Scratchbuild Off ideas

[Anonymous]

My layout is still under construction so I could use just about anything from rolling stock to scenery. I am a do-it-yourselfer, hence I have a large workshop, and enjoy scratch building almost anything, real or scale.

To get some ideas for the scratchbuild off, I have been looking through back issues of MR mag. at the layout pics with a little different perspective - I look at each item in a layout picture and ask myself "I wonder if I can build that."

When I find something that I think I would like to build I go to google's "image" search engine (http://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=) for more pics of the item.

I found in doing this that I came across a lot of original photos which have given me some great ideas to keep in mind while I build and detail my layout. From what things look like weathered, to balast and weeds in the tracks/ties, to how deep and wide a ditch should be in differing situations.

My layout will be set in the transition period - late '40s thru early '50s - because I want to run both steamers and early diesels. I think I am going to try my hand at building a water tower - I understand that steamers get thirsty now and again. [:D]

Judging by this photo, no matter what mine turns out like it should look okay. [;)]


Colorado and Southern Railroad - Leadville, CO.
Photo taken by: unknown

I had thought about building a tank car, for steamer fuel oil, but haven't found any pics of one that is lopsided like this water tower. [:D]

What are you going to build?

[Anonymous]

I do not know If I am going to build yet or not. There is always a risk of things appearing rigged if you win your own compitition.

However, if I do enter, I am thinking on building a Modern Design, 21st Century Art Deco Train Station. Lots of white Styrene and cut glass. Should be awsome when I get it done. (Im going to build it anyway. Just don't know if I will enter it yet.)

[Dough]

I'm leaning MW. Maybe a Tie Loading Only NS gondola. And searching the web is a good idea. Their are a lot of really good pics, but often it takes mulitple searches to find what you want.

[vsmith]

In large scale scratchbuilding is almost a necessity especially for buildings. I currently have 5 foam core mockups to build, 2 large mines, a Industrial building, a 2 stall Engine House with a facade building behind it and another facade building to be installed infront of the backdrop. One they are done I will either convert the mockups into the final buildings (the facade only buildings) and build new finished buildings based on the mockups dimensions.

Oh I amost forgot to add, a new curved steel and concrete trestle to be built and two wood tunnel portals already finished. gonna be a busy summer...[8D]

[FJ and G]

Snake,

I built this exact watertower using coffee stir sticks around a piece of PVC pipe. I gutted a turntable and plopped the motor inside and using my USMC dog tag chain, made a hoist for the spout. The spout I carved from a piece of pine wood using my Dremel kit.

The water tower is I think on page 1 of my web site.

If you have trouble accessing the website, go back later to it in an hour when traffic has died down.

http://davidvergun.tripod.com/

[Hawks05]

Grayhound i really need to talk to you on MSN or AIM. get a hold of me somehow.

i'm hoping my parents can go to the lumber yard tomorrow and pick up some wood for my benchwork and then look for styrene so i can try my hand at building something. i'm thinking a gondola or something. don't know for sure. maybe a flat car. i have enough parts and everything for it. i'll have to find some pics to use as a tool to get started.

[Anonymous]

I was thinking I'd build a station or building or something, but I think I'll have to pass this round. First I'd like to get my layout up and running, and plus I've never scratchbuilt anything before and really don't have the time. And then there's getting the proper tools, making a spot to work, augh. Maybe next time I'll give it a shot (if there is a next time). Sorry if I let you down, Grayhound. I know we talking about it a lot.[:(]

[Anonymous]

Well I am sorry to hear you change your mind. However I feel that if I even get a modest amount of participation this year, I will consider it a good run and try it again next year.

So we will see what happens this year.

James.

[Anonymous]

Grayhound:

On the subject of judging, I'd like to propose that all entrants be given TWO votes. One for each catagory, novice and open. Thus there would be no question of nepotism. Such a scheme also has the advantage of allowing the participants to determine winners.

For myself I don't care whether or not there are actual 'prizes', I'm really using the contest as an excuse for doing what I intend to do in any case.

Also I've decided on my project, taken from a 1959 MR article.

Randy

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FJ and G

Snake,

I built this exact watertower using coffee stir sticks around a piece of PVC pipe. I gutted a turntable and plopped the motor inside and using my USMC dog tag chain, made a hoist for the spout. The spout I carved from a piece of pine wood using my Dremel kit.

The water tower is I think on page 1 of my web site.

If you have trouble accessing the website, go back later to it in an hour when traffic has died down.

http://davidvergun.tripod.com/

David,

Your water tower (and the entire layout for that matter) looks GREAT!

Just by chance I received an order yesterday from "The Lumber Yard" (http://www.dlumberyard.com/). The items came in a 3" shipping tube. Perfect to use as a "jig" to make the tank. I'll wrap the tube with wax paper, sand the edges of the sticks slightly for fit then glue the sicks together using rubberbands to hold them in place while they dry. I'll have to make a trip to Starbucks today (oh shucks [:)]) for the coffee stir sticks. They are thinner and narrower than popcicle sticks, thanks for the idea.

I was going to tapper some dowel material (pine) for the water spout. (BTW I also model wooden tall ships. Masts and cross arms need to be tappered so I have a jig made for that purpose.) I figure I will have to hand carve (dremel) the tip of the spout from a piece of pine.

I won't be making my water tower functional as you did with the turntable motor but I do have some scale anchor chain left over from building a ship so the spout chain won't be a problem.

What did you use for the tank bands? I plan to use a single strand of wire from a piece of stranded wire but haven't check on wire diameter yet to ge the correct scale size. An actual drawing I found, via goggle, shows the lower bands at 1-1/8", middle bands at 1" and upper bands at 7/8". I will probably find something "close" to 1" (one HO inch is .0115) and go for it.

I plan to make this whole thing (other than the chain) from "treasure trash" (stuff that would normally go in the trash and be thrown away) and scrap pieces I have laying around the shop.

I am eagerly awaiting GC to fire the starting pistol so I can start assembling my project. [:D]

How are the rest of you coming along? Need any help or suggestions on "how to"?
I have many years expierence in building models and I would love to help ya. I can be contacted via e-mail, and although not always at my computer (look at the bottom of forum homepage to see if I am on the forum) I also have AIM, MSN and Yahoo IM - see the gray bar below.

[Jetrock]

I've just been sort of watching this competition thing unfold--I started on a scratchbuilding project today but I don't think it would be much of an entry: a building flat of a small furniture store. It is based on a prototype building that still stands on X Street in Sacramento, where the Sacramento belt line ran. It's a two-story Art Deco-ish structure of 1930's vintage--stucco, with a little bit of decorative tile.

In a way, it's sort of a scratchbuilt kitbash--rather than using off-the-shelf parts, I am using sheets of 1/16" cardstock and assorted scale lumber that came with a Suydam kit I bought (the kit itself turned out to be incomplete, but it's a wonderful source of spare parts!) but, if any of you have built a Suydam kit (now known as Alpine Division Scale Models) you know that they're the next best thing to scratchbuilding!

It's a pretty small building--about 35 feet wide and 27 feet tall, 14.5 feet deep (it's a flat, intended for use against a backdrop) with a flat roof and several large display windows. One of the challenges of this model will be making the building look three-dimensional--because of the display windows, there will have to be some sort of interior details (window displays of furniture seem the most appropriate.) Lighting is a possibility as well. The entryway is kind of unique...I'll have to scan the photo I have and figure out how to upload and display it here. The model is a selective compression of the store itself, maintianing similar architechtural elements and lines while being smaller in dimensions and simpler in layout.

Starting tonight, I cut out the walls and entryway & window, beveled the walls and assembled the basic building framework. I also added a trim piece (a 1/4" wide strip of cardstock) to the perimeter of the building. Next comes the roof and back wall, then painting and tile-work, and that interior detail--I guess I'm going to need to buy or build some HO scale furniture to stock my store!

[Anonymous]

Looks as if water tanks are pretty popular. I am building one also, as part of a larger structure.

On the topic of water spouts the author of the article I am using as a guide made his from a length of 1/8 diameter thin wall brass. He filed a V-slot, using a trianglular detail file, about 1/3 of the way down the length and two latteral V-slots, then squeezed the tube in a vise and soldered the partline and filed flush. His results were great. My effort we will have to see.

Brass wire is available in .010, .015, and .019 diameter. More or less 1", 11/2", 2" in HO. Grandt Line has turnbuckles cored for .020 wire (#5039). Alternately you could make 3" and 6" wood bands from either .010 basswood or .010 styrene. I tend to like the look of wire bands but haven't made a final decision yet.

Anyone else have ideas?

Randy

[Anonymous]

Just so you know. The compitition has not officially started yet. I have tentativly set the start date for April 1. I have the rules wrote I just need to type them out and they will be posted by the end of the week.

Thank You all for your input.

James.

[Jetrock]

Oh, okay--that's fine, I consider this current project to be a sort of "practice run" especially since this furniture store is more of a cardstock "dollar model" practice run.

Now that I'm getting more interested in this competition I've got two possible entries in mind--either a grocery store/residence that was located across the street from that furniture store (Gentner's Market), or a caboose that was "kitbashed" from an interurban freight box motor when their parent line switched to diesels in 1946 but suddenly found itself short of cabooses.

[easyaces]

Since I already have 3 structures built for entry in this contest, I have but one question? When and where is this competition going to be held?

[Anonymous]

EasyAces,

Ooops - I think ya just let the cat out of the bag....

Here's the link to the original post and unless Grayhound Challenger has changed the rules you need to read rule number 1.

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12255

Got plans for another project [:D]

[Anonymous]

THe contest will be held online. I almost have the rules for compitition spelled out. I am wil be done writing them this evening and will be having them proofread and will get them posted by the end of the week.

James