look at it I can fix it. And I will. I have to. The original is so much cooler than what I would have come up with.
Also it gives me good detail on what the balcony rail looks like. That makes me happy.
Also as an aside, the rock building to the left I believe is still standing. I may have to go up and see. But I am pretty sure its still there.
Is that a barber’s pole there on the right?
