An engine servicing facility for the JGL
#16
Looks like you've had fun there!
Have you started the roundhouse yet? I've seen a couple of tricks that have been done so that the roster isn't just hidden in it. Clear rooves are obvious, but an obvious dodge.
I saw one where the engine shed was in the process of being torn down and rebuilt -- the side walls were knocked down in the middle and the roff was off but the end walls were up.
You could make one where the roundhouse was in the process of being expanded and the roof and back walls were gone but the original side walls were up but heavily braced.
Sorry. I'm suggesting a major building and detailing project for you!
David
Moderato ma non troppo
Perth & Exeter Railway Company
Esquesing & Chinguacousy Radial Railway
In model railroading, there are between six and two hundred ways of performing a given task.
Most modellers can get two of them to work.
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#17
Looks great, did you add kiting to the coal tower?
Lynn

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Great White North
Ontario,Canada
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#18
i cannot believe what i've been missing on this site! fantastic work gary Thumbsup --josh
Women may not find you handsome,but they'll atleast find you handy--Red Green
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#19
Thanks Josh. Lynn, I did not add anything to the coaling tower, the only change I made was the elimination of the grade for the coal dumping track, requiring the addition of 1/2" of planking to the bottom of the walls for the enclosure around the dump area. In fact, in the photos this enclosure has not been put in place entirely, I still need to weather it and glue in place. I'll do that when I finish scenicking and detailing the area. I hope to start the roundhouse today.

David, I gave thought to a clear roof so the locos and interior detailing would be visable. But I'm not sure how often I will actually store locos in the roundhouse. Although it would help keep them dust free! The operation I envision is steam powered trains run the length of the railroad from west end hidden staging to Blakesly Yard, where they come off their train and go into the svc area. A spin on the tt to turn them for a return trip, and then parked on the outbound lead, if you check the aeriel photo you'll see how long that track is. Kind of a first in, first out. However, as I develop a schedule for the trains it may come to pass that a certain loco needs to be assignd to a certain train, and would be out of order. In that case I will use a roundhouse stall.

Regarding interior detailing, I would like to do a reasonable job of it, can anyone supply some photos I can work by? Links to same or ones posted here will be greatly appreciated. I think rather than a clear roof I will limit viewing to thru the windows. The rear of the roundhouse is at eye level and close to the end of the peninsula. The windows on the Walthers kit are a good size and viewers should be able to see into the interior fairly well. For the three stalls which will be extended via a cinder block addition, I plan to use larger windows to enable better viewing. I figure a workbench strewn with tools etc right up against the window and the sight of the loco fronts just beyond may be sufficient, but I would love to be made aware of other touches. Thanks to anyone who can help out here.

Gary
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#20
Gary,

Re: roundhouse interior

The photos I have seen (mostly Canadian National, from Ian Wilson's excellent books and the Archive at the Science & Tech Museum, show a whitewashed interior, with the exception that up to about 5 feet is painted black or other dark colour, presumably to mask the grime. Floors are usually wood or concrete, although some photos show what appears to be a dirt floor.

Tools are mostly "oversize" which makes sense considering the size of some of the nuts and bolts on the locos! Wink If you are tempted to have any "spare parts" lying around, be sure that the method of moving/handling them is also around. I was looking at a picture by Bob Boudreau in a back issue of MR the other day. I really like his work, and it is incredibly detailed, but he had a loco driver leaning on a wooden sawhorse... Don't think that would work in the real world... Eek Big Grin

Hope that helps.

Andrew
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#21
Thanks Andrew, and sorry it took me so long to reply. I've used your info about the painting of the walls to guide me in building interior walls for the Walthers kit. The kit has no provision for interior walls. I've also searched thru a lot of my books and mags looking for interior photos, I found only 3, and they do not show much. One that was interesting and I plan to use was clipboards hanging from the columns at the rear of the roundhouse, the end where the front of the loco would be. The other end, the front, is very narrow so there would not be anything there, clearance is tight. I note that the rails reach almost all the way to the rear wall. I was speaking to a friend who had rummaged around the Erie's roundhouse in Port Jervis while it was out of service and prior to the fire which destroyed it, and he told me the rails there also reached nearly to the rear wall. In another thread about machine equipment Val posted a link to some belt driven tools I thought would be useful. It seems though that lathes etc were not directly in the roundhouse but more often in an addition on one side. One photo I saw showed a steel cabinet against one of the side walls, nothing else.

I'm posting a few pics of the roundhouse so far. This one was taken from an angle and distance that will be the best view of the interior once it is in place on the layout. You can actually see in better than I thought from the front. I just have paper where the roof will be to block the light, so when the actual roof is in place, it should be darker yet. I'm thinking a couple carts with tools and parts kept between the columns where they are not in the way when not in use would be appropriate. Not sure what else but will be happy if anyone can offer info. The rear walls on the left three stalls are just sub walls waiting for delivery of styrene cinder block sheet to laminate onto them. I have Tichy windows that fit the openings. The installation of these painted walls should darken the interior further. I'm not sure about adding lighting, then the interior detailing will be more important and I'm thinking less is better at this point, having little info.
   
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#22
This is a pic of the other side, again it was taken from the approximate angle and distance which would offer the best view once in place on the layout. If I were to move to my left, my view would be impeded by the corp. office bldg. The rear of this wall will be extended out 3" with the cinder block extension.
   
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#23
This pic shows the rear of the house and the extension with one wall section held in place. You can see the interior walls, only the front section will be somewhat visable thru the front doors, but depending on how dark it is inside the finished structure, you will probably be able to see them a bit thru the rear windows.
   
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#24
I don't know if this will work but I thought I'd give it a shot. I've never been able to psot a pic of brick and mortar, it always distorts when reduced enough to post here. So, I trimmed a original 1600x1200 pic to show just a small section of it, without any reduction in size, if that makes sense. Let's see if it posts clearly. This motar was done with lightweight spackle. it goes on easy, rubs off easily, and I think looks great, and goes very quickly. Much better than the multiple coats of thinned paint I've used in the past.
   
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#25
jglfan Wrote:I don't know if this will work but I thought I'd give it a shot. I've never been able to psot a pic of brick and mortar, it always distorts when reduced enough to post here. So, I trimmed a original 1600x1200 pic to show just a small section of it, without any reduction in size, if that makes sense. Let's see if it posts clearly. This motar was done with lightweight spackle. it goes on easy, rubs off easily, and I think looks great, and goes very quickly. Much better than the multiple coats of thinned paint I've used in the past.
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Hmm...spackle. Never thought of that, GREAT idea!

I think most people think that a roundhouse is the place railroads repaired steam locomotives, but truthfully, it was more of a place to inspect and store locomotives, a locomotive garage if you will. Sure, light repairs were occasionally made in the roundhouse, but most heavy repairs were instead made in a shop. Now, sometimes those backshops were part of the roundhouse structure as they were connected (usually in the rear), but that is where the actual repairs usually were done. Keep in mind, this was on *most* railroads, not all, there is always an exception to the rule. What I am saying, is I wouldn't worry too much about tools and machines in the actual roundhouse as much as I would in a shop. Who makes that beautiful roundhouse kit anyway? Atlas?

I think that roundhouse you built though looks fantastic. I can only hope mine turns out that well. I'll definitely be "borrowing" your spackle for mortar idea though, looks like a winner!
Tom Carter
Railroad Training Services
Railroad Trainers & Consultants
Stockton, CA
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#26
Thanks for the kind words Tom. The kit is by Walthers, their # 3041. I can't wait for that cinder block sheet so I can finish the roundhouse. I like modifying kits to make them a bit different, and I needed longer stalls for some of my larger steam locos. Sounds like there isn't a lot of interior details to worry about. Fine by me, I've got lots of work to do on the scene anyway! Here is the spackle I used, in the past I had tried the vinyl type spackle and that didn't work so well. The wall section in the pic is the one my small pic above came from.
   
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#27
Wow Gary, That is an awesome size area for a layout. I can but only dream. Cheers
You must be able to have great running sessions on it.
I was wondering if you have a trackplan of it posted here somewhere that I may have missed, or failing that I would love to see one posted if possible.
Love your work Sir. Worship

Jack
LIFE....
..... Abandon the search for truth
Look for a good fantasy
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#28
Looks fantastic Gary!!! Maybe instead of a clear roof you could put in a couple of skylights here and there.

Speaking of spackle, I started using that awhile ago, and I really like the look of it. Much better than washes IMHO.

cheers
Val
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#29
Thanks Val, skylights are an intriging idea, will give that some thought. Bet you they would be filthy in no time. I remember reading about the Harmon roundhoused on the NYC, the cinders on the roofs of the roundhouses (they had 2) were several inches thick. This was noted by the company photographer who had gone up on the roof to take some shots. In fact, this memory reminds me to find the books I have by that photographer and see what details I might find in those photos, I had forgotten about those books! Thanks.

Jack, thanks. I do not have a track plan but did post a crude one on a thread about the planning process for my railroad years ago at the "old" (wait, we're the old, make that the original, aw, forget it!) gauge, now Zealot. Here is a link to it:
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#30
[quote="j Here is the spackle I used, in the past I had tried the vinyl type spackle and that didn't work so well. The wall section in the pic is the one my small pic above came from.
[/quote]

I think I may have tried a vinyl spackle in the past. I wasn't too happy with the results and it photographed shiny! I'll try the kind you use!
Thanks for the tip!
Ralph
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