Blair Line Blairstown Depot

[Oldguy]

So, now what.  Right upfront I will mention that I am a perfectionist, but I find that my skills are imperfect at best.  So.  What to do.
Sorry, Karl O, but I am going to press on with the kit contents, with some minor modifications.  I am going to press on even though I have found, that although a decent representation of the actual depot, it has it's flaws.  Too narrow, freight section several feet too short and the roof angle wrong.  But only those intimate with the depot will know that anything is off.  So keep calm and carry on.
One of the major  missing details is the frieze board.  This is the trim that goes next to the roof overhang around the building.  This requires the removal of the battens.  I found the easiest way is to use a piece of strip wood of the needed width.  Depth isn't all that important, just the width.  I use 2 machinist blocks to form a straight line.  It's a bit fiddly with the tabs, so I used by cutting bar to ensure their alignment, move the bar, and gently push the reference trim into the blocks, remove the blocks and trim while holding down the bar and cut through the battens.  One might score the siding, but when the frieze boards are added, the lines should not be noticeable.  Once scored, just run a #11 blade along the ends to remove the cut battens.

[Oldguy]

I have manaed to get a bit more donw.  I needed to set up my spray booth and compressor as I needed to relearn how to use an airbrush all over.  I moved from a W R Brown Speedy compressor to a California Air unit and wow.  Since the kit had plastic windows, it was time to get back into the spray game.
I decided to spray the depot walls as I couldn't mess them up too much.  Foe whatever the reason, I decided to A&I the walls, let them set overnight then hit them with some badger stynylrez primer.  It seemed to prevent the wood fuzzies. 

The depot is a light gray body with dark gray trim.  Most Frisco modelers use a Reefer Gray for the depots walls.  But the dark gray (this one may have have been the only depot with dark gray trim as most had white trim) was a mystery.  So I looked though what paints I had and settled on MoPac roof gray.
I got in a groove and painted the windows the light gray and had to respray them.  Most trim is on a self-adhesive back laser board and the all got the light gray spray treatment.  Even though the photo shows it almost white.  It meant that I needed to remove the trim parts, place then on some double sided tape and spray them the dark gray.  The kit has some appropriate signage, but I thought it prudent to scan the card and save it as both a .pdf and .Tif fies, just in case.  Unfortunately, I didn't photograph everything as I forgot to take it next door to the train cave.

[PRR Modeler]

It looks good Bob

[Oldguy]

Now with all the prep work completed, it's time to do some actual construction. 

The parts on the laser board have a self adhesive backing.  The doors fit inside the openings with the trim pieces to be applied to the building.  The remaining trim is to hold the doors in place.  Since there is just several thousandths of an inch left over, I did glue the doors from the back to keep them in place.  The bay windows are another matter.  The kits has some small window frames that are to be added to the back sides og the wall sections to form a double hung window.  This required some additional painting as the window frames are dark gray.  I also needed to paint the inner openings. 

Then came the Tichy windows.  Acetate glazing is included, but the instructions have one just glue a single piece to the back.  Umm, no.  I broke out the drafting dividers to get a width.  Then transfer that to the acetate and cut lengthwise for two windows.  Once all cut, do the same process for the height.  A little Hypo Cement and done.  Well, I did two and will do the other 5 tomorrow.

[PRR Modeler]

Nice job Bob.

[jerryrbeach]

Bob,


Nice to see you adding the frieze boards.  They really add a nice dimension in both the real world and on a model.  Great tip on using the drafting dividers to size the window acetate.  I need to remember that.

[Oldguy]

Bob,


Nice to see you adding the frieze boards.  They really add a nice dimension in both the real world and on a model.  Great tip on using the drafting dividers to size the window acetate.  I need to remember that.

Thanks.  I don't why more kits don't have them.  Maybe a cost issue?  I'm finding that I am using the dividers more than I did while in drafting class.  Go figure.  One caveat on using the dividers - The adjusting screw is in the wrong place for my fingers.  I find that I can change the setting without realizing it.  I do a check for each window to ensure that it hasn't moved.

[Oldguy]

Trying to get the frieze board angles right can be a problem (at least for me).  One of the first things that I did was to make a roof angle jig.  It was a simple matter of 1) making sure all roof angle pieces are the same, 2) Use one to act as a stop for gluing the sides pieces, and 3) ensuring that there is room at the peak for a razor blade.  I should add that I did add a vertical line at the peak to aid in trying to get the razor blade as close to vertical as possible.  To use, simply over lap each piece and cut through both.  The angle may not be perfect, but the pieces will mate as perfectly as possible.  I plan on using this jig for the rafter tails as well.
I used full length pieces for the boards and then using the roof deck card, cut them longish.  These will be trimmed after the roof card is installed.
Window acetate has finally been added to all plastic windows and now was time to get them installed.  But how to glue them in place?  Weldbond and Flamingo glue doesn't hold on to plastic all that well.  So, I decided to break out the Bondic pen.  It may not stick to wood ( I didn't test it), but it doesn't have to.  The cured Bondic forms a tab at each corner that prevents the window from falling out.
What was a bit more fiddly was the make up of the bay window sides.  All the pieces are on peel and stick board.  The small little windows form the lower sash while the upper sash was lasered out.  These little bugger could have been made a couple of thous longer in each dimension to aid in construction.  Thankfully, one can move the bits a little for alignment.  I then used Flamingo glue to set them in place.  The trim pieces are a bit better, but I found that skinny fingers would have been a big help.
Then on to see about the signage,  A nice set of prototypical signage printed on card stock.  The instructions simply state that one is to peel off the adhesive backing and install.  M'kay.  It's on card stock.  Plan B - I need to make up sign backers.  Not a big deal as I know that the city sign and train board were  mounted on boards.    I did a test piece (one major reason to make duplicates) and will see how it works out tomorrow.

[PRR Modeler]

I've always just guestimate for those angles. That is a great technique that I will be using in the future.

[ACL1504]

Bob,

I'm following along and enjoying the build. Great job on getting it to fit with the little other issues.

Tom

[Oldguy]

I have fallen in love with the 3/8" rare earth magnets.  They hold parts square, or in my case, below, vertical.  Next up was cutting out the various station signs.  Again the machinists blocks come in handy.  Place the 0.020" plastic up tight against it, place the sign against the block, and gently add the cutting guide to the sign, remove the block and sign, and then cut the plastic for a perfect fit.  Clean up the furrows caused by the cutting, and then glue the sign on.  I used cut toothpicks to the sign back for a finger hold while cutting.  I used Aleene's Tacky Glue, but it has a weak hold, but good enough to paint the sign edges with engine black paint.  While I was waiting for the paint to dry, I added little door knobs using a glob of metallic pewter craft paint.  With out them, those doors looked like blank slabs.  Not all that great, but better. After the signs had dried they were added as suggested.  I decided that I needed roller window  shades.  My first shot was plain yellow construction paper.  Meh.  Too bright.  So I tried adding some Mellow Yellow weathering pigment.  Anyone who uses Bragdon powders in the tall containers, that the pigment can actually be above the rim.  I forgot and had a mess.  But what they hey I needed some anyway.  I spread some about using a Pan Pastel eraser and it didn't help.  I didn't want to waste the material, so break out the white construction paper and see what happens.  Victory!  The result isn't as bright as in the photo, it is the dull smoke/grease/sun tinged color that I remember as a kid.  And now a huge mea culpa.  When I added the frieze boards to the peaked sections, I extended them past the roof card.  They should have only been a scale inch or so past the wall.

[PRR Modeler]

Looks great Bob. The colors go well together.

[Oldguy]

I finally get to put the building together.  The middle section has been glued to the base for several days and added the non-window walls since they didn't need much additional work adding curtains.  Then came the end walls and when set, added the remaining walls.  Making sure everything lined was a little pain due to the mating areas with no battens.  Machinist blocks worked well to keep everything vertical.  While waiting for the two story walls glue to dry, I thought that I could add the roof cards to aid in holding the walls square.   Well nerts.  Something is way off as the tabs and slots don't line up.  Hmmm.  I didn't shorten the wall sections, so  . . . . .  Okay now what.  My initial thought was to slice through each tab to reduce their thickness.  Cutting into the grain should be easy, maybe too easy.  Or maybe cut the slots back.  Either way, the tricky part is ensuring that all four tabs or slots are futzed with equally.  Which ever way I go, it means that there are going to be holes showing under the roof sections.  I'll have to wait and see just how bad they look.

[Opa George]

The walls look really good, Bob. I like the color scheme and the departures/arrivals board.
--George

[Oldguy]

Got a little more done.  I added all the frieze boards and corner trim installed.  None of which were in the kit.  Then came adding the bay window.  Another problem cropped up.  When the side tabs were put into the wall slots, the sides were skewed inward.      Looking straight on one couldn't see it, but very apparent from the bottom or to.   So a quick bit of surgery on the slot depths and I got to work and look a lot better. 

I tried sponge painting the brick chimney using what are called eye spear sponges.  My wife was a surgical nurse, specializing in eye surgery.  She brought home a bunch of these as they were going to be trashed.  Although smallish when dry, like a typical sponge, it expands when wet.  Worked out very well as it is very flexible, perfect for dabbing on paint for brick work.