Taking Shape

Here is a look at progress on the structure. I have most of the layout/footprint figured out for the structure.

My estimation is that the structure is about six feet (6'). I currently thinking on how I am going to put it together, I do not want the entire thing to be one piece structure. Im thinking maybe four pieces if not more. 

For the rest of construction to happen I am going to need styrene sheets, square beams, I-beams, etc. There will be a complete interior for the rail loading/unloading sections. 

Next week I hope to paint the mostly scratch built second story thats just behind the new prefab structure. The window sections are from the American Hardware Kit (which is also the River City Textiles Background Building Kit); I cut the wall into four + sections and added a Walther's brick wall sheet in the middle. In between each section going vertically is white styrene strips that will be painted the aged concrete color. The bottom of all the sections the tan/cream color plastic, which is from the Lakeville Warehouse Kit, will also be painted the same concrete color. I wanted it to at least sort of tie-in/blend-in with the rest of the American Hardware Supply Kit. The white part in the middle is going to be the buildings air system intake/or exhaust. I might try to find some brass mesh, or other detail parts for it.

For the interior loading dock I plan in "indenting" the entire thing. Sort of like you see here. The red section in the very back are the doors while the second story will be flush with the rest of the structure. I do plan on having the elevated loading dock forward to that line as well.

It has come a long way in about two or three weeks, still has a long way to go. Which is fine. :)

Building Layout

Background Kit-bash

I sprayed on the concrete coat (Model Master Aged Concrete) yesterday evening and overall it turned out okay. A few areas are less perfect then others, as there are some blemishes. Overall it appears that some weathering will cover up the overspray/areas that didn't turnout perfectly.  It took the entire 1/2 oz bottle to paint these six wall sections. I still have the wall sections that will go behind the Peterson Tool Specialties. This however are mostly going to be brick with concrete window sills. Up next I think I will work on the outside exterior of the Peterson Tool Specialties, and work on the foot print of the structures.

For the American Hardware Kit I still need to paint the window frames and the foundation. Im thinking about laying it out like is is below. Im just worried about how big the structure will end up being and displacing the other structures I already have.

Third Time is the Charm?

Hello again,
So maybe I will actually start this thing up as little add on to my YouTube videos.

My latest project involves a newly purchased airbrush a Paasche H series Single Action Airbrush, a newly purchased Iwata Smart-Jet air compressor and two new nondescript portable spray booths all of which are set up in my dorm room as I live on campus all summer for work.

Airbrushing is something I have always to get into. Up until now I have been using spray cans from the local hardware store, as you can imagine they come in a limited number of unalterable colors. But it was still better then unpainted plastic right of the box. The aim is to accomplish, like many people, is realism. More specifically I want my structures to look really cool and make people go "wow!" as they take time to look around and see whats going on inside. As stated in one of my videos, my focus is not prototypic as much as it is realistic. So it looks real, or at least really cool.


My first structure receiving treatment using my new tools will be a kit bash of a few Walthers Cornerstone Kits: The American Hardware Supply Kit, the River City Textiles Background Building Kit, and a few of the Peterson Tool Specialty kits.

One of the first structures I purchased for my layout and made in middle school/high school days was the Peterson Tool Specialty  Kit. I butterflied it to be a background kit for my modern era layout. Since first constructing it is has undergone a few "restructurings" as I learned how to build model kits. The first was an add-on for my Miller engineering signs as I needed some place for the animated signs control board to go so it would be out of the way and out of sight. I scratch built a small second story looking box and plopped it on top and installed the sign. The second rebuild was adding a whole host of supports and other styrene parts to make it holdup and resemble what an interior of a building would look like - with the exception that the interior is still all stark white. This time around, the third "restructuring" will result in basically a whole new building (that also reflects my change of era) based around what I already have.



Now the concept is that a manufacturing firm bought an old industry building (The American Hardware Supply and River City Textiles) and refurbished it. Also converting the outdoor loading dock into an indoor loading facility (the Peterson Tool Specialties). The era is everything post WWII in California, the roadname I run primarily is the Southern Pacific (as if they were still around today). Other prominent railroads include the Union Pacific, Seaboard, Amtrak, and BNSF. So like the equipment used on the layout, which ranges from F-units all the way to Gevo's and ACe's, I want the structures to span a long time period. I really like the look of the American Hardware Kit, probably because i see many of these types of structures were I live in the Bay Area. However most of them have now been converted into lofts or other residential and retail space. I am not going to model that here for the sole reason that lofts don't use rail traffic.



Currently I am working on painting the exterior of the American Hardware Supply kit (it will hopefully look a little like the picture on the box. As the box states, it comes molded in three colors: tan, black, and the clear windows. The first step for me was spray the brick color over the entire model, then mask off the brick sections in order to paint the concrete. Four hours of masking work yielded no more then fifty percent completion to taping off really small brick. Fortunately I find this time consuming task to be rather relaxing; I just hope that it will pay off in the results. I am hoping that everything looks great when I remove the blue painters tape that has been cut to size using some exacto knives. But alas there is only one way to find out I guess - trial and success (errors and failure are not options). So far I have spent over eight hours masking off the brick over the span of two evenings. Hopefully will turn out nifty.

 After I finish painting the exterior of the American Hardware Supply Building (which is still on the sprue's), I will move on to masking and painting the already built Peterson Tool Specialties structure.

This will have its own set of challenges. It is a rather long structure. I don't have the measurements off hand but it is definitely a few feet long - around four feet. Currently the roof and all other pieces have been removed to hopefully make the masking and painting process somewhat easier.