An engine servicing facility for the JGL
#61
Another option for covering the seams in the concrete block section is "H" columns. Often, to support such large structures, vertical "H" columns were driven into the ground by a pile driver, then cut-off, either at ground level or at the level of the top of the finished concrete floor. Another length of "H" column would then be bolted or welded to the top of the driven column. When the blocks were laid, they fit between the flanges of the "H", butting-up against the centre web. The only part of the column visible would be flanges, on both the outside and the inside of the wall. The columns would carry the weight of the roof trusses, which extended from front to back on a roundhouse. For the exterior, simply file a flat along the seams, then cement a strip of .010"x.100" or .125" in place to represent the column's flange. You could add this detail on the interior, too.
Here's a picture of such an application - if I recall correctly, the brick which is visible is backed by concrete blocks, with at least one more layer of brick on the interior.
[album]616[/album]

Wayne
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#62
Hi all, back with an update. Thanks Wayne for that last idea, I wound up using it. With the roundhouse done I worked on a few other things while I waited for a friend to come over and help me get the roundhouse installed on the layout. I had soldered leads for the stall tracks to the bottom of each rail and needed to place the wires thru holes drilled in the subroadbed whlst the roundhouse was lowered into place, so needed more hands. I hate soldering feeds to the outside of rails! Particularly in this case, with little room between the pit and roundhouse doors, all glued in the open position, I saw no need to be opening and closing them. So I built and decaled a steel water tank, and scratchbuilt a small shed and an office for train crews. A few new pics, and some more questions:
   

This pic is taken from the end of the peninsula. You see the H column suggestion has been used, and I like the look. The smoke stacks have been moved back and the new roof sections have been hot tarred in. You can see most of the water tower to the left, with the JGL logo on it. I have ordered the neagtive ion generator needed to build the static grass applicator and when it arrives I look forward to growing some grass on the hill behing the roundhouse.
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#63
A view from the corner, I think this may become one of my favorite scenes. I made the inspection pit from styrene, and put s short length of plactruct tubing in the roundhouse wall, it will be changed out to the correct size/length to represent the steam line running from the boiler house. The building in place now is an old Magnuson water dept kit. An early resin kit, the walls were warped beyond my ability to correct, so I will scratchbuild a simialr building to replace it.
   


This pic shows the front of the roundhouse from ground level. It was taken while programming the turntable for the stall tracks, hence the diesel on the tt. A quick question: You see the whitish blemish on the lower corner of the roundhouse wall? I believe this was due to the alcohol spray I used to wet the ballast on the stall tracks in prep for glueing. The walls had previously been given a coat of dullcote to protect teh spackle mortor from coming weathering. Am I right in remembering that another application of dullcote to this area will return it to new?
   
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#64
The small structure I built, about 2/3s of it are office space for train crews reporting to work, etc., the rest is storage. I will make a timber ramp to the doors shown, the area to the right (between it and the roundhouse) will be suitably cluttered. I have sifted fine sand onto glue spread on the roof and it is ready for painting, will do so shortly.
   

Last pic for today is from the other corner of the peninsula. It shows the overall scene. The white board to the right is the footprint of the corp offices. I am struggling with a design for this structure. The black foamcore next to it will be the parking lot/entrance to the yard. The brown painted cardboard to its left will be grassy hillside running across the rear of teh roundhouse to the water tank. The siding with the passenger car sitting on it is for spotting the presidents private car at the office. The small office mentioned in the prior post will sit approximately where it is, a road will run by on its right. You can see in the distance another small shed I built. So there is plenty still to do!
   
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#65
This area is really starting to look good Gary, and I like the fact that you're including a steam plant for the roundhouse, too. In addition to providing heat for the structure, many roads used a process called direct steaming, where the stationary boilers were used to quickly bring locomotive boilers to operational readiness. I plan to duplicate this on my layout, too - the steam plant is in place, with only the overhead steam lines to be constructed.
It's not often that one sees the corporate headquarters of the road included on a layout (mine are on the upper floors of the main station at Dunnville). Walthers had a kit for a Ford Headquarters Building like this which might be suitable. Or you could use sheet styrene to build a similar style structure, like I did for the Dunnville station:
[album]667[/album]

[album]668[/album]

In the picture directly above, the near wing houses express and lcl functions, with related railway business on the upper two floors, while the centre block houses the main station (there's another storey below track level, with street access for all areas of the building) with the corporate headquarters occupying the top three floors. The far wing, visible in the first photo, is a Post Office, with other Government offices on the upper levels. Unfortunately, no place to park a business car, though. :cry:

The entire structure is built from .060" sheet styrene, including the interior bracing and platform. The windows are modified left-overs from a couple of Walthers Waterfront Warehouse kits. While it doesn't show very well in the photos, the walls were scribed, using the back of an X-Acto #11 blade, to represent Ashlar cut stone. Still lots of detailing to do on this - it isn't yet fixed in place, as I need to have it removeable so that I can put a backdrop where the streets dead-end at the wall.

Wayne
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#66
Gary, Alcohol does "whiten" dullcoat, and I have heard that an overspray of fresh dullcoat will correct it....haven't tried it...yet, but several people have made that statement.
We always learn far more from our own mistakes, than we will ever learn from another's advice.
The greatest place to live life, is on the sharp leading edge of a learning curve.
Lead me not into temptation.....I can find it myself!
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#67
Thanks Wayne, I hadn't realized how much your station looked like that Ford plant. It is indeed a great look. I had intended to use brick for the side and rear walls, but was having trouble coming up with a "look" for the front wall, which should be fancier. I had looked thru my Walthers catalog but nothing really got me. Of course the Ford plant is no longer in the catalog, nor would I buy it but will scratch it as you have done. I really like your power plant building, those rooflines are intricate!

Thanks for confirming what I thought I had heard Pete. I reapplied the dullcote and yes indeed, it returned the finish to as it had been.

Finished the small office/storage bldg, here it is, I hope to "plant" it today. I need to gather some dirt from the frozen ground in the backyard and put it in the toaster oven first.
   
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#68
Thought I already replied to this thread...Your work looks nice, look forward to more
-Steven-

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#69
jglfan Wrote:.....I really like your power plant building, those rooflines are intricate!

Thanks, Gary, but the building in the foreground in that picture is the Bertram Machine Tool Works. My power plant is a simple build using leftover DPM modular wall sections:
[album]672[/album]

[album]673[/album]

I'll be installing overhead steam piping to most of the nearby Lowbanks shop complex - the power plant's other purpose is to help disguise the backdrop at the curved outside corner, visible in the first photo.

Wayne
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#70
Sumpter250 Wrote:Gary, Alcohol does "whiten" dullcoat, and I have heard that an overspray of fresh dullcoat will correct it....haven't tried it...yet, but several people have made that statement.

I have first hand experience with that...! 35 The "corrective action" does indeed work as described, luckily for me. Wink Big Grin

Andrew
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#71
How about an early Art-Deco structure for the headquarters? It'd fit your era and truly reflect the golden period of the machine age.

A good example would be the Texas & Pacific building in Ft. Worth TX.
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<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.fortwortharchitecture.com/t&p.htm">http://www.fortwortharchitecture.com/t&p.htm</a><!-- m -->

Perhaps a more modestly sized version of this? I know you're not afraid of scratchbuilding! Cheers
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#72
Really coming along great.
Torrington, Ct.
NARA Member #87
I went to my Happy Place, but it was closed for renovations.
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#73
Thanks 88. And thank you Miles for the links, that is an impressive bldg. I'm thinking two or three stories and there is no train station in this bldg., that will be on the main further down the tracks, haven't even begun to give thought to it yet, but that should be easy. I'll give some thought on how to use the basic idea greatly reduced in size.

Here are some pics with initial layer of ground cover in place. Any commnets/criticism welcome, do not be reluctant to criticize, it is the only way for me to improve! Particularly colors. As is, the roadway is infield clay and seems to orange. Another layer needs to be put down, in which I will make tire ruts, potholes, etc. And when I'm done working in the area, some static grass will go down, I just built the blaster from the thread Wayne had posted. Details need to be placed too.
   
   
   
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#74
A picture of the outdoor inspection pit, I have to build a lot more of those platforms for workers to stand on while oiling around. Scene comes from a pic in a Lackawanna book, the roundhouse in Hoboken, NJ

   
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#75
:jawdrop: wow! even with the basic ground cover on the scene is looking fantastic! anf your roads dont look to orange at all,they appear to be the right shade to me.but man,wow...... Thumbsup --josh
Women may not find you handsome,but they'll atleast find you handy--Red Green
C&O ALL THE WAY--[Image: chessie.gif]
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