SRMW Retirement Build Challenge - 2021 updates

[tom.boyd.125]

Nice progress, Tommy.

Thorndike's is my one and only SRM kit, so I'll be watching with particular interest.

Cheers, Mark.

 Mark, have saved a few photos over the years of others who have modified that SRMW Thorndike Mill kit. The most famous one was done by Dick Elwell and named for a friend of his Armstrong Mills. The first reference photo is from Dick Laske's page of Elwell's Hoosac Valley RR photos. The second one is from the Southern New England layout of Jason Fontaine which was taken down when he moved recently. From what I heard it was  Dick Elwell that helped Jason build it. The back side of the structure was a photo of the same mill. That photo posted here is a still shot off of one of the You Tube videos he has posted online. On both extra castings were used for the towers. A third modified one can be found on Bob VanGelder's layout progress photos part of the southrivermodelworks website too.

[tom.boyd.125]

 Here's another shorter modified version of that kit found on the internet from the contest results photos at a RR convention. Will update more info on this construction thread soon....Tommy

[Mark Dalrymple]

Thanks for all the info, Tommy.

Jim Lukas and Gregg W. did a great version which resided on Gregg's layout.

Cheers, Mark.

[deemery]

Is that SMRW Thorndike, or the plaster version of RDA's Hermanson mill?  

dave

[tom.boyd.125]

Thanks for all the info, Tommy.

Jim Lukas and Gregg W. did a great version which resided on Gregg's layout.

Cheers, Mark.

Mark,
 If you can find a photo of that, please post it here. Would like to see what was done on the Thorndike Mill kit. Do recall someone did the Blackstone Mill which was a SRMW brick structure by making it longer sometime back. Have a photo of that someplace here....Tommy

[tom.boyd.125]

Is that SMRW Thorndike, or the plaster version of RDA's Hermanson mill? 

dave

Dave,
 All 3 photos just posted above are the SRMW Thorndike Mill plaster kit or kits that were changed up to make them longer in length. The key to telling them apart were the windows. SRMW kits like this stone one had the special 18 pane plastic windows that were made by Grandt Line for Bob Van Gelder. The Railway Design Associates Hermanson Mill kits which were made in either urethane and hydrocoal had normal 12 pane windows....and since you asked here is a photo of a modified RDA Hermanson Mill by Dick Elwell called Duffe Bibles taken by Dick Laske...see the 12 pane windows...that was a great question Dave !!! ..........Tommy

[Mark Dalrymple]

Hi Tommy.

Thorndikes https://railroad-line.com/node/5984

Kendalls https://railroad-line.com/node/11349

Spencers https://railroad-line.com/node/14213

There were many more - also of FSM kitbashes.

Cheers, Mark.

[deemery]

Tommy, thanks!  Seeing the two more-or-less side-by-side on the same page helps highlight the differences.

dave

[tom.boyd.125]

Hi Tommy.

Thorndikes https://railroad-line.com/node/5984

Kendalls https://railroad-line.com/node/11349

Spencers https://railroad-line.com/node/14213

There were many more - also of FSM kitbashes.

Cheers, Mark.

Mark,
 Thanks for those links to the SRMW builds on the other forum...remember those from way back...Tommy

[tom.boyd.125]

 Time for a quick update, 4 SRMW kits now have all the metal castings primed and all the paper slate roofing shingles have been colored with markers. Found 2 metal castings missing in one of the builds when priming castings so contacted Bob VanGelder to see if he could help and replacements will be sent in urethane to be arriving this week. Pictures to be posted shortly. Besides working on this large project several other FSM's and other craftsman kits are going on too...Remember to keep busy and have fun....Tommy 

[tom.boyd.125]

 Been a few weeks so here are some photos showing work in progress on the SRMW Kit No. 250 Whitinsville Spinning Ring Co. Left to right, kit manual and castings primed, some painted too and the paper slate shingles colored with markers, second photo...glazing the windows 1/2 at a time which seems to reduce air bubbles for me, windows were spray painted with Model Masters Medium Green , third photo shows there is a lot of windows in the kit to paint and glaze, last photo shows the windows for the wooden addition of this kit spray painted flat black and glazed with Micro Kristal Klear also.  Received the two missing castings from Bob VanGelder too last week ! Photo is a reminder winter is coming. Thanks for following along....Tommy

[deemery]

Glazing all the windows in large factory buildings is the one step I don't enjoy...   Stick with it!

dave

[Jim Donovan]

Wow, that is a lot of work on those windows but sure looks nice. Love the picture too!!

Jim