The Mogollon Railroad

[nachoman]

Another project I have been working on. I took a pair of Model Power coach ends that were leftover from another project, spliced them together, and am building one more narrow gauge coach.

[nachoman]

Another project I am trying to finish up as I await some mail order supplies for my kitbuild challenge. I started this hotel for another challenge a few years ago. It's been on my workbench with slow progress ever since, as I got burned out and worked on other things. Still needs a bit of work.

[jonte]

That's 'nice', nachoman; I sincerely hope you finish it.

May I ask how you achieved the textured rendered effect to the front?

Regards,

jonte

[nachoman]

Hi Jonte -

I used a product from Liquitex called "Ceramic Stucco" found at the art supply store. I stippled it on with a brush, and then sanded it to an even texture. It's a bit of an exaggerated texture for HO, but I'm happy with the results as I think a "scale" texture wouldn't be noticeable. It was a pain to do, though, and if I was doing it again I think I would mask off all the windows and non-stucco areas and use some kind of a textured spray paint.

[Ralph]

Wow! The hotel looks great! I think the stucco is very effective!

[jonte]

Hi nacho man and thanks for your response.

Funnily enough, I was hoping to use this product for a stucco effect building I plan on building next after reading an article about it. Problem is, when I enquired, this product isn't available in the UK, or at least not the stucco type.

Turns out the products are actually an acrylic moulding paste and gel used by artists, apparently, which are available over here from art shops although for a princely sum! I've noticed that some art forums suggest cheaper alternatives using such things as sculpting plaster and talc, but I rather suspect this won't suit the 'moulding' method I'd hoped to employ.

The search continues.

Thanks again,

jonte

[Painkiller]

Looking good!

[nachoman]

A few updates on the hotel. I've been working more on the painting, added a Saltillo tile floor, and finished up the stucco. I'm happy with it. I feel like completion of this structure is within reach, and I feel good about that.

[jonte]

Love the tiled floor, nachoman; very effective

Still impressed with stucco!

Regards,

jonte

[nachoman]

Some gift certificates and special offers from Amazon landed me Walthers' Vulcan Manufacturing for the cost of a few bucks. Of all the commercially available kits out there, this one seemed to be the best candidate for bashing into a copper smelter. Because this is severely selectively compressed and I don't want to spend too much energy understanding the nuances of the smelting processes as it was in 1910, I'm just trying to make something that looks plausible based on the photos I have seen. It's a "just do it" type of plan - I'm tired of trying to research the details, and tired of the blank spot on my layout.

I think I will build the main building as-is. The footprint and shape are about right for the space I have. The smokestack that came with the kit is too short, and its intended location on the base is not in the location I want. I'm not quite sure how I will modify this. I also cut apart the crane awning thing that came with the kit to make a loading area off to the side of the main building. There is enough space behind the main building to scratchbuild some kind of ore concentrate receiving area/conveyor. Somehow I will connect the smelter with the powerhouse that I completed a few years ago. I'm also planning on putting some kind of 20" gauge tracks (using z scale track) around the facility as industrial trackage.

[doctorwayne]

Kevin, you could increase the apparent height of the stack by either placing it atop the lean-to's roof (trim the bottom of the stack to-suit) or by having it come through the roof of the main building. For the latter choice, I'd suggest cutting a hole in the roof just slightly smaller than the base of the stack, the insert it from the underside to affix it in place.

The Vulcan kit is one of my favourite structures from Walthers:






Wayne

[nachoman]

Actually, Wayne, your building is one of the reasons I went with this kit. I like what you did with it. It really is a good kit for a generic industry - cheap, looks like it can be added on to relatively easily, and I can't find many other kits with this kind of roof profile. I'm thinking about doing similar to what you did regarding the smokestack by placing it at the end of the building with something underneath to prop it up. Or I may make an entirely new smokestack out of PVC pipe.

[nachoman]

I've been working on the smelter. My hobby time is more limited these days, and I am taking more of a "just do it" approach here instead of toiling over details. I just want something that looks good enough, because having something is better than a cardboard mockup!

[e-paw]

I haven't checked this thread in some time now, and I have to say that I am really impressed with your work. I do sympathize with you on the lack of hobby time, I know the feeling. Keep it up.

[nachoman]

Apologize again for the crummy photos - a light fixture in my train room went out!

Here is the hotel, almost done, in its place on the layout: