First the backstory:
The year is 1948 and WWII is over while the Country enjoys a new vigor. Somewhere in North Carolina, out in the countryside, resides a small business known as "O'Neil's Mercantile & Repair". Sadly the father passed the year before leaving the Mrs. to attempt running the business on her own. Seeing the struggles of her mother, and the fact she held a Bachelor's Degree in business, Tabitha O'Neil volunteers to run the repair side of the family business that her father spent his life building leaving her mother to tend the store as she had always done.
This diorama will have multiple buildings, and with the nicer weather fast approaching with lots to do outside, I'm thinking probably this will be a one year build. Going to take advantage of the width of my new diorama shelf and make it 16 inches deep and possibly the same width or maybe a little narrower; I won't know for sure until I get some of the buildings constructed. Also I plan on a few smaller cameo scenes included as well. OK enough yapping.
Welcome to O'Neil's Mercantile & Repair:
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Before any construction can start I drew up a plan on one quarter inch graph paper covered in wax paper so the glue doesn't stick to the paper. It's not draftsman quality by any means but it'll serve the purpose.
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Decided to start with the store first on my to-do list. It measures a scale 16ft X 18 ft, it'll have a covered front porch with posts, a false front, with windows and doors, and will be 2 story having the upstairs being a residence and yes I'll be building stairs probably from scratch. Also lots of outside details will be added as well.
While it doesn't look like much of a start the front is built with windows and a door. The frame is my usual 6x6 style for sturdiness and the interior will not be done so I can concentrate on the outside. I tried something new by doing 1x10 horizontal lapped siding which I've never done before. The 1x10's were colored with a bluish grey chalk and clear alcohol. I've already ordered the remaining windows and porch posts from San Juan details which are formally known as Grandtline. I did have enough on hand to build the front which I knew would be the hardest one. The siding was lapped using a guide made from 110# paper, along with using the lines on the graph-paper, to keep all the siding the same lap and straight. I opted to run the siding in one piece across the first story since the pieces were so short between the windows and door. After the glue dried I then cut out the window and door openings. Afterwards the openings were squared up using an emory board so the windows and door fit properly.
Because the siding has a worn look I decided to make the windows and door a dark brown for contrast. These were weathered, dry brushed, with grey and light brown chalks. This method of siding was slow going and quite tedious but I think the result is well worth the time spent.
Next I'll start construction on the other 3 sides but leave the window and door openings until my order actually arrives which should keep me busy for a few days. I hope you'll follow along as I start this new adventure into another diorama. Stay tuned.
Howdy Larry,
Away we go! Nice start. I enjoyed the background story.
Have fun,
mike
Mike thank you. The background story kinda sets the scene for the diorama.
Looking good, Mike.
Are you planning on giving the building a brick or stone foundation, or sitting it on piles?
Cheers, Mark.
Thanks Mark and yes it'll be on some sort of foundation I'm just not sure what yet; haven't thought that far ahead.
I'm not sure what happ to my previous post but I'll be following along.
Curt great to have you tagging along on this new adventure. Your previous post probably ended up where that one sock does you can no longer find.
Larry, interesting back story and I will be here to follow along.
Will this resemble Brett's kit of the same name?
Great story Larry. I guess writing about space helped in writing this story on earth!! ;D
Nice job on the clapboard siding. And I like the coloring.
Jerry
Rick thanks and nice to have you joining in. To answer your question, no it won't; this build will be going in an entirely different direction than Brett's. The name actually came from a Star Trek character that I write on one of the sims I write for.
Jerry thank you and it's great having you following along.
Nice start and a great back line story. What type of business is Tabitha running?
Philip
Philip thank you. She'll be running the general repair side with her mother running the Mercantile. Tabitha will be doing a little bit of everything.
Update:
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The back wall is finished with only a back door which will lead to another building behind the store.The door was spray painted a coffee colored then weathered with grey then light brown chalks dry brushed. This one I decided to try and do the rafter as part of the back wall. Carried on with the siding with intentional breaks to look more realistic.
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After the back wall was built I put it up against the front wall, made sure it was square, and traced out the rafter position for the front wall. Built another rafter and glued it place making sure it lined up with the back wall. I'm going to use a thicker material for the sub-roof to support the main roof and try to do rafter tails along both sides. I quickly realized the false front would be showing from the back of the diorama so that I colored to match the siding.
Next I'll be starting on the side walls. The new windows should arrive sometime next week so the side walls will just be framed out for now. I do have the door for the second floor so the framing for that I'll do now. I'll wait on the windows until they arrive so I don't have to change what I've already done as far as framing goes; I hate rework. That's it for now and thanks for following along.
Does Tabatha do business out of the back door?
Larry, nice work on the clapboard siding. It looks terrific. Have fun, mike
Quote from: PRR Modeler on March 26, 2026, 03:00:26 PMDoes Tabatha do business out of the back door?
Sometimes since her building is behind (or will be when built) the store.
Mike thank you. It's a little tedious but I do like the look when finished.
Here we go again.. ;D ;D ;D another great example of the Larry C*. expertise....keep it up, it gets me goin'....
KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry. Co.
Looking great !
Kyle thanks hoping this will be another fun build.
Philip thank you; something a little different.
Just to prove I'm not goofing off:
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Between doing some yard work, first time I can ever remember starting it in March, and waiting for my windows and posts this wall took longer than I had expected it would. This wall was built the same as the other two so no need to rehash that. I did opt to go with a smaller window on the first floor so I can add a workbench under it and details galore. Obviously I'll be building a landing or two along with stairs; watch out the first step is a long one.
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A little bit different view. The windows/doors have acetate for glass and the interior of the building blacked out with black paper. I wanted to add some window shades as another little detail. Next will be to construct the fourth and final wall for the Mercantile. The bottom floor will be windowless so I can add a shed on the side of it while the second floor will have two long windows. I'm excited about actually seeing the building together with a roof on it.
Thanks for stopping by and look forward to your comments and/or suggestions.
It looks very good Larry.
Looks good Larry.
Larry,
Fine work on the siding. As you say, tedious, but worth the effort when it turns out so nice.
Next time, you might leave some space under the door openings to account for the sill, which goes around the perimeter of the house, even under doors.
Mike
Curt and Rick thank you both so much.
Michael thanks. Funny you should mention the door sill; I was debating wether or not to include it. The landing will be going under the door so I don't think that will be an issue; if it is then I'll change it.
Larry,
Looks great and I like the subtleness of the wall color/weathering, well done.
Tom
Tom thank you. I wanted a worn look from years of use but not look rundown.
Quote from: Larry C on April 03, 2026, 02:58:51 PMTom thank you. I wanted a worn look from years of use but not look rundown.
Larry,
I call it, "Used but not abused!"
Tom
Quote from: ACL1504 on April 03, 2026, 03:14:31 PMQuote from: Larry C on April 03, 2026, 02:58:51 PMTom thank you. I wanted a worn look from years of use but not look rundown.
Larry,
I call it, "Used but not abused!"
Tom
Sounds about right!
Quick update:
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The fourth and final wall has been constructed. As good as this will look I don't think I want to do another building like this anytime soon. Everything was constructed same as the previous walls.
Next will be assembling the building. I'll probably use 1x6's for the corner trim pieces then make the signs on the computer for the outside. Also I have to start thinking about the size of the diorama in relation to what I want to include on it so I see some cutouts as placeholders to give me the size I need. Thanks for stopping by and for all those great comments and/or suggestions. Stay tuned.
8)
Thanks Philip.
Update time:
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The Mercantile is all glued together and everything fit as planned. The foundation is made from 8x8's, grained and colored with brown chalks & clear alcohol for a timber foundation. The porch boards are 2x10's treated in the same manner. I had ordered turned porch posts but when they arrived they were anything but straight so I decided to go with 6x6's instead; also the complete frame work is made from 6x6's treated in the same manner as the rest of the porch. Being the first time I've ever done a front covered porch I'm pretty pleased with the results.
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Here's a three-quarter view of the front and right side.
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Front and left side.
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And finally the back and side shot.
Next I think I'll need to cut some place holders for the rest of the buildings I want to include and figure out the overall dimensions of the diorama then cut the foam and assemble the base; then I can continue with the Mercantile. Thanks for stopping by and for all your great comments and/or suggestions.
Most excellent Larry.
Thank you Curt.
Looks good to me.
Rick thanks.
Awesome building!
Philip thanks; much appreciated.
Very nice Larry.
Jerry
Looks good, Larry. Modest in size but well proportioned.
Mike
Jerry thank you.
Michael thanks, much appreciated.
Another update:
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Decided to go with a tarpaper roof for the porch. This is black embossed scrapbooking paper cut into 2ft. wide strips then overlapped 6 inches. I did add one break on each row they just didn't show up in the photo. After being glued into place they were weathered with grey chalks, dry brushed, and brown given the same treatment. I wanted a worn look but still in good shape.
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The corner trim boards are made from 1x10's, grained then colored with raw umber 408.5 and clear alcohol so they matched the porch. They were a bit fiddly to add but I did end up with a nice tight fit on the corners. I did add a raw strip of 1x6's on the front and back corners to get the 1x10's to lay properly.
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Just to wet your appetite here's what to expect from this build. The base is 1/2 in. thick foam measuring 17x14 inches and I got smart this time around and painted the edges with black craft paint BEFORE I started to add much of anything; much easier. Directly behind O'Neils will be a 26x14 ft. repair shed with a track leading inside along with a storage track; these will of course be hand laid. There'll be a 10x8 ft shed in front of the second angled track along with a couple of small cameo scenes in the empty areas. Of course all of this is subject to change as the build progresses.
Next will be to work on the signage for the false front before it gets glued to the foam so I can lay the building on its back to get the signs installed properly. Thanks for following along on this adventure so stay tuned.
Tarpaper looks great Larry nice weathering.
I like your plan should be a really nice diorama when your finished.
Jerry
Howdy Larry,
The merchantile looks terrific. The proportions work well, and the coloring is spot on. I'm looking forward to the side stairs and future structures on the diorama.
Have fun,
mike
The weathering and color look very good Larry.
8) Devine!
Jerry thanks so much. We'll see if what's in my head translates to the foam.
Mike thank you; the stairs should be interesting.
Curt thank you so much.
Philip thanks!
QuoteThe corner trim boards are made from 1x10's, grained then colored with raw umber 408.5 and clear alcohol so they matched the porch. They were a bit fiddly to add but I did end up with a nice tight fit on the corners. I did add a raw strip of 1x6's on the front and back corners to get the 1x10's to lay properly.
Looking terrific, Larry.
I'm pleased I waited to comment, as I was intending to write pretty much what I quoted above. This has come out perfectly. Most kits tend to provide 6x6's or 8x8's for the corner trim, but my Master Creation kits all provide 8x1's and butt joint the walls. I'm not sure that most modellers really understand what those 6x6's and 8x8's actually represent. I'm guessing in the larger scales you could even do scribers.
Cheers, Mark.
Larry, I was going to comment on the corner trim as well and also glad I didn't.
This looks much nicer and it's a good complimentary color.
Tar paper roof is nicely weathered.
Mark and Rick thank you both so much. I had debated on using 1x10's for the corner trim but I needed a size that would cover the 6x6 framing which I use for strength purposes when I scratch build; I wanted it to overlap onto the siding.
Another absolutely beautiful job Larry C*..... ;) ;) ;) ;)
KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry. Co.
Kyle thank you for your kind words.
A small update:
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Wanted to get the signs done for the front of the Mercantile before gluing it down to the foam. Theses were made on my computer then printed on regular printer paper. I purposely made the O'Neils sign with a little fancier lettering. The framing was made from 1x4's colored my usual way. After drying they were glued to the paper using a drafting triangle to get everything nice and square. Then they were cut off the sheet of paper. Laying the building on its back I was able to glue the signs the way I wanted them. When finished the building was glued to the foam.
Next I'll be working on 2 landings from the second story door. The idea is to have a short set of stairs going from the first landing to the second then another set from there to the ground. I did order a couple sets of 6 step stringers from Wiseman and I'll make the treads myself. On a previous build I used stringers from another source but they were plastic and were hard to work with; the ordered ones are white metal.
That's where I'm at presently and thanks for stopping by.
Nice signs Larry.
Jerry
Thank you Jerry.
Nice signage Larry.
The signs are a good addition.
Curt and Rick thank you both so much.
Howdy Larry,
The signs add more character to the building. Good job!
Have fun,
mike
Larry,
Very nicely done on the structure. I agree the signs are an added bonus, looks great.
Weathering on the tar paper is wonderful.
Tom
Tom thank you for the nice compliments.
A bit of an update:
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Decided to go with a metal roof on the Mercantile. The material was cut into 2 foot wide strips then lapped three inches.The sub-roof was constructed using 110# paper (thin card).
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The metal roof was weathered using a combination of brown chalk dry brushed followed by a very small amount of rust colored chalk. Everything was blended with a round brush. My goal was to have a well used weathered roof with just a hint of rust that would still hold up for years to come.
Next I'll be drawing up the Repair building and get that going while I wait for the stair stringers to arrive for the Mercantile. Thanks for stopping by and for all your great comments; they are appreciated.
Great looking roof Larry.
Coming on nicely, Larry.
For the roofing, in the future, I would keep to 6' plus a lap for a minimum length for corrugated iron for roofing. So around 6'4". Purlins are typically spaced at 3' centres, so 2' lengths would not even span for two nailing points.
Cheers, Mark.
Larry, the weathering looks very good.
Curt thank you.
Mark I may have misspoken. The 2 foot was the width of each strip of roofing and not the length before the lap.
Rick thanks; greatly appreciated.
Howdy Larry, I agree with Rick, the weathering of the roof looks great. Have fun, mike
Mike thank you.
Roof looks great!
I just did one. It yours is better.
MJinTN
Marty thank you so much and I'll take that as a high compliment.
Larry that is one nice job on that roof!! Great job!!
Jerry
Jerry thank you, much appreciated.
Good looking structures, Larry. Keep it up!
Rich
Thanks Rich; I'll do my best.
Here we go:
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Thought I would share how I get square cuts on the end of siding or flooring. The base block is square so I line up a triangle with the bottom edge then make sure the wood is straight before making the cut using my Xacto knife. Now I know I could by a chopper and speed up the process but what's the fun in that; I'd rather go "old school".
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This is the start of decking that goes on the side of the Mercantile. Usually floors that will set directly on the foam get a piece of 110# paper to glue the wood to; for me this works easier; then glue the entire floor into place. I'm also adding random cuts to the lengths of wood to add more interest. Using the wood block supplied with the Woodcutter's Shack it works as a nice straight edge being thicker than a square.
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Had a change in plans. Before I construct the landings and stairs for the Mercantile I thought I would build the Repair Shop first; that way I won't be breaking the stairs with my hand trying to work on the Shop.The framework is made from 6x6's grained, colored with burnt umber chalk and clear alcohol. When dry a liberal coat of A&I was applied. I also included the roof trusses in the ends so they could be sided in continuous lengths.
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The outside of the end wall. The siding is made from 2x10's grained and colored the same way as the framing was. Added a little different style of entry way into the Shop. Trying something new, for me at least, in constructing the Shop. This time I'm going more "open air" style for a couple of reasons. First you'll be able to see the interior details better without the need to add lighting. Secondly you'll be able to see more of the details behind the building.
Now that the ends are built it's time to move onto the front and back walls.This is where the challenge starts; should be fun. Thanks for stopping by and for all those great comments and/or suggestions so stay tuned.
Great start for the old school guy.
As long as the old school method works keep using it.
Nice color on the boards.
Howdy Larry, the repair shop is looking good. The framing and skin look terrific. Have fun, mike
Nice work Larry. If that works in cutting boards go for it.
Nice coloring also.
Jerry
Curt, Rick, Mike, and Jerry thank you all so much for your kind compliments.
Moving along:
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So now both ends are framed and sided; although I'm toying with the notion of taking 1x4's and doing a "board and batten" on the outside walls just for a little more interest. The two ends would require the most work.
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This is the front wall. I had mentioned previously I wanted the repair shop to be more of an "open air" type of structure hence the large front opening. The wall was constructed the same way as the end walls so no need to rehash that again.
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Here's the inside of the front wall; probably the only time you'll ever see it. I did go with a double header across the top of the wall to make it strong enough to do away with a post in the middle. The back wall will be done about the same way.
The next step is to construct the back wall but the opening won't be as wide as the front is, that way I'll have some room for details and yes the inside will be fully detailed.That's it for now and as always thanks for stopping by for a look-see.
Nice coloring and very clean cutting. Well done.
Curt thanks.
Very nice Larry. I like the coloring and the cutting of the boards perfect!!
Jerry
Nice work.
Larry, I agree with all the things said by others before me.
Jerry, Philip, and Rick thank you guys for the nice compliments.
Coloring is great!
Turning the headers 90 degrees would be stronger or even using 2x6's.
Not a criticism just info.
MJinTN
MJ thank you and also for the info; always willing to lean something new.
Good work, Larry. The smaller opening on the back wall will provide some variety and — as you say — places to hang things on the wall.
Mike
Micheal thank you; appreciate the comments.
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Been making some nice progress with all these rainy days. The decking on the side of the Mercantile is made out of 2x10's, grained, weathered then constructed on a piece of 110# paper which has been glued in place. The second story porch from 2x10's for the flooring and 3x12's for the frame treated in my usual manner. The supports are 6x6's and the cross brace is 1x6's. Also the landing, that's sitting on the deck atm, will of course be raised up to meet the first set of stairs and the second set will come off the front of the landing; waiting on that part of the construction for a bit. The rear decking and the Shop floor won't be glued in place for awhile.
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The decking across the back is a copy of what's on the side. The next area back is the floor for the Repair Shop. Started with another piece of 110# paper for the base cut to size then added 2x10's for the floor boards again done in my usual manner. I did glue each strip in 3 pieces to look more realistic. The rails were a little tricky to install. After I had some of the flooring glued down I then used super glue on the bottom of the first rail and placed it tight against the flooring. Grabbing my track gauges I placed them on the glued track then ran glue on the bottom of the second one then quickly set it in place and made any adjustments before the glue had a chance to set up. After everything had dried I finished the flooring; this I also glued each strip in 3 pieces staggering the joints.
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Since I have already determined the rest of the hand laid track will be set on 2x10 ties I needed to raise the floor up a little bit. I used more 2x10's and framed out the underside of the floor which also stiffened up the floor quite a bit. There will be a 2 inch difference between the back deck and the Shop floor but that I can live with.
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I wanted the Shop building to be a little past the Mercantile so it's somewhat visible when you look at the front of the diorama.
Next I'll continue working on the outside walls of the Shop covering the cracks between the 2x10's with 1x4's just to add more interest, which is almost finished. Then it's on to detailing the Shop interior before the walls can be glued together then to the floor. I'm also toying with the idea of adding a knoll behind the Repair Shop so the diorama doesn't look so flat. Thanks for stopping by and for all your great comments and/or suggestions so stay tuned.
Very nice Larry. Everything looks great.
Looks great Larry. Your keeping everything in line and greeat job on the coloring.
Jerry
Curt and Jerry thank you both; much appreciated.
Larry,
It looks wonderful and will be a great addition to the overall area. Love the weathering on the roof.
Tom
Howdy Larry,
O'Neils is looking good. I'm looking forward to the steps.
Have fun,
mike
Splendid!
Tom, Mike, and Philip thank you also much; it's coming along. The steps I'm waiting on for now since my big hands like to break stuff.
In between everything I have found some bench time:
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The Shop floor has been weathered with grey, some brown, and a smidge of black chalks worked into the wood with a soft brush; also the floor has been glued to the foam since it had to be weighted to make sure it laid flat. The building however has not been glued down yet. I did decide to add some 1x4's to the seams of the 2x10's for added interest.
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Here's the back of the Shop and as you can see by the door sizes it's very much has an open air feel to it. Also I have started working on some of the details for the interior. Made a workbench, colored a trash can full of debris and on the left front wall you can see a chain hanging on a nail. I didn't add the 1x4's over the door openings since they really won't be seen when the roof in on.
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The other end of the Shop.
Second part:
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The workbench is made from a stack of wood blocks, resin castings, and colored with brown chalks with clear alcohol then given a liberal coat of A&I to bring out the grain. The top is 2 pieces of 3x10's given the same treatment. If you look at the top of the end entrance you'll see some items on a shelf.The piece of foam behind the Shop still needs some more work and will hopefully transform into a knoll to break up the flatness of the diorama; along with a few other tricks up my sleeve.
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Here's a better shot of the shelf items which were colored with various chalks and clear alcohol.
Next I'll continue with some more details for inside the Shop and I do have a couple of items from SW coming for it as well. Thanks for following along and all your great comments and/or suggestions; they really do help.
It's really starting to come together.
Curt hope you had a nice vacation; nice to see you back. Thanks. The biggest challenge is trying to think ahead and do things in an order that makes sense so I don't make things difficult for myself.
Howdy Larry,
O'Neils is looking good. The board and batten siding does add interest. Good call. What are you planning for a roof?
Have fun,
mike
Looks good Larry
Very nice Larry. The battens are a nice touch to those walls.
Jerry
Mike thanks. Not sure about the roof yet. Maybe do more b&b only a different color in the brown family or possibly I'll just throw caution the the wind and do a real wood shingle.
Rick thank you.
Jerry thanks. I went back and forth on the battens but finally decided to go for it; I'm pleased with the results.
Time for an update.
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In between everything going on I have been able to grab a little bench time here and there. After spray painting the cabinet grey with a rattle can I proceeded to use various colored chalks and clear alcohol to color all the details as well as the cabinet. I also added chain by the doorway.
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Here's the same cabinet looking though the doorway of the shed. I added a piece of 12 x 12 inch block in between the rails to act as a stop so cars don't end up off the end of the track.
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Speaking of track here's the main track going into the shed. Since this is a private right of way I decided to have more distance between the rails. The ties are 2x10's grained, then colored with raw umber chalk and clear alcohol. I set my square on the diorama to line up the ties so they would be square to the shed. Measured from the edge of the tie to the rail in a few different places to get the rails straight. I weathered the sides of the rails before I glued them down with super glue. The second rail was a little tricky. Added some glue to the underside of the rail then grabbed my track gauges. After lining up the rail with the floor rail I quickly started laying the rail flat onto the ties using my gauges to keep....well everything in gauge. Did a test check with a set of wheels and everything was as it should be. Lastly I added the 32 spikes to further hold the rails in place and in gauge.
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This photo shows the rail sides all weathered. Any raw edges on the ties will be covered with scenery dirt. I also may add another short section of track on the frontside of the first track.
Next I'll probably work on the 2 items I have from Sierra West before moving on. That's about it for now and thanks for stopping by. All comments and/or any suggestions are always greatly appreciated.