CPR Water Tower (Enclosed)

[tetters]

Good Evening,

I wasn't kidding when I said a couple days ago I was going to build a CPR Water Tower for my Kootenay Branch Line. I begin my build by using an article from RMC published in April 2010. I used some of the building techniques from that article as well as my own take on a couple of things. Where the author scratch built his own windows and doors, I decided to go easy on myself and use doors and windows from Grandt Line. I also made a "foundation" of sorts from my usual 1/4 ply wood base and some strip wood to give the appearance of a poured foundation. Keeping with my material of choice as well as the author's I used card stock, or in my case, the heavier stuff from an empty Chocolate Cheerios box. I'll have to go out an purchase some windows... I could have swore I had some, however all that said, its the only thing right now keeping me from going all gangbusters on this structure and getting it done in record time.




There is plenty of heavy card stock found in just one box of this size. Turns out I'd need it as I made some mistakes and had to redo a couple of things...like the 8 walls that make up the building.




A panel was cut for the walls and then scored for the clapboard siding. I used a good sized square for this as a thin beamed square seemed to be "too light". I used my trusty carpenter knife and a pick in a hobby knife handle. The grooves were scored by the knife then spread by the pick every 6 inches. This was by far the hardest part of this build so far. I had to redo this part as my initial wall panel was too short and when measured would not have formed an octagon with even sides all around. Don't ask me how that happened.



Then the walls were scored every 9'6" in order to get them to bend. This would make quick work of all eight walls.



I then set about making my building foundation. Again I used a piece of 1/4 plywood cut to fit the area the tower would eventually find its new home in. I then used strip wood of various sizes to make up the visible exterior and interior wall supports. The building walls sit in between the strip wood like meat in a sandwich and provide a solid base for the structure.



A test fit shows everything is fine so far.



Borrowing from the magazine I copied the drawing for the roof of the tower which was printed off in HO scale. Lucky me. I cut out a piece of thinner card stock from another package and used some 3M spray on adhesive to glue the drawing to the card stock. Then I cut and scored the piece to make the roof section.



Here it is in place on the layout for another test fit. Just a ways down and next to the Sand Tower. As soon as I pick up my windows I hope to have this structure finished. I just hope it doesn't take me two years to finish this one!