Lineside structure to be named later

I am building a small lineside structure that will be placed on a siding near a much larger industry structure, though there will be no connection between the two.  The ground slopes down from the siding at that point so the structure will be on posts of some sort.  I have not yet decided what this structure will be yet so at this point it is somewhat generic.  I have used commercially prescribed wood oriented vertically for the sides.  The windows and doors are styrene commercial products - the door by Tichy and the windows were in an unlabeled package so do not know the manufacturer.  I cut off pert of the top of each window so they do look different than the original.  One window at the rear of the building has had surgery to make the lower sash partly open.

Front View

Rear View

As you can see the rafters and roof have not yet been added.  As usual I have seriously weathered the siding starting with an A&I wash then streaking the boards with intermittent strokes of an acrylic craft paint named Ivory color.  Immediately after applying a dab of the paint I rubbed it in with the brush taking care to have some board areas not covered by paint.  After that was dry I gave it another A&I wash.  The windows and doors were painted with Floquil primer, then with green acrylic craft paint leaving a few small areas of gray showing.  When dry those got an A&I wash also.  

I decided to show some in-progress photos in case anyone is interested.  From time to time I look at some of the structure builds on the Railroad Line Forum which although they are mostly kits, some of the builders are quite skilled and I pick up ideas from their work which is frequently photographed at each step of the build.  Most of my methods for building models were acquired over the years by building craftsman kits many of which had good instructions with lots of tips.  My favorite manufacturer is South River Modelworks as they actually pattern their kits after real structures as opposed to the manufacturers who just make them up sometimes with strange results.  My major inspiration for my structure models has been a very large collection of old industrial books with vintage photos of industries and other structures.  Just my view of modeling - everyone has their own.

Erie Railroad Jersey City Coaling Station

The photo below is of the Erie Railroad Jersey City Coaling Station circa 1900.  Not sure what the loco was.  The gates were pivoted from the sides of cast iron lip chutes and opened by dropping them under the chute.  They were closed by cutting upward through the material against the open side of a chute, preventing any jamming or breakage.  They closed instantly, even when controlling the flow of lump anthracite.

I always find it interesting that workers of that period always seemed to be well dressed and usually wore hats.  The coal in the tender is quite large lumps.  This coal dock would make a neat model but I will not be building one.

What I am building is a small wooden lineside structure that is supported by posts, as the ground slopes away from the track where the the structure will be located.  I am not really sure at this point what this structure will be but I have cut out the sides as well as door and window openings.  It is a rather simple structure and could be almost anything.  Nothing worth a photo at this point.

North Conway Scenic Railroad

I have been away for a week in the Maine area for a family event.  While there I took time to do some railroad visits.  One visit was to the North Conway Scenic Railroad in New Hampshire.  I have been there in the past.  One thing that has not changed is the insane traffic jam on the main street mid day.  My wife and I rode the lunch train in the dining car - very nice.  It was only an hour round trip at a leisurely pace.  One key feature of this railroad is the unique station featuring a Russian architecture.  Inside the station is the ticket office and a gift shop.

Many years ago I decided to build a model of this station but after it was half built I lost interest as I had no place for it on my layout.  I kept it around for years in case I changed my mind but earlier this year I tore it apart and saved some pieces for possible later use.

Above is the partially finished model.  It had interior detailing.

Below is the turntable and roundhouse.  Notice the grass in the pit.

Below is a trackside view of the station with the train pulling in.  The guys at the lower left were belatedly starting to crank the crossing arm down across the road.

The railroad has several diesel engines and at least one non-funtional steam engine.  They also have a variety of passenger cars the use for the trips, and they also have a variety of freight cars and cabooses in various states of repair.  

World War I light railways

During WWI the American Army engineered light narrow gauge railways to assist in moving supplies to the front.  These railways were fairly easy to lay and used light locomotives and cars.  The gauge was usually 2 feet between the rails.  One of the important lines built in France was the one between the central shops and storage yards in Abainville and the front line system at Sorcy railhead.

Below is a photo of a light railway gasoline loco and flat cars.

 While these rail lines were usually easier to engineer, they did have their challenges.  The simple bridge below was constructed over on the the French canals.

Light narrow gauge railroads were also frequently used in industrial facilities for moving in-plant materials.
Modeling this interesting type of light railway as an industrial part of a regular standard gauge railroad makes for visual interest even if the the narrow gauge railroad is not operational.

Pipe covering plant

I have completed the pipe covering plant and mounted it on a base.  Next I will install it on the layout.  I had to make the gantry crane fairly large so it would go over the railroad track that runs in front of the industry.

There is a large storage tank in the rear and a high pumping stand next to it for use in the pipe coating process.  The white colored pipe laying at the back of the crane area is a completed product.  The gantry was made using some parts of left-over kit supports and styrene strip material.