New Roundhouse underway

[wm3798]

I did some more work on the round house last night, building the floor and installing the tracks.


There are two layers of sheet styrene making up the base, including the main foundation, then the wedge shaped sections between the tracks.  I cut everything on a paper cutter to get the cuts as straight as possible.  I added the inspection pits using Evergreen strip.  I'll add some steel steps into the pits once I paint the concrete.


The thickness of the sheet is perfect, I think it's .050, which allows the .055 rail to poke just far enough above the surface that it looks flush, but is easy to keep clean without marring the soon-to-be painted surface.


Here it is in the context of the turntable and the rest of the Ridgely terminal.  As previously noted, the roundhouse will be based loosely on the Elkins facility.  I have to do an inventory of what strip stock and siding I have available for the construction of the building.  I want to make the roof removable to show off interior details and for track cleaning purposes.

Lee

[wm3798]

Here's the progress so far...

First, I added the wiring to power the tracks.


You can see the channel I cut in the bottom layer of styrene at right.  This shot also shows how I built the inspection pits.  The black gobbledygook is the leftovers of the styrene's original purpose as a sign.

Back topside, I covered the wiring channel with a 1" wide styrene plate, which will extend the concrete floor to the back wall.  I used this as a guide to trim the floor to shape, ready to accept the back walls.



You can see those little wedge shaped bumpers, too.  Not a prototypical look, but highly functional...



On to the paint shop!

Lee

[wm3798]

Freshly painted. I started with a coat of almond spray paint, followed by mists of grey primer, then a few passes with some grimy black and earth using the air brush.


Naturally, while cleaning the rail heads I scuffed up my beautiful paint job...  So I went back over it with some washes, which actually help, I think...  I'm debating whether I should bother darkening the web of the rails... maybe the black sharpie and a wash would work...
Next I need to run a jumper to power the switcher track (the short stall at the top), then I can more permanently install the floor and trim the tail tracks at the pit so it can get back into operation.

I may or may not get to the walls today...  The dormer on the roof needs painting, and weather seems to be cooperating!

Lee

[davefoxx]

Lee, that looks incredible!  As for the rail, unless there are places where the web is still unpainted or the rail is "concrete colored," I would think that the grimy black used for the overall weathering would suffice.  Trying to use a Sharpie and washes on just the rail may contrast too much.  Although, if you want to use washes overall, you almost can't go too far.  I've been inside of the former Southern Railway's roundhouses at Spencer Shops (Salisbury, NC) and Asheville, NC.  Those are really dirty, greasy places.  Let's just say that I wouldn't want to have to eat off of the floor.  

By the way, what do you plan to do with the fascia where the roundhouse sticks out, considering that, well, your operators (yours truly included) are not the most dainty crew around?

Great job!  Keep the pics coming!

DFF

[wm3798]

I'm going to cut a slice of 2x to meet the profile of the overhang, and include enough space to extend the track outside the building to be long enough to hold the wreck crane.

Here's some progress on the first wall...

I modified the wall I'd built last year to get the additional depth I wanted. I added a loading door on the side just to break things up a bit.


Here it is installed.  I did the windows by printing out an image I did in my design program onto a transparency.  The styrene frames were painted by hand, then I put the acetate transparency on with some clear gloss medium.  Once that stuck them in place, I added dots of CA to cement them in for good.


An overview...


Next I have to cut and paint all the steps for the inspection pits...  Then I start on the back walls.


I love it when a plan comes together!

Lee

[Dave V]

Great work, Lee!  Proving that:

1.  N scale is as much a scratchbuilding scale as any
2.  You don't need a fistful of cash to build a roundhouse
and 3.  Common materials such as transparencies and garage sale signs can do the same job as the specifically hobby-oriented products that cost much more.

Oh, and it looks awesome, too!

[wm3798]

Thanks Dave... and Dave...

One thing's for sure... I'm going to need to do another trade show next year so I can score another handful of those signs!  This is just the appetizer for the Big One... Hagerstown!

http://www.moosicmountainwild.com/railroad/Hagerstown%20Maryland.htm

Stay tuned for further developments...

Lee

[up1950s]

Geez that was fast , what are you part humming bird . Terrific results Lee .

[wm3798]

Well, SNL was a re-run last night, so I stayed off my meds a little longer, and built some bones...






Looks like the iron workers have a little adjusting to do...  I have to do the oddly shaped stall to the left, plus the short switcher stall, and cut the pieces to attach to the completed wall, then back out to the paint shop.  Maybe this afternoon...  The good news is that I found the rest of the window transparencies that I had printed, so other than figuring out the roof, I have everything I need in stock to finish the project.

My plan is to mount the frame to the floor to keep everthing stable, then build the roof so it can be lifted off for viewing/detailing/photos.

Lee

[John]

Better do a little carpentry and add about 4 inches to the benchwork too  before something hits the floor :'(

[Bob Bufkin]

I think you need med to slowdown.  Mr. speedy Gonzalis.  Is this the roundhouse your working on?

[wm3798]

It's based loosely on Elkins.  Not as many stalls, but that's the general idea.  I based the wall, roof slope and window arrangements on some photos in one of the many books on the shelf.

Lee

[ednadolski]

Naturally, while cleaning the rail heads I scuffed up my beautiful paint job...  So I went back over it with some washes, which actually help, I think... 

Impressive!   

[Dupesy]

as usual Lee, fine work.  That concrete looks great!

[diezmon]

great work, Lee.  You gonna extend your  bench work a tad, before you catch a sweater on the corner of the roundhouse?  ;D