2025-2026 Winter Challenge - AMB Interlocking Tower

Larry C · January 25, 2026, 11:11:21 AM

Tom you're going right to town there. Nice when stuff fits the way, or almost, the way it should. Should make a nice addition to your little empire; have fun.

ACL1504 · January 25, 2026, 02:10:56 PM

Quote from: Pennman on January 24, 2026, 05:17:54 PMTom,

Thanks for the note about you being concerned for my absence.
I see you are like me, in that you turned your cutting pad on
your chopper due to being severely cut. I'll be sitting in the
second row, I sit rather tall in my seat.

Rich

Rich,

You are very welcome and I sincerely hope and pray you are on the way to a full recovery.

Yes, I turned the pad. If you don't, you'll end up with bad cuttings.

Happy to have3 you along on the journey.

Tom

ACL1504 · January 25, 2026, 02:13:01 PM

Quote from: elwoodblues on January 24, 2026, 11:22:24 PMTom,

You are building at 60MPH there. At the rate your going will be finished within a week. Looking great so far.

Ron,

Thank you and yes, this one is moving quickly. Maybe a little over a week to finish this one.

I'll need to wait on some parts I ordered, it may be over a week though.

Tom

ACL1504 · January 25, 2026, 02:14:07 PM

Quote from: Jerry on January 25, 2026, 12:51:04 AMTom don't know how I missed the start of this one.

You've already have the tower assembled. And it looks perfect from where I'm sitting.

Jerry

Jerry,

Well, you are here now and that counts. Thanks for joining the fun and the comment.

Tom

ACL1504 · January 25, 2026, 02:15:18 PM

Quote from: Rick on January 25, 2026, 06:09:52 AMTom, it's starting to look like a tower.

Rick,

Yes, it does doesn't it? This is a great little kit.

Tom

ACL1504 · January 25, 2026, 02:17:53 PM

Quote from: PRR Modeler on January 25, 2026, 09:09:41 AMGreat looking progress and how to Tom. Are you going to light it? Are you doing the exterior walls in Buff and trim in Asphaltium (chocolate brown) to support all the Pennsy equipment you have?

Butty Curt,

Thank you, much appreciated. Yes, it will be lighted with partial interior on the second floor.

NO, this baby will be in the A&S RR colors and not that other one you mentioned. We may have lots of Pennsy equip. but the railroad is still A&S.

Tom

ACL1504 · January 25, 2026, 02:19:14 PM

Quote from: Michael Hohn on January 25, 2026, 10:11:53 AMLooking good, Tom. I like how laser cut kits fit together so well, with reasonable care, of course.

Mike

Mike,

Thank you. Yes, this one fit very well and the laser cutting is very precise and pieces fit tightly.

Tom

ACL1504 · January 25, 2026, 02:25:43 PM

Quote from: Larry C on January 25, 2026, 11:11:21 AMTom you're going right to town there. Nice when stuff fits the way, or almost, the way it should. Should make a nice addition to your little empire; have fun.

Larry,

Thank you as well. Yes, so far, all the pieces fit nicely. And, I am having fun on this one. Not that Koontz wasn't fun, but its nice to not have to recut pieces to fit.

Tom

ACL1504 · January 25, 2026, 02:27:38 PM

Everything fits nicely.

ACL1504 · January 25, 2026, 02:35:22 PM

The piece in the following photo, serves as the second floor ceiling and the base for the roof brackets.

Notice the short bracket ends that extend out over the roof base.

I plan on lighting the second floor with partial interior. This piece will be removed several times and the potential for these short extensions to break exist.

Here is how I added more extensions to the brackets.

I glued HO scale 8X8s to each side of the kit bracket and when the glue was dry, shaved and sanded the 8X8s to the original bracket angle.

Now, I've more than doubled my extensions.

ACL1504 · January 25, 2026, 02:39:13 PM

I stained the four exterior walls with Hunterline Light Gray A&I. I stained the upper inside wall sections also. The walls still warped.

I placed weights on each wall until the stain was completely dry. This was overnight.

The next morning, all four walls were flat.

ACL1504 · January 25, 2026, 02:42:14 PM

I was going to stain the floor with Floquil Natural Pine, but to me the color looked to green. I chose to stain the second floor with Floquil Teak stain. This looks much better.

Done for today.

deemery · January 25, 2026, 02:53:27 PM

"Holy Driftwood" stain had a slight green tinge to it.

And on HunterLine, I talked to Bill Alcorn (B&B Hobbies) at Springfield. They have good stockage of all of the HunterLine stains, with a crate of Driftwood due in this coming week. No business connection, just someone I've enjoyed talking to for 20+ years of attending train shows...

dave

ACL1504 · January 25, 2026, 03:16:06 PM

Dave,

Yes, it did but not as much green as the Floquil Natural Pine.

I do have one of Hunterline's Driftwood and only six bottles of the "Holy" Floquil Dreftwood Stain.

Tom

ACL1504 · January 26, 2026, 04:21:14 PM

I chose Floquil Reefer White for the tower color. I opted not to go with a two tone color scheme.

The railroad colors for the A&S RR are dark green trim and white for the main structures.

The Atlantic Coast Line RR had several different color schemes for trim with the main color of white. The ACL freight stations were first white with chocolate brown trim. Later they had green trim and even purple trim with the white. Finally, the ACL had all white for the station colors.

As I mentioned, I previously stained the exterior walls with Hunterline Light Gray A&I. I used the reefer white and applied a very thin white wash to the stained walls. I let this dry overnight.

Since I'm adding some interior detail, I wanted to have a light color on the interior walls. I chose Tamiya Sky. It is Light Green in color but called Sky on the bottle.

Back in a few. I forgot to grab a cold Diet Pepsi for this posting update.