3-in-1! That's it!

Yes, I can see how the stone walls would work, given that you liberally apply a generous dusting of your base scenery color to tint it to fit in. It does have that Old West Ghost Town sort of feel. Cool choice.

And those underframes, yes, I looked at those as well when I was searching for log cars. What I ended up with instead (after years of searching) was the MDC Twin-Pak skeleton log cars. I'd love a few more as I have only the pair now, and they're still unassembled. But they are a VERY nicely detailed kit, fairly heavy, and considerably cheaper than Kadee's log cars. Had to go all the way to Canada to find them...

Galen

I really need to start wrapping this thing up, as I have other non-train related stuff that I need to get done, and this contest is ending soon. I am afraid that I won't be able to add all the details I had originally planned.

I painted the walls with model master burnt sienna. The color was okay, but it was too uniform for my liking. It looked like painted or new brick. Remember, my prototype is a stone structure built around 1900 in a rather remote mining town filled with smelters and smokestacks. I wouldn't expect to see a pristine brick building there. So, I tried adding a tan colored wash as a mortar, and things looked better, but again it still looked to much like bricks, and the seams and differences between the DPM and Walthers sections really stood out. Then, I decided to use the tan wash over the whole building, and it looked much better, but too light. So, I added a brown wash, and am now happy with the results. I'd still rather have a stone building, but if that was the case this would be a scratchbuild, and part of my goal was to see what I could do with the modular components.

I brush panted top cornice and the lower front with a craft store white. I have noticed that the craft store paints go on smoother if you first thin them with about 25-50% water. The roof is strips of masking tape cut to look like sheets of roofing felt (which I am assuming is an appropriate roofing material for this location during my era). I then painted the roof with a black brown and white mixture to give it a dirty gray look. The effect is good (looks better in person) but the roof lacks details like roof jacks or possibly a stairwell exit.

Next up is to paint and install the windows, paint the front door, and build a loading dock and walkway along the track side of the building.

I have managed to get the whole thing painted(save a few touch up spots and some weathering) and the windows installed. The DPM and the walthers modulars use different styles of windows. The walthers have a divided light multiple pane design, and the DPM just have one pane per sash. Had I more time, I would have attempted to modify the walthers windows to look more like the DPM windows, but there would have been roughly 50 windows to modify by cutting and filing, and it would have taken too long. The one window I attempted to modify was more difficult than I thought because of the way the walthers windows are cast. I could go back and modify them later, or just pretend that the prototype building was constructed in haste using what was available in the region - thus the two different window styles.

I like the way the DPM windows install better than I do the walthers. The DPM windows fit into the wall, whereas the walthers windows simply glue to the back of the wall. The problem is, if the wall is slightly warped, or the windows are slightly warped, or if there is a small burr or unevenness in the thickness of the plastic, the walthers windows won't sit exactly flush. This is only noticeable if you look closely, but there were a few windows I had to remove, file, and re-install in order to get them to sit flush. The walthers windows come in pairs for the large wall sections. In hindsight, I think I would have an easier time getting them installed flush if I had cut them into single windows.

I next made the exterior walkway to connect from the front to the back sides of the building. The prototype had such a precarious walkway because the other side of the building was a hill - and the walkway avoided having to climb up and over a hill in order to get from one side to the other. The supports for the walkway were created in true kitbashing style by modifying some kind of detail part that came with the walthers kit. I could have made something that looked a little batter, but in the spirit of kitbasing I am trying to uses as many of the kit parts as possible. The planks for the walkway are real wood cut from a piece of poplar using a cheap mini table saw I picked up at Harbor Freight. The whole walkway was glued to the building using the dreaded CA.

Next is to create an awning that covers the entrance of the building, make a railing for the walkway, and make a loading dock.

WOW this structure is coming out awesome Kevin!!! I love the shape of it Cant wait to see it tied into the scenery

Wow, I missed allot... I was considering entering the kit bash challenge myself, and completely forgot, now I come back an see this SWEET building!

jbaakko Wrote:Wow, I missed allot... I was considering entering the kit bash challenge myself, and completely forgot, now I come back an see this SWEET building!

Thanks for the compliment. Unfortunately, it still needs a few details, The scenery around the building needs to be completed first so that I know how big to make the loading dock.

It uses good materials for the windows. I believe it fits on the design of my house. I should see some stores to find these materials.