Puddlejumper's 2010 Summer Firehouse challenge

[Puddlejumper]

For reference, here is how Life Like intended for it to look...


and how mine will look.

[Puddlejumper]

And a couple more. These are of the firehouse I am assigned to. This is a magnificent building, constructed in 1933 and placed in service in 1934. This firehouse never had stables or horses. It is also the only firehouse in the city with 4 doors.

[P5se Camelback]

Dave -
I'm likin' your progress ... and the photos of the 1:1 Fire Houses are so cool! I've always thought they were pretty cool ...

In the town where I grew up (Wayne, PA, along the Pennsy Main Line west of Philly) we had a Volunteer Fire Company. It was right next door to the Junior High and sort of diagonally across the street from our house, next to my Dad's Methodist Church on the corner. When the big siren would go off, (that thing was loud enough to raise the dead, hock: but is was a large township) we used to time how long it took enough of them to get there, and have that first truck leave the house. Usually at about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes ... they were pretty quick!

[Back then, Cops had red lights and the volunteer fire guys had flashing blue lights behind their car's grille. I think the volunteer fire fighter's got special dispensation to ignore the speed limit when they had those blue lights on and were "flyin' low" on their way in to the Fire House!]

Keep pluggin' there, Dave! It's lookin' great!

[Puddlejumper]

Thanks for your encouraging comments biL. Throughout the thread I may put up a few more firehouse photos for reference. There are 35 active firehouses in the city, with probably another 15 decommissioned firehouses, all of which have their own personality and architecture depending on the era they were built. I am not modeling any specific firehouse, just trying to accomplish the "feel" of the urban firehouse.

I am a volunteer as well, out in the country beyond the extended suburbs of D.C. and it sounds like we are much the same as the volunteer firehouse you describe, only we are not allowed to use any type of special lights on our vehicles to "respond" to the firehouse when the siren blows.

[Gary S]

Dave, thanks for posting the proto photos and the progress reports. Do you ever get the chance to work on your models when you are on duty? My Uncle was a fireman in Houston, and they often played ping pong or basketball or just watched TV between alarms. Would be cool if you could get some modeling done.

[Puddlejumper]

Dave, thanks for posting the proto photos and the progress reports. Do you ever get the chance to work on your models when you are on duty? My Uncle was a fireman in Houston, and they often played ping pong or basketball or just watched TV between alarms. Would be cool if you could get some modeling done.

Unfortunately no. The firehouse I work at is one of the busiest in the nation, it doesn't leave us much time for extra curricular activity. Our drills, clean ups, meals, morning work out, etc. are all usually interrupted by alarms, to the point that sometimes you don't even reap the intended benefit of the drill or work out because the interruptions were too numerous. One of the guys did the math last year, between the Battalion Chief, Engine Co., Truck Co., and Ambulance we had 17,700 responses, for an average of one response for a unit in our house every 29 minutes. The average run takes longer than 30 minutes so you can see that we can have multiple units out at the same time, and don't have much time in quarters before the next response. Incidentally, we are also first due to the White House.

More updates tonight I hope.

[Gary S]

Woah Dave, that is BUSY! My uncle's station was nowhere near that busy. If he had been a model railroader, he would have had time to build plenty of structures. They worked 24 hour shifts and generally got a good night's sleep! I guess there is a huge difference between a rural firestation on the outskirt's of a city versus one right in the middle of the city.

[Puddlejumper]

Woah Dave, that is BUSY! My uncle's station was nowhere near that busy. If he had been a model railroader, he would have had time to build plenty of structures. They worked 24 hour shifts and generally got a good night's sleep! I guess there is a huge difference between a rural firestation on the outskirt's of a city versus one right in the middle of the city.

I do not discount any fire station or how many runs they have, they are ALL important and work hard. The difference is just what you state, I am right downtown as opposed to a station on the outskirts. 29 Engine is in D.C. but on the outskirts. There the residents are fairly well off and don't call 911 for much of anything. They do approximately 500 runs a year. Where I am at, there is plenty of low income housing, government buildings, and tourists. That equals a much larger call volume.

[Puddlejumper]

A couple of poor photos of the little progress I have made...



Notice the tile floor. I printed this in the same way I made the block walls.



And here is where I am trying to figure out how to make the windows where light won't leak around the frames.

[P5se Camelback]

I realize that it might be tedious, but that appears to be the interior wall and if you very carefully cut out some material for interior window trim (you could use poster board if you make sure you keep a very sharp blade and take your time making very careful cuts) and color it blackon the back with a black marker (I like Sharpies) to block any light, and then glue them on. At that point, paint them either the wall color or ... what am I saying? You know better what color Firehouse window trim is!!! You've got it on the front wall window trim!!! But black on the "glued-on-to-the-wall" side and some trim color coating the front should block any light! Just make sure the trim overlaps the edge of the window a little bit.

Whaddya think?

[Puddlejumper]

Well biL, originally I had said "no way" to your suggestion, thinking it would look too clunky and mess up my interior. But truthfully, I could cut the trim a scale 6 to 8 inches wide and it would not look out of place. the trim on the real windows would be 4 to 6 inches wide. So that is plenty to block the light leaks, with some brown paint or sharpie that should work great. Besides, all viewers will be looking in through windows, so I doubt the oversize trim will be noticed at all.

Thanks.

[Gary S]

PJ, any progress on the fire station?

[P5se Camelback]

So ... Fire Fighter Puddle Jumper ... I was reviewing everyone's Challenge threads and when I got to ...

... And here is where I am trying to figure out how to make the windows where light won't leak around the frames.

I have a tip for you that may eliminate this problem for you in the future ...

When you mark out the openings that you will cut for windows, cut the openings just a smidgeon small. Then you can slowly enlarge the opening to the needed size with some careful, judicious filing with a flat jeweler's file or some other "light cut," small flat file. When the window "just" fits, stop!

Then mark, or bag, or identify in some other way that works for you, which window fits in which opening.

Yes, it's a bit more work, but you will like the results!

[Puddlejumper]

PJ, any progress on the fire station?

Forgive me Gary, there has been no progress. I have been at a complete standstill since my last update. I hope to get back to it soon, though I doubt I will make the Sept. deadline.

So ... Fire Fighter Puddle Jumper ... I was reviewing everyone's Challenge threads and when I got to ...

... And here is where I am trying to figure out how to make the windows where light won't leak around the frames.

I have a tip for you that may eliminate this problem for you in the future ...

When you mark out the openings that you will cut for windows, cut the openings just a smidgeon small. Then you can slowly enlarge the opening to the needed size with some careful, judicious filing with a flat jeweler's file or some other "light cut," small flat file. When the window "just" fits, stop!

Then mark, or bag, or identify in some other way that works for you, which window fits in which opening.

Yes, it's a bit more work, but you will like the results!

Indeed that does sound like a great way to do the windows. I will keep this tip in my mind for any scratch builds I do. This kit was a "cheapo" from Life-Like and the windows don't quite fit the openings... I.E. the openings are bigger than the window frames. I am going to use the trim idea you gave me previously.

[Gary S]

Forgive me Gary, there has been no progress. I have been at a complete standstill since my last update. I hope to get back to it soon, though I doubt I will make the Sept. deadline.

No forgivenenss necessary! I'm just wondering how everyone is doing on there projects, and maybe just a little bit trying to stir up some interest. Seems like a bunch of folks have the summer doldrums....