This thread was started in April 2020
Mountaingoat
On to the next part of the HO Railroad Camp kit. I decided to separate the three buildings into independent builds as they will be used individually on the layout. I just completed the Truck Repair Shop (build posted separately). I did start the walls to this building some time ago so I will be starting post from here. These are the upper floor walls ready to be glued together.
Comments
Mountaingoat
April 2020
I had already colored the first floor rock walls as well. Here is the rear wall showing the colorization the closest to correct.
I love this pic of the front wall because it really shows the excellent mastering of castings that Brett does.
Robert.G
April 2020
Looks very good to me …
Dave_S
April 2020
Excellent casting deserves a fine treatment as you have given it. Nice work.
Later, Dave S. Tucson, AZ
admin
April 2020
Mighty fine modeling there… Stone walls look fantastic.
KKarns
April 2020
Well done Rick, nice and grungy just they way I like it! Stone work is spot on.
brownbr
April 2020
All looks very good. Especially stonework
kebmo
April 2020
i completely agree.
Mountaingoat
April 2020
Some progress made on the office/warehouse. I decided to make the tar paper shed in a sad state. Here is where I am so far on these walls.
The “Corona Holiday” definitely gives more time at the bench.
Robert.G
April 2020
Very nice state of ‘Sad’ . Wear of wood and tarpaper at the right places. I like the look of the boards coming through the tarpaper. Wood color is great aswel. Nice work Goat !!!
KCSTrains
April 2020
I like it. Definitely showing the “wear.” Phil
SteveCuster
April 2020
I really like the walls. Looks great.
SteveF
April 2020
The cracking and board coloration at ground level looks very realistic. Hard to believe it is HO scale. I also really like the effect of the boards coming through the tar paper. Great job on this very sad looking shed! Can’t wait to see it all together.
kebmo
April 2020
if i didn’t know better i would’ve guess those walls were ken’s work. nice.
Mountaingoat
April 2020
You are all so kind. Being compared to Ken is a true compliment. I would say all of you are my inspiration to reach higher than before. Thank you. Rick
Joel
April 2020
Great dilapidated shed. Love the tarpaper
Mountaingoat
April 2020
I have steady hands, but I don’t have that creative eye that Ken has. You have set the bar for me extremely high. I know Ken is still a level above me, but I will strive for that bar. Such pressure. I thought I was supposed to be enjoying this build. lol Rick
KKarns
April 2020
You’ve got your own style going there Rick and it’s working for you, looking great on the walls. Love the subtile impression of the boards behind the paper, perfect thickness to show this.
Mountaingoat
April 2020
Thanks all for the very kind words. This build has pushed me to think beyond my typical level to do even better. Never “settle for”.
I’m working on the warehouse section now and looking at the possibility of having the freight doors partly open. So I decided to try building the freight doors so they would be real wood and not as thick as the casting. Here is my first attempt. My door is in the wall and the casting to the side.
The one thing I noticed is no hinges on the casting. Whichever door I use, I need something for hinges. What have any of you used in HO scale for smaller hinges?
Rick
brownbr
April 2020
I think cardstock would work for hinges. Cut to size…a basic triangle shape. Use a pick to dimple where screws would go, then paint.
Robert.G
April 2020 edited April 2020
For the hinges, I have my own theorie. At least from what I see around me. , always on the inside of the doors. So you would only see them when a door is open. Seems Logic to me because if put on the outside , anyone could easely unskrew them of and remove the door to get inside. So when the door is closed , one would only see the turning part of the hinge. Now I can imagine on more ruraal edifices, not so much attention was gives to that, and hinges would be nailed ,skrewed or even boulted to the frame.
In HO, such a turning part could be represented by a small piece of rod. Plastic or brass. I also find that hinges are quickly to big compared to the doors.
Just my vision on this…
admin
April 2020
You’re making wonderful progress, looking so good! No need to repeat what Robert posted, thinking he’s spot on.
KCSTrains
April 2020
The door looks great. Robert has you covered on the hinges. Phil
Dave_S
April 2020
Rick,
Great work on the new wooden warehouse door. Perfect match for the structure. Looking forward to see what you do about your door hinge. For a wide single door I would think it would swing outward. If it swings in then it might cover part of what you hope to show inside the warehouse. Just my 2 cents worth.
Later, Dave S. Tucson, AZ
Mountaingoat
April 2020
Since I want to be able to have the warehouse doors open, I scratch built the double doors for the side wall too. I had not tried framing windows with HO 1X2s before. Interesting challenge. Yes, they are framed inside too since they will be open.
Then of course, if the doors are open, you need a floor inside.
Time consuming but I think it will be worth it.
kebmo
April 2020 edited April 2020
i agree. but like a dope i put a false floor at the side doors.
Mountaingoat
April 2020
The floor is large enough to handle both front and side doors. Rick
Joel
April 2020
Great work on those doors. Love your additions.
brownbr
April 2020
I like the floor. Wall color is great.
Is it me or does the frame around the window on the left look a bit oversized?
Dave_S
April 2020
Bryan,
If you are talking about this photo
it appears that the top window casing piece is clipped a bit short. Something easily remedied. Probably just one of those things that you don’t see until you look at a photo. OOPS!
Later, Dave S.
brownbr
April 2020
The camera eye is brutal
Mountaingoat
April 2020
I take so many photos and study them and still miss some things. Thanks for the eagle eye. Rick
TomMich
April 2020
Doors turned out really nice. coloring matches the siding well. Nice flooring too! It looks as though the window sill and apron are a bit short as well. It’s tough getting those window parts to match up well.
Mountaingoat
April 2020
I fixed the window sill…Thanks… and glued the walls together. Of course I accidentally glued the left warehouse wall upside down. I was able to peel the siding off back and reglue it to the front. Yes, I wasn’t paying enough attention.
Playing with the positions I want the doors later. Still need more handles, hinges, weathering, etc.
One thing I am planning to do slightly different from the original plan is to extend the dock past the right wall a bit and have stairs going down the back toward the double doors.
Time to starting putting all the subassemblies together on a foundation. This is when it gets fun. Rick
brownbr
April 2020
Really like the interior floor.
Mountaingoat
April 2020
I didn’t imply I never made mistakes. How many mistakes have we all made learning the techniques we use. What we really learn is how to overcome them. Rick
admin
April 2020
Open doors are always a winner!
TomMich
April 2020
Nice fix on the window. The floor really does enhance the whole thing. Add some details to the interior and it’s a winner!
Mountaingoat
April 2020
Lighting and interior details coming.
Rick
Mountaingoat
April 2020
I’m finally back with more. I did the diorama base, glued down the dock first as it sets the height for everything else. Worked the dirt around the legs before adding the deck boards and laid the track. Since I do standard gauge, that meant I had to lower the track base by 2/10" so a flat car or boxcar would match the dock height. Then I had to raise the warehouse by .040" to match the dock and the office by .100" so the doorway would match also. No matter how well we measure, we are never as precise as we would like to be, thus the adjustments.
Anyway, since I am leaving the doors open on the warehouse, I had to do an interior which included studs on the walls as well as the various crates and barrels. Adding studs to the interior after gluing the walls together was entertaining.
Finally lighting. So here are the results at this point. I should be about ready for details, roofs and scenery.
admin
April 2020
Absolutely fantastic! So incredibly well modeled.
brownbr
April 2020
Nice job on the interior.
Colors on the drums looks very fresh. Can they be toned down?
Mountaingoat
April 2020
I’m open to suggestions. My current thinking is if it is in the warehouse, they are new thus the fresh paint. There will be older barrels around the outside with differing stages of abuse by the elements. Rick
Robert.G
April 2020
I agree with your thinking Goat. Not everything needs to be rusted, broken, split, at the same level. Super fine work!!!
Joel
April 2020
Great little interior. Very convincing. The colouring on the exterior boards is also particularly good. Great build so far
sdrees
April 2020
I second Roberts answer, and I can add that this is a fantastic build.
Robert.G
April 2020
Indeed, a very well executed build. Bravo .. The lightning really does it.
Mountaingoat
April 2020
Knowing the quality of modeling by all of you posting, your comments are quite flattering. Thank you very much.
I am considering doing the office roof in real cedar shingles.
I’m thinking the tar paper shed is abandoned and having the roof starting to cave in.
Thoughts everyone?
Rick
brownbr
April 2020
I’d like to see a caving in roof. Sounds like a fun challenge.
TomMich
April 2020
Lighting really adds a lot to the dio. Interior shots are great. Maybe add a sign or 2 to the interior walls that show through the doors to add more interest. A simple addition that brings more interest. They can be safety signs or perhaps advertising appropriate to the scene. Or perhaps some sort of shelf to the interior wall. Otherwise it looks great!
KCSTrains
April 2020
Great job on lining everything up. You’ve got a great scene there and very believable. I love your lighting. As for the drums, it never hurts to hit them will just a little brown caulk to tone down the brightness of fresh paint. You don’t have to overdo it, but dull the color a bit. Don’t use alcohol, just take a brush, dab it in the caulk, and stipple the caulk onto the barrel. If you get too much, just brush it off. I hope this helps. Phil
sdrees
April 2020
After I get done painting Brett’s castings, such as his shelves full of junk, I always brush on some light grey of brown chalk to take the brightness out of the casting.
Mountaingoat
April 2020
I think my shed has seen better days. This is kinda the look I’m going for. After the warehouse was built, they abandoned the shed.
Still scenery and details to come, but wanted your opinions on the roof.
brownbr
April 2020
I like where you are going with this.
Robert.G
April 2020
I would-be add some lichen, moss, spots from bird poo, perhaps some dry leaves if there is a tree closeby. That will make it even more interesting. But I love it allready as it is now. Great work. It looks natural.
MuddyCreekRR
April 2020
Those of you that model in HO always amaze me…I gave up that scale years ago as my eyes got to small and fingers too big…Outstanding work here…
kebmo
April 2020
looks really really nice. great looking model. i agree with muddy, i struggle to see o scale. that’s amazing to me.
Mountaingoat
April 2020
I did the office roof with real cedar shingles. I finished the warehouse roof which is in much better shape than the shed. The story here will be the office originally was one story with the shed. Things progressed so they built the second story and the warehouse. The shed isn’t needed anymore thus no repairs.
I am modeling an area more dry than most so no moss or lichen growing here. When I get to the rest of the roof details, I will probably add a few bird droppings along the roof peak and a couple pigeons. I still have porch roofs, details, scenery, etc. to go.
Then in the process of starting to paint details, I knocked over an almost full bottle of Floquil paint down my front and lap. Luckily none on the model. Can’t say that lucky with the shirt and pants though. I now have a green stomach…Time to quit for today.
Rick
Robert.G
April 2020
The shingles are very well done. Nice work !
JimK
April 2020
The addition of interior detail and lighting has taken this kit to a new lever, not seen before, by this Forum follower. Question about tarpaper shed. Did you build it with horizonal board beneath the tarpaper. I like the roof.
kebmo
April 2020
looks really great. i really like the vent you added to the window on the left. when i built this i guess assumed the second floor was a residence, and never would have thought about adding a vent like that. in hindsight i wish i had.
Mountaingoat
April 2020
Thanks Robert, Jim and Kevin for your kind words.
Jim, yes, both tar paper roofs used scale lumber instead of the RIP provided so they would show through the tar paper. I used tissue paper to get thin enough for the effect to be seen. Rick
Mountaingoat
April 2020
I’ve started to do some of the details in the scene. Long way to go yet, but had to stop and have a bit of fun with the effects of lighting for the structure. I love how the lights reflect off the rails. Rick
Robert.G
April 2020
Really nice Rick. This is the ultimate fun part..
brownbr
April 2020
Lights make a bit difference.
KCSTrains
April 2020
Love the lighting. Phil
Joel
April 2020
Looks great!
TomMich
April 2020
Lights do make a difference.
TomH
April 2020
The lights really polish it off
sdrees
April 2020
Lights do make a huge difference and they highlight an extra dimension to our projects, interior details
Mountaingoat
May 2020
Everyone is so kind and the comments are greatly appreciated.
All of you said the same thing…It really enhances the model, yet few of you do it. It is just another side of modeling that can easily be learned. Like Mikey, “Try it, you’ll like it.”
Have more scenery material on the way and lots of detailing yet to go.
Rick
MuddyCreekRR
May 2020
I plan on lighting most if not all of my builds…I will be using the Evans Design and Orge led lighting kits…all prewired…no fuss…no muss…can run off transformer or batteries. Since I’m also going Dead Rail I’m sticking with the batteries…
Mountaingoat
May 2020
…no fuss…nuss…best part of what’s available now days.
Rick
kebmo
May 2020
looks great. you guys convinced me start lighting the models so i’m lighting the one i’m working on now (with evans design pico lights, and i imagine i’ll have to light everything i build subsequently…but how in the hell am i gonna light up o’niells, the rr camp and woodcutters shack? i don’t see a way other than drilling a hole through the base and sticking a light through it. not very imaginitive…
any advise would be welcomed…
brownbr
May 2020
I lighted a couple of structures after they were installed on the layout. Quite a hassle. Once it was done I was happy I did it. While doing it I was cussing about it.
sdrees
May 2020
I am going back and adding lighting to some of my old structures and I agree it is quite a hassle and causes a lot of four letter words to come out of my mouth.
Mountaingoat
May 2020
My thought having done it myself before doing the preplanning during the build, mount the light at one end of a styrene tube with the wiring running through it (no shorts to a brass tube). Then only a small hole is needed through the base to insert it. Make the tube longer than needed so you can rotate it after insertion as well as setting the height. Finding the best location for both the light and hiding everything from view is the hardest part. Just plan out the angle of the light for the area you are trying to light.
Just my thoughts.
Rick
kebmo
May 2020
thanks rick. unfortunately i would have to remove black paper from every window, and that is a bridge too far for me.
Mountaingoat
May 2020
I wanted a pile of bad pallets and realized the commercial castings can’t get me what I was looking for so I made my own. Actually quite simple to make. It allowed me to a better variety of both styles and condition. Rick
Robert.G
May 2020
Nice work Rick !! Although it’s O scale, maybe this can offer some inspiration.
Old Wooden Palletes: Robert.G - Techniques - SierraWest Scale Models Forum
Mountaingoat
May 2020
I scratch built the door for the tar paper shed. I even added screw holes to the hinges. Maybe a bit too much detail. Rick
admin
May 2020
Hah, Rick you’re funny! Too much detail? NEVER! Looking great, keep at it. This build is fantastic.
Joel
May 2020
Love the hinges. What about a matching door latch and handle?
Mountaingoat
May 2020
Here is the door in place. Just an old hasp to latch the door shut that failed long ago. Never had a handle on it being just a shed. In fact, the diagonal is going the wrong way because the door used to open from the other side. When the boards deteriorated too much to hold the hinges, they just moved the hinges to the other side. Truly a zero budget repair.
Rick
Robert.G
May 2020
really nice messed up door !!! 
KKarns
May 2020
Catching up here Rick, looking terrific.
Mountaingoat
May 2020
You probably thought I wasn’t working on this for a while, but I spent too much time thinking about different mini scenes. I wanted something between the warehouse and the rear fence and finally settled on the tank. Problem was the tank casting was all I had. It was just a tank. I built the stand then I had to add a fill cap, vent, hose and nozzle. Of course none of those are castings I had. I The nozzle was my biggest challenge made from .015" wire. Sure gives a new appreciation for Brett to make the masters for the castings. Then it was fill in around it with other details.
I then played with the location of the light source for fun. This is the best of those photos. I did have the light on inside the warehouse.
Robert.G
May 2020 edited May 2020
Now THAT’s a real good looking scene you present us here Rick !!! I love the wood color and the tarpaper looks very natural.
An observation I made with so many builds ( not this one in particular ) and that I am not fond of , are the rounded edges at the ends of the boards used in the walls. I can understand them at the bottom, but not in the walls. I have never seen that in reality. But hey, just an observation.
This is a very fine build. Could be O scale .
brownbr
May 2020
I like the tank
admin
May 2020
Wonderful, certainly captures the mood effectively!
TomMich
May 2020
Tank and nozzle turned out great! Really adds to the scene.
Mountaingoat
May 2020
I have come to the end of this build for now. You will note the yard area is way clean compared to most, especially SW builds, but I wanted it to be fully functional with room to maneuver trucks, not cluttered with trash and junk. If you have ideas of what small details I can add to the yard area that show activity, not junk, let me know. I wracked my brain on this one. The other end of the property has the abandoned tar paper shed and junk.
This has been an interesting build trying to make minor, but obvious changes to personalize it. The diorama will sit with the track side toward the viewer so I did not detail the rear office porch.
For the record, the pigeons have left droppings on the roof peak. Just too many photos to show that detail.
Any suggestions for additions are welcome.
On to the welding/boiler shop.
CarlLaskey
May 2020
Rick.
Nice very nice I like your idea of less clutter.
Karl.A
May 2020 edited May 2020
I love it the way it is, wonderful work. Cant think of anything I would change or add.
I too left my yard area clear on my O Scale version, for the same reasons.
Beautiful modeling just the way it is.
Cant wait for your welding and boiler shop build, to be honest, that one in O’scale has really got me excited to do in O’scale more than anything else, for a while now.
Great work.
sdrees
May 2020
Great job Rick. Lots of detail and great craftsmanship
JayNSmith
May 2020
Beautiful work!
brownbr
May 2020
Very nice overall composition.
I might add just a few tufts of weeds in and around the rails. There is a lot of vegetation underneath the dock and I would imagine a few weeds would be sprouting in the ballast also.
Robert.G
May 2020
GREAT modeling. Good inspiration when I will build mine. Thanks for sharing Rick !! Well done..
ALCO
May 2020
The track laying looks good also.
kebmo
May 2020
so many ideas i wish i’d incorporated into mine. beautiful model.
TomMich
May 2020
Nice work! Your placement of weeds and grasses is very nice!
Mountaingoat
May 2020
So many nice comments from many who I look up to. Thank you all. My only regret was not having good dirt for my last 2 dioramas. All I have is Arizona Rock & Mineral single color fine ballast. Living in an apartment, no dirt accessible and Covid has me holed up.
Oh, well. Still a blast and more to do. On to the Boiler & Welding shop.
Rick
TomMich
May 2020
Rick, don’t fret that you do not have access to dirt in your yard. I’ve heard some modelers use baseball diamond dirt that has been sifted. You might sneak into a local park and “borrow” some.
CarlLaskey
May 2020
Rick.
If you like the color of the dirt that I use I would send you some. …Carl…
Mountaingoat
May 2020
If the dirt color is that you used on the tool and rigging shed diorama, it is perfect. Wanting to be able to layer like you and Ken do.
Rick
kebmo
May 2020
TomMich said:
Rick, don’t fret that you do not have access to dirt in your yard. I’ve heard some modelers use baseball diamond dirt that has been sifted. You might sneak into a local park and “borrow” some.
that’s exactly what i did. went to a ball diamond with a bucket and a small shovel a few years ago and i still have some left.
CarlLaskey
May 2020
It is Rick I use the same dirt all of the time it is clay that works very well now and then I mix some grout in just for a lighter shade.
I used the same dirt on the Twin Mills Logging and repair shed and all of the others.
Send me a E mail with your address. …Carl…
Karl.A
May 2020 edited May 2020
Gotta love this forum and the community spirit of helping each other out, whether it be sending something somebody needs or offering advice for problem solving and of course,not forgetting, good wholehearted support for a job well done.
Thanks guys, you all make this a great place… and then to top it off.. Brett’s SWSM kits!!!
KCSTrains
May 2020
Rick, great build. I really like it. As others have said, you don’t always have to add a bunch of castings to make the diorama believable. It’s really the composition of the entire scene that counts. Phil
Mountaingoat
May 2020
Karl, thank you so much. I sent you an email with the info. I echo Phil’ sentiments of the group here. For all those lurking behind the scenes, you are missing out.
Rick
KKarns
May 2020
Geesh Rick, looks fantastic! Love the lighting and your scenes are very well constructed. Pleasure to look at and nice work…Ken
Mountaingoat
May 2020
Wow. Thanks to all for your positive comments. This was a fun build and the first time I looked that closely to making changes to an already great kit. Ken, that is partly your doing with your Scotia Supply build.
I went by Home Depot and picked up some mineral spirits today so I am ready to try a new technique for peeling paint on the welding & boiler shop. I’ll start a new blog for that one soon.
Rick
kebmo
May 2020
Karl.A said:
Gotta love this forum and the community spirit of helping each other out, whether it be sending something somebody needs or offering advice for problem solving and of course,not forgetting, good wholehearted support for a job well done.
Thanks guys, you all make this a great place… and then to top it off.. Brett’s SWSM kits!!!
hear hear!
admin
May 2020
Fantastic Rick, love the scenery integration, so natural…
Mountaingoat
May 2020
Thanks Brett and all of you. So many compliments. Still striving to match you O scale guys in HO. I’m starting the welding & boiler shop so will start posting that blog soon.
Rick