The Modeler's Forum

I started a new project which is the Scale Structures Roundhouse.  I have always liked this kit, since I could never get my hands on the South River brick or stone roundhouse nor afford it.  I was very fortunate to pick up this kit at the 2017 Narrow Gauge Convention in Denver.  This was an old kit that was sitting on somebody's shelf for many years and it had never been opened.  The price was right and I couldn't resist. 

Steve, It look's like a great build. I'm in the 2nd roll watching..

Dennis

Looks like a great kit.  I'll be watching.

Cheers, Mark.

Balcony seats , want to have a good overall view.

Here watching, too, Steve.
--George

I always liked the look of the kit also.....looking forward to see you build it.  :)

Steve


I will be following along. It looks like a very nice kit. I like being able to see inside. Great opportunity for some inside lighting.

This will be a fun build to watch.  One thing to consider, though, is updating the materials.  As I recall, a lot of those kits had cardboard walls, you might want to substitute styrene.


dave

Ooooh, yes.  And yes Dave, the block pattern was on cardboard sheets.  My kit weighed close to 8 or so pounds with all the metal castings.

Quote from: Oldguy on June 24, 2019, 10:38:35 AM
Ooooh, yes.  And yes Dave, the block pattern was on cardboard sheets.  My kit weighed close to 8 or so pounds with all the metal castings.

Those sheets are printed on one side?  Maybe laminate the cardboard to thin (.020) styrene (transfer tape) before you start cutting things out.  That would provide more strength and a bit of water resistance.  (I've seen problems with large cardboard buildings starting to warp due to the water-based products we use in scenery.  Also, it would be worth sealing the cardboard after you cut it out with Dullcote or a similar matte sealer.  (I've had good luck with the products from craft stores sold for sealing ceramics.)


dave

I did n't have time last night to post these pictures so here we go.

The kit comes with a ton of castings and I spent 2 day just cleaning the castings.

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.modelersforum.com%2Fgallery%2F245-240619121706-39119433.jpeg&hash=9c883d067dd2ddb95e9965d3e70d707809aafb4a)

The walls are die cut cardboard like Dave says

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The stone and brick walls are an embossed material which are to overlay the die cut cardboard walls.  Before Monster Works went out of business, I purchased his laser stone walls and brick walls materials to use instead.  I also purchased his laserboard material for concrete formwork and floors.

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Drawings of front, rear and sides.

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I started construction on the floor which is made from .10 thick cardboard and I mounted the pieces to a piece of 1/2" Gatorboard with 3M spray.

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And thanks everyone for following along

Steve,

This is going to be fun. I'm very much looking forward to this build. I've seen it built many moons ago. I'm sure yours will be much better.

Tom  ;D

This is going to fun to watch.  My embossed stone cards were rather flat.  Perhaps being stored for two years in an area that had 100% humidity and they swelled. 

This will be a great build.

Hey Steve:

I'll be following along.

Karl

I spent some time today working on the floor for the roundhouse.  I added a piece of 1/8" foamboard to the bottom of the 1/2" Gatorboard to add thickness to the base so that the inspection pits will be 5' deep.  Also, since I am using code 70 rail, I had to add a 6x6  underneath where the rail will be placed because the floor material furnish is .10" thick and I am going to cover the floor furnish with the kit with Monster Modelworks Cracked Jointed Concrete as shown in the picture

Glad to have you follow along Karl and Curt!

Great choice for flooring!  At one point I was talking to Jimmy about "end block" laser-cut sheets, but we agreed there was probably not enough demand for that product. 


The SS Ltd kits are great designs, modern materials will make the model even better.


dave

Continued work on the floor. I've got the  cracked jointed concrete glued down and the inspection pits walls lined with the formed concrete sheets.  I have been experimenting with the finishing of the floor as you can see in the lower corner. I used 3M spray adhesive to glue down the floor material

Hey Steve:

Great job on that concrete floor. Can't wait to see it finished.

Karl

Something to try for the floors:  Get some charcoal, crush it, and just smear the charcoal dust all around.  Then use some gloss medium in a couple spots to reflect water or grease spills.


dave

Nice job Steve.

Steve,

Great job on the floor, looks very good.


Tom  ;D

It is looking great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Steve, nice choice for the flooring on this structure. It looks great.
--George

Thanks everybody for your comments on the floor.  I have to confess that I screwed it up when I was trying to finish it.  Fortunately, I have extra flooring and will try again.

I took the die cut wall and used it for a template for the side walls made out of the monster modelworks cut stone and brick.  I had the laser cut material made from 1/16" basswood instead of the 1/8" material that is his standard product.  So when the brick and the cut stone material is glued together, it is the same thickness as the window casement castings.

The brick looks really good.

That is going to look so much better than the pressed paper stuff.  So the walls will have a stone exterior and a brick interior?

After my wife and I attended the NMRA Convention in Salt Lake City, we visited Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park and the North rim of the Grand Canyon.  Besides taking pictures of the beautiful scenery, I also took pictures of stone block walls to get ideas for the exterior walls of the roundhouse.

The steps I took to finish the exterior stone block walls are as follows:

1) Painted a base color on the overall walls

2) Then painted accent colors on individual stones

3) Applied a wash of the base color to help blend the colors

4) Applied pastels for the grout

5) Applied clear alcohol

6) Let everything dry

7) Used a cloth from an old T shirt dipped in alcohol and rubbed with finger over the surface to further help blend the colors.

So here is the results.  I tried taking the photo in different light conditions, but this is the best that I could do.  The photo does not show the results very well.

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For the brick wall I did the following;

1) I painted the base of the wall a brick color

2) I then used a cosmetic sponge and dabbed some high lights of several different colors.

3) For the mortar, I used Bragdon Enterprise's mortar colored weather powder and used a stiff brush to scrub it into the brick joints

4) I then used a cloth dipped in alcohol and rubbed the mortar off the surface of the brick

And here is the results

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.modelersforum.com%2Fgallery%2F245-100819174119-395581342.jpeg&hash=3fe45cf2101b2a5ac9735218213481b04ecc46d9)

Steve,

You are correct, the photo doesn't show anything.

Tom  ;D


Just kidding the photo hasn't been posted.

Tom,

this forum software is such a pain in the ass.  A year ago, Sierra West went to some new software and it is so easy to post pictures and organize you thoughts.

Here are some of the walls that I have finished over the past several weeks.  The window castings have been fitted and installed and the concrete buttresses are now in place.  The kit is very old and the castings are white metal and they don't fit very well.  So there was a lot of filing that had to be done.

Looking good Steve........Dennis

Those are beautiful Steve.

Really nice job Steve.

That looks fantastic.

I appreciate the nice comments

Hey Steve:

WOW!!! beautiful job. I especially like the stone wall.

Karl

Thanks Karl!  It was hard trying to get the real colors to show in the pictures.

Looks really great Steve. The colors are excellent.

Steve, those walls and windows certainly deserve a WOW! Really nice job.
--George

Looks great Steve!

Steve


Great coloring on both the walls.  And those windows came out just fine.


Jerry

Thanks for your nice comments Steve, George, Mark and Jerry.

The look great Steve. 

Thanks John

I have completed the floor for the roundhouse.  I used Monster Model Works etched laser board, concrete paving, with the contraction joints and random cracks for the floor.

First, I used a black wash to color the floor.  Then I dry brushed it with Model Master Old Concrete acrylic paint.  The I went over it with a dark A/I solution to bring out more of the detail in the floor.

Okay.  Just catching up on this one.  All I can say is WOW!   :o  Everything looks great so far!   ;D

Hey Steve:

I'm with Bob on this as all I can say is WOW!!!! also. It look so natural. All the cracks and weathering are just beautiful.

Karl

Quote from: postalkarl on August 30, 2019, 07:47:56 AM
Hey Steve:

I'm with Bob on this as all I can say is WOW!!!! also. It look so natural. All the cracks and weathering are just beautiful.

Karl

I'm with Bob and Karl! 

The one thing I've seen in photos of roundhouses, for you to consider, are wet puddles.  That'd be easy to do with some drops of gloss medium, particularly one near a hose.

dave

Steve


That floor looks fantastic! With that level of detailing in the inside I would make sure you light it up with some interior LED lighting.


I have a big stash of Monster Model Works panels but I know I'm going to miss them.  I sure hope one of our suppliers equipped with the right laser fills this hole in our supply base.

I was very happy how the floor turned out. thanks for your WOW's Bob, Dave Karl and John.  I am having a debate with myself on how much detail I want to do on the interior.  It is going to take a lot of some kind of castings etc.  I also like the idea of the LED lights, that is a lot of lights also.

Steve,

The walls came out great, the walls with windows even better, and now the floor is simply outstanding.  This is turning out to be another contest winner for sure!

Steve,

As with the others, I'm just getting caught up on this build and I'll add my WOW as well.

The flooring looks wonderfully dirty, nasty and roundhouse like.

Tom

I erected the walls today and here are some pictures.

WOW, that looks great.

Steve,

Outstanding modeling, looking forward to seeing this continue to come together.

Fantastic Job Steve!!!!....Dennis

I appreciate your comment Dennis, Jerry and Curt.  Thanks

Since my last post, I have been assembling the front of the roundhouse.  Because of all the angles and dangles, I decided to build this wall in place because of all the cutting and fitting required.  The directions did suggest the all the walls should be built in place.  But I decided to prefab the side and back walls and put them in place.  Otherwise, this would have been a mess.  But this was the only way to do the front wall.

So, I first set the metal castings for the door post and hinges.

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Then I built a mock-up of the wall above the doors to develop patterns for the wall sections.

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Below is a picture of all the different pieces.

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And then the fabricated wall sections that go above the doors.

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.modelersforum.com%2Fgallery%2F245-160919124625-4018959.jpeg&hash=5469409e0557cb28b98a5e978ecbbe81a6afb173)

And here is the results.

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.modelersforum.com%2Fgallery%2F245-160919124626-401901840.jpeg&hash=1e887ac1b42e180ef744484d0b58d0eca3103cbb)

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Wow Steve!!!!!!!!!!!! Very impressive work.............Dennis

Steve,

Absolutely fantastic. It sure doesn't look like an SS LTD. kit with you at the bench. Fantastic job, extremely well done.

Tom  ;D

Thanks Tom, remember that I used Monster Works stone and brick materials instead of that supplied with the kit.  It sure makes a difference.

I also appreciate your comment Dennis.

Beautiful modeling Steve. I love the concrete floor color and cracking.

Very nicely done.

I have to say WOW also Steve. looking through those doors I do not see a model.

Dick

Wow Steve:

Very nicely done. I agree with dick on looking through the doors.

Karl

Steve


This build looks great! Fantastic work. I love the changes you have made to the original kit. 

Thanks everybody for the comments on the roundhouse.  They are very appreciated.

Although I got behind in following along, I have to add my kudos on such a fantastic result.  Very well done, Steve.
--George

Thanks George.  It has been a slow go installing interior lighting and the roof trusses.  I should have some  pictures in the near future.

Well done Steve. Nice of you to take the time to post.
ed

I finally fabricated and installed the roof trusses and lights.  The wiring for the lights runs on top of the bottom chord of the roof trusses.

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I then ran the wires thru a conduit to the underside of the roundhouse base.

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Then, I ran some copper tape across the bottom of the roundhouse where the wires from the different stalls are soldered and then for my permanent installation on the layout, I will use a buck converter that gets power from the layout bus wires and its output will be 3 volts.  So I will not need to use bridge rectifiers or resistors in my circuits.  For temporary power, I have a 3 volt power source.  The lights are wired in parallel.

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Now let there be light.

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Steve, those lights are AMAZING!  I'm impressed.
--George

Quote from: Opa George on October 18, 2019, 05:30:41 AM
Steve, those lights are AMAZING!  I'm impressed.
--George

Steve,

Exactly what George said!  Thanks for the very clear (enlightening) explanation of how you did the light installation.

I hope I could  help someone out with the lighting, this is what this is all about.  I used to procrastinate about installing lighting in my buildings, but now that I have done it several times, it is no big deal.

Steve, You did a Beautiful job all around........Dennis

Awesome modeling Steve.

Thanks very much for the light show.

Hey Steve:

WOW!!!! that looks just beautiful

Karl

Attached our photos of my latest on the roundhouse.  I have been working on interior details and added a couple of exterior lights.

here are more photos of the interior

That looks so cool, to bad it all gets hidden...
What you need is some tiny cameras inside that transmit video to screen on the front of the layout

Looks great Steve! I especially like the coloring in the concrete areas. What did you do to color them?

Steve,

This is definitely a contest winner!  I love the attention to detail, the cracks in the inspection pit, the engine board, wow!  Thanks so much for sharing this with us.

Superb interior detailing , and I love the way the photo's look , somehow the lighting makes everything look real.

Top notch modeling Steve, and the lighting is perfectly done.

Steve, The floor is the concrete flooring that you use to get at Monster Works.  for that I used a black wash to apply to the floor.  Once that that dried, I dry brushed it with Model Master aged concrete.  the buttresses were painted with the aged concrete and then I applied A/I. 

Jim, the doors will be open and the lights on, so you can see the details.

thanks everybody for your comments

That is crazy good work.

Steve, yes, what everybody said. A showpiece to be proud of.  Your attention to detail shows up even in the most enlarged close-up photos. Beautiful work.
--George

Thanks Bob and George for looking in and saying nice things about the project

Hey Steve:

Just went through the pics. WOW!!!! beautiful job with all the details and I love the lighting.

Karl

Steve


That is really impressive.  Beautiful work.


Jerry

Attached are final pictures. I used tissue paper for the roofing material and used  3M transfer tape to attach it to the sub roof.  I was afraid of the sub roof warping from using glue.  the weathering is pastel powders.

Fantastic building and I certainly love all the interior detailing.  I really like how your roof turned out. It is just tissue paper stuck to transfer tape and then painted once it was on the building?  This looks like a very interesting technique.

You should be extra proud of this one!

I need to make a clarification Darryl, I painted the tissue paper a flat black with a spray can, Then I balled the paper up and straightened it,  then cut the strips 3 ft wide, applied the transfer tape to the sub roof, applied the tissue paper strips, and then used pastels to weather the roof.

And thanks for your comments

Very well done.

Did you make your roof removable?  Is there anything holding it in place?


dave

Beautiful looking roundhouse.

The middle two panels of the roof are removable.  The outside panels are glued in place and the roof panels sit between the walls on trusses which hold them in place.


Thanks everybody for your comments

Awesome Steve, that is one beautiful building.

Hello Steve, Damn nice modeling.
ed

Thanks Ed and Jan for your compliments

Well done Steve.....I remember seeing  pictures of this kit when it first came out and loving the detail.....it is great to see it built and how great it looks when built.  8)

That is really impressive.  beautiful weathering and the roof what a nice job.


Jerry

Thanks Jerry and Greg for stopping by!

Excellent job!


You should be very proud of your efforts and you rescued a shelf orphan and gave it a most deserving home.


Jaime

thanks for your comment Jaime!

Hey Steve:

Looks just beautiful. What's next?

Karl

I had never seen this release from SS ltd, any idea when it was issued.

OH, by the way outstanding build !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mike lynch...........HAIRBALL

The kit was released in 1972 and has been released several years ago.  I picked it up untouched at the Narrow Gauge Convention in Denver two years ago.  If you have been thru the whole thread, I have updated the materials for the walls with Monster Works brick and stone laser cut materials.

Thanks Mike and Karl for your comments

Steve,

The best roundhouse build I've ever seen. Every aspect of this build is just perfect.

Tom  ;D

Fantastic build Steve!

thanks tom and John for your comments.

A little project for the roundhouse that I recently completed is the Scale Structures Virginia and Truckee Jib Crane.

This entire project is excellent Steve!

Very cool.

I always loved the detail SSL packed into their products.....great addition to the roundhouse Steve.  8)

Two thumbs up!  The crane looks super.  The roundhouse looks super too.   ;)

thanks for stopping by Bob, Greg, Curt and Carl.  Appreciate the complements