Outhouse maintenance shop complete

The outhouse maintenance shop is now complete.  I added a bit of scenery base around the outside of the shop to allow for added details.  There is a big sign on the front that identifies the work they do.  The roof is covered with corrugated metal.

The base was made using file card stock.

At the back is an outhouse being repaired.  Against the building is a pallet of bags of lime that are used to sanitize the outhouse holes.

Above is a view of the rear of the building with a worker holding a shovel.

This side view shows a stack of boards that will be used for repairs,  an old outhouse seat, and a work bench at the rear.  

This has been a fun model to build.  Now again I need to come up with an idea for another model.

Outhouse models

Previously I posted about the Order of the Biffy, a humorous model railroad group that had fun modeling outhouses and doing articles for the NMRA Bulletin about them. My father was a member of this group.  Below is a photo of an outhouse (or biffy) on a flat car in front of my father's Troll station.  The U & I was the Unlikely & Improbable MRR of Phead Henderson of Phoenix AZ.

One year there was a convention in Phoenix and some of the group gathered around a mocked up outhouse in Phread's back yard.

Phread is on the right and my father is standing next to him.

Above is another biffy on a flat car.

Above is my collection of outhouse models (other than those on my layout).  About half of them are cast metal.  The one on the right is a plaster casting.  The variety of designs for actual outhouses was apparently endless.  They were simple in design - a small structure with a seat inside with a hole in the seat and a hole in the ground under the structure.  People dumped all kinds of things in those holes.  Apparently the old Sears catalog (which was distributed free) was often used as a wipe medium.

I am making good progress on my structure model.

Out house maintenance shop model start

My next model is an  out house maintenance shop.  They construct, install, and maintain outhouses.  My idea for this came from the fact I have a small collection of out house models, many of which came from my fathers layout.  I have several of these installed on my layout.

I have constructed the four walls and chimney. The walls are made using a thin wood base with 2x10 wood strips for siding.  The windows and doors are by a variety of manufacturers,  The chimney was made from a thick strip of balsa carved to shape with dots of thick glue which were then painted to simulate stones.

The rear door is a cast metal wood type door with lots of details on both sides.

The view above shows the other side of the rear door,

Back in the 1970's when what is now the NMRA magazine was called the NMRA Bulletin there was an ongoing series of articles and photos of what were called "biffys", another name for an out house. There was a group of modelers that made various models of biffys  including on a flat car and many other situations.  The group was called the "Order of the Biffy".  The even had pins like that below.

The pin above is held up on a dark colored metal block - not part of the pin.  

Needless to say these articles were controversial. 

I will next add the roof and a front roof extension plus a rear roof extension.  Under the rear roof extension will be the maintenance area with details.  

Tool sharpening shop complete

The tool sharpening shop is now complete.  I added the office, a roof for the shop and various details. The office has clapboard siding and both units have shingled roofs.  I also added doors on the open shop.

The windows and doors are by Tichy.

I added signs on three sides.

The roofs have black soot weathering.

Above is a view of the rear of the shop.  

Now I will be designing my next model which will have a little humor.

Tool sharpening shop start.

My next model is a tool sharpening shop.  I have mostly completed the shop area and will then do the office area which will be attached where the open side is.  This shop sharpens saws, saw blades, chisels, etc.  The shop was constructed board by board using 1 x 10 boards.  The floor is cardboard with lines denoting boards for a wooden floor.

I have not yet added the roof or the front doors to allow photographing the interior.  Inside is a desk with tools, a set of shelves, a heating  stove with stove pipe, a grinding wheel, a small vertical grinder, and an anvil.

There is a worker next to the work bench.

More to follow.

Fruit stand model

This is a small model made board by board with 1x10 boards for the sides and roof.  I used no paint - just ink & alcohol stain.  The shingles are commercial shake singles painted with a thin gray paint stain.

The fruit items are mostly commercial details.  I added some interior details which are as usual almost impossible to see,

There are some commercial boxes stacked against the front wall with fruit in the top open box.

There are two female figures.

I am including the rear view only to show the spot of missing shingles.

Steam boiler and machine structure

I have constructed a building to house the steam boiler and machine.  I made the front doors wide to allow viewing the interior as much as possible.  Building sides are board and batten.  On the roof is a small roof window next to the stack  On the right is a vent.

The structure appears lighter than it actually is as I wanted enough light to show the interior.

The side view above shows a large window where you can somewhat see the steam engine inside.  There is a fire extinguisher and fire hose on the side and a coal bin at the back.  On the roof at the back is a barrel with an open top next to the ladder.

Above is a rear view.

 Now again I need to come up with an idea for another model.

Steam engine & boiler

I have assembled an SS Ltd steam engine & boiler kit that I bought many years ago.  As usual the kit parts are good but the instructions are poor so I assembled it as I preferred.  The detail parts are cast metal, the brick siding for the boiler is embossed card stock. The boiler top has a card stock metal sheeting with segmented sections.  I provided my own pipes.

The kit called for using thread for the "belt" on the engine.  I used thin sections of wire.  

The printed price on my kit is $12 for both pieces at the time I bought it.  In a search online I found the boiler alone is now about $80.  Wow!

Next I will build a structure to house these machines.

1917 Federal Motor truck

While trying to decide what structure to model next I decided to build a very old model truck.  It is small and sadly the photos are not great but you can get the idea.  I started with an old style plastic fire engine.  I removed all but the front and lower cab area - it had no real cab.  The rest of the model was made from wood and card stock.

The wheels were plastic commercial parts.

The truck bed is all wood strips.

Above is the prototype I used to create the model.  My model is not exactly the same but I did not like the cab roof and supports.

Telegraph office model

This telegraph office model is small and typical of such offices in the 1930s/1940s.  It has clapboard siding and a large raised sign on the front.  I installed some minor  interior detail thinking the large windows would make them visible - NOT!   The telegraph was invented in the 1800s and in the US the major early use was for the railroads.

I installed a telegraph pole at the side of the building with a wire down to the roof.  The telegraph pole is a metal metal part by Magnuson Models - no modifications just paint,  The connection on the roof is a board with a metal electrical detail part inserted and there is a fine wire strip between the pole and the roof.

A view of the other side.

And a view of the back.

A little personal history.  My father served in the Navy during WW II in the pacific fleet.  After the war he was finally transferred home.  My mother and I lived in the Pittsburgh PA area at the time and my father sent a telegram informing us of about when he would arrive home.  This telegram is in my family history collection.

The telegraph service ceased years ago.

1934 truck model

While trying to decide what my next structure model will be I built a Wheel Works metal truck kit.  The only part I added was the wood rear platform which is board by board.

I did not follow the kit instructions as they were unclear and complicated.  Mostly I glued the parts together without all of the hole drilling specified in the instructions.

I am not sure what I will use the truck for.

I am now sketching my next model which will include a little personal history.

Old wood shack

This model took a lot more time than I expected as it was built board by board.  I decided to make something small as I am running out of room on my layout.  My intent was to have it look weathered and unpainted.

Every part is individual boards including the roof to which I applied shingles but left patches where the shingles are missing to show the boards.  The steps to the door are pallets.  The old guy in front lives in this shack.

Above is a view of the back.

Inside the front door, which is hard to see, are a metal stove (you can see the stack coming out of the front wall) and a chair - the only details I included inside.

Above is a photo of the interior framing.

Now to decide on what to do next.

Ladder company complete

The ladder company is now complete.  I added a card stock base a little wider than the structure to allow for some scenery around the building.  The front view below shows the sign on the roof, the figure in the doorway holding a ladder, and a sawdust pile on the left side.

Below is a view of the left side.  At he back of the building is a long shed for ladder storage.

I actually installed a variety of ladders in the shed but sadly they are hard to see.

Above is a view of the back.  There is a lumber rack attached to the shed.  The roofing on the shed is tar paper made with strips of paper painted black.

I am satisfied with the project though I might have done some things differently.

And now again I must come up with another idea for a model.

Ladder company progress

My work on the ladder company is progressing slowly.  I created interior detail for the ladder assembly area which is somewhat visible with the roof on due to the very large front doors.  Those doors fold in the center.

There will be more exterior details but I wanted to get something posted.

In the view above you can see the shelves with paint cans and other things.  There are two saw machines, a table saw and a band saw.  Those are commercial plastic castings by Faller with paint and detail added.  You can also see some saw horses and ladders.

Above you can see a work bench on the right and some boards against the wall.  The door at the inside back leads into the ladder storage area which will be constructed next.

Above is a view from above.  There are no details in the office area as it is not visible with the roof on.

Now I will construct the ladder storage area and various exterior details.

Ladder company start

My next model is a wood ladder company.  The structure has a wide front door opening into the ladder assembly area.  The doors have been assembled but not installed.  To the right is the office area.  At the back of the structure will be a finished ladder storage area.  This company only makes wood ladders.

As you can see the roof has not yet been installed.  The floor inside was made using an old style card stock product called Flexoline which I believe is no longer available.  It has pre-scribed sections that look like scale boards.  It was used as I recall to provide separators for early computer files.  The assembly area will be detailed with wood processing machinery such as saws, lathes, etc.

There will also be exterior details such as wood racks, a sawdust pile, and a wood scrap pile.