My next adventure will be in the building and lighting of Rail Scale Miniatures - Horwood Brothers, Kit #005.
This kit came out at the NNGC in Colorado in 2009. Dario Le Donne offered this kit at $295.00.
I wanted to get the kit but never acted on it and when I did, it was no longer available. I've seen it as high as $650.00 on Ebay. Like brass models, craftsman kit prices fluctuate from year to year.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-150226173315-570912093.jpeg)
First a little history on the kit and how I came to get this one.
During one of our Saturday Butty Group (SBG) meets, Terry, Vietnam Seabee, mentioned he was building the RSM Horwood Brothers kit. I commented that I always wanted to get one but was lazy and missed it. He said he saw one for sale at Des Plaines Hobbies in Des Plaines, IL. Our meeting was on January 13, 2024.
When all the SBGs left for the day, I called Des Plaines Hobbies and they still had it in stock. And, it was for the original price of $295.00. I said ring it up. I got the kit in the mail 10 days later.
Thank you Terry for telling me about the kit as Des Plaines.
Before I get started, I want to say this will be a build over a long period of time. I'm looking at this kit as a part time one as I have many irons in the fire. Those irons are projects that need to get finished.
The biggest iron in the fire is a project to paint and sound 8 brass steam locos. I've been putting them off for 3 years. These are the last ones I have to get finished and then I can get back to models and the layout full time.
That said, here are the kit contents starting with the box cover.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-150226173315-57092568.jpeg)
A 58 page instruction booklet including dozens of photos.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-150226173315-570931412.jpeg)
16 templates and informational cards -
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-150226173315-570941085.jpeg)
Sign and floor sheets.-
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-150226173315-570951595.jpeg)
Three roof cards -
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-150226173358-5709643.jpeg)
Lots and lots of parts -
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-150226173358-570981622.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-150226173358-571002285.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-150226173358-570972098.jpeg)
Looking forward to your build Tom, this is a great kit, wish I had one. Mark
A box of strip wood/sticks -
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-150226173427-57101162.jpeg)
A box of 50+ white metal castings -
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-150226173358-570991945.jpeg)
I purchased the lighting kit for Horwood Bros. from Ngineering for $89.00.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-150226173427-571021404.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-150226173427-57103570.jpeg)
Quote from: craftsmankits on February 15, 2026, 06:02:08 PMLooking forward to your build Tom, this is a great kit, wish I had one. Mark
Mark,
I wish you did as well. One just sold at BrassTrains.com for $275.00.
Keep looking, one will turn up. The price is down on this one.
Tom
Looking forward to watching this one come together, Tom.
It should look right at home on your layout. Do you know if Dario is planning on releasing more kits? Either larger or diamond series?
Cheers, Mark.
Oh boy Tom, you're finally getting started on this. I look forward to seeing your build. Will it be done by this Saturday? ;D
Tom you're going to have fun with this one. I'll be keeping an eye on this one.
Ton that should keep you out of trouble for a few days.
Looking forward to the build.
Jerry
Quite a project, Tom. I've seen a finished one and it's huge. Looking forward to your build.
Jeff
I'm looking forward to following along as my build of Horwood Bros has been on the orphan shelf for quite awhile.
Terry
Following with interest, it looks like a very exciting build!
Quote from: Mark Dalrymple on February 15, 2026, 06:17:48 PMLooking forward to watching this one come together, Tom.
It should look right at home on your layout. Do you know if Dario is planning on releasing more kits? Either larger or diamond series?
Cheers, Mark.
Mark, Cheers,
Happy to have you along on the journey. I last spoke to Dario when I purchased the Drake Street Shop kit. He said he was working on ideas for another kit but didn't say what.
Tom
Quote from: PRR Modeler on February 15, 2026, 06:31:05 PMOh boy Tom, you're finally getting started on this. I look forward to seeing your build. Will it be done by this Saturday? ;D
Butty Curt,
Yes, finally and it will be a long build as well. Not sure it will be done by Saturday. Oh, you said this Saturday. No but it will be done by one Saturday n the4 future. 8)
Tom
Quote from: Larry C on February 16, 2026, 10:06:36 AMTom you're going to have fun with this one. I'll be keeping an eye on this one.
Larry,
Thanks for jumping on the wagon. It will be a fun build but not a quick one.
Tom
Quote from: Jerry on February 16, 2026, 10:11:42 AMTon that should keep you out of trouble for a few days.
Looking forward to the build.
Jerry
Jerry,
At least a few day for sure. I'm guessing many many months. Happy to have you following along.
Tom
Quote from: Zephyrus52246 on February 16, 2026, 10:59:18 AMQuite a project, Tom. I've seen a finished one and it's huge. Looking forward to your build.
Jeff
Jeff,
Yes, it will be a project. I think you and I saw this one in the contest room at one of the EXPOS, don't remember which one.
This will take up 15 to 24 inches of real estate.
Glad to have here.
Tom
Quote from: Vietnam Seabee on February 16, 2026, 11:36:30 AMI'm looking forward to following along as my build of Horwood Bros has been on the orphan shelf for quite awhile.
Terry
Terry,
Thanks for getting on the front row. I've had this one for two years and wanted build it. Not sure about your build but, I've already found some issues.
I'll go over them as the build progresses.
Tom
Quote from: Yannis on February 16, 2026, 11:48:36 AMFollowing with interest, it looks like a very exciting build!
Yannis,
Happy to have you following with interest. I'm excited to get this one started.
Tom
I started to read the instruction manual two months ago. I've read through it a few times and getting familiar with the parts.
This kit, when placed on the diorama measures 15 X 24". I'll use the same dimensions but the kit will sit directly on the layout. I'll construct a concrete pad later in the build.
Here is where I plan to plant Harwood Bros. It is on the Summit Level (3rd.) of the layout.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-160226172636-571131741.jpeg)
The base for the main structure (the service station) is a 3/32" thick wood floor. The floor in this kit was severely warped.
Here is how I fixed the warp.
I soaked the wood floor in a pan of water to loosen the wood fibers. I then placed a sheet of wax paper on the granite counter top in our laundry room. The floor piece was placed on the paper and another sheet of wax paper was then placed on the top. A pane of glass was then placed on top of the wax paper. I used metal weights to hold the wood floor flat until dry.
There are no photos of this step as back in December '25 I wasn't sure I was going to build the kit. Anyway, that did the trick and after four days the wood floor was flat.
Yesterday, I noticed a slight bend in the floor. I set it on two metal weights and placed a metal weight on top as shown below. This morning the floor was once again flat. Sorry for the above screed but, I wanted to share what I needed to do.
When the walls are glued to the floor, it will remain flat.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-160226172636-57112366.jpeg)
Done for today.
Will you be able to brace that floor in case it decides to warp again? You might need to route out grooves in the plywood base for bracing underneath, if you can't put bracing inside.
My experience with stuff like this is it will eventually warp again if not braced.
dave
Quote from: deemery on February 16, 2026, 06:07:33 PMWill you be able to brace that floor in case it decides to warp again? You might need to route out grooves in the plywood base for bracing underneath, if you can't put bracing inside.
My experience with stuff like this is it will eventually warp again if not braced.
dave
Me too. Could you reinforce the floor-wall joints with 3/16" or 1/4" K&S brass angle? Pre-blacken, then epoxy in place everywhere there isn't an exterior door you want to model open?
Howdy Tom,
That is one heck of a score. Congratulations. I loved that kit when it came out, but spent my money on Banta's Pro Patria mill.
I am excited to follow your build. It promises to be fun.
Have fun,
mike
So forgive my ignorance on wooden kits, but do you intend to use the wooden base as a base for the structure only or as a diorama base that will slot in the layout?
Is it viable to replace the floor with styrene or something 3d-printed? Or at least add bracing below the base?
Quote from: deemery on February 16, 2026, 06:07:33 PMWill you be able to brace that floor in case it decides to warp again? You might need to route out grooves in the plywood base for bracing underneath, if you can't put bracing inside.
My experience with stuff like this is it will eventually warp again if not braced.
dave
Dave,
Excellent observation but my answer is no. I could brace the floor and cut groves in the plywood but it isn't necessary.
I've had the floor base on the layout for three weeks now with no warpage.
I guess any large wood base such as this will warp given the humidity of Central Florida. I do plan on bracing the base by gluing the five walls to it with the walls braced.
Tom
Quote from: jbvb on February 16, 2026, 06:39:08 PMQuote from: deemery on February 16, 2026, 06:07:33 PMWill you be able to brace that floor in case it decides to warp again? You might need to route out grooves in the plywood base for bracing underneath, if you can't put bracing inside.
My experience with stuff like this is it will eventually warp again if not braced.
dave
Me too. Could you reinforce the floor-wall joints with 3/16" or 1/4" K&S brass angle? Pre-blacken, then epoxy in place everywhere there isn't an exterior door you want to model open?
James,
Yes, I could but it won't be necessary. As I progress through the build, it will become more clear as to why it won't be necessary.
Tom
Quote from: friscomike on February 16, 2026, 09:08:08 PMHowdy Tom,
That is one heck of a score. Congratulations. I loved that kit when it came out, but spent my money on Banta's Pro Patria mill.
I am excited to follow your build. It promises to be fun.
Have fun,
mike
Mike, Howdy,
Yes, I was very happy to get this one at the regular price not to mention how very fortunate I was as well. The Banta Mill is a nice kit for sure.
I'm happy to have you following along on this one.
Tom
Quote from: Yannis on February 18, 2026, 12:21:01 PMSo forgive my ignorance on wooden kits, but do you intend to use the wooden base as a base for the structure only or as a diorama base that will slot in the layout?
Is it viable to replace the floor with styrene or something 3d-printed? Or at least add bracing below the base?
Yannis,
No problem and no question is an ignorant one. Yes, I will use the kit base as I'm satisfied it will work. The entire kit is supposed to sit on a diorama but I'll build the kit and place is on the layout as a removable diorama.
Sheet styrene won't work as a base. Bracing on the bottom of the wood base in this situation isn't an option.
Tom
There is a checker board flooring paper that is to be glued to the base.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-180226144818-571141980.jpeg)
Once the flooring is glued to the base, Dario suggests taking an Xacto knife and trimming the excess flooring from the base.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-180226144818-57117674.jpeg)
Then the walls are to be glued in place on the base. As I mentioned, I've read through the instructions and planned in my mind how I want to proceed with the build.
This particular step will be skipped by me until later in the build. I'll explain my reasoning as I get into the build.
There is a diagram of how the walls fit together around the outside edges of the floor base.
In the diagram shown below, note that wall "C" fits between walls "B" & "D".
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-180226144818-571182295.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-180226144818-571191667.jpeg)
If you glue wall "C" in place, wall "D" won't fit correctly on the front of the base.
Wall "C" is 1/16" too long. I know this as I test fitted the walls around the base.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-180226144845-57122831.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-180226144845-571232480.jpeg)
The next photo shows how long wall "C" is. It is as long as the wall is thick.
You may think that you can leave wall "C" as is and added wall "D" to the front. If you do this, you have a serious issue with lining up the other wall "E".
I incorrectly highlighted in red the bracing. However, the wall is still shown as fitting between the two walls mentioned above.
I used a wall section and marked in red the area I need to remove from wall "C".
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-180226144818-57120985.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-180226144845-571211278.jpeg)
Now the wall "C" is the correct length. I made another test fit and now all the walls fit correctly around the base.
Nice job Tom. This looks to be a fairly complicated build.
Kudos, Tom.. I didn't read and plan ahead as you did. I glued wall C as provided assuming the instructions were correct. I don't recall how I overcame the issue 'after the fact' but I believe it to be corrected. Has been awhile since I worked on Horwood
terry
Tom glad you pre fit everything before going ahead.
Jerry
Tom nice save on the walls and better to dry fit than regretting it later.
Quote from: PRR Modeler on February 18, 2026, 03:29:51 PMNice job Tom. This looks to be a fairly complicated build.
Thanks Butty Curt.
Don't think its as hard as it looks. Some issues, yes, but we'll see.
Tom
Quote from: Vietnam Seabee on February 18, 2026, 04:07:16 PMKudos, Tom.. I didn't read and plan ahead as you did. I glued wall C as provided assuming the instructions were correct. I don't recall how I overcame the issue 'after the fact' but I believe it to be corrected. Has been awhile since I worked on Horwood
terry
Butty Terry,
Thank you also. I have a few questions for you this morning when the SBGs get here.
I did deviate from the plans a little.
Tom
Quote from: Jerry on February 18, 2026, 04:13:06 PMTom glad you pre fit everything before going ahead.
Jerry
Jerry,
Thanks, I've learned through the years that just because it is supposed to fit, doesn't mean it will fit. ;D
Tom
Quote from: Larry C on February 19, 2026, 08:02:37 AMTom nice save on the walls and better to dry fit than regretting it later.
Larry,
Thank you and yes, I agree. Once glued it is much harder to make the adjustment if necessary.
Tom
I missed the start of this thread while I was taking a break from posting here.
It's great you got the kit at the original price.
Looks like you're off to a good start and already fixing issues.
I remember Greg built this on the RR-Line.
Quote from: Rick on February 21, 2026, 08:52:13 AMI missed the start of this thread while I was taking a break from posting here.
It's great you got the kit at the original price.
Looks like you're off to a good start and already fixing issues.
I remember Greg built this on the RR-Line.
Rick,
Glad to have you checking in on this one. Greg and I have been in contact with each other and I've asked him some questions. He also gave me a heads up on an issue he had with the circuit board. We'll cover that when I get to it.
I'm very sorry I missed the RR Line build thread.
Tom
Tom,
Don't know how I missed this one, but glad I'm now caught up with your progress.
If I remember correctly, Greg's build on the RR-line forum was quite detailed and I almost bought the kit even though I model in O scale. This is going to be one fun build to follow.
Quote from: elwoodblues on February 21, 2026, 01:05:49 PMTom,
Don't know how I missed this one, but glad I'm now caught up with your progress.
If I remember correctly, Greg's build on the RR-line forum was quite detailed and I almost bought the kit even though I model in O scale. This is going to be one fun build to follow.
Ron,
Well, you are here now. Thanks for following along. Its too bad the contents couldn't be saved but I guess Joe just wanted out of it, period.
Tom
Prior to gluing any walls together, I made test fits of all the windows that go with the main service station.
The large front wall, nothing fit. Referring to the photo below, all three window openings needed a little sanding for the plastic windows to fit. Mainly the sanding was on the bottom of the three openings. I could force them in but plastic window side frames buckled. The door opening was the opposite as it was to large.
I needed to shim the sides and top for the door to fit properly.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-210226143142-57134178.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-210226143159-571371937.jpeg)
All the other windows and doors fit.
I used weights to hold the wall pieces in place to complete the test fitting.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-210226143101-571271579.jpeg)
This gap will disappear when the wall edges are sanded at a 45 degree angle.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-210226143101-571281917.jpeg)
You can see in the next photo how the wall sections fit after sanding.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-210226143101-57129247.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-210226143101-5713055.jpeg)
Back in a few, Diet Pepsi time.
I decided to glue the walls together as one sub assembly. I didn't want to glue the walls to the base one at a time.
Not yet making the decision to add stucco or just paint the walls, I wanted the option to add stucco and not chance getting stucco splattered on the checkerboard floor.
The lines at the top and bottom of the walls are for the bracing.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-210226143101-5713150.jpeg)
I started by gluing the rear and right side walls together.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-210226143141-57132110.jpeg)
After each of the wall sections were glued together, I made a test fit to make sure they all fit properly and tight to the base.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-210226143141-571331368.jpeg)
As I added each wall to each other, I made sure the corners were square and at a 90 degree angle.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-210226143142-57136107.jpeg)
All five walls are glued together and separate from the base.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-210226143231-57138554.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-210226143231-57139957.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-210226143232-571401817.jpeg)
The wall sections that meet at 45 degrees are both nice and tight.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-210226143232-57141216.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-210226143142-57135664.jpeg)
Done for today.
Although I just saw this in person it is outstanding.
Tom,
That is a lot of progress in a short time and all with your usual level to detail.
Super clean and accurate work there!!!! Well done Tom.
Tom great job and your modeling skills are exceptional!!
Quote from: PRR Modeler on February 21, 2026, 03:39:13 PMAlthough I just saw this in person it is outstanding.
Curt,
Thanks very much.
Tom
Quote from: elwoodblues on February 21, 2026, 11:12:07 PMTom,
That is a lot of progress in a short time and all with your usual level to detail.
Ron,
I appreciate the compliment, thank you.
Tom
Quote from: Yannis on February 22, 2026, 06:13:01 AMSuper clean and accurate work there!!!! Well done Tom.
Yannis,
Thank you for the kind comment.
Tom
Quote from: Larry C on February 22, 2026, 07:55:53 AMTom great job and your modeling skills are exceptional!!
Larry,
Your very generous and kind compliment are appreciated. Although, I do make mistakes here and there.
More on this in today's later update.
Tom
Tom I didn't think you would be this far ahead.
As usual your precise work before moving on to the next step.
Do all your weight bars have you name n them??? ;D
Jerry
Quote from: Jerry on February 22, 2026, 02:43:08 PMTom I didn't think you would be this far ahead.
As usual your precise work before moving on to the next step.
Do all your weight bars have you name n them??? ;D
Jerry
Jerry,
It seems I moved along very quickly on this portion. Maybe a little to quick. LOL!
The weight bar belonged to my Grandfather, it reads T A Langford. Its a bar from an old printing press when the bank had his name on the letterhead. He was VP of the Orlando First National Bank in the early 1920's. He used it as a paper weight for about 30 years. He gave it to me when I was in high school. I liked it for the T A Langford. I was named after my Grandfather (Thomas) and my father's brother (Edward).
It is a fantastic weight to hold stuff down while I'm building.
Tom
Okay, I'll be honest and tell you that I'm human and not the super duper modeler who doesn't make mistakes.
Both my mistakes would never be noticed. I want to share that even a modeling mistake can most likely be fixed.
I was adding the upper detail trim to the service station. I got so engrossed in the trim that I forgot that a portion across the front was to be left off. This was to allow the canopy roof to be added.
The below photo shows when I had to remove a glued wood portion to the front. I was very careful but still cut into the upper portion of the wall.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-220226163514-571491565.jpeg)
Thankfully, this won't show as it is covered by the canopy wall as shown below.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-220226163514-571501169.jpeg)
This mistake was easily fixed. :-[
This next mistake was not as easily fixed. Refer to the photo below.
Looks normal as the window opening does goes on the left.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-220226162947-57142846.jpeg)
However, I glued the wall to the other two walls. This wall and window opening is upside down. The window is to sit lower in the opening.
Back in a few, I definitely need a Diet Pepsi to explain this one. 8)
I never considered trying to remove the wall and then re-glue it to the other two walls. I could see disaster all over that attempt.
So, I measured, thrice, where the window is to set in the wall and how low. I then marked this on the lower inside of the wall as shown below.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-220226162947-57143829.jpeg)
I took the cut out wall piece and glued it to the top of the opening.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-220226170037-571522073.jpeg)
The window now is in the correct location on the wall.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-220226162951-571451655.jpeg)
The trim board covers the new glued in wall piece.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-220226162951-57146525.jpeg)
Here is how the trim looks on the upper portion of the building.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-220226170829-57153170.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-220226170829-571541148.jpeg)
Trim will be added to the canopy sides that will match the other trim.
It's good to know you are still human at the workbench. ;D
A side note on sanding the trim pieces at 45 degrees. I was using a sanding stick and eye-balling the angle. Test fit, sand, test fit, sand and so on.
After the first couple of angles. I pulled out my little Micro Mark sander.
I set the table at 45 degrees and used this to sand the rest of the trim pieces. It was much easier than the eye-balling.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-220226163015-57147465.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-220226163016-57148824.jpeg)
Done for today.
Quote from: PRR Modeler on February 22, 2026, 05:11:16 PMIt's good to know you are still human at the workbench. ;D
Curt,
Yes sir, being human and prone to mistakes is a good thing.
Like I said, it I didn't share this, one would never know.
Tom
Howdy Tom,
Nice work on the corners. The last photo shares your secret. Horwood Bro is progressing well. Persist!
and Have fun,
mike
Tom, quick progress for sure.
Glad you were able to fix those two errors.
That's a handy sander you have.
I'll be looking on this one Tom, looking forward to seeing it on the layout. :)
Quote from: friscomike on February 22, 2026, 05:49:06 PMHowdy Tom,
Nice work on the corners. The last photo shares your secret. Horwood Bro is progressing well. Persist!
and Have fun,
mike
Mike, Howdy,
Thank you. Yes, the motorized sanding disc does come in handy for uses such as that one. Usually thought, I use the sanding stick for less repetitive jobs.
Still having fun.
Tom
Quote from: Rick on February 22, 2026, 06:41:10 PMTom, quick progress for sure.
Glad you were able to fix those two errors.
That's a handy sander you have.
Rick,
Yes, faster than I planned. The cold weather has kept me from starting the brass loco painting.
Hopefully, I won't be making any more mistakes. Or, at least one I can't fix. The sander has been used for a few projects. I forgot I had it until all the fascia trim on this kit needed to be angled. Then I remembered. 8)
Tom
Quote from: GPdemayo on February 23, 2026, 03:39:46 PMI'll be looking on this one Tom, looking forward to seeing it on the layout. :)
Greg Butty,
Thanks for following along my friend. I think it will be a fantastic looking addition to the Summit Level.
Tom
After finishing the fascia and front wall trim, I started the canopy build. Dario mentions in the directions to glue the four short walls together.
Referring to the drawing, Figure 9 below, you can see the square box on the left.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230226152550-571552254.jpeg)
The instructions say to build the box first. Once built, mark on the inside of the box lines where the 12X12s (1/8") and the 6X6s (1/16") braces are to be glued.
This made no sense to me. I made it easy on myself and marked the lines on the four box pieces, glued the bracing on and then glued the box together.
The next photo shows the box, looking down on the top.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230226152551-5715635.jpeg)
This next photo shows the bottom side of the box.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230226152551-571571733.jpeg)
There is a scribed piece of wood that serves as the canopy soffit.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230226152551-571581071.jpeg)
This piece fits in the bottom of the box and against the 6X6s.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230226152551-571591562.jpeg)
I used a quick grip to hold the canopy in place and then glued all the fascia trim in place. The trim needs to match the main structure trim.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230226152631-57161291.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230226152631-57162913.jpeg)
A small angled awning fits on the front of the canopy. This will be installed much later in the build.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230226152631-571641141.jpeg)
And, of course, I want it to be level when the canopy is added.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230226152631-57163282.jpeg)
I decided to test fit the sidewalks against the main service station.
I realized that some wood can vary from kit to kit as well as changes due to humidity. However, I found the three sidewalk sections were a bit off. Not sure humidity can change them this much.
Since these are laser cut, I know some of the gaps can be attributed to the laser cutting at an angle. This angle is referred to as a kerf. When two laser cut pieces are put side by side, there is a gap.
In the photo below you can see the corner piece is thicker than the front piece of the sidewalk.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230226152631-571602088.jpeg)
The piece shown below will need to be trimmed.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230226152704-571661125.jpeg)
The long sidewalk section will also need to be trimmed to fit. All easy fixes.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230226152704-57167378.jpeg)
I'll be taking a short break from the build (structures) and working on the location where it will be placed on the layout.
I will show this in this thread.
Done for today.
Everything lined up perfectly!
Just really like following your threads on how to do these kits.
Jerry
Tom, definitely made sense to do the bracing before glueing the walls together.
Another good fix on the sidewalk.
Very exacting modeling Tom.
Looking good, Tom.
I sometimes add bracing after gluing the walls together - because I forgot...
Cheers, Mark.
I've been following along on this one. I like the location you selected for it and think it'll look great there.
Very close and careful work, Tom.
Tom, the phrase I was trying to think of yesterday was meticulous modeling ::) Sometimes my brain doesn't work as well as it should.
Interesting to follow along with this, Tom. Throughout my working years I got quite enough "fix someone's software design or implementation mistakes" at work. At home I preferred scratchbuilding to kits known to be a struggle.
Tom your work is very precise as always and great idea using the clamp so the trim could be installed correctly.
Quote from: Jerry on February 23, 2026, 05:01:21 PMEverything lined up perfectly!
Just really like following your threads on how to do these kits.
Jerry
Jerry,
Thank you for the comment and for following along on all my journeys.
Tom
Quote from: Rick on February 23, 2026, 05:57:52 PMTom, definitely made sense to do the bracing before glueing the walls together.
Another good fix on the sidewalk.
Rick,
Yes, it did. I wasn't about to try to glue several pieces of wood inside the box and get it level.
Tom
Quote from: PRR Modeler on February 23, 2026, 06:01:07 PMVery exacting modeling Tom.
Curt,
Thank you, yes, it has been so far.
Tom
Quote from: Mark Dalrymple on February 23, 2026, 06:09:09 PMLooking good, Tom.
I sometimes add bracing after gluing the walls together - because I forgot...
Cheers, Mark.
Mark, Cheers,
I've never tried that one. If one can do it then all the better. ;D I think gluing bracing on vertical walls is much easier that horizontal one in a small box.
Tom
Quote from: ReadingBob on February 23, 2026, 06:50:27 PMI've been following along on this one. I like the location you selected for it and think it'll look great there.
Butty Bob,
I appreciate you sitting in on this one. I think this location is perfect for this kit.
Tom
Quote from: Michael Hohn on February 23, 2026, 07:49:50 PMVery close and careful work, Tom.
Mike,
Yes, it is and I'm very patient in my builds. Try to look ahead for any issues that may arise.
Tom
Quote from: PRR Modeler on February 24, 2026, 06:55:42 AMTom, the phrase I was trying to think of yesterday was meticulous modeling ::) Sometimes my brain doesn't work as well as it should.
Curt,
Okay, I agree, it is very necessary for this kit. At least your brain works, I'm not always sure of mine. 8)
Tom
Quote from: jbvb on February 24, 2026, 07:41:01 AMInteresting to follow along with this, Tom. Throughout my working years I got quite enough "fix someone's software design or implementation mistakes" at work. At home I preferred scratchbuilding to kits known to be a struggle.
James,
I've had to fix a few issues in kits I've built in the past. I also enjoy scratch building; however, I also enjoy a difficult kit and look at is as a challenge. Finishing a difficult kit is very satisfying.
Tom
Quote from: Larry C on February 26, 2026, 05:13:22 PMTom your work is very precise as always and great idea using the clamp so the trim could be installed correctly.
Larry,
Thank you for the compliment, much appreciated. I'll do what I can to make it easier to "get it right".
Tom
As I mentioned earlier, this kit complex will be build on the layout vs. on a diorama base.
It will be located on the third level at the "south end of town".
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-270226150236-571882421.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-270226150236-571901515.jpeg)
I cut and glued two 1/4" pieces of Owens Corning, Pink Panther, foam on the plywood. I cut these to fit.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-270226150236-57191449.jpeg)
When dry, I cut two pieces of 2 ply thick cardboard to fit on top of the pink foam.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-270226150236-57193383.jpeg)
When both were cut to fit, I used Elmer's White Glue to secure the cardboard to the foam.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-270226150236-571921265.jpeg)
Since the cardboard is a paper product and the white glue is a water based, I used what ever I could find to hold the cardboard to down so it wouldn't warp while drying.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-270226150304-571962482.jpeg)
After 24 hours the "weights" were removed.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-270226150304-571942460.jpeg)
Done for today.
Looks good Tom. Are you going to cover the cardboard in white glue?
Quote from: PRR Modeler on February 27, 2026, 04:48:55 PMLooks good Tom. Are you going to cover the cardboard in white glue?
Same comment and question.
Tom never seen anyone use cardboard in that fashion before; interesting concept.
8)
Quote from: PRR Modeler on February 27, 2026, 04:48:55 PMLooks good Tom. Are you going to cover the cardboard in white glue?
Curt,
Yes, I will!
Tom
Quote from: Rick on February 27, 2026, 06:17:02 PMQuote from: PRR Modeler on February 27, 2026, 04:48:55 PMLooks good Tom. Are you going to cover the cardboard in white glue?
Same comment and question.
Rick,
Same comment and answer. ;D
Tom
Quote from: Larry C on February 28, 2026, 07:40:58 AMTom never seen anyone use cardboard in that fashion before; interesting concept.
Larry,
I've used it exclusively for paved roads. I'll cover more of it as the thread progresses.
Tom
Curt and Rick asked it I was going cover the 2 ply cardboard with white glue. In all cases where I've used the cardboard as a roadway, I covered it with white glue.
I paint white glue on the cardboard to seal it from future applications of scenery. Once the white glue is painted on the cardboard I never use a water based paint for a concrete color or asphalt. The water base paint will soften the white glue as the paint is being applied and thus creating a major mess. Once this happens, it can't be fixed or undone.
I use either Floquil Primer or Floquil CN Gray for the concrete highway. I've also used Floquil Aged Concrete in the past on some sections of the roadway.
The photo below shows the seam where I joined the two sheets of 2 ply cardboard.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-270226150304-57195620.jpeg)
I will use this as a starting point to draw in the roadway for both north and south directions.
Back in a few.
The next two photos show how the buildings are to be placed on the diorama. In my case, the layout.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-280226114354-57197672.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-280226114354-57198557.jpeg)
Dario drew his concrete slabs on 2 3/4" squares. This equates to 20ft. squares in HO scale.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-280226114354-571991970.jpeg)
The next photo shows approximately where the service station will be set.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-280226114354-57200993.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-280226114354-57201836.jpeg)
Over all view of the entire kit and approx. where the sidewalks will be placed.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-280226114411-572022228.jpeg)
Done for today.
Epic scene in the making Tom! The built up structure looks really tidy. Thanks for sharing!
Yannis
Tom,
Your approach to laying concrete is new to me. I'm watching with interest.
With the disappearance of Floquil I'm wondering what a replacement might be.
Mike
Quote from: Yannis on February 28, 2026, 12:51:23 PMEpic scene in the making Tom! The built up structure looks really tidy. Thanks for sharing!
Yannis
Yannis,
Thank you for the compliment and for following along.
Tom
Quote from: Michael Hohn on March 01, 2026, 09:15:49 AMTom,
Your approach to laying concrete is new to me. I'm watching with interest.
With the disappearance of Floquil I'm wondering what a replacement might be.
Mike
Mike,
I've been using the 2 ply cardboard for my roads at least 20+ years now. If you double stack a layer, it is the perfect height for the sidewalk and curb next to the road. I haven't done that on this layout but did on my last one.
The next three photos of my roads are all done with the 2 ply cardboard.
I have enough Floquil to not have to worry about a substitute. Excellent question though.
Tom
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-020326133004-572031012.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-020326133004-57205527.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-020326133004-572061621.jpeg)
Tom that's going to take up a sizable bit of real-estate; good thing you have lots of room.
Quote from: Larry C on March 02, 2026, 03:46:05 PMTom that's going to take up a sizable bit of real-estate; good thing you have lots of room.
Larry,
Yes, it is a good size structure with three main ones in all.
I do have lots of room.
Tom
Afternoon all,
I have lots of photos but haven't had the time to list, crop and load them for this thread.
I'll have my leg up to reduce swelling until Saturday morning. Hopefully by Sunday I'll get back to the build.
Have a great week everyone.
Tom
Tom, hope you and your leg are doing well.
Tom good luck with the leg. Will all be waiting for your return.
Jerry
Looking at the ground plan you posted earlier and thinking I'd probably quarter each 2 3/4" square for a northern climate. But not an issue in the Piney Woods.
Quote from: Rick on March 02, 2026, 05:43:51 PMTom, hope you and your leg are doing well.
Rick,
Thanks, the leg surgery is at noon today. Otherwise, my leg and I are doing fine. I've had these skin cancers removed in the past and the only thing that is a bother is staying off the leg for four full days.
Tom
Quote from: Jerry on March 02, 2026, 06:39:39 PMTom good luck with the leg. Will all be waiting for your return.
Jerry
Jerry,
Thanks very much. I'm going to post a little this morning.
Tom
Quote from: jbvb on March 02, 2026, 08:12:25 PMLooking at the ground plan you posted earlier and thinking I'd probably quarter each 2 3/4" square for a northern climate. But not an issue in the Piney Woods.
James,
Agreed, the 2 3/4" in HO scale is approx. 20 ft. Once all is finished, it won't be that noticeable.
Tom
I decided to build the other two buildings and then add the stucco to them. Do it once and be done.
The Service Station right side wall had two options for the modeler. For it to be at the same height as the middle portion, 1/4" could be removed from the top of the wall.
I opted to have the two walls together (back to back) as a common wall. So, for me, I didn't remove the 1/4" from that wall.
The next photo shows the wall that could been lowered by 1/4". It is the portion from the right rear up to the left where the fascia trim starts.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-030326075956-57224580.jpeg)
Now, I followed the instructions and began bracing the walls for the second structure. In the diagram, Dario shows the bracing on the wall that will fit up against the first building - the service station.
I braced it as per the diagram. When I test fit the two walls, the bracing didn't match.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-030326073735-572071730.jpeg)
It dawned on me that in the Dario diagram, the bracing was shown with the 1/4" cut off the top of the wall.
I carefully removed the bracing and added the bracing that fit my option of not cutting down the two walls.
Before -
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-030326073735-572071730.jpeg)
After bracing fix -
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-030326073735-572081666.jpeg)
The next photo shows how this wall fits next to the wall on the service station.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-030326075956-572252065.jpeg)
Back in a few.
Yeah, I've had to trim mis-placed bracing a few times, including on the farmhouse. You're making good progress. Good luck at the Dr this afternoon!
dave
When bracing the service bay building (middle structure), the bracing crosses four doors.
The bracing doesn't affect the doors fitting in the the openings but, I still wanted to remove the bracing from the door openings.
I cut a brace to fit, placed it on the rear and then marked where the bracing crossed the opening.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-030326073848-572202376.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-030326073848-572211312.jpeg)
Quote from: deemery on March 03, 2026, 08:26:36 AMYeah, I've had to trim mis-placed bracing a few times, including on the farmhouse. You're making good progress. Good luck at the Dr this afternoon!
dave
Dave,
Yea, "snit happens" and I appreciate the well wishes. All will be fine and I'll have my laptop in bed this afternoon.
Tom
I removed the brace and used a single edge razor blade to cut down vertically to the horizontal mark.
I then used a #17 Xacto blade and removed the horizontal portion of the marked area.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-030326073848-572222321.jpeg)
The brace is now ready to be glued in place.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-030326073848-57223439.jpeg)
The brace was then glued in place per the diagram template.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-030326084301-5722625.jpeg)
Done for this week, see ya'll on Saturday or Sunday.
I don't believe I've ever built a kit where I didn't have to remove some of the bracing, usually due to my error. You're making great progress. Good luck with the surgery/recovery.
Jeff
Tom,
Some more great progress on the build. Like Jeff I've had to remove/modify bracing I've installed, also mostly due to my error.
Tom good luck with the surgery today.
Anyone else would have left that alone but you being the precise builder that you are fixed it. Nice job.
Jerry
Wishes for a quick recovery Tom.
Tom, hope you are recuperating well.
Excellent progress and problem solving once again.
Quote from: Zephyrus52246 on March 03, 2026, 08:59:01 AMI don't believe I've ever built a kit where I didn't have to remove some of the bracing, usually due to my error. You're making great progress. Good luck with the surgery/recovery.
Jeff
Jeff,
Yea, I've made the same mistake in the past but, this time it was an error in the booklet.
The surgery and recovery is complete with the exception of the suture removal. The hardest part of the surgery was me having to stay in bed with my right ley elevated. I'm an old pro at this now. 8) Thank you for the well wishes.
Tom
Quote from: elwoodblues on March 03, 2026, 09:25:17 AMTom,
Some more great progress on the build. Like Jeff I've had to remove/modify bracing I've installed, also mostly due to my error.
Ron,
Thank you my friend. I think we've all had to remove bracing at one time or another.
Tom
Quote from: Jerry on March 03, 2026, 09:46:30 AMTom good luck with the surgery today.
Anyone else would have left that alone but you being the precise builder that you are fixed it. Nice job.
Jerry
Jerry,
Thanks very much. Stuff like that gets to me and I feel the need to fix the fix! ;D
Tom
Quote from: Yannis on March 06, 2026, 01:58:51 AMWishes for a quick recovery Tom.
Yannis,
Thank you, it went very smoothly.
Tom
Quote from: Rick on March 06, 2026, 07:41:30 AMTom, hope you are recuperating well.
Excellent progress and problem solving once again.
Rick,
Thank you for the kind comment. The recovery is now complete and the sutures will be removed next week.
I'm very happy to be back in the train shed and modeling mode.
Tom
The next photo shows the service bay with all 7 walls glued in place. The photo was taken from the instruction manual.
There are two interior walls that make up the service bay side walls. In reading ahead, I did notice an error in the instructions. Dario also suggests an order in gluing the walls together. I'll not follow his order and I'll get into that in the next few posts.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-030326073735-572091165.jpeg).
The interior walls of the service bay are painted in two tone colors. This needs to be done prior to gluing the walls together.
Dario makes a suggestion as to how wide the darker bottom color is in the service bay. I just measured my own and drew a pencil line on the walls.
The next photo shows the rear and interior left wall of the service bay.
The interior wall is on the bottom.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-030326073735-572101665.jpeg)
The next photo shows my lines do line up to each other.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-030326073736-57211142.jpeg)
The next photo shows where the left interior wall section is to be glued to the front and read walls of the service bay. In viewing the vertical pencil line in this photo, this is where the interior wall is to be glued.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-030326073812-572121488.jpeg)
Here is how I determined where the interior left wall is to be located and glued.
I laid the rear wall flat up against a metal square. I then placed the front wall on top of the rear wall. I made sure they were tight against the metal square. I then placed a smaller metal square next to the left bay opening. I held the square weight down and carefully removed the front wall section.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-030326073812-572131830.jpeg)
I then made a pencil line up against the smaller square.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-030326073812-57214262.jpeg)
The vertical line is the correct location for the right edge of the interior wall.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-030326073813-572151731.jpeg)
I then marked another line 1/16" to the left of the first vertical line. This is the location of the brace for the interior wall section. I made sure the brace was square and parallel to the vertical lines.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-030326073813-572161639.jpeg)
This next set of photos show how the wall fit together. None of them are glued.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-110326172242-572482372.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-110326172242-57250900.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-110326172243-57251935.jpeg)
Done for today.
Very precise work Tom.
Taking shape now! Looks great Tom!
Howdy Tom, nice work. ~mike
Curt,
Thanks, on this kit it needs to be. One little misstep early can lead to something major down the build road.
Tom
Quote from: Philip on March 12, 2026, 09:55:51 AMTaking shape now! Looks great Tom!
Philip,
Thank you. This middle building is taking extra time due to interior painting.
Tom
Quote from: friscomike on March 12, 2026, 10:42:18 AMHowdy Tom, nice work. ~mike
Mike, Howdy,
Thanks very much. Hobby on!
Tom
I mentioned above how I got the interior wall brace in place to align with both the front and rear walls.
This required me to make a change on the bracing of that interior wall. The photo below shows the bracing on the outside of the wall. I've marked in red where I needed to add the bracing.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-120326163216-572521168.jpeg)
In the next photo you can see I glued the braces to the inside of the red. I colored the red sides to show where I didn't want to blue braces.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-120326163217-57253771.jpeg)
The two vertical braces in the center of the next photo are the braces for the two interior wall sections.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-120326163217-57254936.jpeg)
The next photo shows that the interior wall, with the braces moved in, fits the vertical brace and lets the interior walls be perpendicular to the front and rear walls.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-120326163217-5725590.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-120326163217-572562093.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-120326165353-57257895.jpeg)
Done for today.
Excellent job Tom.
Tom, I like how you go about figuring out wall placement.
Very ingenious and well executed.
Tom great job on the walls and bracing. If I didn't know any better I'd say you really enjoy a challenging build. Have fun.
Quote from: Rick on March 12, 2026, 07:39:34 PMTom, I like how you go about figuring out wall placement.
Very ingenious and well executed.
Rick,
Thank you for the kind and very generous compliment, much appreciated.
Tom
Quote from: Larry C on March 12, 2026, 07:47:43 PMTom great job on the walls and bracing. If I didn't know any better I'd say you really enjoy a challenging build. Have fun.
Larry,
Thank you for the comment. I do like a challenge now and then. Seems like I've had a few of late.
Tom
I got a lot done on this build today. I painted the walls on the three areas of the service bay. I also assembled, glued the walls together and added the fascia trim.
I haven't decided just how much interior detail I want to add but the interior walls were easier to paint when laying flat. So, no matter what or how much I add, the walls are covered.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130326170244-57258885.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130326170244-572591981.jpeg)
Add, I'm always pleased when all walls are level.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130326170244-572601908.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130326170244-57261714.jpeg)
I showed this photo in a previous post and said it front sidewalk needed to be trimmed.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230226152704-57167378.jpeg)
I trimmed it this afternoon and sanded down the short piece of sidewalk that was too thick.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130326170244-572622482.jpeg)
I didn't want to use the powered sanding disc. I wasn't going to chance having my finger skin removed from a sander rotating at 1200 RPMs.
Here is what I did to sand down the thick sidewalk.
I noticed the piece was as wide as my sanding stick.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130326170321-572632034.jpeg)
I used my thumb and middle finger to hold the sides of the sidewalk. And, I used them as a guide on the sides of the sanding stick. I used my pointing finger to hold the piece on the sanding stick.
I moved the piece back and forth until I had the desired thickness.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130326170321-572641.jpeg)
I noticed one sidewalk section was short and didn't fit the space.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130326170339-572681956.jpeg)
Here is how I fixed this one.
I glued a piece of scrap wood in the opening and against the section on the right. When the glue dried, I cut the top off and sanded it flat to match the height of the sidewalk.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130326170321-572652286.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130326170322-57266163.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130326170322-572672445.jpeg)
Done for today.
More problems and more fixes. ;D
The gray and red interior looks prototypical.
Howdy Tom, the station is coming together well—nice work fitting the odd bits together. ~mike
Tom as usual you take your time to make sure everything fits perfectly.
Wonderful work.
Jerry
Great progress Tom. Everything looks outstanding.
Quote from: Rick on March 13, 2026, 06:16:16 PMMore problems and more fixes. ;D
The gray and red interior looks prototypical.
Rick,
Thanks my friend. What's a kit without issues, boring.
Tom
Quote from: friscomike on March 13, 2026, 09:43:47 PMHowdy Tom, the station is coming together well—nice work fitting the odd bits together. ~mike
Mike, Howdy,
Thanks very much sir.
Tom
Quote from: Jerry on March 13, 2026, 11:26:23 PMTom as usual you take your time to make sure everything fits perfectly.
Wonderful work.
Jerry
Jerry,
Thanks very much for the kind compliment on the build. Time and patience I have for kit building.
Tom
Quote from: PRR Modeler on March 14, 2026, 07:41:57 AMGreat progress Tom. Everything looks outstanding.
Butty Curt,
I thank you my friend for the comment and stopping by.
Tom
Here are all the sidewalk pieces.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-160326165713-572791296.jpeg)
Since they are all cut with a laser, the edges are just to sharp. I used a sanding board and took some of the stark 90 degree angle off.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-160326165713-572801782.jpeg)
I think after I scribe the curb and expansion lines, they will look just fine.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-160326165713-572812464.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-160326165713-572821109.jpeg)
The next photo shows the walls for the third building, the showroom and supporting area.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-160326165713-572831387.jpeg)
Over the past few days I added the wall bracing.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-160326165733-572841581.jpeg)
Done for today.
Nice job on the sidewalks and bracing Butty Tom.
Tom,
Such a cool model! You're doing a fine job in it.
Mike
Tom nice job.
Taking some time to run through the build threads to catch up.
Some real nice modeling there Tom. Always get a kick out of seeing a bubble level in use when you build something. Talk about level headedness. ;)
Bernd
Quote from: PRR Modeler on March 16, 2026, 06:18:44 PMNice job on the sidewalks and bracing Butty Tom.
Butty Curt,
Thank you my friend, much appreciate you stopping by and the comment.
Tom
Quote from: Michael Hohn on March 16, 2026, 09:18:13 PMTom,
Such a cool model! You're doing a fine job in it.
Mike
Mike,
I agree, it is a cool model and I hope to do justice to it. Thanks for the compoliment.
Tom
Quote from: Bernd on March 17, 2026, 10:06:34 AMTaking some time to run through the build threads to catch up.
Some real nice modeling there Tom. Always get a kick out of seeing a bubble level in use when you build something. Talk about level headedness. ;)
Bernd
Bernd,Thank you for the nice comment on the modeling. I try to be on the level with all my builds and followers. ;D ;D Tom
I started gluing the walls together on the show room building. I also made sure they were perfectly square and at 90 degrees while gluing and afterwards.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-180326160906-57285677.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-180326160906-572861237.jpeg)
The small portion of this section had another small wall. I glued it once the other two were dry.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-180326160906-572871511.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-180326162850-57292636.jpeg)
While the walls were being glued, I turned my attention to the location where Horwood Bros will be located.
I drew a grid which helped locate where the structure would go in relation to the sidewalks and road.
I started in the lower left corner of the site. This is where the corner sidewalks are located.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-180326160906-572881614.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-180326160906-57289436.jpeg)
View of sidewalks in relation to the structure.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-180326160945-572901894.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-180326160945-57291567.jpeg)
Done for today.
Tom that's coming along nicely. I noticed you seem to like building odd shaped structures but it does add a lot of interest as opposed to a plain old rectangle or square.
Very Nice. I like that idea of the flower bed.
Jerry
Tom, with the walls together and the sidewalks positioned, it gives a good idea of how big of an area this will take up.
I look forward to seeing this all come together.
Compound Angles ~ Great work Tom!
Looking good Tom..... 8)
Looking very nice! Quick question, is this the final placement relative to the tracks behind it?
Quote from: Larry C on March 18, 2026, 05:16:43 PMTom that's coming along nicely. I noticed you seem to like building odd shaped structures but it does add a lot of interest as opposed to a plain old rectangle or square.
Larry,
Thank you. I do have a few odd shaped buildings on the layout but it is just happenstance. I do enjoy a challenge so maybe that is the case here. Your comment reminded me that the last 3 out 4 buildings built are definitely odd shaped.
Tom
Quote from: Yannis on March 19, 2026, 02:33:02 PMLooking very nice! Quick question, is this the final placement relative to the tracks behind it?
Yannis,
Thank you for the compliment. The track behind this building is not a service track for Horwood Bros.
Tom
Quote from: Jerry on March 18, 2026, 05:38:37 PMVery Nice. I like that idea of the flower bed.
Jerry
Jerry,
Thank you my friend. The flower but may be a week patch but I'll shoot for flowers. ;D
Tom
Quote from: Rick on March 18, 2026, 06:20:54 PMTom, with the walls together and the sidewalks positioned, it gives a good idea of how big of an area this will take up.
Rick,
Thanks for stopping by. Yes, it will take up a good amount of space. It will be a great addition to the area.
I have plans for other structures on both sides of this one.
Tom
Quote from: PRR Modeler on March 18, 2026, 07:25:26 PMI look forward to seeing this all come together.
Butty Curt,
Thank you and so do I. 8)
Tom
Quote from: Philip on March 19, 2026, 07:32:47 AMCompound Angles ~ Great work Tom!
Philip,
Yes, and more compound angles for this compound. ;D
Tom
Quote from: GPdemayo on March 19, 2026, 11:30:09 AMLooking good Tom..... 8)
Butty Greg,
Thank you my friend and thanks for stopping by.
Tom
This looks like another situation where it looks like the kit was designed for exactly the space you have for it.
dave
Dario suggested a different step in gluing this building together. He suggested gluing the two large showroom walls together after adding some exterior trim detail.
I didn't follow his steps as I have a way I glue my walls together. I like to have the wall flat on the bench as it is much easier to get a good 90 degree angle of two opposing walls.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-190326164648-5729843.jpeg)
He suggested gluing the exterior trim on the windows first. If I followed this step, the walls wouldn't lay flat while gluing them.
Here are the trim pieces. They fit above the large window and on the top of the arched upper wall portion.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-190326164649-57300465.jpeg)
Quote from: deemery on March 19, 2026, 05:11:56 PMThis looks like another situation where it looks like the kit was designed for exactly the space you have for it.
dave
Dave,
I sure got lucky in finding this kit. I agree in that it seems to be made for this space. So, I'll name and claim it so!
Tom
On a sad side note, all the pieces required to add R & R BAKER AUTO SALES" are missing from the kit. I got this kit some 15 years after it was released so it is possible they fell out when possible buyers were looking it over.
I'll reach out to Dario and see if by chance he has any spare laying around.
If not, I'll make a sign that says Horwood Brothers or Horwood Auto Sales.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-190326164649-573021280.jpeg)
Here is how the sign and trim look on the pilot model.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-190326164649-573032330.jpeg)
This last building is almost finished as far as the walls being glued.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-190326164721-573041895.jpeg)
The level at least tells me my angled walls are correct.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-190326164721-573052220.jpeg)
Done for today.
Looking at your use of the level made me smile. Turns out the location where my model shop assembly desks are located is not actually flat. There's a joint in the slab, so I have to shim workbenches to keep X-Acto knives from rolling off the top. :P
dave
Quote from: deemery on March 19, 2026, 05:33:41 PMLooking at your use of the level made me smile. Turns out the location where my model shop assembly desks are located is not actually flat. There's a joint in the slab, so I have to shim workbenches to keep X-Acto knives from rolling off the top. :P
dave
Dave,
I had a work space like that when I was at the University of Florida.
A man has to do what a man can to model. ;D
Tom
Tom, it's a shame about the signs.
Hopefully Dario has an extra set.
Quote from: ACL1504 on March 19, 2026, 04:58:42 PMQuote from: Yannis on March 19, 2026, 02:33:02 PMLooking very nice! Quick question, is this the final placement relative to the tracks behind it?
Yannis,
Thank you for the compliment. The track behind this building is not a service track for Horwood Bros.
Tom
You are welcome :). I noticed that it is not a service track, I was actually asking from the perspective of "distance from the mainline" (which is my concern when i am trying to compose a scene).
Quote from: Rick on March 19, 2026, 07:44:07 PMTom, it's a shame about the signs.
Hopefully Dario has an extra set.
Rick,
I'll send him an email and find out. I know he has a full time job so I won't bother him with a call.
Tom
Quote from: Yannis on March 20, 2026, 02:01:02 AMQuote from: ACL1504 on March 19, 2026, 04:58:42 PMQuote from: Yannis on March 19, 2026, 02:33:02 PMLooking very nice! Quick question, is this the final placement relative to the tracks behind it?
Yannis,
Thank you for the compliment. The track behind this building is not a service track for Horwood Bros.
Tom
You are welcome :). I noticed that it is not a service track, I was actually asking from the perspective of "distance from the mainline" (which is my concern when i am trying to compose a scene).
Yannis,
Sorry, I misunderstood the question. The track is 5" behind the rear of the walls.
Tom
I haven't done much on the build in the past few days.
When the two walls were glued at an angle, it created a gap in the walls as shown below. The walls will have stucco on the exterior but, I didn't want to fill the gap with putty/stucco.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-220326154816-57308684.jpeg)
I took a piece of HO scale 4x4 and glued it in the gap.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-220326154816-573091518.jpeg)
When dry, I used a #11 blade to shave some of the 4X4 and then used a sanding stick to sand it flush with the two walls.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-220326154816-573101179.jpeg)
When in place, including the sidewalks, it measures just over 21.5 inches in length.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-220326154816-57312388.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-220326154901-573132280.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-220326155018-573162059.jpeg)
Done for today.
Looking great, Tom.
Its a huge kit!
Is it possible to raise the kit or lower the footpaths slightly so the door doesn't open straight onto the footpath (ie bottom of door at the same height as the footpath)? This would be a major problem in driving rain. There should be a small step. Having said that, one of my friends back doors opened 4 inches below the paving! And that was a problem!
Cheers, Mark.
Impressive model. It is looking great.
Tom very nice job!! Dang, good thing you have lots of real estate for this one. Should be an impressive building when finished.
Howdy Tom,
Horwood Brothers is progressing nicely. It looks so good you don't need to paint it. ;).
Have fun,
mike
Quote from: Mark Dalrymple on March 23, 2026, 12:29:40 AMLooking great, Tom.
Its a huge kit!
Is it possible to raise the kit or lower the footpaths slightly so the door doesn't open straight onto the footpath (ie bottom of door at the same height as the footpath)? This would be a major problem in driving rain. There should be a small step. Having said that, one of my friends back doors opened 4 inches below the paving! And that was a problem!
Cheers, Mark.
Mark, Cheers,
Yes, it is a huge kit. I guess anything is possible. However, on this kit the door opening are on the same level as the sidewalks/footpaths. The thickness of the sidewalks is set and if I lowered them they would fit correctly against the buildings.
I can understand your friends problem. I have a friend whose driveway slopes down to the garage door. Every time it rains, the garage floor get wet.
Tom
Quote from: KentuckySouthern on March 23, 2026, 07:10:44 AMImpressive model. It is looking great.
Karl,
It is a nice kit for sure and thank you for the nice comment.
Tom
Quote from: Larry C on March 23, 2026, 07:37:21 AMTom very nice job!! Dang, good thing you have lots of real estate for this one. Should be an impressive building when finished.
Larry,
Thank you, much appreciated. I do have the space where it will go and that is the only place it would fit and make sense.
Tom
Quote from: friscomike on March 23, 2026, 02:32:06 PMHowdy Tom,
Horwood Brothers is progressing nicely. It looks so good you don't need to paint it. ;).
Have fun,
mike
Mike, Howdy,
Thank you. It does look neat unpainted but I'll paint in anyway. ;D ;D
Tom
Okay, lots to report today on this build. Two self created problems/issues and two fixes.
I drew the sidewalk joints on the blank sidewalk pieces and then scribed on the lines for the expansion joints.
Dario suggested making the curbs 1/8" wide. That was a "No Go". I/8" is an HO scale 12" or 1'. My sidewalks are 6" wide so I made them 6" or 1/16" wide.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230326155537-573191431.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230326155537-573202001.jpeg)
I forgot to mention I did glue the keystone trim over the show room windows. You may have noticed this in yesterday's post.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-220326154816-573112327.jpeg)
First problem! When the showroom structure was placed against the middle one, it didn't fit as you can see in the next photo. All the corners are square.
The only thing I can think of is that when the walls were being glued together, the glue pulled in the lower portion of the wall. I did leave this wall under a weight as the glued dried over night.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230326155537-57321427.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230326155538-573232210.jpeg)
Nice job Tom. Can you break the glue seal on the large wall and glue it against the small office wall. Nice Keystone!
To fix this issue, I cut a piece of HO scale 12X12 strip wood. After a few test fits and additional cutting, I wedged it between the walls.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230326155620-57324450.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230326155620-57325283.jpeg)
Quote from: ACL1504 on March 23, 2026, 04:04:40 PMI can understand your friends problem. I have a friend whose driveway slopes down to the garage door. Every time it rains, the garage floor get wet.
We had that problem on our first house in NH. What was worse was when the water froze, and the garage door was frozen to the floor.
Good luck bringing the walls back into plumb!
dave
Quote from: PRR Modeler on March 23, 2026, 04:29:16 PMNice job Tom. Nice Keystone!
Butty Curt,
Yea, I figured you'd like the Keystone. 8)
Tom
Quote from: deemery on March 23, 2026, 04:31:39 PMQuote from: ACL1504 on March 23, 2026, 04:04:40 PMI can understand your friends problem. I have a friend whose driveway slopes down to the garage door. Every time it rains, the garage floor get wet.
We had that problem on our first house in NH. What was worse was when the water froze, and the garage door was frozen to the floor.
Good luck bringing the walls back into plumb!
dave
Dave,
You had a real problem with the freezing. My friend did cut in a drain but when it rained more heavily, it still flooded. He finally moved. Stay tuned for the wall fix.
Tom
The 12X12 wedge fixed the wall issue. One issue down and one to go.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230326155620-57326722.jpeg)
Now the two walls meet.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230326155620-573272354.jpeg)
That worked out okay. However, the front of the showroom isn't square to the front sidewalk and street.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230326155712-573322275.jpeg)
What the Hay! Now I'm really getting frustrated.
I checked all the corners on this structure and the middle one. All corner walls are square so, the front should be square as well.
Back, in a few. I need a Diet Pepsi for the rest of this post update. 8)
After checking all the corners, I went back to review the wall locations in how they are glued together.
I discovered the second issue with what I did wrong.
The diagram in the next photo shows the other self inflected wound.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230326155620-573282336.jpeg)
Clearly it shows Wall T to be glued to the inside of Wall S. The darker lines are the bracing.
I glued Wall T to the outside of Wall S. This was why the showroom didn't sit correctly. A minor mistake that was magnified down the road.
Ungluing or cutting the walls apart clearly wasn't possible. Even though, I've been successful in doing this on other models. With this kit, the two showroom walls are to fragile for me to even attempt doing that.
My solution, fix #2, was to create a small alley between the middle building and the showroom.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230326165442-573331091.jpeg)
By doing this, I was able to square up the front with the sidewalks.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-230326155656-573312393.jpeg)
Done for today and probably the next few days as well! ;D
Tom that's some creating thinking on your part and since this IS your empire you can make whatever changes that "floats your boat."
Tom very well done. And a great idea with the alleyway.
Jerry
Wow Tom, that station is huge and looks so good. ~mike
Wow...what a beautiful kit...I'm just catching up and looking forward to your continued build. It'll look great on the layout.
Tom.
Nice solution to your problem. Your separation of the two structures makes perfect sense. Still following along, enjoying the journey.
Mark
Tom,
Great solution to the self inflicted wound. I forgot how big that building was.
this pans out to be a really good looking structure!
Thanks Tom on the 5" distance from the mainline piece of info. It will come handy in my scene compositions.
Quote from: Larry C on March 23, 2026, 05:19:34 PMTom that's some creating thinking on your part and since this IS your empire you can make whatever changes that "floats your boat."
Larry,
Thank you and yes, it is my empire. When Pam asks, "What are your plans for today?", my response is "Building my empire!".
Tom
Quote from: Jerry on March 24, 2026, 09:56:04 AMTom very well done. And a great idea with the alleyway.
Jerry
Jerry,
Thanks, much appreciated. However, I may need to change the alleyway idea.
More later on this.
Tom
Quote from: friscomike on March 26, 2026, 03:46:27 PMWow Tom, that station is huge and looks so good. ~mike
Mike, Howdy,
It is a large kit and may be just a bit larger when finished.
Tom
Quote from: cuse on March 27, 2026, 07:50:15 AMWow...what a beautiful kit...I'm just catching up and looking forward to your continued build. It'll look great on the layout.
John,
This has been a fun build but with minor issues. I agree, it will look wonderful on the layout.
Tom
Quote from: craftsmankits on March 28, 2026, 12:00:34 PMTom.
Nice solution to your problem. Your separation of the two structures makes perfect sense. Still following along, enjoying the journey.
Mark
Mark,
Thank you. I appreciate you following along on the journey.
Tom
Quote from: elwoodblues on March 28, 2026, 08:09:55 PMTom,
Great solution to the self inflicted wound. I forgot how big that building was.
Ron,
Thanks, hopefully no more self inflicted wounds. And, no guarantees either.
Tom
Quote from: Yannis on March 30, 2026, 10:36:38 AMthis pans out to be a really good looking structure!
Thanks Tom on the 5" distance from the mainline piece of info. It will come handy in my scene compositions.
Yannis,
I think it is one of Dario's best kits. You are welcome for the other information, always happy to help.
Tom
I'm back on this one for a little bit of time.
I added the upper trim to the showroom. There is an odd angle to one set of walls and here is how I married the trim to look correct.
I cut a small piece of trim to length and cut one end at a 45 degree angle. The angle was glued to the rear wall. You can see this in the lower right corner of the building.
I turned the structure upside down and glued a trim piece to the wall as shown.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-040426162031-573512363.jpeg)
To get the correct angle for the trim board on the front, I used a single edged blade to cut the trim board.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-040426162031-573552370.jpeg)
Looking at the building upright, you can see the angle cut on the trim board.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-040426162031-573561542.jpeg)
I next glued the remaining trim board to the upper portion of the wall.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-040426162031-573572147.jpeg)
Using the same method as I mention above, I used the blade to remove the trim board.
The next photo shows I have a nice clean angle cut to the trim boards.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-040426162031-573581097.jpeg)
Back in a few, I need to turn off the AC as it is now cold in here. I also need to get a cold Diet Pepsi.
Since the two structures were separated, I needed to fix the wall on the middle building, the one on the left.
A piece needs to be added so this side wall is the same height as the front and rear wall sections.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-040426162107-573592033.jpeg)
I found a piece of scrap wood the same thickness are the kit walls. I cut it to fit between the front and rear walls.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-040426162108-573601595.jpeg)
I then marked the wall height and cut it to fit the correct height as the other two wall sections.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-040426162108-573601595.jpeg)
I cut it to fit, glued it in place and added the upper trim board.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-040426162108-573625.jpeg)
This kit was designed to be built on a diorama base. Or, the pilot model was built on a diorama base. I've only seen this kit build on two occasions and both were built on the diorama base.
Since mine is being build to sit on the layout, it drastically changes the way I have to wire it for all the lights.
The Ngineering LED Power Distribution Board (Sold separately) can be used either under the diorama or inside one the the buildings. I do plan on using the LED power board. Adding it to the kit and under the layout will be a wiring nightmare. That option is out!
Since I separated the buildings and plan on a detailed interior, adding the power board to the inside is not an option either.
Well, not an option as I have the kit laid out now.
The circuit/power board is 3 3/8" in length. I'll need to widen the alleyway. Actually, I'll need to scratch build a small addition to hide the power board.
All light wires will end up inside this addition and soldered to the LED Distribution Power Board.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-040426162108-573632010.jpeg)
The opening shown below is just over 3 3/4" side. Plenty of room for the board and wiring.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-040426162125-573641578.jpeg)
Done for today.
Nice job on the trim Tom.
I was thinking reading this that a line cut through the concrete between the two buildings, then covered by asphalt, would be prototypical. That could be a plumbing repair, drains, etc. But I see you have another solution in mind.
dave
Great tip on cutting those angles.
Hope I can remember it if I ever need to do the same.
Really a learning experience following along with your builds
terry
Good progress, Tom. Parts of your narrative remind me of my working years: Fixing bugs in someone else's software...
Tom great idea with cutting the trim. And doing the lighting.
Jerry
Tom, Nice work on the trim.
Seeing as you plan to put the light board between the 2 buildings, I'm assuming you have another solution besides the alley.
8) In the cabinet biz, we called those fillers long ago!
Nice work!
Tom,
The plot thickens. Your narrative is getting ever more interesting.
Mike