Platform scale co with building #2

Since it has been a while since I posted progress on this structure, I am posting this even though this building is not totally complete, but mostly complete.  I still need to do some weathering.  As you can see I modified the plan from what I had with the mockup.  That is why I don't waste my time doing detailed drawings.

Instead of the lower addition on building two I installed a loading dock and three doors - one on each floor - with a hoist at the top.  The upper two doors are open with some details inside each.  Inside the second floor door is a somewhat crude platform scale that I scratch built - didn't spend a lot of time on it as it is hard to see and not visible in this photo.

Above is the platform scale sitting on a glass piece that I use to tack glue small parts while I paint them.

More to come, but is is late here and I am tired.

N & W coal loading piers 1924

I like to post old railroad and industry photos while I am working on my models to keep the blog fresh.  This photo shows the N&W loading piers # 2-4.  Pier number 3 bunkers four steamers simultaneously.  Pier number 2 loads 5 or 6 scows and tug boats simultaneously.  The car storage yards are in the background.

On the right side about half way up the photo there is a switch siding with a short section of track containing what looks like a small dump or something.  Not sure what that is.

I visited the N&W coal piers some years ago as part of a tour group.  They were a little different then.

Platform Scale company building #1

The first building of the platform scale company complex is mostly complete (there will at least be more weathering).  Building #2 is next and it attaches to the right of building #1.  You can see a partial wall of building #2 at the top right.  I put that in place to define the edge of the tarpaper roofing.

The unweathered brick area on the front is where the lower wood structure will attach.  You can see the pencil lines showing the outline of that wood structure.  The brick walls are thin plastic brick sheet which I glued to 1/32 inch thick card stock sheet, which is reinforced with wood strips.  All windows are styrene commercial parts.  The tar paper roofing is a Builders in Scale company product which is gray on one side and black on the other side.  Builders in Scale is now owned by C C Crow. Both companies make products that I like.  I also added a gutter and downspout on the left corner.  There will be a loading platform in front of the door.  

Port deposit granite quarry 1918

Port Deposit Maryland is a very small town in Eastern Maryland on the banks of the Susquehanna River.  The town lies between the river and tall bluffs.  One of the principal industries for the town was a granite quarry.  In the early years it was a source of granite for town buildings, but as time went on they supplied granite for many cities in Maryland including Baltimore.

There was a long succession of railroads chartered that served Port Deposit, all eventually swallowed up by other railroads, and ultimately the Pennsylvania railroad.  One of the last of the small railroads was the Columbia and Port deposit railroad.

One of the important businesses in the town was the Tome School located above the town.  Another was the Bainbridge Naval Training Center also above the town.  Both are now long gone.

The platform scale company is in progress and I am working on the higher rear structure first.

Platform scale company research & design

My next project will be a platform scale company.  This will be a scratch and partially kit bashed model.  I am using parts from an old WhiteGround Model Works EBT foundry and pattern house kit given to me by a friend.  WhiteGround went out of business years ago.  Most of their kits were based on East Broad Top railroad prototypes.  I built a few of them many years ago.  They were OK kits.  This kit has board and batten wood walls and corrugated metal roof.

Platform scales were used extensively in my model railroad era of 1939.  They came in many forms and sizes.  As usual I do research using my fairly good sized vintage industry book and catalog collection.  The first book I turned to was an early 1900s (no date - common with those old hard cover catalogs since they did not want to constantly publish new versions they were expensive) Standard Scale and Supply Company catalog.  Much to my surprise there were no photos of platform scales in this catalog.  They did have lots of information and photos of other products they made, so my company will also make other products.  I did find lots of platform scale photos in some of my other old industry catalogs.  Here are a few:

The first scale is the common platform scale.  The second one is called a built-in, suspended platform scale.   I will have a few platform scales sitting on the shipping dock. They will be scratch built. 

This model will look nothing like the WhiteGround kit.  I came up with a rough sketch of what I wanted to do, then built a rough card stock mock-up, mostly for size purposes.  I usually do a mock-up if the structure is complicated.  In this case the initial mock-up was too big so I cut it down until it suited me.  Below is a photo of the mock-up.

As you can see it is crude but it is for size and general layout purposes.  During actual construction I frequently revise the model, sometimes a lot, which is why I don't spend time drawing detailed plans. This model will have a footprint of approximately 8" by 10".  

Blacksmith shop model complete

I have completed the blacksmith model.  Before I installed the roof, I put a test roof on to see how well I could see the interior - not well at all.  So I installed a ceiling light.  I tested it with a battery and it worked well.  I will provide a photo with the lighted interior after I install it of the layout.

I shingled the roof using the venerable Campbell paper shingles.  What I like about them is they provide a rough shingle look.

The photo above shows the rear fenced area outside the back door.

This was a relatively simple structure to build - the most involved part being the interior details.

I like scratch building after many years of building kits.  It gives me unique structures whereas kits can be found on many layouts.   Kit manufacturers do most of the hard work and there are some really good ones.  I believe the ones who create realistic and prototypical structures are the best though some well known manufacturers make interesting but very non-prototypical style kits.  I am not naming anyone but I suspect you know.  I also think it is sad that some scratch builders just copy kits.  It is not that hard to design your own structures if you use prototype photos.  They are available in great quantity on the Internet.

I have already decided on my next industry model.  It will be a Platform Scale Company.

Blacksmith shop interior

I have added interior detail to the blacksmith shop.  Hopefully it will be visible through the open front door after the roof is installed.

There is a red light bulb inserted through the underside of the forge and a hole drilled in the top so I should get a red glow.  I also glued a few jagged pieces of clear styrene stained red over the hole to simulate low flame.  At left you see a worker at the anvil - the forge is behind him.  The shelving at the back was made from card stock with "stuff" placed on the shelves.

This is a view from above of the same scene.

The photo above shows the other side of the shop with a scratch built workbench that has a scratch built vise on it along with various commercial tool details.  In the back is the door to the storage shed with the door partially open.  The guy at the door is sitting on a scratch built chair made from wood and card stock.

And above is an elevated view of that side.  You can see the fence partially enclosing the rear area beside the shed.  There are no details there as yet.

My next task is to add the roof which will hold a hood with chimney over the forge.