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Scratchbuilding Ideas Needed

Guys, I recently photographed measured and made 1/87 scale drawings of the Texas Midland Station at Rosser built in 1917 and have gathered most of what I need to build it. The station is of standard size and over all shape for an average combined station/freight house with freight platforms to serve tracks on both sides. The station is distinctive though and has some unusual architectural details such as an angled low concrete 3' wall that appears as wainscot but is a poured wall that is about six inches wider at the bottom than the top. Next come three rows of stepped brick that over hang the concrete wall buy about 3 inches. Then a 6' brick wall is built above this then another three rows of stepped brick. On top of this is horizontal siding for about another

6'. The freight platforms are concrete walls with vertical sides filled with earth and stone and about 8" of concrete poured on top for the platform floors. One side has a wood platform that appears to have been built over the original concrete wall after it crumbled. I'm leaning towards making some molds and casting the stepped brick, low wall and platforms. All windows and freight doors will be on the flat brick wall. Three entry doors however must open through the low wall and the first rows of stepped brick. I'm leaning towards making some molds and casting the stepped brick, low wall and platforms. I have plastic siding and brick sheet to handle the rest. I've also considered the possibility of using some model airplane wing trailing edge material for the low wall but haven't looked at any yet. Does anyone have some ideas or suggestions that might be a better way to build these walls. Bellow is a diagram of the wall if the formatting doesn't get screwed up when I send this. Thanks, Bruce

_______________________ ! ! ! Wood Siding ! _! _______________________ !_ !_ Stepped Brick !_ ______________________ ! ! ! ! ! Brick Wall ! ! _ ! _______________________ _! _! Stepped Brick !_ / ________________________ / / 3' Concrete Wall / ________________________

Reply to
Bruce Favinger
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I'd use brick sheet for the innermost portion of the wall. If you want to save money (and brick sheet), tack some smooth styrene to the top and bottom to form the inner part of the angled portion of the wall and the part behind the wood siding where brick won't show

Cut gussets for the lower angled part of the wall to secure the outer wall at a constant angle and provide more gluing surface to the bottom of the wall.

Build up the raised portions of brick with strips cut from the brick sheet, or alternately use plain strip and cut the mortar lines yourself. For the higher raised portions, use plain strip underneath the brick sheet. Put spaces underneath the wood siding to raise it to sufficient height for the proper profile with the bricks.

Here's the way I picture it: _______________________ ! | ! | ! | Wood Siding ! | Laid on spaces over "brick" wall base layer _!___-| _______________________ !_ |__|_| Brick strips laid over plain strips to raise to proper profile. !_ |_ | !_ | ______________________ ! ! ! ! ! Brick Wall ! the "base" layer ! _ ! _______________________ _! | _! | Stepped Brick !_ __ | Built up like the top layer of brick / | ________________________ / | / | 3' Concrete Wall / | Outer wall gusseted for strength.

Tedious yes, but no more so than doing it in plaster, and the final result should look great. I look forward to seeing photos in a few months (I realize summer is coming!)

Jay The Canada Goose is living proof that birds have cross-bred with cattle and rats.

Reply to
JCunington

Dear Mr. Favinger, Well, you could take a page from E. L. Moore and laminate the walls out of layers of balsa wood. This would take care of the changing thickness. Then you could glue whatever brick material you usually use on top of that. It would be a little fiddly, but the balsa would be easy to work. You might also use plastic, for that matter. Even if you cast the wall, you'd probably have to build up a pattern this way for each wall.

Cordially yours, Gerard P.

Reply to
Gerard Pawlowski

Bruce,

Have a look at the August 1996 MR page 74 Bill Darnaby has an article on building a brich rounhouse where he used layers of brick sheet.

Reply to
Malcolm Donaldson

I just read the January 1985 issue of RMC, in it Miles Hale has a five page summary of how he built his "Prize Winning C&S Roundhouse. Reading his techniques were very interesting. I made several notes for review when I do my Roundhouse at Orangeville on my layout.

Reply to
<Will

Thanks Guys, Fortunately I have several projects going on so I have plenty to do while I kick around your suggestions and finalize a method for this building. Thanks again. Bruce

Reply to
Bruce Favinger

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