10-08-2025, 05:39 PM
The remainder of the base for the structures will be strips of 1/2" foam board, but I don't want to glue anything in place until I rough the structures and lots in - it'll be a while for that.
But, structures. As I indicated, I have a few already finished plastic kits that I got for Christmas a few years ago, but I need another 5-10 businesses to run along Main Street. Ideally that'll be a bank, a diner, that Acme strip mall facility and a couple more. I've had my eye on a couple Clever models, and I just bought Rudy's Printing and Central Camera - both should fit nicely on Main Street next to the food store and barbershop.
Before I get to the Main Street businesses, the idea of scratchbuilding the LV station has been running around in my mind, so I'm going to get that one done first. I thought about doing it in plastic or balsa, or maybe even looking online for something close as a kit, but it's a really simple rectangular building with lap siding and a steel roof. There was a Clever paper model that had some promise - it was a small Flag Stop station that I thought I could blow up in size. Then I started to think about textures. Clever sells 8x10 siding, roofing, and other detail textures. Cost is between $2 and $2.50 and you can print as many sheets as you like. I thought if I bought that and cut it to the sizes that I want for the four sides of the building, and then adding doors, windows and other detail parts from other kits that I've bought over the years, I could make something pretty close to the prototype. That's the initial plan anyway. Downloaded HO Scale Lucky and Knotts Siding. After I printed it out, I thought it might be overscale - I think the siding exposure should be a bit smaller, but I'm going to go with it anyway.
Based on the pictures I have on hand, I can estimate the size of the building fairly well. It looks like the endwalls are about 10-12 feet wide, and the long section of the building looks to be somewhere between 50 and 60 feet. Got my drafting board, a pencil and my triangles out to draw out each wall.
Found some doors and windows I thought would look good out of other Clever buildings and added a small loading dock to the end of the building as in the prototype. None of it's exactly to scale from the prototype, but it will work. I do need to build some rafter trusses to support the extended roof lines on the long sides of the building, and I think I've found a stone or brick foundation that'll go under everything. I do not have a photo of the back sides of the building, but I think there should be at least a couple of doors and a long loading dock.
But, structures. As I indicated, I have a few already finished plastic kits that I got for Christmas a few years ago, but I need another 5-10 businesses to run along Main Street. Ideally that'll be a bank, a diner, that Acme strip mall facility and a couple more. I've had my eye on a couple Clever models, and I just bought Rudy's Printing and Central Camera - both should fit nicely on Main Street next to the food store and barbershop.
Before I get to the Main Street businesses, the idea of scratchbuilding the LV station has been running around in my mind, so I'm going to get that one done first. I thought about doing it in plastic or balsa, or maybe even looking online for something close as a kit, but it's a really simple rectangular building with lap siding and a steel roof. There was a Clever paper model that had some promise - it was a small Flag Stop station that I thought I could blow up in size. Then I started to think about textures. Clever sells 8x10 siding, roofing, and other detail textures. Cost is between $2 and $2.50 and you can print as many sheets as you like. I thought if I bought that and cut it to the sizes that I want for the four sides of the building, and then adding doors, windows and other detail parts from other kits that I've bought over the years, I could make something pretty close to the prototype. That's the initial plan anyway. Downloaded HO Scale Lucky and Knotts Siding. After I printed it out, I thought it might be overscale - I think the siding exposure should be a bit smaller, but I'm going to go with it anyway.
Based on the pictures I have on hand, I can estimate the size of the building fairly well. It looks like the endwalls are about 10-12 feet wide, and the long section of the building looks to be somewhere between 50 and 60 feet. Got my drafting board, a pencil and my triangles out to draw out each wall.
Found some doors and windows I thought would look good out of other Clever buildings and added a small loading dock to the end of the building as in the prototype. None of it's exactly to scale from the prototype, but it will work. I do need to build some rafter trusses to support the extended roof lines on the long sides of the building, and I think I've found a stone or brick foundation that'll go under everything. I do not have a photo of the back sides of the building, but I think there should be at least a couple of doors and a long loading dock.
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