I never thought I would have a model railroad project I just couldn't wait to finish, but that was before I started on an HO scale model of the MASSIVE Pennsylvania Railroad 21 stall roundhouse that once stood in the PRR Shire Oaks yard in Elrama PA. Granted, I had to scale it down by three stalls, but it's still massive in my opion at 18 stalls.
Now all that's left is to just cut out the inspection pits from the wood (any suggestions? besides a router), install and wire up rail, and scenic the area. Oh, and install a toggle to "kill" power to the roundhouse tracks.
(My Model Railroad, My Rules)
These are the opinions of an under 35 , from the east end of, and modeling, the same section of the Wheeling and Lake Erie railway. As well as a freelanced road (Austinville and Dynamite City railroad).
Jimmy,
It's HUGE! Congratulations!
Quite an impressive accomplishment. You should make a tiny cornerstone plaque that says "Built by Jimmy Braum, 2016" and apply it to one corner of the building.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
That is quite a project, I had done a 6 stall version a couiple of years ago, so I can imagine your relief to get it behind you.
Jimmy_BraumNow all that's left is to just cut out the inspection pits from the wood
As to the pits, they are not that visible. I just painted the plywood under the tracks and pit openings flat black, and feel that is good enough. If you do want pits a router would be a good tool; otherwise, drill a hole big enough for a saber saw blade and cut the hole with that tool.
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
What a great accomplished I agree with Mike a plaque would be most fitting
Jeff P
I had thought about drilling a hole and sawing from there, so I'm glad someone seconded that idea.
Perhaps I will print out a plaque reading "Built by Jimmy Braum 2015-2016" I started on it in May of 2015....so almost a year.
Massive project there, Jim. Love how that roundhouse ties everything up scenery wise.
Great work!!!!
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
Jimmy Bra
When you are finished want to start one on the YGW ?
YGW
yougottawanta Jimmy Bra When you are finished want to start one on the YGW ? YGW
Sorry man, but for me...NO MORE ROUNDHOUSES, at least for awhile lol. Now I remember why I'm glad I model modern era, with only one possible smaller roundhouse for my freelanced road, and a couple modern engine shops for the Wheeling.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
WOW!! That is awesome.
Congratulations! Now you need to get back to the workbench and build enough locos to fill it!
Tom
Oh I've got 18 locos to fill it lol, but it's not all Pennsy steam or even plausible to be in a roundhouse LOL.
Thought you might say that Jimmy. If you ever change your mind or have a mental episode and decide to build another one.....
Just saying
Jimmy:
That's really impressive!
Well done (well, almost done)
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I recently bought one of these Dewalt 20V Li oscillating multi tools that would work great for what you are doing. Here's a link to it on Amazon.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518fH2TmQlL._SX425_.jpg
How disappointing!
Only 18 stalls when it could have been 21 stalls.
Just kidding, of course.
Seriously, that sucker is massive, beautifully done. Puts my puny 9-stall roundhouse to shame.
Kudos to you, Jimmy Braum.
Rich
Alton Junction
Beautiful! It's good to see a nice big roundhouse; hardly anybody has room for one.
Deano
Nice work, Jimmy!
It looks like the machine shop is a slightly different shade of brick red? Like it was added on years after the main roundhouse was built. Nice touch.
Do you have plans for the lighting?
Some years ago I was exploring around Mingo Junction on the Panhandle of the great Pennsy and wandered into a weed-strewn area. There was a concrete foundation remaining and some tile floors and some wood block flooring, too.
Then it dawned on me I was standing in the remains of the roundhouse!
Here's a view looking toward the turntable. I could pick out the drop table, the wash room (tile) and the foreman's office (nicer tile) !
It is great that someone as young as yourself has such an interest in the heritage of that fascinating region of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio.
More photos, please?
[edit] I see a pair of wood water towers off to the side... those have to go
A facility that size would have huge, steel water towers of the type Tichy has to offer.
https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/293-7012
Keep up the good work! Ed
gmpullman More photos, please?
I like how it fits into the corner like that. Better use of space than dominating the end of an island. I also like the proper placement of the Penn Central engine
Great job, Jimmy! What a massive structure. I can't wait to see more pictures, as you complete the scene.
Mike.
My You Tube
mlehman Jimmy, It's HUGE! Congratulations! Quite an impressive accomplishment. You should make a tiny cornerstone plaque that says "Built by Jimmy Braum, 2016" and apply it to one corner of the building.
Very nice! I like the idea of adding a cornerstone to it since it is such a great model. Maybe it would look something like this.
j.....
That was entirely accidentally intentional (New phrase of mine). I have a paint mix that is good for filling in Motar lines on brickwork, but somehow I must have gotten the paint formula mixed up. Instead of just filling in the lines, it flowed over the entire brickwork. But, I was planning to make the brick a different shade, to simulate an addition.
The lighting, I'm still undecided but I may experiment with the Woodland scenic lighting kits; I was planning to do that with my city scene on the layout eventually.
The Water towers, they were donations so they are just temporary scene fillers until we can find the correct water towers, which I think were not towers at all, but similar to the water trough design.
I'm busy until Saturday, so I'll hopefully go down then and take some more photos of the roundhouse. Hmm that brings up a good question as well, has anyone done the interior of a machine shop and do you think it would be worth doing one for a building so far in? Regardless, I'm planning to put an interior in the 6-8 closest stalls.
Thanks for the love guys, that means a lot. The club I built this for models the Pennsy Monongahela Division between Shire Oaks and Allenport from the 1950's until the 1970s. The club is the Mid Mon Valley Model Railroad Club.
Also did some patching further down on the layout.
Stunning! Nice work.
I wanted just about the same thing on my Garden RR, but decided I didn't have room for a 15-ft diameter building. (Smaller scales have some definite advantages!)
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
Nice job Jimmy. I hope mine turns out as nice.
I am currently doing a six staller and am stuck on what colour to paint the doors and window frames. The one I am trying to emulate had doors of many colours over the ninety plus years it was in service. Toward the end they were painted white for better visibility at night but were dark brown early on, decisions decisions.
You could cut the pit holes by drilling lots of holes and use a pistol grip saw to zip through it.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
I had thought about using a drill bit to start holes, but was unsure how to continue. Maybe that pistol grip saw might work.
Update: IT'S IN THE GROUND! The first half is ready to have rail installed and wired up, well after fixing a few pieces that fell off when I accidentally bumped it.