The Modeler's Forum

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 PM

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

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.

Very nice Larry.

Larry, nice job on the details.
Most shops have the railhead flush with the floor.
That reduces a major tripping hazard and makes it easier getting shop equipment from one side to the other.

Looks good Larry.  Nice job on those details.

Jerry

Curt and Rick thanks.

Rick thanks for the tip, I'll file it for future use.

Jerry thank you.

 ;D Nice work Larry!

Howdy Larry,

Nice work on the table details, cabinet, and rail sides. O'Neils has been a fun build to watch.  Good luck with the SW kits.

Have fun,
mike

Philip thanks!

Mike the details are the fun part; at least for me so thanks.

Tabitha O'Neil will take on just about any job as long as it makes her money. After being contacted by a logging company a little distance away she contracted with them to repair their logging disconnects whenever needed; this would provide her with consistent revenue.

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Ok, the first log disconnect is finished. I was quite surprised how long it took me to do one of the two items. The detail is great with lots of "tweezer time" involved being very careful NOT to launch any little details into "a galaxy far, far away."

Nice little kit to work on and I downloaded the instructions from Brett's site. Found a new use for my iPad....added the instruction file to iCloud then was able to access them on my device while upstairs in the train room; formerly daughter's bedroom.

Brett supplied an ample amount of boards for the deck which I heavily grained before gluing them onto the resin frame BEFORE coloring so the frame and decking would look consistent. Also supplied were 2 templates to mark the areas for several of the detail items. Colored the entire model with different colored chalks and clear alcohol.

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Here's another angle. Supplied were 3 different sets of couplers, each with a different look; also a 'rooster' came with the kit which I will use on the 2nd disconnect. That one will probably be on a short second track when I get it built. Weathering wise I used a darker rust on this like the couplers and the rings on the bunk and a brighter rust on the bolts. The idea was to have a very worn, heavily used disconnect in need of repair.

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Here it is sitting in the Shed waiting for much needed repair work. To keep with the "repair theme" I decided to glue the bunk onto the back of the car as opposed to the swivel plate where it's meant to go. The 3D printed wheel sets are ok for a static model but you'd need to replace those with metal ones if you wanted to actually use them on a layout.

The 2nd bunk has the wood decking glued down and the areas marked with the templates so now it's time to color everything and glue down all the details; that's my next job. Thanks for stopping by and for all your great comments, tips, and suggestions so stay tuned.

They look great and interesting back story.

Larry, nice job on the wood color and the assemble.

Nice coloring.  They came out really nice.

Jerry

Curt thank you. I thought the backstory would put the disconnects into context as to why they are there.

Rick thank you.

Jerry thanks. I've seen those on Brett's site for years and though they would go great with the repair shed.

A clever way Brett offset those car ends.

Nice work Larry!

Quote from: Philip on May 25, 2026, 10:07:01 AMA clever way Brett offset those car ends.

Nice work Larry!

Thanks Philip, much appreciated.

A quick update:

IMG_0041.jpg

The second disconnect is finished which actually turned out better than the first one. Also hand-laid the second short track just for a little more detail. Of course both tracks will look much better when I get to the scenery stage of the build. The 2nd disconnect needs a busted board replaced and some work done on the bunk. The "rooster" I modified a little since is was way too long.

IMG_0042.jpg

Here's the other side. I'll probably end up gluing the disconnect in the Shed to the rails but the 2nd one I want to be able to move around for photo ops and/or if I want to add something else to the rails.

Next I'll work on the lathe from SW and get that finished while I figure out what to do after that; trying to do things logically so I don't trip myself up. Thanks for stopping by and leaving all those kind comments and/or tips and suggestions. Stay tuned.

Looks great Larry.

Larry a very nice job on those disconnects.

Jerry

Larry, looking good.

Curt, Jerry, and Rick thanks guys they were fun to build.

 8) Cool man!

Thanks Philip.

Howdy Larry,

The disconnects look fantastic.  Nice work on aging the wood.  Are they modeled before or after repair?

Have fun,
mike

Mike thank you. Before repair. The one in the Shed has a missing broken board and the one on the second track has a partial missing board and one of the straps on the bunk is missing.

The Sierra West lathe is finished:

IMG_0043.jpg

IMG_0044.jpg

IMG_0045.jpg

This time around I decided to go with the "classic green" color for a change. Most everything was glued in place BEFORE anything was painted. Used a rattle can of green and painted the entire machine. After it thoroughly dried I then went through and picked out the metal details with gun metal craft paint. Lastly the lathe was weathered with a little dark rust for the bottom doors while the rest of the machine was dry brushed with black chalks to show usage as well as tone down the green a little.

Placing the lathe in the Shed, where I originally wanted it to be, I realized just how big this thing is. May have to get creative and place it in front of the back shed opening so the disconnect doesn't interfere with it. Then again I may place it somewhere else in a completely different area; I'll have to play around with it a little for a few days. 

Next I think I'm going to go though my on-hand details and see what I can come up with for the area between the Mercantile and the Repair Shed; it needs some details so it doesn't look quite so stark. Thanks for stopping by for a gander.

Now that's a fine looking Lathe.  Great work Larry!!

Jerry

That looks awesome Larry. I'm ordering one!

 8) The green mosheen! like it!

Very nice.

Jerry thank you so much.

Curt thanks. Not sure though how a HO scale one would go together.

Philip thanks; thought I'd go with the green for a change.

Rick thank you.

Howdy, Larry. The lathe looks fantastic.  The colors, shading, and assembly are first class.  Have fun, mike

Mike thank you so much for the nice comment.

Quote from: Larry C on May 28, 2026, 06:07:56 PMPhilip thanks; thought I'd go with the green for a change.

You can't go wrong with that color!  ;D

Quote from: Philip on May 30, 2026, 08:33:58 AMYou can't go wrong with that color!  ;D

Ya, I thought it would add a different color palette with all the brown tones in the build.

Beautiful work on that lathe.  It's my first time visiting this thread, now I've got to page one.  Mark

Mark thank you for your nice comment. Glad you stopped by and hope you enjoy the thread.

Moving along:

IMG_0046.jpg

Decided to keep the lathe in the Shed so I placed it in the large doorway leaving room on the far end for the LP's to move stuff from behind the building. Being the lathe is a 3D print the belt will not physically go under the cone pulley. Instead you have to glue it in such a way it "looks" like it is. Figured I'd better do that before I glued the lathe in place. Also added a few more details like the box of junk on top of the shelving unit and also a hand cart. I glued the disconnect to the tracks as well.

IMG_0050.jpg

Here's a better view of the handcart with a wood water barrel on the front plate. As you can see there is a good amount of room between the end of the lathe and the doorway.

IMG_0047.jpg

IMG_0048.jpg

The area between the Mercantile and the Repair Shed looked rather stark so I added a few details; 5 to exact of parts I already had on hand. All of them were either painted with craft paints, chalks and clear alcohol and/ or a combination of both.

In the first photo is a seat on a wooden box with a "spittoon" on the side. I added a few "tabacky stains" beside it on the floor showing someone had a bad aim.Also added a propane tank on the corner of the building.

The second photo shows the chair in greater detail. Basically a wooden crate with an old tractor seat attached with a makeshift back rest. In the foreground is a wooden barrel with some parts showing at the top. The one thing I didn't want to do is "over detail" this area but add just enough to help fill in the gap while adding to the diorama story.

IMG_0049.jpg

Here's a "top down" view of the back porch just to show there's still plenty of room for people to work in the Shed. Thanks for stopping by for a gander and for all your great comments and/or suggestion; they are appreciated so stay tuned.

Looks very good Larry.

Curt thank you; it's coming along.

 It gets better and better!  ;D

Quote from: Philip on May 31, 2026, 03:48:31 PMIt gets better and better!  ;D

Yup

Very nice Larry!!

Jerry

Philip, Rick, and Jerry thanks guys for the nice compliments.

Hey man  :o ..that's some mighty fine work, Larry C*., I'm trying to get caught up .....ya'll have been busy :o  :o  :o ...WOW......

KYLE CREEL
DORRE & GAPHETID Ry Co.

Thanks Kyle; working at it a little bit at a time.

IMG_0051.jpg

Probably one of the things that's the most difficult for me is making stairs going from a second story to ground level. I've only made simple stairs one other time but this time I decided to go for broke.

Started with stringers from Wiseman since they are white metal; last time I used plastic ones and didn't like the look and they were a bear to work with. After making the porch for the second story I then made a landing so the direction of the stairs could be changed. The fun part was figuring out where the landing had to go in relation to the top set of stairs and still having the second set go from the landing to ground level.

Both the porch and landing are made from 2x10s. The support legs from 4x4's, the bracing from 1x4's, and the stair treads from 1x6's. All the wood was given my usual treatment of graining and coloring. To my delight the set of stairs didn't turn out too bad. After I have this side area detailed then I will go ahead and add railings so nothing gets broken.

IMG_0052.jpg

To start with the detailing I made a bench top from 4x10's for a beefy look and a length of 1x6 for the drawer front adding a shortened track nail for the pull. This was set on 2 50 gal. drums then individual details added to the bench. To hide the open landing side I found a small cabinet with items on the shelves with a few boxes of junk on the end. Most everything was colored with various colored chalks and clear alcohol. This won't be glued in place until the railings are installed.

Next I think I'm going to continue on with building 2 or 3 more small structures for the diorama. I want everything in place before I even consider adding scenery material. I do however need to start working on the knoll that will go behind the Repair Shed more for spacing than anything else.  I'm trying to think two or three steps ahead on this build so I don't end up tripping myself up.Thanks for stopping by and for all your great comments and/or suggestions they are appreciated so stay tuned.

Larry great job!  Are you doing a railing?
Just a little dirt on the treads were the LP walk and your perfect.

Jerry

Looks great Larry. I agree with Jerry's suggestions. I like how you used the details in the photo.

Stairs look very good.
I also would add railings.
Railings were always the hardest of stairs for me.

 8) Looks pretty dang good Larry!

Philip

Those two structures look good together.

dave

Thanks Jerry and yes railings will be added later after that area is completed. Thanks for the dirt on the tread suggestion.

Curt thank you the details are the fun part.

Rick thank you so much. Railings are tricky and tend to break if accidentally hit.

Philip thanks, a little bit at a time.

Dave thank you; this is a different type of diorama for me.

Howdy Larry, the diorama is coming along nicely.  The details fit the scene well.  It's fun watching you put this together.  Have fun, mike

Mike thank you and for your input; it's appreciated.

Larry,

Finally, I'm getting caught up on all the threads.

The shop wood coloring and weathering look spot on to me. Great detail and I love the green lathe, very well done. The back story for the disconnect makes sense to me.

Tom

Tom thank you for the nice compliments; they are appreciated.

IMG_0053.jpg

Made a small simple shed; nothing fancy but thought it would add some more detail to the diorama. It measures 10 ft.x8ft. with it being 8 ft. in the front and 7 ft. in the back to get a sloped shed style roof.The frame is made from 6x6's using my own design on 1/4 inch graph paper. The siding is made from 1x6's since they are narrower and fits the scale of the shed better. The closed door is made from 1x6's glued onto 110# paper and the frame is 1x4's as well as the molding around the door. The strap hinges are made from a thin plastic strip I hand on hand while the door knob is a cut rail nail. Everything was grained, colored with chalks then given a liberal coat of A&I. Added a little rust to the door knob, hinges, and the lucky horseshoe over the door. I also added a couple of signs on the shed.

IMG_0054.jpg

IMG_0055.jpg

The 2 photos shows the sides and back of the shed.

IMG_0056.jpg

Wanted some variety on the different roofs for the diorama so I decided, since the roof is small, I'd go with a shingled roof. The shingles are made from 1x10 strips, colored with raw umber and clear alcohol then given a liberal coat of A&I. When dry the strips were cut into 2 foot shingles then glued to a piece of cardboard varying the lengths showing as I progressed. Lapped each row 6 inches onto the one below it. Even though this was a small roof I still used 84 individual cut shingles to cover it.

Next I think I'll start adding more details around the Mercantile as well as tackling the railings. Also need to order and paint a bunch of LP's at least for the Mercantile and back porch area. Thanks for stopping by and for all your encouragement; it really does help so stay tuned.

Awesome lean to! Great shingling, signage, and horseshoe!

Philip

Philip thank you os much for your comments.

Looking great, Larry.

The little shed looks terrific. 

I like to leave a little overhang on my treads, as I think you have done.  I do work out where my 4x4's for the railing support posts are to go and cut little squares out of the appropriate treads flush with the side of the stringers before I glue them on.  This gives a nice flat surface to adhere the posts to.  Making these cuts after the stairway is assembled is extremely difficult to do without causing damage.  Not much help this time around, I know, but something to try with your next set.  Northeastern do timber stringers.  Rail Scale Models carry the old Rusty Stumps stair sets, laser cut with stringers and treads.  They also do jigs.  There used to be a company that did a variety of different sloped stringers, but I couldn't find them.  They had laser etched nail holes in the treads so I thought maybe BTS?  But I couldn't find them on the BTS site.  They might have closed down? 

Cheers, Mark.

Mark thank you for the compliment. Also thanks for all the information for my next set of stairs. I think I have the railings figured out but I'll be taking a little different approach. There are so many of the older companies closing down it's hard to keep up.

Mark, RS laser sold recently to Scott Grubbs. Old RS laser new website (http://phoenixmodelbuildings.com)

Was looking and the assembly jig is still included in those stair stringer kits.

No idea about the laser nail holed ones but I remember them.
It is hard to keep up..

Howdy Larry,

The shed construction is excellent, and it looks like it, too.  The signs, hinges, etc all a lot of realism to the model.  Nice work.

Have fun,
mike

Philip vendors seem to be going but fortunately new ones with new technology are replacing them.

Mike thank you for the nice compliments.

Quote from: Larry C on June 16, 2026, 08:12:02 AMPhilip vendors seem to be going but fortunately new ones with new technology are replacing them.

Life my man! I've been playing around with O scale and HO a many years. The last 5 have been most interesting with the 3dp explosion.
Philip 

Quote from: Philip on June 16, 2026, 09:12:22 AM

Quote from: Larry C on June 16, 2026, 08:12:02 AMPhilip vendors seem to be going but fortunately new ones with new technology are replacing them.

Life my man! I've been playing around with O scale and HO a many years. The last 5 have been most interesting with the 3dp explosion.
Philip 

3D printing has definitely revolutionized model railroading; my only complaint with 3D is the stuff is so darn delicate to work with but the details are amazing.

Quote from: Larry C on June 16, 2026, 10:54:57 AM

Quote from: Philip on June 16, 2026, 09:12:22 AM

Quote from: Larry C on June 16, 2026, 08:12:02 AMPhilip vendors seem to be going but fortunately new ones with new technology are replacing them.

Life my man! I've been playing around with O scale and HO a many years. The last 5 have been most interesting with the 3dp explosion.
Philip 

Quote from: Larry C on June 16, 2026, 10:54:57 AM

Quote from: Philip on June 16, 2026, 09:12:22 AM

Quote from: Larry C on June 16, 2026, 08:12:02 AMPhilip vendors seem to be going but fortunately new ones with new technology are replacing them.

Life my man! I've been playing around with O scale and HO a many years. The last 5 have been most interesting with the 3dp explosion.
Philip 

3D printing has definitely revolutionized model railroading; my only complaint with 3D is the stuff is so darn delicate to work with but the details are amazing.

3D printing has definitely revolutionized model railroading; my only complaint with 3D is the stuff is so darn delicate to work with but the details are amazing.

Yes it has! Still a lot of trimming and filing involved. I switched to ABS and it is much stronger and will normally not break when it hits the floor. When my prints first come out of the wash they are pliable and forgiving but in 1 hour they start curing and bloom into hardness. My old resin was water rinse garbage, when broke it had the characteristics and strength of glass. The ABS Anycubic Pro is 10x better but requires an alcohol wash.
Philip
 

Quote from: Philip on June 16, 2026, 11:20:07 AMThe ABS Anycubic Pro is 10x better but requires an alcohol wash.

That would be a good waste of booze!!!Lol.

If you take some used alcohol that has washed the prints and put it in front of a UV light it turns to a gross gel. Nasty haz mat. I take it out side and let it sun cure and it takes a week or better. Then to the landfill.

The 70% won't wash it. I use the 91% and chase it with KY corn whisky. ;D

:P

Quote from: Philip on June 16, 2026, 11:37:38 AMThe 70% won't wash it. I use the 91% and chase it with KY corn whisky. ;D

Now we are talking!!! 

Jerry

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Before I started working on the railings I added the details first. The dog is a metal casting from Wiseman which was primed grey then colored with brown chalk & clear alcohol. I plan on having a LP standing in front of the bench looking down at the dog. The handcart is from SW spray painted green, after assembly, then dusted with black chalk to dull down the green. The pallet, barrel, gas can, and empty milk can are details from the parts bin.

The railings....ah yes the railings...were a PITA to assemble. The posts were constructed from 4x4's with the top pieces from 1x4's all were grained and colored with chalks & clear alcohol to match the stair treads. Everything was glued into place using quick setting super glue, toothpicks, assorted tweezers and some colorful language. All in all they didn't turn out too bad.

IMG_0058.jpg

Here's another view of the finished stairs. I did opt to forego the railing by the shelves and crates to give a better view of the stairs.The front post at the bottom of the stairs was inserted into a hole I drilled into the wood/foam then glued in place for extra support. Also I need to come up with a few details for the front porch.

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Next I need something for this side of the Mercantile. Considering it's only about 7 scale feet deep I was thinking of a narrow 3 sided storage lean-to style shed attached to the side of the building with maybe a sliding barn style door. I don't want a lot of junk on this side but maybe just a few details like an old discarded sign along with a couple of other items. I thought I would put the idea out there and am open to suggestions. Thanks for stopping by and for all your great comments so stay tuned.

Larry there is some great modelinhg going on here. How about some trees, bushes and grass.

Larry,

Looks great and lots of detail bring it all together.

Tom

Larry very well done.

Jerry

Curt thank you. Yup trees and other scenery material will be handled when I get that far. Going to try and make some trees BUT if they don't turn out too well then I may break down and buy some.

Tom thanks; appreciate your comments.

Jerry thank you and for your encouragement.

I remember climbing steps that had a 2x2 ledger board unevenly spaced and unlevel nailed on each stringer and the step would ride those ledgers nail in with 16 penny nails. They it went to two stringer and now days by code requires 3.

I'm digging the building with the random battens!

Great work Larry! Woof Woof! ;)   

Philip thank you so much.

Larry, hand rails can be a pain but you did a very good job of it.
I like Curt's suggestion.

Howdy Larry, nice work on the stairs and handrails.  I really like all the details. Have fun, mike

Back when I was a full time trim carpenter I made a jig up that is similar to the video. Take a look. My personal jig is adjustable for different handrail heights but the important part is that it keep the railing parallel from bottom to the top. The handrail height should always be from the nosing of the step. Over the years handrail height and spindle spacing have changed since the advent of code.

The only difference is your plywood sheet will be much lighter in scale ;D


Philip

Philip thanks for the link; I'll check it out.

A small update:

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I wanted a small knoll behind the Repair Shed to try and break up the flatness of the diorama. Used a 1" thick piece of green foam then cut it at an angle to make the slope. Next I covered the slope with rocks from my driveway. When died I tipped the foam up at an angle to add the grass and some overgrowth. The end and back will be painted black to match the edges of the diorama. The top, flat part, will have a combination of dirt, weeds, and grass with a few trees mixed in.

IMG_0062.jpg

When you look down the left side of the diorama the knoll will be visible which should add some interest.That's it for now and thanks for stopping on by so stay tuned.

 Moving forward ! :)

Looks nice Larry.  
Who's cutting the grass between the rocks???  ;D

Jerry

Philip, yup a little bit at a time.

Quote from: Jerry on June 22, 2026, 04:42:25 PMLooks nice Larry. 
Who's cutting the grass between the rocks???  ;D

Jerry

Thanks Jerry. I heard Philip was going to volunteer since he likes doing yard work.

Larry, that looks pretty good.

Larry you need a guy with a weedwacker! ;D

Quote from: Larry C on June 22, 2026, 04:56:49 PMPhilip, yup a little bit at a time.

Quote from: Jerry on June 22, 2026, 04:42:25 PMLooks nice Larry. 
Who's cutting the grass between the rocks???  ;D

Jerry

Thanks Jerry. I heard Philip was going to volunteer since he likes doing yard work.

Now that's funny!!!!  ;D :)

Jerry

Rick thanks; it'll look even better when I'm finished with it.

Curt that would work.

Jerry I thought so; we'll see what Philip has to say.

Howdy Larry, good job on the berm.  The shrubs (junipers?) between the rocks look great.  Have fun, mike

Mike thank you. I wanted to get the slope done before I glued it place then I can do the flat part (top) when I start with the scenery material.

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Went with a simple shed measuring 10 x 4 ft.with 7 ft. in the front and 8 ft. in the back for a shed style roof. The framework was made from 6x6's, the vertical siding from 1x6's, the door rail is a piece of 6x6 painted with gun metal paint then weathered with a dark rust when dry. The door handle is a cut down staple painted black and the runners are made from pieces of Tyvek. The roof is tarpaper weathered with grey and brown chalks. The siding was colored with grey chalk and clear alcohol then dry brushed with light brown chalks to give it a "I've been around a long time" look.

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Here's an angle view showing how it looks with the front of the Mercantile.

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This is how the diorama is shaping up so far with still much, much more to do. Next will be building rafters, gluing them in place so I can get the belt line for the Repair Shed figured out before I worry about a roof for that. Thanks for stopping by and for all your great comments and/or suggestions so stay tuned.

Very nice Larry.  I like the the coloring of the shed.

Jerry

Your nailing that old school era Larry!

 8)

Jerry thank you; appreciate your comments.

Philip thanks, I'm trying to keep things consistent.

Shed looks good.

Rick thank you.

Very nice looking Larry.

Curt thank you so much.

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I decided to do the Repair Shed roof while it was easily accessible. Contructed all the rafters from 6x6's, 4 to be exact, which thankfully came out all the same. The one mistake I did make was I didn't color them prior to construction and glueing in place. Since I didn't want to tear everything apart I decided to add a coat of A&I instead to give them some color since they will be rarely seen.

Prior to starting on the roof I did add the belt line, pulley, and belt to the lathe. The purlins are 2x10's and this time I colored the inside of each board. Four seemed to work out the best. After all this was finished I started with the actual roofing material which are made from 1x10's grained, both sides colored, and weathered with A&I.

IMG_0068.jpg

So here's the backside of the roof finished. Instead of using 1x4's to cover the seams I used 1x6's instead to avoid the "matchy matchy" look since I had already used 1x4's on the outside walls. I also varied the board lengths to add some interest.

IMG_0069.jpg

Here's a "birds-eye" view of the roof. As far as the front side of the roof is concerned, I thinking of doing something a little different so we'll see. Next I'll be figuring out the frontside of the roof. I did order some items from Sierra West which should be here this week; that'll give me plenty to work on. Also I had to do a wood order since I had just enough 1x6's to finish the back of the roof. Thanks for stopping by and for all your great comments so stay tuned.

Looking great, Larry.

I like the variety in the roofing timber length.  The trusses wouldn't be weathered anywhere near as much as the cladding and roofing timbers, anyway.  Perhaps you could add a rolled up canvas to keep the weather from that lathe?

Cheers, Mark.

Quote from: Mark Dalrymple on June 28, 2026, 04:57:32 PMLooking great, Larry.

I like the variety in the roofing timber length.  The trusses wouldn't be weathered anywhere near as much as the cladding and roofing timbers, anyway.  Perhaps you could add a rolled up canvas to keep the weather from that lathe?

Cheers, Mark.

I think that's an excellent idea.  It'll be a nice detail that makes sense.

dave

Mark and Dave thank you both. I agree the rolled up canvas would make sense behind the lathe so I'll see what I can come up with when I add more details.

Larry, roof has a nice rustic weathered look to it.

I would opt for a small overhang to keep the lathe protected.

Rick thank you and thanks for the suggestion of the overhang;
I'll see what I can come up with.

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One of the appeals to making a diorama is the ability to tell a story and this one will have several such areas. For this one I decided to have the front side of the roof started and waiting for more work to progress. Made this side using the same materials and techniques as the back side. Then I used my trusty template from the wood cutters shack kit and built a 14 ft. ladder out of 2x4's grained, colored with chalks and clear alcohol. I hope to find a LP I can glue to the ladder.

IMG_0072.jpg

Here's another angled view. I may remove the pallet with the barrel and place it just off the decking just so it doesn't look too cluttered which will be an easy task.

IMG_0073.jpg

Because I wanted the belt line to extend a ways outside of the building I needed to make two belt line towers for support. The one next to the Repair Shed measures 6x3x14 feet and the 2nd 4x3x14 feet. Needed a beefy look so I used 8x8's for the framework and 4x10's for the cross braces. Everything was grained then colored with chalks, clear alcohol then given a coat of A&I to bring out the wood grain. Also added a bunch of NBW's slightly rusted from the weather. Making these was a little tricky as both had to be the exact same size width wise and height to have the belt line level after the hangers were installed which are from SW.

IMG_0074.jpg

As you can see here the line looks perfectly level. After I get a couple of things assembled from SW then I can go ahead and glue the towers to the diorama before starting any scenery applications; which will be my next task.

Also I have a funny feeling I may have to add about 1.5 more inches to the back of the diorama to have the room to do what I have envisioned and have the scenery the way I want it to look. Thanks for stopping by and for all your great comments and/or suggestions so stay tuned.

Looks great Larry. I think the pallet is fine.

Work to be done and it's cool.

Very nice Larry.

Jerry

I think there'd have to be bearings where the shaft enters the building.  Those don't need to be fancy, you could just cut small sleeves from tubing.  And of course, bearings probably need oil, so a chance for weathering to add some oil stains.

dave

Looking great, Larry.

You need some roofing timber stacked nearby, maybe some leaning up against the building and a box of nails.

Cheers, Mark.

Curt, Philip, Jerry, Dave, and Mark thank you all for your comments and suggestions; lots of mental notes being made.

Larry,

Fantastic modeling and a wonderful mini-scene with tons of details. I love it my friend, well done.

Tom

Nail holes etc.... I remember a member from RLF called Trainclown (Chris) from Canada that added tiny real nails to his HO models. Was pretty convincing after he weathered the nails and holes. Talk about patients...

Had to vent.  ;)

Larry, I like your roof construction idea.
Don't weather the new roof.  8)  ;D
I'd move the pallet because it looks cluttered and would be in the way of the crew doing the roof.
Maybe you already said but what's going outside that uses the line shaft?

Quote from: Rick on July 03, 2026, 04:19:38 PMLarry, I like your roof construction idea.
Don't weather the new roof.  8)  ;D
I'd move the pallet because it looks cluttered and would be in the way of the crew doing the roof.
Maybe you already said but what's going outside that uses the line shaft?

Rick thank you. I agree about the pallet so yes that will be moved. Actually I didn't say why the outside shaft was needed. I'm going to add dead rolls with a cutoff saw; need something to cut the roofing boards.

Howdy Larry, 

The scene is coming together, with the tower and drive details in place.  Nice work!

Have fun,
mike

Quote from: ACL1504 on July 03, 2026, 11:25:13 AMLarry,

Fantastic modeling and a wonderful mini-scene with tons of details. I love it my friend, well done.

Tom

Tom thank you for the nice compliments.

Quote from: Philip on July 03, 2026, 01:55:35 PMNail holes etc.... I remember a member from RLF called Trainclown (Chris) from Canada that added tiny real nails to his HO models. Was pretty convincing after he weathered the nails and holes. Talk about patients...

Had to vent.  ;)

I couldn't even imagine doing something like that in O scale let alone HO. Patience is one thing but I'd be concerned about my sanity. Lol.

Mike thank you so much. With the area being so open I wanted to have a ton of details there.

Larry,

Don't know how I missed this thread.  :o  When I saw your latest update my first thought was "he is building the tractor shed from SW".  It was only after going through your thread that I realized that it is all scratchbuilt.  I like the double towers for the belt line, that will give the scene a lot of visual interest.

Ron thank you so much and for following along.

IMG_0077.jpg

After checking for room in the back of the diorama I realized I need more real estate to make it look the way I wanted it to. I added another 1.5 inches so the depth which went from 14.5 inches to 16 inches; it may not seem like a lot more but that amount seems to work. I glued the two pieces together and used weights until the glue dried then I ran a piece of duck tape along the seam underneath the diorama.

IMG_0078.jpg

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Cut another piece of foam to extend the knoll and sloped the one end before gluing into place. The I used 2 toothpicks and ran them horizontally into the two pieces and snipped off the excess. After that I grabbed 2 more toothpicks and ran them into the foam vertically then snipped off the excess flush with the top of the foam. By using the toothpicks they "locked" the original foam and the new piece together to make the diorama quite sturdy.

Next I'm making a dead roll/cutoff saw setup which will have a shed added to the unit itself. This is one of the items I wanted to add to the back of the diorama which will be visible when looking from the front to the back. Thanks for stopping by and for all your great comments and/or suggestions so stay tuned.

Looks great and yes that 1 1/2" is big, scale wise. How are you making the dead man rollers?

Glad your having fun. The 1:1 stuff is in my way again.....boooo hoo! ;D

Everything looks great Larry. Good suggestion about the toothpicks.

Larry, congratulations on the added real estate.
As I was reading your first paragraph I was thinking toothpicks and then you used them in the second paragraph.  ;D

Philip thanks. The dead rolls with the cutoff saw is a Sierra West kit; the same one I used a few years ago when I built the saw mill.

Curt thank you so much.

Rick thanks. I guess great minds think alike. I've used them before as anchors in foam and they work very well.

Larry great idea with the toothpicks!!

Jerry

Jerry thanks; every once in awhile I come up with something good.Lol.

Howdy Larry,

Good job extending the diorama.  It was clever to add tape to the underside for long-term durability.  Good luck with the saw kit.

Have fun,
mike

Thanks Mike. I figured the tape would hold things together until the glue dried.

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The Dead Rolls is a kit from SW. Followed the instructions mostly but the one thing I changed was adding the saw area in the middle instead of on the end since this will be a stand alone item without the live rollers like in a mill; also I only used 6 of the 7 rollers provided. The entire unit is constructed from 4x10's with the exception of the 3 support blocks which are 12x12's. All of the lumber was grained, colored with chalks and clear alcohol then given a liberal coat of A&I to bring out the grain. I did double up the bottom support legs since the shed part will be built off the unit itself. Added some NBW's for some extra detail. The rollers were spray paint black since they are 3D printed then given a dry brushing of brown chalk to tone down the black a little. Lastly the deck boards are made from 3x12's given the same treatment.

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This is the shed frame built off the saw unit. This was constructed using 6x6's for the frame and 1x6's for the side supports to make it a little stronger. All the wood was given the same treatment as previous and added more NBW's.The cutoff saw was a little tricky being all 3D printed; I didn't want to break anything so I took my time. The saw was spray painted flat black then dry brushed with more brown chalks. I had to build the shed part 11 ft high in the back and 10 ft high in the front so the saw would sit properly. The belt is made from Tyvek painted with raw Sienna craft paint. I'm not sure yet if I'll add a roof or not to the shed.

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This is what it looks like from the back of the diorama. You'll notice by expanding the depth of the diorama I still have ample room for scenery.

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Here's what it looks like from the front of the diorama. Next I need to figure out the pulleys for the belt line as well as continuing building a power plant of some sort to power the belt line. Once the pulleys are glue to the line rod then I can glue the towers to the base then add the belts. Thanks for stopping by and for all your great comments and/or suggestions so stay tuned.

Great progress Larry.

Howdy Larry,

You have been busy! The roller bed looks great.  I'm not a lumber guy, so seeing the parts of a lumber mill coming together is a lot of fun.  I'm sure you'll do a nice job on the belt drive system, so good luck.

Have fun,
mike

sawmill roller.webp

Looks legit to me!

Nice work Larry.
Shouldn't take much to add a roof.

Nice work!!

Jerry

Curt thanks.

Mike thank you and for your words of encouragement.

Philip thanx for the pic. Brett usually spends quite a bit of time researching before he creates and releases a product.

Rick thank you. Ya I'll most likely add a roof since it's not a very large area.

Jerry thank you so much.

Very nice, Larry. 

I agree with Rick: needs a roof. 

Mike

Micheal thanks. I've figured out the roof but need to get the belts for the saw installed first to make life easier.

While I'm waiting for glue to dry I thought I would share an update:

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After I had the roof boards half glued to the shed I thought I had better get the belt line for the saw completed first just to make life easier. Looking at the front edge of the roof I soon realized I wouldn't be able to make a direct connection to the main line shaft without hitting the edge of the roof. Studying the situation for several minutes I decided to go with a secondary line lower in the tower. This is what it looked like when finished.Since the line is so long I did add a coupler to help break up the length. The pulley to the right will connect to the power source to run the line. I also went with a somewhat rusted metal roof to look like the shed had been in service for years.

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Her's looking down the back of the Repair Shed towards the saw shed. The belt installation was a little fiddly but in the end it worked out quite well.

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By adding the secondary line I was able to attach the belt at a slight downward angle to miss the front edge of the roof. I decided to go "old school" with the pulleys so I grabbed 2 20 inch and 1 24 inch pulley to make the connection. They are some I had from Crow River which were touched up with a file, blacken, allowed to dry then buffed up with my Dremel tool.

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This is the completed installation front the front of the diorama. As you can see from the photo the second pulley is used to connect to the main belt line; problem with the front edge of the roof solved. All the belts are 6 inches wide Tyvek painted with raw Sienna craft paint.

With the 2 towers glued in place it's time to focus my attention on the power source which is drying as I write this which is my next project. As far as I know, and that could change, the construction part of the buildings/sheds is completed. Thanks for stopping by and for all your great comments and/or suggestions they are appreciated so stay tuned.

Great looking progress Larry.

Larry,

The belt line looks great.

Progress at it's finest.  Nice job Larry!

Jerry

 8) I was looking at my rock crusher and all the tyvek belts are loose...how do ya get them so taut?

Nice work!

Larry, good job getting the belts to clear.

Curt thank you.

Ron thanks; took my time on it.

Jerry thank you so much.

Quote from: Philip on July 15, 2026, 10:06:51 PM8) I was looking at my rock crusher and all the tyvek belts are loose...how do ya get them so taut?

Nice work!

Philip thanks. After I get the line pulley and the pulley for the item I want to power lined up I'll mark where the line pulley is with a fine tip marker. Then I'll slide the line pulley over and add a quick setting super glue and slide the line pulley into the glue making sure it's straight. Let it dry as per the packages instructions. Now the line pulley won't move and you can get a taut belt. Hope this helps.

thumb.webp

Welcome!!

Larry,

Well done all the way. The out building all look well placed and will make a great looking scene.

Tom

Tom thank you for your kind compliment; much appreciated.

Howdy, Larry, the mill is progressing well.  ~mike

Thank you Mike; it's getting there.

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So here's what's powering the belt line.....an old John Deere tractor....and of course I had to paint it green.

Tabitha O'Neil wanted to update the power for both the saw and the lathe. After removing the old steam engine, the leaky boiler, and the worn out water tank she stumbled across this old tractor in the next town over which still ran remarkably well given its age.Since the cutoff saw and lathe wouldn't both be in use at the same time she felt confident the tractor would fit the bill and take up much less room at the back of her property.

The John Deere is a kit from Sierra West and went together fairly easily; even though the 3D printed parts are quite fragile. Before assembly everything was given a coat of grey primer and when dry was spray painted green. Brett had suggested in the instruction a yellow color for the wheels but I didn't like the color for them so everything was painted green with a few exceptions such as the seat, steering wheel, exhaust pipe, and the top of the air filter; those I left primer grey.Then the green areas were given a dry brushing of brown chalks and the grey parts with a little black.

To make life easier I added grasses to the side of the knoll and laid down the basic ground cover under the tractor before anything was glued in place. I'm pleased with the way this turned out.

Next will be to line up the tractor pulley and the belt line pulley then glue the line one in place. The tractor will be glued to the layout. A 6 inch belt will be cut from Tyvek then painted. When everything has dried hopefully it all goes together as I hope it will. Thanks for stopping by for a look-see and for all your great comments so stay tuned.

The tractor is outstanding Larry.

Larry, that's a good looking tractor.
I can't wait to see how this connects to the drive line.

Oliver Wendall Douglass fantastic! Hot cakes for you! ;)

Curt thanks; it was a fun build.

Rick thank you; I can't wait to see how it connects either.

Philip thanks; I'll take that as a compliment.

Larry nice job on the tractor!

Jerry

Jerry thank you so much.

Howdy Larry, nice work on the tractor. It adds a lot of character to the scene.  Have fun, mike

Mike thanks, appreciate your comments.

Larry,

I'm still kickin! And your work on the machines and belting is top notch!

Rich

Rich thank you for your nice comment; great to see you still around.

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Surprisingly the belt from the tractor to the main line came out the way I had planned; it's great when a plan comes together. The belt came out pretty straight which is a plus. The nice feature to this setup, besides being totally different, is when work has to be done on the belt line the tractor can be put in gear and moved a foot forward to release the belt tension. When finished the tractor is moved back again adding tension to the belt. No steam engine, boiler, or water tank is needed.

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Here's the setup looking from the front of the diorama.

Now that this part of the puzzle is finished the actual "building" part is probably finished. It's time to move on the scenery, which some items are on order, and adding lots and lots of little details everywhere. Thanks for stopping by for a gander and for all your great comments so stay tuned.

Perfect!

Philip thanks.

Very nicely done Larry. Perfect job with the belts.

Nice work Larry.

I can hear the tractor chugging!!  Very nicely done!!

Jerry

Curt, Rick, and Jerry thank you guys for the nice compliments; they're appreciated.

Howdy Larry, excellent connection to the tractor. The overhead pulley system looks terrific.  Have fun, mike

Larry,

Wowser, this just keep getting better with each step. The tractor and pulley is a great detail and is a fantastic little detail.

Tom

Mike and Tom thank you both for your kind words.

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Started the long process of adding scenery to the diorama. Made a vine growing up the side of the shed using florist wire then going over that with Woodland Scenics latex using 3 coats. Once everything hardened then a coat of brown paint was added and also dry brushed the armature with some lighter colored chalks. Sprayed the top of the wire with adhesive then dipped in green flocking for leaves. Once that was glued in place I "painted" a small area with white glue before adding some flocking and weeds then followed by dirt sprinkled on with a spoon. When that was to my liking the area was covered with a 50-50 mix of water and white glue applied carefully with an eyedropper; I prefer this method as opposed to spraying. It's tedious but the result is worth it. Also added a few details like the barrel, this was from Jim for entering the winter challenge, finishing off with brown chalks and clear alcohol. Once dried the bands were gone over with a lead pencil to bring out the detail. Grabbed a printed sign and sanded the surface to look old and disused. That was placed on top of the barrel like someone put it there then forgot about it. Added some flowers by the porch to keep Mrs. O'Neil happy....she does like her flowers.

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Finished up the area in front of the porch this morning.Started by placing some grass areas against the front edge of the porch. The rest of the area was scenic using the same methods as previously. I added some stones in front of the porch to help keep some of the mud out of the Mercantile when it rains. Added a few details like the sack of grain sitting by the front door and a broom to keep the porch swept off. The chair was another gift from Jim and was colored with brown chalks and clear alcohol to look like wood. That's not glued in place just yet until my LP's arrive. I have one of an old man sitting that I will color then glue him into the chair.

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Lastly I made another type of vine using the same techniques as before. This time I used a fine flocking over the spray adhesive. The shed was glued to the foam before the vines were glued in place.

This is where I'm at currently with still miles to go before calling this done. Thanks for stopping by with all your great comments and/or suggestions so stay tuned.

Looks very good Larry.

Curt thank you; a little bit to a time.

Howdy Larry,

The scenery is looking great.  The vines are a nice touch.  The small details really make the scene much more realistic.  Great job.

Have fun,
mike

Mike thank you for your kind comments; they're appreciated.

Great update and looking like home!

Philip

Philip thank you.

Very nice Larry.  Sure coming to life now.

Jerry

Larry, nice job on the scenery.

Jerry thanks. It's amazing what some scenery can do.

Rick thank you so much.

Larry, it's been ions since I complemented you on the build. If I didn't have a long list of projects to
do this summer, I would also be modeling.
Your modeling has reached new heights with the scenery.
That use for the tractor was a good one.
Can't wait till you come up with a new one next.

Rich

Rich nice to see you around. Thank you for the kind compliments. Scenery I've
struggles with for years but I think I'm finally getting the hang of it. This
project still has a long ways to go yet.

Quote from: Larry C on July 30, 2026, 06:25:10 PMRich nice to see you around. Thank you for the kind compliments. Scenery I've
struggles with for years but I think I'm finally getting the hang of it. This
project still has a long ways to go yet.

I've found the best thing to do with scenery is just jump into it.  Cost is relatively low, and if you're really unhappy, it's not that hard to redo.

dave

Thanks Dave for the advice. I'm trying to do "layers" of scenery to make
a greater impact.

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A quick update. Finished most of this side of the diorama now. Added an old rusty wheelbarrow top sitting on a couple of old tires with some rusty junk inside. Did my usual technique of spraying with a primer then going over it with chalks and clear alcohol. When dried I take a q-tip and remove the excess chalk. Also included a welding tank and have a shovel to glue against the building beside of it. Went mostly just dirt here since it's a high traffic area.

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Also finished in front of the Mercantile just because.

Today I received 10 LP's from Rusty Rail so that'll keep me busy for awhile. I'll probably paint a few at a time and add each one to their intended scenes as I progress. Also Monday next my order of scenery material should be arriving. Included are some trees premade since let's face it....my trees I make suck!! So hopefully those will be better. Thanks for stopping by and for all your great comments and/or suggestions so stay tuned.

I'm eyeballing his figures. Pretty nice looking.

Nice work!

Quote from: Philip on July 31, 2026, 06:33:31 PMI'm eyeballing his figures. Pretty nice looking.

Nice work!

Philip thanks. Rusty Rail's figures are pretty nice and are reasonably priced.
I do have a question. One of the figures is still on the 3D printed forms, for
the lack of a better word, so what's the best way to cut it free cleanly?

I always saw the support close to the figure with a fine tooth "Razor" saw leaving a bit of the support attached to the model and then sand away the support to the anchor point. If you cut it and snap the support off at the model it will leave a tiny crater in the figure. I use a medium emery board and sometime a new #11 blade if I create a crater by accident. It's pretty easy to hide your mistakes, plus the prep primer will fill the voids and stuff. No biggie.

I'd really be more concerned around the thin areas where they connect. Super brittle stuff after it cures for 24 hours.

Work slow.

 8)
 


 



 

Nice work Larry.

Philip thanks for the advice on the removal. Since you work with 3D printed items I figured you'd have a process for removal.

Rick thanks.

Howdy Larry, the additional details are making the scene even better.  Nice work.  Have fun, mike

Mike thank you; much appreciated.

Nice work Larry, the additional details are making a huge difference. 

Ron thank you. I think the details help tell a story the modeler is trying to create.
My only thing with details is not to overcrowd a scene.

Hey Larry C*.,.....Once again I,m dumbfounded by the delicate beauty of the projects you build, and the skill & patience you guys exhibit in the process.. :o  :o  :o  :o ...so incredible........

KYLE CREEL
IMMR & T Co. 

Kyle thank you for you kind comments; they're appreciated.

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Not that this has anything to do with my build but I finally got around to redoing the shelf to display my dioramas. This was made from 1 8ft. 1x8 cut square the screwed and glued together then was given a coat of stain I had on hand. Now I have room for a few more dioramas for the future.

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Been playing around with a couple of LP's for the front of the diorama. I have 11 I ordered from Rusty Rail which are nicely 3D printed and are reasonably priced. The "old man sitting on a box" was first primed with grey primer. When dry he was colored with chalks & clear alcohol. When dried I dry brushed on some black to bring out the fine details. The dog is from Wiseman colored the same way.

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This is the guy working at the bench turned looking at the dog wondering why he's barking. Both were colored using the same techniques as the first LP. Adding the LP's not only helps to tell a story but brings each scene to life.

Next up is to work on a few trees from my order and get the area behind the Repair Shed scenic; should be fun. Thanks for stopping by and for all your great comments and/or suggestions so stay tuned.

Great detais Larry. BTW that workbench is way too neat.

Looks great but your gonna run out of room eventually!  8)

You sure have been busy building dioramas.
Very nice display.
Little folks are looking good.

Curt thank you. Yup he just finished cleaning it before his picture was taken; he didn't want to look like a complete slob.

Philip thanks. After O'Neils is completed I'll probably start making smaller dioramas; either that or get out the "shelf stretcher."

Rick thank you. The dioramas have been built probably over the last 5 years give or take. On the top shelf (middle left) is the SW Wood Cutters Shack I bought from you before you retired. When the RR went bye bye I converted it to a diorama since that is my one and only kit.

The figures look great Larry.  Wonderful job.

That is one hell of a shelf of dioramas.
I think your right a bigger shelf might be in your future!!

Jerry

Jerry thank you for your kind words. Hopefully I can get by with what shelves I have for awhile.

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These trees are Woodland Scenics fresh out of the container. Not too bad looking except for the "plastic look of the trunks" on the left. The tree on the right had the trunk modified. Used a base color of brown and clear alcohol; when dry a dry brushing of a light brown followed by grey. Also I thought the foliage was way too much so I thinned out the one on the right then bent the branches down a little to look more natural.

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Here are the 2 trees redone and glued in place minus the bases from the first photo. They had a pin on the bottom which allowed them to be glued in place. After they dried then I added the scenery material. Also added a few details on the knoll but kept it sparse so as not to look too "junked up".

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Here's the one end looking down the back of the Repair Shed. Used lots of grass and weeds with not as much dirt. I actually was able to get the area blended in to look like a solid knoll.

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Here's a closeup of some of the details. Two old tires with weeds growing out of the middle, part of the old steam engine, an old bent rusty barrel, and part of an old dynamo.

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This is looking down the other end of the back of the Repair Shed. I'm quite pleased the way this turned out and also helps eliminate some of the flatness of the diorama. Next I want to add a few details to the front side of the Shed including a LP inside. That's about it for now and thanks to all who stop by for a look-see. Much more to come so stay tuned.

Very nice Larry, the knoll looks real.

Curt thank you; that was my goal.

You made some righteous trees there Larry!  8)

Dynamo Modeling! ;) Pickers Heaven!

Philip thank you. Actually the trees are from Woodland Scenics I just enhanced them somewhat.

Nice work on those ready made trees Larry.  And just a right amount of items scattered around them.

Larry great job on taking the trees and making them a lot better.
Details look well placed.

Jerry

Rob and Jerry thank you so much. When I ordered the trees I knew they'd need some enhancements
and certainly better than I can make from scratch.

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The entire back of the diorama has scenery; this is what it looks like front the front. Added some grass patches, weeds, bushes, and of course the refurbished tree.

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Looking from the side down behind the Repair Shed and I also added a boulder for something different.

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This is the left end of the back.

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And finally the entire back of the diorama. The nice thing about detailing all four sides I have the option to position it so I can look at each side then when tired of it just change position. Next will be detailing the cutoff saw shed with some sawdust and have a few cut planks resting against the end roller; I may or may not add a LP to the shed. Also I'll continue with the scenery material going forward. Thanks for stopping by and for all your great comments and/or suggestions so stay tuned.

Larry everything looks outstanding. I like all the belts and equipment also.

Curt thank you for your nice compliment.

Nice that you can view all the sides.
it's a great looking diorama.

Jerry

Jerry thank you so much. I think that's what drew me to dioramas because you can view it from all 4 sides as opposed to a layout where you're stuck with 1 viewing angle; plus you can have more variety in what you model.

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Been going back and working on little things so I don't forget anything; couldn't possibly be old age sneaking up on me...nah.This guy is my 3rd LP and is busy at work at the bench.

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The push broom and gas can are items from my stash box. The hand operated drill and oil barrel on a stand along with the "oops pail" are from Sierra West. I originally wanted to put the drill on a post in the front area but there was no way my mitts were going to fit a post in place so I pivoted and placed it under the eave on this side of the opening. Drill and oil barrel were colored with chalks and clear alcohol with the rest of the items painted and/or weathered. I also added some metal shavings on the drill plate and floor.

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I opted not to place a LP in the saw shed but I did adds lots of real sawdust and 3 boards stacked up on the end roller to look like someone had been hard at work. Now I have to do some serious "canoodling" and figure out the remaining scenery, what cameo scenes I want to make, and where to place everything.Once I figure out the cameo scenes to include I'll build each one then play "cameo roulette" to get everything where I want them....should be fun. Thanks for stopping by and for all your great comments and/or suggestions so stay tuned.

Larry your first photo is outstanding. Who made the figure in that photo? You did an excellent job painting it.

Curt thank you so much. All the figures are 3D prints from Rusty Rail. I do spray paint them with a grey primer first then I go ahead and use chalks & clear alcohol to "paint" them. When dried I dry brush them with a darker color from the base color to help bring out the fine details. The only paint used after priming is a flesh tone paint for the skin areas.

A big check mark Larry  ;D

Looking great, Larry.

Cheers, Mark.

Philip and Mark thank you, much appreciated.

Larry your really doing a bang up job on this one!!  Wonderful work!!

Jerry

Larry, details look very good.
Nice work.

Jerry and Rick thank you both. This is the really fun part for me....details.

Larry,

All those added details really make the scenes "pop", can't wait to see what you do next.

Ron thanks; the details really help to tell a story.

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Been working on scenery a little bit at a time. Finished up around the tracks by adding some grass, clumps of weeds, some bushes, and of course lots of dirt. Added some junk between the rails but kept it to a minimum. All of the junk came from my parts box and weathered heavily.

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The Ford tractor is a Sierra West item which was a 1 piece item except for the tires. Sadly I accidentally broke the seat but was able to reconnect it after the tractor was colored. After priming I used a blue/grey chalk & clear alcohol to color part of the tractor. For the frame and wheel centers I used a dark brown chalk with clear alcohol. The tires were spray painted flat black then weathered with light brown chalks when dried. The seat, steering wheel and shifter I used black chalks to color them.

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This is the other side of the tractor. Next I'll finish working on the items for the rest of the tractor scene; probably a make shift workbench with tools, a couple of LP's talking over the situation, and whatever else I find to fit the scene. Also I'm going to put down the scenery material in that area before I assemble the scene. Thanks for stopping by and for all your great comments and/or suggestions so stay tuned.

Nice job on the landscaping. I like how the rail ties are almost all covered up.

Howdy Larry,

The diorama looks fantastic.  Every little bit you add makes it even better.  Well done.

Have fun,
mike

Curt thanks, I like the buried tie look as well.

Mike thank you, and yes a little bit at a time.

Nice Tractor Larry, and will be a nice addition to the diorama.

Rob thank you. I have 2 or 3 mini scenes I want to incorporate into the diorama from the track forward so hopefully I don't run out of room; the last thing I want is for the diorama to look overcrowded so may have to edit as I go along.