Wall tunnel building completed

I have completed the building that will cover the opening in the wall from the main layout to the expansion section.  Fortunately, years ago when I was building my layout I created a tunnel through the wall into the next room in case I wanted to expand.  Here is the building that will cover that opening.

The opening on the left is where the track passes into the tunnel.  It simulates a covered loading dock.    The window openings show white behind them but will be dark when the structure is placed against the wall.  The fire escape is a plastic Tichy product.

This view shows the company sign on the roof.  Bilge barrels are named for the rounded bilge shaped barrel sides (like the side of a ship) and were consider to be strong and easy to up-end.  There is a sample barrel sitting on the outside loading dock by the door.  The company name was made up and does not refer to anyone I know.

Below shows the hole in the wall that this structure will cover.  I did not bother making it look good as it will be totally hidden.

You can see some of the scenery of the main layout through the short tunnel.

And here is the tunnel entrance from the main layout side.

The tunnel entrance is slightly above and to the left of the hopper in the center.  This appears to be a siding on the main layout side.

Marion steam shovel progress

I have mostly finished the Rio Grande Models Marion steam shovel kit - other than the external body and roof.  I spent time creating a means for the shovel boom to turn only to realize the boom truss rods will not allow that to happen, so it does not turn.  Sigh ....  Well it will only be used for scenery anyway.

The model still requires some additional weathering.

While I like this company's kits, their instructions are somewhat sparse for a complex kit.  They do have great detail castings and make into a nice model.  I am now doing some planning for the body cover since it will not be exactly like the kit instructions.

Below is a photo of a Marion shovel from an old ad.

Looks like the crew is lined up for the publicity shot.

Marion Steam Shovel kit

Last week I started work on the Rio Grande Models Marion Steam Shovel model 40 kit.  The main car and machinery is partially finished.  These RGM kits are very detailed with loads of cast metal parts.

I have painted the parts flat black so they do not show up well at this point.  I will be adding additional coloring and weathering as I go along.  I am currently working on a method to allow the boom to swivel, something that is suggested in the instructions but no specific means supplied.  When I finish the machinery and boom rigging, I will build a body and roof.  I intend to make the body very open to keep the machinery visible.  Most of the prototype photos provided show a very enclosed structure but I see no reason to hide all of that detail.   Equipment of this type was often modified by the companies that operated them.

New structure.

I am also building a structure to cover the tunnel from the main room to access my layout addition.  I am using parts from an old Magnuson Menasha Wooden Ware Co resin kit that I had previously raided for parts.  Thus far I have two walls that will form a triangle from the wall.  The track from the other room will come though the opening.  The structure thus far has only a brick red spray, and awaits a wash of white acrylic to tone it down and provide the appearance of mortar.  There will also be other coloring on the walls.

No windows yet.  Some will be bricked in.  This will be a distressed building with maybe a billboard on one side, ivy growing up the wall, some vents, etc.  I have not decided yet what this building represents.

And then ....

As if that is not enough to occupy my time, I have also started to work on a Jordan Products 1926 Essex Coach vehicle kit.  I really like the Jordan products.

Vintage Continental narrow gauge dump cars

These 1911 vintage Continental 4-yard narrow gauge wood dump cars were used for many excavation and mining service jobs.  They could dump to either side.  These would be easy to build either as operating or non-operating cars.

The photo above shows a steam shovel loading a string of dump cars near Buckley Washington for the Pacific Coast Power company.

Above shows dump cars dumping excavated material into barges in Brooklyn, New York.  The carts were owned by the Tide water Building Company.  Interesting barges in this photo.

1933 panel truck model

I just built this Sylan models 1933 Willys panel truck model.  Sylvan manufactures a variety of interesting vehicle models.  They are easy to build and fairly decent, though I prefer to make modifications and improvements.

The photo from the box shows the manufacturers recommended style of finish.  As you can see I chose a more subdued finish.  My preference for models is a worn and often rusty and deteriorated look to my models since I model the 1939 era when the economy was in bad shape and maintenance was often deferred.

Some techniques I use for my vehicle models include:

- window "glass" made from thick white glue using products such as Canopy glue, Aleenes tacky glues, etc.

- License plates using printed paper.

- Headlights painted white then with several dabs of white glue to give the effect of glass.

- Vehicle signs from decals or printed paper.

- Loads for open trucks.

I usually do not put drivers in the vehicles as they never seem to look right and since the vehicles are not moving drivers seem unnecessary.

Varnish company melting kettle

I just had to build one of these varnish kettles on it's truck.  It will be placed outside of the melting shop as a scenic detail.

This it not the location where it will be but it photographs better here.  I used a short piece of brass tubing for the kettle but it should actually have been a little shorter, but this will do for the effect.

Below is a photo of an early melting room with kettles in place.

You can see the lids against the wall.  The wheels of the trucks are spoked but that was way too much work for the small wheels I was making so mine are solid.

Varnish company completed

The varnish company model is now complete.  I have added a little scenery and will add more after I lay some track in front of it.

I added a building flat behind the melt shop building to add some depth.  The flat is made from card stock with some relief items added such as sills under the windows and the roof line.  I also added a sign on the wall and a board fence at the base connected to the melt shop.  There is scenery at that side.  I also did some scenery between the melt shop and the warehouse although you cannot see it in this view.   I added a sign identifying the company as the Farwig Varnish Company.  The name is based on an early 1900's varnish container company located in Britain.  Besides I like short names.

I am now working on some small detail kit items.  The next industry model is under consideration.

Varnish factory loading shed

This is the last of the varnish factory structures.  I still need to add some details, signs, etc., and integrate the structures on the layout.  This shed was a fairly simple model and mostly built from strip wood.

This was photographed on a wood block so there is no base.  You can see the ramp at the back, barrels and a figure on the platform, and a wood pallet leaning against the platform.

Below is another view of the shed with a photo of the prototype factory that was my inspiration for this model.

And last a photo of all of the component structures sitting together in the general relationship on the layout.  It needs a lot of scencing once in place.

As you can see they sit against the blank painted wall.  I am contemplating some background to paint on the wall to make it seem to fit with it's surroundings.  I will probably start by painting on some card stock before anything actually goes on the wall.

The figure I placed on the platform was a plastic figure I modified.  Below is a photo showing my modified figure on the left and an unmodified figure on the right.  These were part of a set that were jointly holding a device for lifting rail - something I have no use for.  I cut off his arms below the elbow and added new arms, then repainted him.  It is fairly easy to modify commercial figures by cutting, bending, and adding features like hats, aprons, etc.