For this years challenge I will be building the FSM kit number 145 Coal tower. This will probably not be a straight kit build because I plan on making some changes for the structure to fit better on my Superior & Seattle Railroad.
Stay tuned for some box opening pictures. ;)
(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/18-010120133458.jpeg)
I paid North of the $32.25 price. :-[ What you pay for kits and golf scores are not supposed to be committed to memory. ;)
We have officially begun, the box is open.
(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/18-010120134804.jpeg)
Hey John,
I will follow your effort on this one.
I think this kit was designed about the CNR Fort Rouge (Manitoba) 300 ton coal dock.
You will find a nice article about it and full size draw in the February 1981 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman.
Eric
I'll be following along as well! This one's in my stash but, admittedly, no where near the top of list when it comes to what I plan on building in the near future. ::)
Looking forward to this one, John. I bought this one in 1978 at the market price and it's still in the box. Guess you can see how fast a modeler I am. :-\. I know I'll get some inspiration from your build.
Looks interesting and I'll be following.
That is one impressive coal tower. It's going to be a really good build.
Jaime
John,
I'll be along for the ride on this one also.
I paid the full boat of $36.95 for mine.
Tom ;D
Quote from: EricQuebec on January 01, 2020, 02:02:07 PM
Hey John,
I will follow your effort on this one.
I think this kit was designed about the CNR Fort Rouge (Manitoba) 300 ton coal dock.
You will find a nice article about it and full size draw in the February 1981 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman.
Eric
Eric
George told me about the article but I don't have access to that issue of RMC.
Can anyone help me with a copy of the article from the February 1981 issue of RMC?
Thank you for following along.
Quote from: ReadingBob on January 01, 2020, 02:38:54 PM
I'll be following along as well! This one's in my stash but, admittedly, no where near the top of list when it comes to what I plan on building in the near future. ::)
Thank you for following along Bob. I plan on adding this coal tower to the Eagles Next Yard on my layout, near the Stone Roundhouse.
Quote from: bandman on January 01, 2020, 03:20:16 PM
Looking forward to this one, John. I bought this one in 1978 at the market price and it's still in the box. Guess you can see how fast a modeler I am. :-\ . I know I'll get some inspiration from your build.
I wish I would have bought these early kits directly from George - I didn't start buying from him directly until the 1990's. So I spent a lot of extra money purchasing them from collectors, shows, eBay etc. Thank you for following along.
Quote from: PRR Modeler on January 01, 2020, 03:26:11 PM
Looks interesting and I'll be following.
Curt
Glad to have you along for the ride. We will see where this one takes us.
Quote from: NEMMRRC on January 01, 2020, 04:35:57 PM
That is one impressive coal tower. It's going to be a really good build.
Jaime
Jaime
I have been looking forward to this build for some time. I have always liked this coaling tower. Thank you for following along.
Quote from: ACL1504 on January 01, 2020, 06:45:38 PM
John,
I'll be along for the ride on this one also.
I paid the full boat of $36.95 for mine.
Tom ;D
Tom
Thanks for riding along - I don't remember or care to remember what I paid for this one. For years, I would put in a bid on all the FSM kits about 25% below the going rate on eBay. I probably bought 20 or 30 of them that way. It really paid not to be in a hurry. The rest I bought at shows or directly from George for the past 25 years or so.
So today, I unpacked the box and took some pictures of the contents. I also, took pictures of the directions so I have a copy on my iPad for study. I like this because it's portable and allows me to look at them when I'm traveling. I can also mark them up with my electronic pencil when I want to make changes. It really helps me when I can blow the pictures up to look at the details.
(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/18-010120195449.jpeg)
(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/18-010120195517.jpeg)
(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/18-010120195552.jpeg)
(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/18-010120195620.jpeg)
(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/18-010120195621.jpeg)
(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/18-010120195652.jpeg)
(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/18-010120195724.jpeg)
(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/18-010120195752.jpeg)
(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/18-010120195822.jpeg)
(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/18-010120195854.jpeg)
Quote from: S&S RR on January 01, 2020, 07:29:32 PM
Quote from: EricQuebec on January 01, 2020, 02:02:07 PM
Hey John,
I will follow your effort on this one.
I think this kit was designed about the CNR Fort Rouge (Manitoba) 300 ton coal dock.
You will find a nice article about it and full size draw in the February 1981 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman.
Eric
Eric
George told me about the article but I don't have access to that issue of RMC. Can anyone help me with a copy of the article from the February 1981 issue of RMC?
Thank you for following along.
HI John,
I've send you a private message on this forum about this article.
Eric.
I'll be following along with interest, John.
Cheers, Mark.
I'll be following along, too, John. Looks like a magnificent kit and I'm interested to see how you modify it.
--Opa George
Quote from: EricQuebec on January 01, 2020, 09:50:58 PM
Quote from: S&S RR on January 01, 2020, 07:29:32 PM
Quote from: EricQuebec on January 01, 2020, 02:02:07 PM
Hey John,
I will follow your effort on this one.
I think this kit was designed about the CNR Fort Rouge (Manitoba) 300 ton coal dock.
You will find a nice article about it and full size draw in the February 1981 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman.
Eric
Eric
George told me about the article but I don't have access to that issue of RMC. Can anyone help me with a copy of the article from the February 1981 issue of RMC?
Thank you for following along.
HI John,
I've send you a private message on this forum about this article.
Eric.
Eric
Thank you,
Quote from: mark dalrymple on January 01, 2020, 11:26:12 PM
I'll be following along with interest, John.
Cheers, Mark.
Mark
Thank you for following along. Now to get started.
Quote from: Opa George on January 02, 2020, 06:14:12 AM
I'll be following along, too, John. Looks like a magnificent kit and I'm interested to see how you modify it.
--Opa George
George
Thank you for following along. I have some research to do before I can decide on modifications. I will be posting my thoughts as I learn more.
Will you be using that roll of shingles for your build?
Jaime
Quote from: NEMMRRC on January 04, 2020, 04:10:06 PM
Will you be using that roll of shingles for your build?
Jaime
Jaime
Good question. I haven't been using the Campbell style shingles on most of my builds. The last one I can remember where I used them was on Mackenzies - I liked how the worked out there. I probable will use laser cut shingles on this build because it will be modeled as a structure in good repair. I do have a box full of the Campbell shingle rolls if you need some. ;)
Quote from: S&S RR on January 04, 2020, 05:47:50 PM
Quote from: NEMMRRC on January 04, 2020, 04:10:06 PM
Will you be using that roll of shingles for your build?
Jaime
Jaime
Good question. I haven't been using the Campbell style shingles on most of my builds. The last one I can remember where I used them was on Mackenzies - I liked how the worked out there. I probable will use laser cut shingles on this build because it will be modeled as a structure in good repair. I do have a box full of the Campbell shingle rolls if you need some. ;)
I have 3 rolls of the real Campbell shingles. I bought them for nearly nothing at a train show here in town a long time ago.
I'm all set ;D
Jaime
Did George provide any history on this structure, since he talks about what the prototype looks like? When was it built?
dave
Quote from: deemery on January 05, 2020, 12:23:20 PM
Did George provide any history on this structure, since he talks about what the prototype looks like? When was it built?
dave
From the first paragraph in the instructions it looks like it is a CN prototype. Maybe John can add more. I just blew up the photo of the instructions...
Jaime
Quote from: NEMMRRC on January 05, 2020, 04:05:59 PM
Quote from: deemery on January 05, 2020, 12:23:20 PM
Did George provide any history on this structure, since he talks about what the prototype looks like? When was it built?
dave
From the first paragraph in the instructions it looks like it is a CN prototype. Maybe John can add more. I just blew up the photo of the instructions...
Jaime
Yes it's a prototype from the CN Fort Rouge (Manitoba) 300 ton coal tower.
Eric.
Hi guys
I have been dealing with a medical issue with my 87 year old mother and haven't kept up with my own build thread the last couple of days. :-[ The prototype is CN for the kit. George told me that the coal tower on his layout is not from this kit but a scratch build of a different CN coal tower. I will be looking into a kit bash that fits my spot on the S&S RR. At his time I don't know if, or how much I will be deviating from the kit. I will post pictures as I go through the process of figuring out what I want to do.
Eric emailed me the RMC article that was discussed here - THANK YOU ERIC - I love the forum. This will be a great starting point. I also want to get the prototype pictures that George used for the coal tower on the FSM. If anyone can help with that it would be much appreciated. As we know George has some healing to do before he will be getting back at the hobby.
Quote from: NEMMRRC on January 05, 2020, 04:05:59 PM
Quote from: deemery on January 05, 2020, 12:23:20 PM
Did George provide any history on this structure, since he talks about what the prototype looks like? When was it built?
dave
From the first paragraph in the instructions it looks like it is a CN prototype. Maybe John can add more. I just blew up the photo of the instructions...
Jaime
Thank you Jaime - I will take a look if there is more information tomorrow and get back to you.
I'll be following along on this one John!
Quote from: MAP on January 08, 2020, 06:16:56 AM
I'll be following along on this one John!
Thank you for following along Mark.
I started putting all the pictures together on my drawing board to look at any design changes I may want to make before starting the build. I also started cleaning up the castings and getting them ready for the paint booth.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-080120141651.jpeg)
Here is another picture - close up of the instructions and what George has to say about the prototype. He designed it from pictures of a similar CN Prototype in Winnipeg, Canada. I will post some pictures from the directions and the prototype that Eric sent me from a MRC article. Thanks again Eric.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-080120141729.jpeg)
Hey John:
that's a beautiful kit. I will be following along with your build.
Karl
Quote from: postalkarl on January 08, 2020, 02:34:20 PM
Hey John:
that's a beautiful kit. I will be following along with your build.
Karl
Karl
Thank you for following along.
A few pictures from the MRC article.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-080120142032.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-080120142107.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-080120142139.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-080120142208.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-080120142238.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-080120142311.jpeg)
The last three pictures are from the kit instructions for comparison.
At this point I have decided to build the kit as is and then look at making additions once I have it in a test fit on the layout. I have looked at many different configurations of this basic design on the internet and have a few optional build on if I like how they look once it's on the layout.
So the castings have been prepped for painting and today made their way to the paint booth. Here are a few pictures of the painting process. The castings that will be painted to look like rusted metal are getting a coat of earth brown. The castings that are wood and the window and door castings are being paint Kaki.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-090120202124.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-090120202231.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-090120202535.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-090120202446.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-090120202411.jpeg)
Can't see the castings , must be the paint ;)
Following along as ever John .
The metal detail castings have been primed and are ready for detail painting. I'm planing to stain the wood for the build with Hunterline stain and then add some chalks. I need to do some testing with the stains to get the color I have in my head. I want a built within the last 15 - 20 years and well maintained look. This coal tower will be located in a heavily used working yard on the S&S RR.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-110120110736.jpeg)
Hey John:
Looks like you are having fun buddy.
Karl
Quote from: postalkarl on January 11, 2020, 03:57:04 PM
Hey John:
Looks like you are having fun buddy.
Karl
Karl
Yes I am. Three builds going at the same time. ;)
In preparation for choosing the color I want to stain the wood for this project I made strip wood sample sticks for each of the Hunterline stains in my collection. I will just dip a stick into each new color that I purchase to keep the sample bank up-to-date.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-110120195510.jpeg)
I'm planning on staining the wood for this build, today. It's time to make a final choice on color. :-\ I will update the build thread when we get the gallery back and Jimmy is done with repairs to the forum.
Update: Words only until the gallery gets fixed. :-[ I finished detailing the castings for the build and started preparing all the wood pieces. I decided to go with a Hunterline Stain of Driftwood for all the wood as a base color. I will add accents with chalks after everything is together. I'm taking pictures as I go so I hope to update this build thread properly, soon.
I did Hunterline Driftwood as the first layer on the Bisgeier building, then applied slightly thinned ochre craft paint. The overall effect is great. I've also used their Driftwood on top of my 'standard' raw wood primer to get a good new wood effect even on styrene.
dave
Quote from: deemery on January 19, 2020, 09:44:33 AM
I did Hunterline Driftwood as the first layer on the Bisgeier building, then applied slightly thinned ochre craft paint. The overall effect is great. I've also used their Driftwood on top of my 'standard' raw wood primer to get a good new wood effect even on styrene.
dave
Dave
I really like the Hunterline stains. I can get the same affect using my special formula but the hunter line is all ready for me. I always add some chalks during the detailing.
I have some progress to report on this build. I detailed the castings and added canopy glue to the window castings.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-210120171308.jpeg)
I prepped all the wood pieces and kept them in the piles just like George packed them. This is one of the kits where George cut most of the pieces to the correct size. It is also before laser cutting so all of the door and window castings are cut with a table saw. I can't imagine how many hours George had into one of these kits.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-210120171402.jpeg)
Here is a picture after the staining process. I added weights to keep the warpage to a minimum.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-210120171056.jpeg)
I like the variety in stain colors and tones on your strip wood, John. That's quite a bit of sizes to keep separated for use.
--Opa George
Quote from: Opa George on January 22, 2020, 05:45:22 AM
I like the variety in stain colors and tones on your strip wood, John. That's quite a bit of sizes to keep separated for use.
--Opa George
George
The strip wood has been drying in that yellow box for a lot of years so each piece takes the stain a little different.
It sure is a lot of sizes of wood. Every time I build one of these older FSM kits I think about all the cuts George made to produce this kit. He made all his own strip wood back then. He showed me his stash of basswood that he used. He just recently sold his wood supply.
The clapboard walls are all cut to size with a table saw. Most of the strip wood is cut to length. The saw blades he used are a thing of beauty for anyone that has every done any woodworking.
Catching up here. Looking really great, so far.
This kit was my 3rd or 4th FSM kit I built, for my cousin's layout. I was still in my 'plastic WWII armor' days, back then (the 70's) but built structures for him. Think he would settle for plastic kits? Oh no, had to be all these wood and or card kits (Suydam's Bekin's warehouse was a experience).
Looking forward to more updates.
Jim
Thank you for the kind words, Jim. Just getting started but I really like the color from the Hunterline Driftwood stain.
John,
Just getting caught up here as well. And, I think this was my third FM build. I remember staining the wood took a long time but well worth the effort in the end. Nicely done.
Tom ;D
Hey John:
looks like you are off to A good start. I'm following along.
Karl
Quote from: ACL1504 on January 23, 2020, 12:57:29 PM
John,
Just getting caught up here as well. And, I think this was my third FM build. I remember staining the wood took a long time but well worth the effort in the end. Nicely done.
Tom ;D
Tom
Thank you for following along. This kit has been sitting on my shelf for a long time and I know I bought it off the second hand market. I'm really excited to finally build it. The wood staining did take a while because I brushed it on rather than using my Bob Butt's staining tub. I find you get a little better variety of stain brushing it on.
Quote from: JimF on January 23, 2020, 08:48:00 AM
Catching up here. Looking really great, so far.
This kit was my 3rd or 4th FSM kit I built, for my cousin's layout. I was still in my 'plastic WWII armor' days, back then (the 70's) but built structures for him. Think he would settle for plastic kits? Oh no, had to be all these wood and or card kits (Suydam's Bekin's warehouse was a experience).
Looking forward to more updates.
Jim
Jim
Thank you for following along. I think this kit either has been or will be on most modelers build list. I really like the way it looks.
Quote from: postalkarl on January 23, 2020, 05:27:00 PM
Hey John:
looks like you are off to A good start. I'm following along.
Karl
Karl
Thank you for following along. This afternoon we started gluing stick together. ;) ;D
The first step in the build process for me, with any of the FSM kits where you build over templates, is to copy the template and mount it under my glass plate.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-230120194228.jpeg)
George's instruction say to glue to the template. I like gluing to a glass plate because it much easier to remove. I use a single edge razor blade to lift the wood off the glass.
Here is a picture of the completed front frame on the glass plate.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-230120203722.jpeg)
A useful technique, and certainly more stable than gluing to/over wax paper over template, especially for a large job like that.
Looks good.
--Opa George
Quote from: Opa George on January 24, 2020, 07:06:40 AM
A useful technique, and certainly more stable than gluing to/over wax paper over template, especially for a large job like that.
Looks good.
--Opa George
George
It works well for me. I have two glass plates on the workbench, the one I use for gluing over templates is normal window glass (you can see the template without distortion), the one I use for working with chalks is 1/4 inch thick - it is actually a glass shelf I repurposed.
I made some more progress on this build, today. A couple progress photographs of the front wall assembly.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-240120205451.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-240120205551.jpeg)
George has you add a few of the metal castings while the wall section is still on the workbench.
Hey John:
This is coming along well. Like the color of the walls.
Karl
Quote from: postalkarl on January 25, 2020, 04:51:18 AM
Hey John:
This is coming along well. Like the color of the walls.
Karl
Thank you for the kind words, Karl.
Looking good, John.
Cheers, Mark.
Today, the back wall was assembled over the template. I still need to add the details before it will be ready for assembly.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-250120190431.jpeg)
We have started to make a dent in the supply of stained wood pieces.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-250120190455.jpeg)
Today, I added the details to the back wall that I wanted to put on while the wall was laying flat.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-270120195234-427181269.jpeg)
The last thing I did last night was glue a window casting in up side down. You have to know when it's time to quit. So, first thing this morning I was cutting it loose and turning it around.
I also got started on assembling the first side wall. I decided to deviate from the directions and glue the studs right on the clapboard using a combination of the template and a square. I liked this better and would do it again on the front and back walls, if I ever build another one of these coal tower kits. ;)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-270120195235-42719166.jpeg)
Last step for tonight was the horizontal braces. I glued the bottom one in and decided I was ready to quit for the night. So I will start out here in the morning.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-270120195236-427201514.jpeg)
That's looking very good, John.
--Opa George
Quote from: Opa George on January 28, 2020, 05:24:04 AM
That's looking very good, John.
--Opa George
George
Thank you for following along and the kind words.
Great looking progress so far.
Hey John:
You are really working hard and fairly quickly also. It looks better every day.
Karl
Quote from: postalkarl on January 28, 2020, 05:54:56 PM
Hey John:
You are really working hard and fairly quickly also. It looks better every day.
Karl
Karl
Thank you for the complements. I have three FSM builds currently underway plus I'm working on the track work for the mainline so the progress each day on any one build is slow. It's just the way I like to work. I don't spend any time watching the glue dry. ;)
Looking good.
In the past I have used double sided tape from 3M to build on top of a template. 3M makes a non-permanent double sided tape you can buy in the office supplies section. It works great to hold the stip wood right on top of the paper template. I have tried using a sheet of glass as John has done and had a bit of trouble lining up everything. Perhaps my sheet of glass was too thick.
Looking forward to more progress on this build.
Jaime
Quote from: NEMMRRC on February 02, 2020, 11:07:24 AM
Looking good.
In the past I have used double sided tape from 3M to build on top of a template. 3M makes a non-permanent double sided tape you can buy in the office supplies section. It works great to hold the stip wood right on top of the paper template. I have tried using a sheet of glass as John has done and had a bit of trouble lining up everything. Perhaps my sheet of glass was too thick.
Looking forward to more progress on this build.
Jaime
Jaime
Thank you for following along. The glass I use for the template work is real thin. The double stick tape on the templates sounds like a good method of keeping things were you put them. I need to give it a try. Thank you for the tip.
Update: The four walls have been completed on the templates and I'm to the step in the instructions where the four walls are to be glued together (tomorrows task). Here is a picture of the wall sections.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-020220212442.jpeg)
Today, I got the four walls together and started adding some of the trim pieces. Next step is to add the interior bracing and walls.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-030220182254-42845996.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-030220182256-428461497.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-030220182257-428472100.jpeg)
That looks impressive John.
I just got a call from Tom Boyd to let me know that the one side wall should line up with the roof line on the front and back walls and not the base. I took another look at the pictures and while I was talking to Tom I slide a number 11 ex-acto knife along the wall joint and cut the sidewall loose. It is now glued in the right place and sitting on my workbench waiting for the glue to dry. Thank you Tommy! I'm glad Tommy let me know before I got further along and discovered the error. It sure helps to have all these eyes watching your builds on the forum. ;) I will post some new pictures of the assembly with the wall in the correct location after the glue dries.
I took some pictures of the setup I used to hold everything in place nice and square while the glue tried.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-030220195527-428522173.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-030220195528-428532164.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-030220195530-428542362.jpeg)
Here is a picture of the assembly with the sidewall glued in the right place. Most of the progress today was in the interior which can't be photographed until the glue dries. ;)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-060220164850.jpeg)
Today, I started to add the inter workings of the coal tower. There is a lot of detail and bracing to add so this will take a few days but here are some update photographs.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-070220195409-42954742.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-070220195407-429531008.jpeg)
Since this is a before laser cutting kit - I'm actually getting to do some cutting and fitting. ;) ;D And yes, I always add more bracing than is called for in the instructions. I don't like things moving with time.
Looks great John.
Coming along nicely John.
Quote from: PRR Modeler on February 08, 2020, 08:48:11 AM
Looks great John.
Curt
Thank you, I'm really enjoying this build.
Quote from: carl b on February 08, 2020, 12:27:29 PM
Coming along nicely John.
Carl
Thank you for following along and the kind words. I know why George loves coal towers, and coal yards so much - it's all about the details.
I have spent most of my time on this kit the last couple of days adding interior details and bracing. George added a lot of detail that I don't think anyone will see once this is added to my layout. The interior details sure looks good on the workbench though. Especially when you can view it from any angle. I will post some pictures when I get the interior finished.
I have been adding the interior bracing details a few boards at a time because I have been working on some track work changes on my layout the past few days. I got a real inspirational surprise in the mail today. George sent me a letter (I can't tell you how long it's been since I received a hand written letter) that included the original magazine article that inspired this kit. The letter is a real nice surprise - thank you George. Hand written letters are so much more personnel - I really miss them. I took pictures of the magazine article to post here.
Here is the first page of the article. George commented that there was some details left of the FSM kit, that I may want to add.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-130220193838.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-130220193920.jpeg)
Looking great, John - and so nice to receive a letter from George.
Jock Oliphant is a legend! His flotation mine is probably my favourite ever structure. Maybe I'll get the courage one day to attempt to recreate it. If anyone has a set of plans for it...??? Really enjoying watching you build this masterpiece.
Cheers, Mark.
I'm making progress on all the inside bracing. I think I've used every pair of tweezers, clamp and glue applicator I own reaching all the places I need to attach pieces. This really is a highly detailed kit and a lot of fun to put together.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-150220083351-430371692.jpeg)
I couple progress shots. The walls are straight - the iPhone likes to bow thinks. ;) I looked at these pictures and had to go put a straight edge and square on them to make sure.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-150220083349-430352091.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-150220083347-430341200.jpeg)
I will be using the roof card to cut the studs to the right length and angle. At this point I'm adding nut and bolt castings before moving on. I like to actually drill the holes and insert them with tweezers.
I looked at that and thought, "Hmmm, not much bracing inside those walls." Then I realized there's a lot of bracing -outside- the walls :-) You might want to add some 1/8" sticks on up high, where there isn't exterior bracing, just to be sure.
Looks great!
dave
Hey John:
That's looking real nice can't wait to see more progress.
Karl
So intricate--I love it.
--Opa George
Quote from: deemery on February 15, 2020, 08:47:28 AM
I looked at that and thought, "Hmmm, not much bracing inside those walls." Then I realized there's a lot of bracing -outside- the walls :-) You might want to add some 1/8" sticks on up high, where there isn't exterior bracing, just to be sure.
Looks great!
dave
Dave
Thank you for following along and the comments. This morning I had to add one brace to pull out a curl in the lower support structure that developed overnight as the glue dried. It is just temporary until I glue it to the base.
I always brace everything up on the inside where it doesn't show. This model is going to get some extra bracing just before the roof cards go on. I'm also going to glue it to a base as soon as I have all the details added underneath.
Quote from: postalkarl on February 15, 2020, 10:37:47 AM
Hey John:
That's looking real nice can't wait to see more progress.
Karl
Karl
Thank you, it's not progressing at Karl speed is it. ;) ;D ;D I'm only spending an hour or two, a day, on this model
because I'm doing some track work changes on the layout.
Quote from: Opa George on February 15, 2020, 11:39:01 AM
So intricate--I love it.
--Opa George
George
Thank you, it is a great model. How did we let George retire? Just kidding George, you earned your retirement. I'm thankful that I bought all those yellow boxes when I had the chance.
You can't be too rich, have too many clamps, or add too much bracing :-)
dave
Quote from: deemery on February 15, 2020, 01:37:52 PM
You can't be too rich, have too many clamps, or add too much bracing :-)
dave
Dave
Amen - you are going to like what I did inside coal tower. I'll take a picture when all the clamps come off. ;)
Here are a few pictures of the bracing I added to the interior of the coal tower. Yes - the 1/4 inch square is overkill but I have a bunch of it that I'm using for interior bracing. It's not going to get used for anything else in HO scale. It came with a batch of wood I bought in bulk.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-150220205159-430602458.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-150220205200-430611663.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-150220205201-43062608.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-150220205342-430642433.jpeg)
Looks great John.
That's some muscular bracing, John!
I suggested to Tim Warris that Mt Albert should sell 'bracing packages' of stripwood, 1/8 square, 1/8x3/16, 3/16 square, 8 of each in the package.
dave
Quote from: deemery on February 16, 2020, 09:41:21 AM
That's some muscular bracing, John!
I suggested to Tim Warris that Mt Albert should sell 'bracing packages' of stripwood, 1/8 square, 1/8x3/16, 3/16 square, 8 of each in the package.
dave
I bought a huge lot of basswood a few years back that had about 20 - 24 inch pieces of stripwood in most of the common sizes all the way up to 1/4" square. I can't remember where I got it but the price was very good. I wish I could find a deal like that again. Since I bought the miniature table saw I have been cutting a lot of my own stripwood. Especially in the larger HO scale sizes.
Today, I got started on the upper portion of the coal tower. The side walls for the tower went up.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-160220202801-430761037.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-160220202803-430771969.jpeg)
It is amazing how each section of wood took the stain differently. I may try another coat of stain on the real light section. I think it will all blend together when I make this look like a coal tower with the weathering chalk.
For Dave, the interior bracing trend continues.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-160220202804-43078993.jpeg)
One lesson learned for anyone that uses this build thread for their own build. When I left the model drying over night I found that the walls bowed in at the base of the model when they were left unclamped overnight as the glue dried. I made up some temporary braces to hold the wall section in position until I glue the model to the base board. Normally, this is not an issue because I build everything right on the baseboard. This model required a lot of detail work underneath that was much easier with the baseboard out of the way.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-160220202807-43080586.jpeg)
John,
Just got caught up on this thread. It is yet another amazing build from your workbench. Thanks for sharing this with us and for posting all the photos.
Quote
Looking great, John - and so nice to receive a letter from George.
Jock Oliphant is a legend! His flotation mine is probably my favourite ever structure. Maybe I'll get the courage one day to attempt to recreate it. If anyone has a set of plans for it...??? Really enjoying watching you build this masterpiece.
Cheers, Mark.
I stumbled across the picture of Jock's flotation mine yesterday. Page 44, Oct 1975 MRR - for anyone who might be interested. It says the model was based on drawings published in MRC, but doesn't specify which issue. Does anyone know? and could maybe email me a copy??? I can see potential for a this as an outstanding addition to the side of a steep mountainside in Shadowlands!
Cheers, Mark.
Quote from: mark dalrymple on February 17, 2020, 01:37:14 PM
Looking great, John - and so nice to receive a letter from George.
Jock Oliphant is a legend! His flotation mine is probably my favourite ever structure. Maybe I'll get the courage one day to attempt to recreate it. If anyone has a set of plans for it... ??? Really enjoying watching you build this masterpiece.
Cheers, Mark.
I stumbled across the picture of Jock's flotation mine yesterday. Page 44, Oct 1975 MRR - for anyone who might be interested. It says the model was based on drawings published in MRC, but doesn't specify which issue. Does anyone know? and could maybe email me a copy??? I can see potential for a this as an outstanding addition to the side of a steep mountainside in Shadowlands!
Cheers, Mark.
Mark
You got me doing some research on Jock. I found some pictures on the internet of his work. He did a few different mines. Can you post a picture from the article? Some of his models are on display at a museum in Canada. I will give George a call and see if he knows about the plans.
Quote from: jerryrbeach on February 17, 2020, 10:12:58 AM
John,
Just got caught up on this thread. It is yet another amazing build from your workbench. Thanks for sharing this with us and for posting all the photos.
Jerry
Thank you for following along. I'm really enjoying this build. These old wood buildings are really fun to build - I see more in my future. I have some scratch build projects on the drawing board.
Hi John.
Here is the photo of Jock Oliphant's flotation mine. Oct 1975 MRR.
Cheers, Mark.
Looks excellent, love the wood texture and coloring.
Jim
Quote from: JimF on February 18, 2020, 02:18:54 AM
Looks excellent, love the wood texture and coloring.
Jim
Jim
Thank you for following along and the kind words.
I made some more progress on this build, today. Finished the interior bracing, finished the tower walls, added the gooseneck lights for the front and routed the wiring so I could add the roof cards.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-230220202736-432221904.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-230220202737-432231305.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-230220202922-432242123.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-230220202924-432261359.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-230220204652.jpeg)
Looks great, John. The light from the gooseneck lamps shows up in the photos nicely.
Quote from: vinceg on February 23, 2020, 08:51:14 PM
Looks great, John. The light from the gooseneck lamps shows up in the photos nicely.
Vince
Thank you for following along - Remembering the wires before the roof cards went on made life much easier.
Today, I got the roof cards on and took some pictures. I also got all the roof rafter ends installed after the pictures. I will update the pictures once I get all the ends stained.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-240220192139-432311458.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-240220192140-43232654.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-240220192141-432331936.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-240220192137-43229680.jpeg)
The weathering is outstanding John. Great looking structure.
Beautiful modeling John.
Beautiful weathering John , really looks real ;)
Very nice John -
Doug
John,
Your coal tower build is coming along . This is a great kit to get out of the box.
Your model will look great on the S&S RR.
Tommy
John,
The coaling tower is looking great, very well done.
Tom ;D
Quote from: sdrees on February 24, 2020, 09:23:53 PM
The weathering is outstanding John. Great looking structure.
Steve
Thank you for the complements.
Quote from: Janbouli on February 25, 2020, 03:09:52 AM
Beautiful weathering John , really looks real ;)
Jan
Thank you for the kind words - I can't wait to start adding all those details.
Quote from: NKP768 on February 25, 2020, 11:38:27 AM
Very nice John -
Doug
Doug
Thank you, this is one fun kit to build.
Quote from: tom.boyd.125 on February 25, 2020, 11:41:21 AM
John,
Your coal tower build is coming along . This is a great kit to get out of the box.
Your model will look great on the S&S RR.
Tommy
Tommy
Thank you for following along and the kind words. It is great to have this one out of the yellow box. I'm exploring different locations for this one. All near the Stone Roundhouse and Locomotive Works on S&S RR.
I had a nice long talk with George yesterday, he is feeling much better. Actually, getting to the shop for short periods of time.
Quote from: ACL1504 on February 25, 2020, 11:57:18 AM
John,
The coaling tower is looking great, very well done.
Tom ;D
Tom
Thank you for stopping by the thread and the kind words. You can't beat these FSM kits. So much detail in the little yellow box. I'm looking forward to seeing how it looks on the layout.
A quick note about the warping problem I had with the unsupported wall from the glue drying. The removable braces that I added did the trick. I moved the wall out 3/8 of an inch with the braces in 1/8 inch increments. I just added a longer brace each night and the glue and wood took the new shape. It's called creep with materials like the glue I'm using. The glue responds to the stress by changing shape. It takes time but it works. I can remove the bracing now and the wall stays where I want it. The bracing will stay in place until I glue the assembly to the baseboard. I will probably add a strategically placed nail or two to make sure nothing moves with time. Note to future builders of this kit: Make sure you brace the unsupported wall when you glue the walls together. The glue wants to warp the assembly as it dries.
John,
Outstanding job n the coal tower so far....
Loren...
Quote from: fsmcollector67 on February 26, 2020, 04:03:17 PM
John,
Outstanding job n the coal tower so far....
Loren...
Loren
Thank you for the kind words and for following along. We are just about to the really fun part - the details.
John, I've enjoyed following this and watching it take shape. It looks great so far--can't wait to see you adding details.
--Opa George
Quote from: Opa George on February 27, 2020, 05:23:39 AM
John, I've enjoyed following this and watching it take shape. It looks great so far--can't wait to see you adding details.
--Opa George
George
Thank you for following along and the encouraging words. I got some bench time in on this project today. Pictures to follow.
Today, I completed the rafter ends and got started installing the shingles. Here are a few progress pictures from my workbench.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-270220222024-43278134.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-270220222025-432791178.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-270220222027-43281446.jpeg)
WOW, that is looking real good, love the shingle color and the wood color.
The #145 we only saw that build in a black and white fsm advert. Rarely did somebody build one and take digital photos of it up close and super clear. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Want to watch this come to a conclusion. After seeing the FSM 155 and now this #145 come to life in pages on here, hopefully will encourage people to get them out of storage closet and onto the work bench.
mike lynch MADMIKE3434..... now............HAIRBALL
Looking really good, John.
I can't quite see from the photos so I will risk wasting my breath. I agree that putting the fly rafters/ barge boards on the edge of the roof card and the roofing material on top of the barge boards yields the best results aesthetically. My suggestion (moving forwards on upcoming builds) would be to try to obtain the same perceived thickness of timber as the rafter tails, either by swapping out the barge board material for something wider, or swapping out the rafter tail material for something narrower. This would compensate for the thickness of the card. For example, if 6"x2" timber is supplied for both the rafter tails and barge board, use the 6"x2" material for rafter tails and use 8"x2" for the barge boards (or maybe 10"x2", depending on the thickness of the card). Hope that is all as clear as mud! Its a tiny thing - but really no extra work - and tiny things make the difference.
Cheers, Mark.
Looks great John.
Quote from: hairball on February 27, 2020, 10:36:23 PM
WOW, that is looking real good, love the shingle color and the wood color.
The #145 we only saw that build in a black and white fsm advert. Rarely did somebody build one and take digital photos of it up close and super clear. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Want to watch this come to a conclusion. After seeing the FSM 155 and now this #145 come to life in pages on here, hopefully will encourage people to get them out of storage closet and onto the work bench.
mike lynch MADMIKE3434..... now............HAIRBALL
MikeThank you for following along and the kind words. This is a fantastic kit - anyone that has one should get it off the shelf. I see another one with a different prototype CN design in my future - there is room for a number of coal towers on a steam powered railroad.
Quote from: S&S RR on February 28, 2020, 08:05:25 AM
Quote from: hairball on February 27, 2020, 10:36:23 PM
WOW, that is looking real good, love the shingle color and the wood color.
The #145 we only saw that build in a black and white fsm advert. Rarely did somebody build one and take digital photos of it up close and super clear. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Want to watch this come to a conclusion. After seeing the FSM 155 and now this #145 come to life in pages on here, hopefully will encourage people to get them out of storage closet and onto the work bench.
mike lynch MADMIKE3434..... now............HAIRBALL
Mike
Thank you for following along and the kind words. This is a fantastic kit - anyone that has one should get it off the shelf. I see another one with a different prototype CN design in my future - there is room for a number of coal towers on a steam powered railroad.
I usually follow builds for the technique, and this one is not exception--tons of good technique to use. But it also really makes me want this kit.
Thanks for posting, John.
--Opa George
Quote from: mark dalrymple on February 27, 2020, 10:48:33 PM
Looking really good, John.
I can't quite see from the photos so I will risk wasting my breath. I agree that putting the fly rafters/ barge boards on the edge of the roof card and the roofing material on top of the barge boards yields the best results aesthetically. My suggestion (moving forwards on upcoming builds) would be to try to obtain the same perceived thickness of timber as the rafter tails, either by swapping out the barge board material for something wider, or swapping out the rafter tail material for something narrower. This would compensate for the thickness of the card. For example, if 6"x2" timber is supplied for both the rafter tails and barge board, use the 6"x2" material for rafter tails and use 8"x2" for the barge boards (or maybe 10"x2", depending on the thickness of the card). Hope that is all as clear as mud! Its a tiny thing - but really no extra work - and tiny things make the difference.
Cheers, Mark.
Mark
You have an eagle eye. I totally agree with you and the thought crossed my mind when I installed the end rafters as the instructions suggested even with the roof card. Add this to the notes for future builders, I would use a end rafter that is the thickness of the roof card wider. This is something that know one will be able to see when the model is installed on the layout because it will be three to four feet away. I have to get the high power viewer or the camera out to see it when it's right in front of my face, but details are details and this will be a lesson learned for all future builds. As always, thank you for following along and your comments. This is what the forum is all about - we all get to be better modelers by making these suggestions. You guys will know if this bugs me when the model is done if you see me change them out. ;) I looked at the prototype pictures I have and even with zooming in I can't tell what they did. It may be that our roof cards are more than 3/4 on an inch thick in HO scale.
Update: I decided to take some pictures to show everyone what Mark was talking about. In doing so, I figured out a real easy fix to the problem. I got out my HO scale skill saw and fixed the problem so I will not see it every time I look at this model. I will post pictures tonight. Heading back to the workbench. Thank you Mark.
So here is my solution to the rafter end issue. As Mark mentioned above the outside roof rafters, when aligned with the top surface of the roof card are slightly higher than the rest of the roof rafters and they don't line up when you gun site the roof line. The roof card is 0.033 inches thick so we are dealing with a 33 thousands height difference. I started to take a picture of the problem (see below and realized that I could easily cut off the rafter tails to make them line up. Because of the angles they are cut on from the front view there is a small triangle of material that can be removed and they all visually line up in the front view. Here is a close-up view of what Mark was pointing out you can see that the outside rafter is up 0.033 inches from the rest of them.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-270220222026-432801233.jpeg)
So what I did was snip each of the rafter ends horizontally removing .033 inches ( give or take a little) of material in the side view using my HO scale skill saw (aka sprue cutters).
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-280220210552-432851751.jpeg)
This resulted in a rafter end that looks like this. Notice the point on the rafter ends on the other side.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-280220214821-43291841.jpeg)
So when you gun site them from the end they are all the same length.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-280220214819-432891660.jpeg)
Here is a picture of the other side of the building and you can see the flat spot created by the nippers.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-280220214818-4328842.jpeg)
Those shingles look thick at this magnification. And those nut and bolt castings and the texturing of the wood are definitely worth the time spent.
A few more pictures after the fix. I feel better. What do you think?
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-280220210553-432862474.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-280220210549-43283766.jpeg)
A neat and crafty solution, John.
And I think those shingles stand up to magnification extremely well.
Cheers, Mark.
Looks great John.
I sat down at the workbench on this build and the next step was ladders. Lots of ladders. It was time to build a ladder building jig so I got out the styrene and built a jig so I didn't have to build them over the template anymore. Here is a picture of the jig going together. Pretty simple but boy does it save time.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-290220174147-432981504.jpeg)
Here is a picture of the jig finished with job one waiting for the glue to dry.
I went a couple steps longer than the ladders need for this coal tower so this should work for just about any future build. Also, added a smaller jig because I cut to many pieces.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-290220174148-433032028.jpeg)
Now ready for ladder production.
Hey john:
Very well done so far. Like the color it nicely weathered.
Karl
Quote from: postalkarl on March 01, 2020, 11:12:17 AM
Hey john:
Very well done so far. Like the color it nicely weathered.
Karl
Karl
Thank you for the complement. I have lots of detail to add now.
Today, I made some more progress: Started construction of the Sandhouse and Tool Shed.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-010320204400-433171208.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-010320204401-43323499.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-010320204405-43326592.jpeg)
I also, started adding the platforms to the main coal tower structure.
First, the brackets where glued onto the structure.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-010320204404-43325319.jpeg)
Then I added the framing and top boards.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-010320204603.jpeg)
Very nice John.
Quote from: PRR Modeler on March 02, 2020, 08:53:46 AM
Very nice John.
Thank you Curt. The boards on the platform are all the same length, in the picture they look different lengths because of the light and dark ends. A little stain will solve that problem. It's going to take a lot of chopping with the chopper to make all the boards required to go all around the three sides of the tower.
I got back to the workbench today. ;D ;D ;D I added the brackets for the platform on the second side of the coal tower.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-070320171946.jpeg)
I also did a light test before adding the roof cards and platform base to the sand house and tool shed.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-070320171309-433892392.jpeg)
John,
Great build, love that old weathered coal stained door under the light. Just perfect. Keep up the great work.
Tom ;D
So much detail. Spectacular, John. Love it.
Wonderful. Note to self - prepare for a interesting journey when I pull this one off the shelf. Won't happen for quite some time but this is a really neat looking kit. ;D
Looks great John. Great job so far.
Quote from: ACL1504 on March 07, 2020, 06:05:13 PM
John,
Great build, love that old weathered coal stained door under the light. Just perfect. Keep up the great work.
Tom ;D
Tom
Thank you for the kind words - there will be coal dust and dirt, the S&S RR is a working RR in the late 1940's.
Quote from: vinceg on March 07, 2020, 07:10:35 PM
So much detail. Spectacular, John. Love it.
Vince
Thank you, there is much more detail to come.
Quote from: ReadingBob on March 07, 2020, 07:13:16 PM
Wonderful. Note to self - prepare for a interesting journey when I pull this one off the shelf. Won't happen for quite some time but this is a really neat looking kit. ;D
Bob
I'm working on my three favorite FSM kits right now. Funny how that works. This is a great kit - I had a long talk with George about it and he told me some of the details he left out of the kit (see the pictures I posted). I plan to add a few of them. This is one of those kits where you're 20% complete when you get the structure built. I think it's about the same for Swakhammers, and Fox Run, the other two kits on my workbench.
Looking good, John.
Nice detail with the eave brackets.
Cheers, Mark.
Quote from: SteveCuster on March 07, 2020, 07:57:30 PM
Looks great John. Great job so far.
Steve
Thank you so much for the kind words.
A few progress pictures from today.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-080320213600-433911934.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-080320213601-433941723.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-080320213602-433952185.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-080320213603-43396938.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-080320213604-433972357.jpeg)
I really like this structure and am enjoying following--wonderful job on it. I need to look more into lighting for my structures.
--Opa George
Quote from: Opa George on March 09, 2020, 05:40:57 AM
I really like this structure and am enjoying following--wonderful job on it. I need to look more into lighting for my structures.
--Opa George
George
Thank you for following along and the kind words. I have lots of details to add but this one is starting to take shape. As with all my builds, I take these progress pictures to study and create a fix list.
Beautiful modeling on this project.
Today, I added the roofing and some details to the sand shed and tool shed.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-090320204941-43402709.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-090320204942-434031259.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-090320204943-434042133.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-090320204944-434051946.jpeg)
John,
Coloring is wonderful for both the walls and shingles on the sand shed. I looked through the thread to see what kind of shingles you are using for this build and I didn't see where you posted that information. Did I just miss it? Anyway, they look so realistic, please enlighten me as to who makes them. Thanks,
Quote from: jerryrbeach on March 09, 2020, 09:30:09 PM
John,
Coloring is wonderful for both the walls and shingles on the sand shed. I looked through the thread to see what kind of shingles you are using for this build and I didn't see where you posted that information. Did I just miss it? Anyway, they look so realistic, please enlighten me as to who makes them. Thanks,
Jerry
Thank you for following along and the kind words. I can't remember a discussion of the shingles on this thread but I have talked about them in the past. The shingles are from Wild West Models. Their color and model number 514.
Here is a website if you want to take a look. I have used these shingles on a number of projects - I really like the way they look. You can weather them with chalks to get any color combination that you want. The shingles on this project are right from the sheet at this point.
https://www.wildwestmodels.com
Thanks, John.
The shingles really look nice. I need to figure out color and quantity and place an order.
Looks great John.
Hey John:
Looking just beautiful. Love how the coloring is coming out. Keep the pic coming.
karl
Quote from: postalkarl on March 10, 2020, 05:32:38 PM
Hey John:
Looking just beautiful. Love how the coloring is coming out. Keep the pic coming.
karl
Karl
Thank you for the encouraging words - as I said before I'm really having fun with this one.
The baseboard for the coal tower has been pulled from my layout.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-120320211812-434532058.jpeg)
Tomorrow morning, I will be laying out the additional structures that will share this piece of real-estate
with the coaling tower. For now, it waits on my workbench while I do some more detail work on the coal tower.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-120320211814-434541752.jpeg)
Here are today's progress shots of the coal tower. Railings have been added. A wood storage rack has been added underneath. Started adding the ladders. Tomorrow, I plan on adding the chute and weights and mounting the structures to the base board.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-120320211815-4345522.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-120320211854.jpeg)
Hey John:
Beautifully done.
Karl
Quote from: postalkarl on March 13, 2020, 08:53:17 AM
Hey John:
Beautifully done.
Karl
Karl
Thank you for the kind words - I made some more progress today. I'm working on how the build will fit on the baseboard. I'll take some more pictures once I have it mounted. Then it will be final detailing time.
I started work on the base board for the coaling tower. I'm adding basswood gluing strips attached to the plywood to make sure the issue I had with the walls moving on me during the gluing process doesn't happen again. The structure will be glued to the wood gluing strips and the foam board before the scenery details are added. I removed the strip wood supports overnight when I moved the coal tower to this workbench and the front wall started to warp inward again a slight amount but I don't want to take any chances of it moving once it is on the layout.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-140320212726-434771111.jpeg)
There will be a number structure that will share this same plywood baseboard, including a water tank, and an icing platform.
John, I can't get enough of looking at this beautiful structure. You've done a superb job in all respects.
--Opa George
Quote from: Opa George on March 16, 2020, 05:29:23 PM
John, I can't get enough of looking at this beautiful structure. You've done a superb job in all respects.
--Opa George
George
Thank you so much for the kind words. I made a little more progress today, I'm adding the coal chutes and detail castings in preparation for glueing the structures to the base board for final detailing.
The track has been glued down to the baseboard - next step is to glue the structures down to the baseboard.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-160320213818-434852453.jpeg)
The FSM icing platform is on my build short list and will go directly behind the coaling tower. The John Allen water tower FSM kit is also planed for this area.
Today, I started to add the coal chutes and hardware to the main structure. After installation and weathering the structure will be ready to mount to the baseboard.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-200320211251-4355243.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-200320211249-43543281.jpeg)
John, those coal chutes look exceptionally good. Metal or plastic detail parts? How did you color them?
--Opa George
John............
That build is terrific. You have aged wood figured out.
Thanx
Bob
Quote from: Opa George on March 21, 2020, 03:04:30 PM
John, those coal chutes look exceptionally good. Metal or plastic detail parts? How did you color them?
--Opa George
George
Thank you for the complements. The chutes are Georges metal castings. So far they have been primed with a flat brown primer and then three shades of rust colored chalk. I have some touch up to do with the rust and then need to add the coal dust. I decided to wait until I installed the pins and chain to do the coloring. I will be using the same technique.
Quote from: bparrish on March 21, 2020, 04:06:31 PM
John............
That build is terrific. You have aged wood figured out.
Thanx
Bob
Bob
Thank you for stopping by the thread and the kind words. I'm putting the final details on and will be mounting this to the baseboard in the next couple of days.
Wow...terrific work!!
John
John the tower is top notch.
Hey John:
What can I say but what a beautiful job.
Karl
Quote from: postalkarl on March 22, 2020, 03:48:02 AM
Hey John:
What can I say but what a beautiful job.
Karl
Karl
Thank you, I'm working on the final workbench detailing today and hope to get the structure mounted to the base board.
Today, I finished all the detailing that I'm going to do on the workbench so I took a few pictures before I moved the structures to my workbench with the baseboard.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-230320200634-436161805.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-230320200633-4361521.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-230320200444-436141780.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-230320200443-436131345.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-230320200442-436122428.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-230320200441-436111143.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-230320200439-436101138.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-230320200237-436091104.jpeg)
The next step was to glue the structures to the baseboard.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-230320200635-436172189.jpeg)
Level check:
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-230320200636-43618375.jpeg)
I made sure the walls were right where I wanted them while the glue dried.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-230320200637-436191515.jpeg)
A few pictures after the glue dried. I will be adding a few ladders and detail castings now that the structures are mounted on the baseboard. I will also be taking one more shot at coloring with the chalks. The final round of coloring will be done on the layout with the surrounding buildings in place.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-230320200927-43621904.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-230320200928-436221886.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-230320200929-43623707.jpeg)
It looks great. I especially like the coloring of the metal parts.
Very well done. I agree that the rust was spot on.
Quote from: PRR Modeler on March 23, 2020, 09:48:28 PM
It looks great. I especially like the coloring of the metal parts.
Curt
Thank you for the kind words. I really like the rust look with the Rembrandt Chalks - it has become my go to technique. I will be doing a little blending and adding some black coal dust - this is going to be a working coal tower, before I call this one done.
Quote from: Oldguy on March 23, 2020, 10:28:42 PM
Very well done. I agree that the rust was spot on.
Bob
Thank you for following along and the kind words. My detailing work bench is ready for another build.
I placed the baseboard in position on the layout and took some pictures before I start the final detailing.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-250320213132-43641170.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-250320213133-436421689.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-250320213134-436432102.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-250320213135-436441159.jpeg)
You too John, That,s one fine model....Dennis
It's going to look awesome in that location.
Hey John:
Wow that looks really good. I love your background scenery.it looks very real.
Karl
Terrific job John! That's going to look absolutely fantastic when the scenery is finished and there are loco's and rolling stock on the tracks. ;)
John,
I agree, great job on the build.
Tom
Quote from: Dennis Bourey on March 25, 2020, 09:50:03 PM
You too John, That,s one fine model....Dennis
Dennis
Thank you - George hit it out of the park with this kit.
Quote from: PRR Modeler on March 26, 2020, 08:58:42 AM
It's going to look awesome in that location.
Curt
Thank you - I plan on building an icing platform that will be located behind it.
Quote from: postalkarl on March 26, 2020, 03:41:12 PM
Hey John:
Wow that looks really good. I love your background scenery.it looks very real.
Karl
Karl
Thank you for the kind words - I believe that the backgrounds really make our structure models pop.
Quote from: ReadingBob on March 26, 2020, 03:45:57 PM
Terrific job John! That's going to look absolutely fantastic when the scenery is finished and there are loco's and rolling stock on the tracks. ;)
Thank you, there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes, actually underneath the layout, to get those locomotives rolling.
Quote from: ACL1504 on March 26, 2020, 05:24:09 PM
John,
I agree, great job on the build.
Tom
Tom
Thank you my friend. I really enjoyed this build. Today, I moved the model back to the workbench and added some dirt so that I could get going with the final detailing.
As I mentioned above, I added the first layer of dirt to the baseboard around the coaling tower today. Here are a few progress pictures of the process.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-260320193347-43653158.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-260320193529-43656184.jpeg)
Hey John:
Looks just beautiful.
Karl
John this is an amazing build, I have to go digging but I think I have this kit or it may be the Campbell Coal Tower , so much wood , you're are doing it a great justice. :)
Quote from: postalkarl on March 27, 2020, 07:53:20 AM
Hey John:
Looks just beautiful.
Karl
Karl
Thank you my friend.
Quote from: Lynnb on March 28, 2020, 07:21:28 PM
John this is an amazing build, I have to go digging but I think I have this kit or it may be the Campbell Coal Tower , so much wood , you're are doing it a great justice. :)
Lynn
Thank you for following along and the kind words, this has been a very fun build.
So the final detailing has been complete on my workbench. I will add some more detailing and do some touch up once this structure is on the layout. The big thing is to add the scenery materials but I always do that when they are on the layout and I can make it fit the big picture. So here is the last progress pictures from the workbench.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-050420085629-437861324.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-050420085630-43791307.jpeg)
You will notice that I did one final lighting test while it was on the workbench. My fingers got in the way - I was holding the wires on to the battery. :-[
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-050420085631-437921888.jpeg)
It looks like a fish story is being told in this scene.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-050420085632-437931662.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-050420085633-43794590.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-050420085823-437952018.jpeg)
Adding the figure at the top of the ladder really helps bring your eyes to the coal chute details.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-050420085824-437961931.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-050420085826-43797486.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-050420085828-437982154.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-050420085829-43799612.jpeg)
The build in it's position on the layout. I will be adding the scenery to the yard as soon as I complete the electronics for the turnouts (see my build thread for the S&S RR).
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-050420104843-43800896.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-050420104845-438012003.jpeg)
The edge of the baseboard will be covered with dirt when I complete the scenery.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-050420104846-43802818.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-050420104847-438031855.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-050420104848-43804461.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-050420105019-43805577.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-050420105020-43806345.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-050420105022-43808876.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-050420105023-438091482.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-050420105141-43811751.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-050420105143-43813518.jpeg)
So that's it for my 2020 build challenge. I hope you enjoyed following along as much as I enjoyed building this kit. This is definitely in the top 10 FSM kits. I highly recommend you find one and build it. Great kit George. ;)
John,
Really excellent diorama modeling ! Can't wait to get mine finished now.
Thanks for sharing all the photos and reference info on your build.
Tommy
Beautiful finish John, looks great on the layout. :)
Spectacular, John. Thx for sharing.
Hey John:
All I can say is WOWIE. Just beautiful
Karl
Quote from: tom.boyd.125 on April 05, 2020, 11:11:19 AM
John,
Really excellent diorama modeling ! Can't wait to get mine finished now.
Thanks for sharing all the photos and reference info on your build.
Tommy
Tommy
Thank you for following along and all the kind words. Looking forward to some pictures of your finished build.
Quote from: vinceg on April 05, 2020, 12:21:48 PM
Spectacular, John. Thx for sharing.
Thank you Vince. On to the next build.
Quote from: postalkarl on April 05, 2020, 01:40:26 PM
Hey John:
All I can say is WOWIE. Just beautiful
Karl
Karl
Thank you once again for following along and the words of encouragement.
Quote from: Lynnb on April 05, 2020, 12:01:02 PM
Beautiful finish John, looks great on the layout. :)
Lynn
Thank you for the kind words. I'm looking forward to seeing this area of the layout completed. Getting closer with every build.
Thanks for all your work documenting this build, John. Super job in all respects. I hope to find this kit in the coming years, and if I do half as good on my build as you did, I'll be quite happy.
--Opa George
Quote from: Opa George on April 05, 2020, 06:29:04 PM
Thanks for all your work documenting this build, John. Super job in all respects. I hope to find this kit in the coming years, and if I do half as good on my build as you did, I'll be quite happy.
--Opa George
George
Thank you for following along and for the encouraging words. Keep your eyes out for this one it's one of the best of the best.
Looks fantastic, John.
It looks like the two workers are discussing fishing 'it was THIS BIG!'
Cheers, Mark.
This is a fantastic looking project John. The weathering is spot on.
Quote from: mark dalrymple on April 05, 2020, 08:59:36 PM
Looks fantastic, John.
It looks like the two workers are discussing fishing 'it was THIS BIG!'
Cheers, Mark.
Thank you Mark - I definitely had a discussion about the one that got away in mind with that mini-scene.
Quote from: sdrees on April 05, 2020, 09:24:25 PM
This is a fantastic looking project John. The weathering is spot on.
Steve
Thank you for the kind words. I try to get a little better with the weathering on each new build. I have seen a lot of new techniques come and go - I always seem to have the best results with chalks. The Hunterline stains are definitely a great starting point. I just got an email that they are currently out of production with their stains because they can't get alcohol. It seems all the alcohol is going for hand sanitizer. This too will pass.
A masterpiece, John. Perfect weathering.
Jeff
Quote from: Zephyrus52246 on April 06, 2020, 07:48:32 AM
A masterpiece, John. Perfect weathering.
Jeff
Jeff
Thank you my friend