Needing a small station for my layout I found just what I needed for an interesting scratch-build in the N&W Historical Society archives: Cold Springs. I also found a plan of the apparently identical Atkins station. I wanted to attach these pictures to aid you with my questions, but the system has defeated me...... However, you have been very knowledgeable and helpful in the past, so I am posting the questions in any case, because I suspect N&W stations must have had much in common.
1) Are the exterior walls made of vertical planks with beading over the joins (as appears most likely); of plywood board with vertical decorative strips; or of some form of corrugated metal sheeting? Were there standard dimensions?
2) The roof appears to be of tin sheeting. Is this correct?
In both these cases, does anyone know of any styrene sheeting of the correct pattern (HO)? That would save quite a bit of time in the build.
3) The only colour picture I can find appears to show the walls as white with brown or red window/door frames. Is this right? Were they white or cream, and was the red perhaps the 'maroon' of the N&W passenger cars and the stripe on the J class?
Many thanks in advance for any information you can give me. It is so difficult researching from 3500 miles away in England!
Peter
Peter,My photo of Cold Springs eludes me at the moment, however, I think it would be representative of many of N&W's small stations. Here is what I can tell you:
1) The walls you are speaking of are called "Board & Batten Siding". This is where wide vertical boards of lumber have their seams covered by a smaller slat of lumber. I'm sure there is a standard dimention to the two different pieces of wood, but, I don't know what it is. I do think that companies such as Evergreen makes clapboard siding in plastic sheets.
2) The roof is tin roofing. I don't know if anyone makes that. Again check with Evergreen.
3) Station colors varied and it could be a wide variance. The cream w/maroon (closer to brown than red) trim is correct for steam era. Then there was a change to white w/green trim. There appears to be a white on white too. Later on with diesels there was also a gray w/black trim (ugly).
If you haven't already done so, you may try to find a couple of books;
"Norfolk & Western Facilities In Color by William McClure III"There are a couple of sections in there of stations.
"Images of Rail - Norfolk And Western Railway Stations and Depots"This one is all B/W, but, all stations. Many of which are small stations.
.
Peter,
I don't know if what you want is in here, but a lot to look at:
http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/selectdocs.php?index=s&id=3
Click on any photo and it will make it larger, plans included.
Frank
There may be some misunderstanding here. Clapboard (often pronounced with a silent "p") is actually applied horizontally. Board and Batten siding is what N&W used on many (probably most) of their wooden stations. The structure was covered with vertical boards, usually about 10" - 12" wide. Then a vertical batten was applied over the joints to keep the weather out. The battens might be about 1" x 2" in size, although I have seen a lot of variation in the size of both boards and battens, often on the same building. N&W may have had precise standard measurements, but I don't know them. One of the virtues of this construction was that precision was not required in the measurements. Battens often had a sculptured cross section, sometimes like the letter "D", but repacement/repair pieces might not quite match the originals. Board and Batten siding is available in both wood and styrene. Check the major suppliers for pre-made siding, but I usually just use plain flat stock and apply the battens myself. It's not hard.
Yes, B&B it was.
This is interesting:
Thank you very much for your help, guys. Board and Batten it is, and, having checked Evergreen prices, I shall do it myself as you suggest!
Now, I wonder what rich brown means.....?! The problem being on this side of the Atlantic is that the books you suggest are not easily available, or only available at ridiculous prices. The advantage is that not many people are going to be able to tell me that the bnrown I choose is wrong, a perennial danger with our own railways.
I am very grateful.
If you're going for the weathered look of those N&W stations, perhaps this photo of the station at Chilhowie, VA will be of assistance. The station building had been taken over by a farm supply company by the time that this March, 1986 photo was taken, and the brown of the trim varies greatly dependant upon how much sun it has received over the years.
Bill
Thanks very much, Bill. What an atmospheric (and sad) photograph that is. I am modelling the mid fifties, so I shall hope my station is not quite so dilapidated - though as it is just downhill from a coalmine it won't be too clean either.
Do you think the tin roof was painted brown originally to match the trim? I cannot believe that that is all an even coating of rust. It surely would not have been left unprotected when installed?
This is all very helpful.
Thanks, Peter