DM&IR Hill City Sub: The Depot

[tracymckibben]

... to build 4 HO scale double-hung windows from scratch? About two weeks, judging from the time since my last post. Ok, that's an exaggeration - I've also finished the siding on the front of the depot.



It's actually not that bad building these things, now that I have a system (more on that later) figured out. The hardest part is not rushing things, trying to move too fast without letting the glue dry thoroughly.

As you can see, with careful measuring and a little filing, they fit nice and flush with the siding.



They even have "glass" installed!



Now, somebody pass the Windex...

[LoudMusic]

I like it. Good to see some scratch building projects

[tracymckibben]

It's been a while, so I thought I'd post a quick update on the depot construction. You may have already seen this on my blog - if so, apologies for the duplicate content.

The siding is finished on three sides of the structure, and 9 of the 13 windows are installed. I haven't started on the doors yet.



I've been struggling with the bay window. I started out trying to build the entire thing as a single assembly. After a few failed efforts, I decided to try something different. I built three individual double-hung windows, then glued those together side-by-side to form half of a hexagon.



The siding underneath the bay window looks a little rough in the photo, but I think getting the vertical trim installed will clean it up nicely. The next challenge will be the roof over the bay window, and then I want to figure out how to build movable freight doors.

[montanan]

That's some nice work. I love scratchbuilding. Build what you need for an available space. It's easier than folks think it is.

[tracymckibben]

That's some nice work. I love scratchbuilding. Build what you need for an available space. It's easier than folks think it is.

Agreed. I used to find it intimidating, but once I took the plunge, I found that I love doing it. It's all about learning techniques.

[tracymckibben]

It's been 44 days since my last post here. Included in those 44 days were six weekends, two weeks without the wife around, plus 5 vacation days. You would think I'd have made some progress on the depot during that time. Sadly, you'd be wrong. I haven't really touched it much until this week. I am a pathetic excuse for a model railroader.

Aside from that, I've made some progress over the last couple of days. The biggest achievement is finishing the clapboard siding. It's DONE! I've also finished building and installing all of the windows, including the bay window, and I've measured and cut the panels for the roof. Obviously, I won't be permanently attaching that until I've decided what I'm going to do with the interior.

[railfan]

Your work is truly inspirational ! Can't wait to see more of it.



Mike

[tracymckibben]

Your work is truly inspirational ! Can't wait to see more of it.

Mike

Thanks Mike!

[tracymckibben]

Wrapping up another four-day weekend, minus the work-related interruptions on three of those days. I had high hopes of getting a lot done on the depot, but didn't get quite as far as I'd hoped. I did, however, manage to get the interior roughed in, and some lighting wired in place.



Using wallpaper patterns that I downloaded from http://www.cgtextures.com/, I finished the interior walls on the second floor, and most of the downstairs lobby. There is still a lot of interior detail to add, and a few "leaks" to plug, but this is a good start.



The lights that I'm using are wide-angle white 5mm LED's, running on a 9V battery just to allow me to take these photos. I may swap them out, as I'm not entirely happy with the blue light that they produce. I really wanted something "warmer", more yellow. That'll come later - for now, progress is progress!

[tracymckibben]

Apologies for just posting a link this time, but I'm in a rush and really wanted to share what I finished up today. I figured out how to build working freight doors!

http://dmirhillcitysub.blogspot.com/...shut-door.html