G scale structure quesetion?

[Anonymous]

Backyard bog-down....My brother's wife said he has to move his trains to the FRONT yard, so my plans for the garden pike are naturally going to be altered drastically. The method of power will remain DCC but it will take a much more delicate plan to come up with something feasible for the gated front yard.
So now I have to somehow fini***his 2-stall roundhouse for the front yard, I hope it fits!
wish me luck!

Tom M.

[Anonymous]

Hi Tom
between the two hobby time well and truly taken up
What is interesting is the cross transfer both ways of modeling methods.
If the indoor station gets built all the buildings ect will be foam core board particularly if
I still have the floor plan for state housing comission house from the 60's as all the walls are flat exept the beading where the wall sheets join.
regards John

[Anonymous]

Hi Tom
I see your line is indoors and you use foam which one?
I have used a product in Aus called foam core board, I have used it for wargames structures.
It is polystyrene like foam with a card layer on both sides and comes in a variety of thickneses,.
It is easy to work with and would give the rapid progress you seek.
In construction use a good PVA glue and keep the knife razor sharp and it is easy to get good results from it.
regards John
--------------------------------

John,

I have several types of foam. I usually use the packing foam that wedges between computer components in large boxes. I may very well have some pictures of this "diorama" soon on my website, its turning out to my liking. I bought a hot wire cutter for $8.00 at a craft shop for shaping.

Very interesting...war gaming,eh? I bet that keeps you busy!

Regards,

Tom M.

[Anonymous]

Hi Tom
I see your line is indoors and you use foam which one?
I have used a product in Aus called foam core board, I have used it for wargames structures.
It is polystyrene like foam with a card layer on both sides and comes in a variety of thickneses,.
It is easy to work with and would give the rapid progress you seek.
In construction use a good PVA glue and keep the knife razor sharp and it is easy to get good results from it.
regards John

[Anonymous]

Yes, that is a very good point John about not just buying store-bought structures because it gives
your layout a cookie-cutter look to it. But
even a store kit can be bashed into something very individual. I really thought taking the PIKO german 1:32 products and bashing them into 1:29
buildings was a great article in a back issue of GR. Sad to say that those "29ers" must really bash and scratchbuild to get the empire going.

I like the use of foam, too, but I am just wetting my feet in that area now. I am building a ore mine and adjacent rock/mountain structure. Its almost a large diorama and it is not weatherproof (for indoor use). Thats the project for my pike, while I'm of course still working on my brothers engine haus. I don't know what I will finish first, but I am the kind of person that needs to see ample progress in my creations to continue and keep the passion up.

Cheers,

Tom

[Anonymous]

Hi Tom
While I whole heartedly agree with you on the kits you will always have too Scratch build or bash some thing.
Other wise it becomes come and see my railway just like every other out of the box railway
it is the scratch building and kit bashing that allow us to make the railway our own.
There are a lot of complete garden railways out there but none of them are truly finished
as something can allways be added or improved on.
as for unfinished projects we all have at least one of those and lots of ideas as to what the next one could be.
I for one Don't have the capital to buy everything I don't think any one other than millionares have that I don't like it but some times cost comes in to it
regards John

[Anonymous]

Hey Friends,

I also forgot to mention that PIKO and POLA kits
really seem to be a great value not just for
the robust quality of materials but because you
can purchase the kit and have it together within
a couple of hours. Like I said before, my time
during the week is short for my train hobby and
taking an evening to build a "ready made" kit
is really a joy, because you feel the accomplishment that day. Now I don't recommend leaving the structure unweathered, without added detail and lighting, no! But the idea here is that the ready-made kits hold their value in this respect and shouldn't always be overlooked because of their "pricey"-ness.

Tom M.

[Anonymous]

I would like to make a note here about scratchbuilding...

It is true that you can do everything by "scratch"...but sometimes you shouldn't always
use a method just because it can be done.

For example, indoors I have a layout and I buy
tree kits. I can assemble quite a few of these
trees within a couple of hours. But although I feel I am a real passionate model railroader, I don't enjoy 4 straight hours of making these trees, however "easy" it is. I need to break up the monotony after a couple hours or so. Sure, some nights I can go for much longer at a stretch. But most the time 2 hours for one specific job is enough for me.

Lets take that .02 advice and apply it to scratchbuilding for outdoors. Outdoor structures need to be robust and look good with proper paint and weathering. If you do everything by "scratch" it will take some serious time to get it right. Probably more time than money, true, but---if are employed for a living---we all know that "TIME *is* money".

Making doors and window frames as well as building the building itself, painting it all, weathering, detailing...all this has to be done the right way or it won't be successful, and that will take lots of time away from your other activities.

I meet the job half-way: build the structure frame/main parts from scratch (wood, styrene, veneer) and then purchase the detail parts like doors and window frames, sidings,etc. You still got to paint the whole thing, and I'm not retired with loads of time to spend at my leisure, so it becomes necessary to me to see "progress" (completion of structure) without months and months of "investment" (time).

True, there are many G scalers outdoors who are so passionate that they need to build it all themselves, but I don't think that most G users are in this category, having familys and jobs.

Just a little cautionary statement about starting a project and end up frustrated because it never is "done".

Cheers,

Tom M.

[whiterab]

I recognized most of the stuff at Oak Ridge Hobbies as being from other manufacturers. You weren't specific about what you were looking for but I'm assuming you were looking at the building plans and supplies.advertised. As mentioned in an earlier post to this thread, a lot of the building material was from Precision Products.

The Precision Products are plastic veneer to detail the outside of a wooden structure. When you paint it, it looks remarkably like real wood. For small scale siding such as 1 X 4s, this will stand up much better to weather than using real wood in the same size.

The building plans are from Precision Products and Garden Texture. I have built a couple of structures from Garden Texture, building another and have one more on back order. If you want to work in wood. Garden Texture kits and plans are great. They certainly don't go together in an afternoon like plastic models, but wood looks sooo much better than plastic outside. Besides, wood glue doesn't stick my fingers together for hours at a time.

Their URL is http://www.gardentexture.com/

Post back if you are interested in working in wood and I can give you a list of the basic tools you need to start with. If you buy wood kits, you don't have to have any fancy power equipment but there are a few small handtools that I think are essential. If you are going to build from plans, then your going to need some good power saws.

[Anonymous]

Hi
Buildings are not that Expensive to make your self I am woking on one at the moment
and so far the two sample pots of paint for the building have cost more than the rest of it put together
When the building is finnished the paint will still have cost more than the rest of it.
who need expensive doors when Card Traditional shellac prime and seal and good full gloss exterior grade paint will produce a lot more doors for the price of one or two comercial detail parts, and the left overs will make more doors for the next project
regards John

[DSchmitt]

1/2" Scale is 1/24 so it is right in the middle of the range of scales used for G gauge trains (1/29 to 1/20.3) Its an easy scale for Americans to work with since a standard ruler or tape measure can be easily used for many measurements.

1/16" = 1.5" 1/8" = 3" 1/4" = 6" 1/2" = 12" 1" = 24"

1/2" scale accessories are plentiful and many plastic model car/truck kits are available in this scale. There are even some airplanes kits and some very nice diecast vehicles.
1/25 scale cars and trucks are a little smaller, but very close.

The famous Mongoram Mack Trucks are 1/24 scale

I notice that the site offers a lot of plans for those who want to make their own buildings.

[Anonymous]

HEY GANG!

Scratchbuilding in G scale is somewhat a daunting task (as the size is so BIG, you need quite extensive detailing to capture the look and feel, and it CAN be expensive (sometimes it has to be)).

Well I model German outline structures, so sometimes it HAS to be expensive. Sometimes I have to rely on Pola or Preiser accessories because I;m not up to making my own German figures (yet!).

But the Captain listed these links...

http://www.rrstoneworks.com/
http://www.trainstuffllc.com/
http://www.specialshapes.com/
http://www.spjrr.com/
http://www.kamloopsjunction.com/buildings.html
http://www.rrmodels.com/structures/ihs_buildings_01.asp
http://www.railroadavenue.com/LargeScale_Houses.shtml
http://www.piko.de/
http://www.nemodel.com/
http://www.hobbylinc.com/prods/uge.htm
http://www.modelbuilderssupply.com/
http://www.downtowndeco.com/largescale.htm
http://www.houseofbalsa.com/e/env/0001htiJ9KDhKB8Xjg2m694/index.html?link=/index.html
http://www.g-scale.com/g-scale/Exhibitors/Comstock/Comstock.html
http://www.gardentexture.com/
http://www.island.net/~brewer/

------>>>>>> http://www.appliedimaginationinc.com/precision_products/index.html

And I HIGHLY recommend this above link, I have purchased many times from them already. They sell plastic veneer UV protected sheets for the sides of your structures. They sell stuff for roofs and windows/doors, too.

Also, I am going to order some PIKO sidings and see how they fare (the PIKO stuff is much heavier ).
The PIKO side walls will go on my wood-built ENGINE SHED. This puppy is huge--40" x 30" to store about
3 or 4 engines. Its going in my brother's back yard pike. I might use a real aluminum roof for it,too.

I love building in WOOD! At least the frame of the structure -- very strong and won't blow away outdoors!
Also, you need not purchase huge pieces of lumber and have to cut it all up---Lowe's home improvement and some Home Depot's sell pre-cut "project" wood (I call it hobby wood, but its usually better quality and in larger sizes than what you find at a hobby store). It is also reasonably priced considering its pre-cut.

You don't need a fully enclosed wood structure, you just need a "frame" that is nice and rigid. Screw it together. Then purchase Precision Products panels or PIKO side panels and glue and/or screw them on. Once they are on, you can't see the wood frame at all. A touch of paint here and there and a suitable roof (wood frame with real asphalt shingle is a very cheap way) and you can make a very large structure that rivals store-purchased kits for durability and looks.

Has anyone besides me gone this route? Love to chat. about it.

Tom M.

[vsmith]

Thanks for the links Bluebonnet,

I might have to get some things from Trainstuff and Railroad Ave.

[Anonymous]

Capt Carrales

These are the floks I deal with (no kickbacks to me!) But remember if yours is in 1:20.3 then call and question then see if thay will accept return if it is not right size. I have been doing research for almost 3yrs now on mine.
http://www.rrstoneworks.com/
http://www.trainstuffllc.com/
http://www.specialshapes.com/
http://www.spjrr.com/
http://www.kamloopsjunction.com/buildings.html
http://www.rrmodels.com/structures/ihs_buildings_01.asp
http://www.railroadavenue.com/LargeScale_Houses.shtml
http://www.piko.de/
http://www.nemodel.com/
http://www.hobbylinc.com/prods/uge.htm
http://www.modelbuilderssupply.com/
http://www.downtowndeco.com/largescale.htm
http://www.houseofbalsa.com/e/env/0001htiJ9KDhKB8Xjg2m694/index.html?link=/index.html
http://www.g-scale.com/g-scale/Exhibitors/Comstock/Comstock.html
http://www.gardentexture.com/
http://www.island.net/~brewer/
http://www.appliedimaginationinc.com/precision_products/index.html
http://www.railsidemodels.co.uk/ UK one [:D]
http://www.builders-in-scale.com/bis/parts-shingles.html

OK, enought eye candy [:p]

[Anonymous]

I get ideas from garden rails magazine for buildings and i come up with some of my own. I use plywood to make the building , and metal for the roof, I also make my own bridges. ben-----pa .[2c]

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys. This is some of what I have been looking for also.

Bill

[Anonymous]

Thanks to all, I think they might sell some of this stuff at Hobbylobby. I'll make a trip to investagate (sometime after school lets out in the Summer.) I have seen the doll house section at HobbyLobby, but never really looked in on it.

Thanks for the tip!

[vsmith]

Actually that 1/2" stuff is just about right on the money for narrow gaugers!

Unless you want to fabricate EVERYTHING from scratch!

The only thing that might not work for 1/29-1/32 scratchbuilders are the doors, which are too big, but windows, architectural details, siding, wallpaper, shingles, all that other stuff can be used from 1/29 right up to 1/20.5. It all depends on ordering the stuff in nominal sizes thats closest to your scale, but there is a wide leeway to use these parts for almost any scale.

1/2" scale 3 inch lapboard siding looks lousy in 1/20.3 but great at 1/29 scale, similar with 9 inch lapboard, lousy at 1/29 but great at 1/20.3.

The 1/2" furniture can be used from 1/24 scale up to 1/20.3 just dont let people get too close to viewing it if its at 1/20.3

As for kits, I would even go so far as to say from 1/24 to 1/20.3 you could probably insert whole buildings at 1/24 and it would not look out of place, they might be good background buildings if your doing 1/20.3, but they are sooo close to 1/22.5.

[bman36]

Capt. C.,
Hard to tell. From the pictures with the trains they look to be the right size. I would give them a call and ask a few questions first. Actual "G" Scale is 1:22.5 so what exactly is that they have to sell...not sure. Ask if they are full size plans and go from there. Later eh...Brian.

[Anonymous]

Hi Captain,

1/2" scale works out big. We have a supplier in Blackpool, I have looked at it and thought, no. G scale covers everything that we do in the hobby from 1:20.3 to 1:29 to scratchbuilders working their own size and as discussed in other topics that's a big gap. I mix scales and as long as it looks ok then I live with it. Ozark advertise their buildings as suitable for 1:20.3 through to 1:24 which is bang on target for narrow guage and slightly large for standard guage - but I bet you wouldn't notice it! The drawings on page 2 advertise for G & 1/2" which suggests they are a compromise between the two. Best thing here is to call them and ask the height of a door, you can guage the rest from there. Anything you get wrong will end up in that box of offcuts and get used about 20 years from now!
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[Anonymous]

Can reasonable scale strutures available at this website...

http://www.oakridgehobbies.com/g_scale/g_home.html

...usable with G scale.

In other words, before I order anything from these people is it the stuff I might need?