Cash strapped structures

[Deem]

My favourite structures are the one I made when I was cash strapped. I found it made me creative and innovative.

These structures were made with a combo of new and old parts, cardboard, basswood, paper, and some with a little styrene. The TT's pit was built from scratch using an embroidery hoop and masonite hardboard. The TT bridge made from basswood and one stip of hardwood.

My only regret is some buildings I made too delicate so are prone to be easily damaged.

[IWannaRetire]

Deen, those look remarkable!

The forum topics I enjoy and follow most are the scratch-builds, anything you post along those lines would be greatly appreciated by this reader.

I hear you on cash-strapped past. My brother and I started modeling in the '60s when we were both paperboys and then started working as soon as we were tall enough, but still underage.  We had money, but Dad made sure we banked our earnings, and took only a small allowance for ourselves. No regrets, we were the oldest in a large family and Dad made sure we all got educations. So, all good. 

My brother and I modeled on a super-tight budget, scratch building with the typical materials of the times: paper, cardstock from steno pads and cereal boxes, balsa, etc.  I even flattened toothpaste tubes to make a tin barn roof as recommended in Kalmbach's Easy to Build Model Railroad Structures. I tried my hand at making corrugated metal for a larger grain mill structure in this book but the suggested method proved too much for my 13 year old patience level.

Life left modeling behind until recently, and while I enjoy a larger allowance now, I still pinch pennies as it takes me back to my 13 year old self.

Additionally. I have accepted the challenge from my 13 year old self and have re-started the grain elevator from this book, this time in O scale.   

.

[Deem]

Deen, those look remarkable!

The forum topics I enjoy and follow most are the scratch-builds, anything you post along those lines would be greatly appreciated by this reader.

I hear you on cash-strapped past. My brother and I started modeling in the '60s when we were both paperboys and then started working as soon as we were tall enough, but still underage.  We had money, but Dad made sure we banked our earnings, and took only a small allowance for ourselves. No regrets, we were the oldest in a large family and Dad made sure we all got educations. So, all good. 

My brother and I modeled on a super-tight budget, scratch building with the typical materials of the times: paper, cardstock from steno pads and cereal boxes, balsa, etc.  I even flattened toothpaste tubes to make a tin barn roof as recommended in Kalmbach's Easy to Build Model Railroad Structures. I tried my hand at making corrugated metal for a larger grain mill structure in this book but the suggested method proved too much for my 13 year old patience level.

Life left modeling behind until recently, and while I enjoy a larger allowance now, I still pinch pennies as it takes me back to my 13 year old self.

Additionally. I have accepted the challenge from my 13 year old self and have re-started the grain elevator from this book, this time in O scale. 

.







[/quote

Deen, those look remarkable!

The forum topics I enjoy and follow most are the scratch-builds, anything you post along those lines would be greatly appreciated by this reader.

I hear you on cash-strapped past. My brother and I started modeling in the '60s when we were both paperboys and then started working as soon as we were tall enough, but still underage.  We had money, but Dad made sure we banked our earnings, and took only a small allowance for ourselves. No regrets, we were the oldest in a large family and Dad made sure we all got educations. So, all good. 

My brother and I modeled on a super-tight budget, scratch building with the typical materials of the times: paper, cardstock from steno pads and cereal boxes, balsa, etc.  I even flattened toothpaste tubes to make a tin barn roof as recommended in Kalmbach's Easy to Build Model Railroad Structures. I tried my hand at making corrugated metal for a larger grain mill structure in this book but the suggested method proved too much for my 13 year old patience level.

Life left modeling behind until recently, and while I enjoy a larger allowance now, I still pinch pennies as it takes me back to my 13 year old self.

Additionally. I have accepted the challenge from my 13 year old self and have re-started the grain elevator from this book, this time in O scale. 

.

Thanks for the kind words, Mark.

Interesting time with your brother. It is good your father didn't spoil you.

My first attempt at making a structure from styrene, was from instructions and plans in a model railway magazine, but can't remember, which one. It wasn't that great, so I made it into an abandoned gas station.

This storage tank I made from a LifeSavers candy wrapper.

Do keep us posted about your grain elevator.

[Zephyrus52246]

Your builds are amazing, especially the coaling tower.  

Jeff

[IWannaRetire]

Agreed, keep them coming!

[Larry C]

Deem those are some great looking builds; just goes to show what can be done on a tight budget.

[Deem]

Your builds are amazing, especially the coaling tower. 

Jeff

Thank you Jeff. I made a twin tower but never weathered it. I have no idea what shape it is in, as it has been in a box for years. I don't even know where the box is.

[Deem]

Agreed, keep them coming!

Mark.

This is a structure I bulit from scratch years ago, which is long gone. I wish I took more pics of it, but at least have pics of its constructiion. It was a very narrow section of the layout that went across a window.

[Deem]

Deem those are some great looking builds; just goes to show what can be done on a tight budget.

It sure does, Larry.

I made this water tower with two heavy duty cardboard hollow dowels. The top part I wraped styrene strips around it in a staggered fashion to depict plates. The lower one is wrapped with some type of latex or rubber flexible rock. The roof is a spare part from a Tichi kit. It is suppose to depict a new steel tank put on an old foundation that used to have a wood tank on it. It got blown off in a big storm. Note the residual mud and derbris left from the flood caused by the storm.

[Deem]

Agreed, keep them coming!

Mark, this is another one inspired by one seen in a model railway magazine decades ago. It is named after an old character that used to work for my father. When I had a larger layout, the businesses were named after people I knew/liked.

It is on my staging area/workbench. I just repaired it and made a new deck for it. It was in a box for a long time thus it got damaged.

I have no place on the layout for it.