ITLA Modular Industry

[Zephyrus52246]

Hi, Jerry.  It wasn't too difficult to build, except the darn steps.  I think if I needed to do the stairway again, I'd use a small clamp to hold the sides and slide the steps in like the instructions say.  I forgot I have a set of clamps just for this type of situation.  Doh!

Jeff

[Zephyrus52246]

Put the back wall on and used a small piece of stripwood for a bit of additional bracing.  I didn't want it visible thru the door, so I cut it short.  

Jeff

[Zephyrus52246]

This led to an issue, the wall is a bit too short.  I think I misjudged something somewhere.  I thought I had added the width of the gatorfoam to this.  The side wall isn't yet attached.

Jeff

[Zephyrus52246]

I then cut a roof out of 0.080 styrene.  This probably won't need bracing (I might add some anyway).  I made this before attaching the side wall as it would make sure the structure (hopefully) is square and make it easier to line up the side wall. 

[Zephyrus52246]

Added the side wall and then a piece of stripwood which was pretty close to the required size on the corner.  I also added filler on the left side where the gaps for the interlocking wall piece would go so the gatorfoam would have more gluing area. 

Jeff

[Zephyrus52246]

Of course, I then had to place it back on the layout in it's appropriate place to see how it fit.  The hole is still a bit visible, but you really have to get close to the layout to see it.  The back nor side walls are not visible at all.  I'd call that a success.  You'll note the inset pieces aren't yet glued in, either.  I need to brace the other 3 corners and make a view block so you can't see thru the building, as you'd notice there are no back side windows.  I may leave the door off, or just use a piece of it on the top of the opening, as long as it doesn't interfere with a boxcar fitting inside.  No Hi Cubes here, it's 1950.

Jeff

[deemery]

The building looks good, and not too compressed.

You could add something to fill that triangle space behind the building where the track goes through.  A smokestack?  Maybe even a water tank?  

dave

[Zephyrus52246]

Dave, I'll probably add a small hill with some brush and a tree to cover it.  

Jeff

[deemery]

Before you do that, put something like a smokestack in that corner to try that out.  A 1" dowel would work.  There's a neat article in this month's MRH about a guy who took a round turned chair leg and turned it into a smokestack.

dave

[Mark Dalrymple]

Looking good, Jeff.

I'd be investigating putting a pedestrian bridge across the track against the wall, and a bit of a woodland track/ path back to the rest of town.  Also, a smoke stack as Dave suggests.

Cheers, Mark.

[ACL1504]

Jeff,

Great looking structure, well done.

Tom 

[John B]

Next up was building the stairway for the doorway.  This was very difficult for me.  You're supposed to put the side pieces into the piece with the doorway (not glued), place the first step in, which has tiny tabs on each side to fit into slots, glue it in, gently separate the pieces to put the next one in and so on.  every time I tried to put the next step in, the first one came out on one side.  plus the sides moved in their slots.  I ended up taping one side to the desk and then placing all five in and then lining up the left piece, moving each step into place and using CA with accelerant.  Got three of the five in place with two moving out of place.  I removed them, trimmed off the tabs on one side, and managed to get them in straight and glued.  Was very frustrating.  Yes, it's covered with shiny glue, I'll hit it with Dullcoat.  I now need to do another for the bottom of the fire escape panel. 

Jeff

I had the same problem with the WKRP radio station kit.  The steps are impossible to do.  I didn't have the patience to coop with it so I used a plastic Bachmann staircase instead...those steps are a complete nightmare

[Zephyrus52246]

Thanks for looking in, John.  Yes, those stairs were a pain.  I did like the open grid like look of them, though.

Jeff