Hobart tower would make a nice medium-sized interlocking facility for my layout, with the added nostalgia value.
The whole structure (2-5/8”x1-5/8”x2” in N Scale) would cost over $60 at a 3D printing service. So far, I haven’t made a printable 3D model of the roof, which will take a bit of tweaking before it passes their design checks.
I have a tower kit I'm going to put in the throat of my staging tracks. I think it's a Walthers model. It has a lot in common with your drawings. I have an old Faller piece of interlocking equipment that I think will look good through the windows.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
That ought to look really good. I presume your Walthers kit is HO scale, as I have found slim pickings in N.
In his excellent book Union Pacific in the Los Angeles Basin, Jeff S. Asay devoted 4½ pages to the Hobart tower. It was the last operating interlocking tower in the state of California, its last day of service being April 13, 2002. The historical significance of this structure is all the more reason to preserve its legacy, and makes its loss all the more sad.
Shapeways says they can't print it, BUT THEY WON'T TELL ME WHY! I've wasted several hours on this stupid project and I'm ready to chuck it.
Do any of you know of a better alternative? I've had it with this outfit.
Hi Neptune48,
First, it is not a stupid project! It is a great project!!
Neptune48Do any of you know of a better alternative?
Yes. It's called styrene and it works really well! Yes, you will have to do some physical work with your hands and a few tools, but I promise that the rewards will far outweigh the learning curve.
Here is a scratchbuilt styrene signal house. I fully admit that I borrowed the concept from a kit available through Walthers:
I used Tichy windows and doors. The rest is Evergreen styrene siding and angle strips. The stairs are scratchbuilt too. It has internal and external lighting. It was an easy build.
You already have all the details drawn out. That's half the work! In other words, you are half way there already! Go for it!!
If you have questions, please ask!
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
As Dave mentions, use styrene sheets. A very popular method of building structures this side of the pond.
Another form of modeling structures is the use of card.
It is my preference, but both are good. A case of what you like working with.
However you decide to build the building don't give up. As Dave says you have done half the work already (and that is the hardest half).
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
Neptune48 I've wasted several hours on this stupid project and I'm ready to chuck it.
I've wasted several hours on this stupid project and I'm ready to chuck it.
As others have said, you are halfway there. Yes, styrene sheet is the starting point. This can be done, and it can be a lot of fun. All of the materials are available including windows and doors and handrails.
Walthers makes an interlocking tower that closely simulates your model. It is Walthers Item No. 933-3071. Check it out as well.
https://www.walthers.com/interlocking-tower-kit-5-x-1-7-8-x-4-quot-12-7-x-4-8-x-10-2cm
Rich
Alton Junction
Neptune48 Shapeways says they can't print it, BUT THEY WON'T TELL ME WHY! I've wasted several hours on this stupid project and I'm ready to chuck it. Do any of you know of a better alternative? I've had it with this outfit.
First of all, thank you hon30critter, NorthBrit, richhotrain & rrebell for your responses. I'll try to consolidate my reply to all four at once.
Issue No. 1: It's N scale. That nice Walthers model is HO.
Issue No. 2: It's N scale. Although my original plan was to do at least the walls, including the relief detail, in styrene, the windows and doors are a different matter althgether. For instance, the doors are approximately 1/4" wide x 1/2" high and .030" thick. The doorknob is 18 thousands in diameter. This is a bit small to try and scratch build.
Issue No. 3: It's N scale. Tichy has a fine selection of doors and windows, but none were quite the fit for this structure.
Issue No. 4 (actually the original source of my problem): I couldn't find a way to get Shapeways to print just doors and windows, or even the whole 2½"x1½"x1¾" building, or to tell me why it wouldn't
Now that I have recovered from my 2:00am frustration, I did some more trial-and-error, and I might have stumbled onto a solution.
When I submitted the fixtures as a group of separate items, Shapeways's software choked.
But when I attached them all to a single base, the software got happy.
Now I can print the fixtues and the roof...
Total cost of printing both is $44.83 — not too bad for custom.
So now it seems Hobart and I are back on track.
Thanks again.
Regards,Bruce
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Hi Bruce,
I'm glad to see that you are back on track! I apologize for missing the fact that you are working in N scale. The only N scale work that I have done was building a double head track signal in brass for a friend. I had built several in HO scale so making the smaller model wasn't all that difficult, but it certainly was fussy work.
You have solved the issue with getting the doors and windows made so now you are 3/4s of the way there. I will be interested to see the results of your efforts.
hon30critter Hi Bruce, I'm glad to see that you are back on track! I apologize for missing the fact that you are working in N scale. The only N scale work that I have done was building a double head track signal in brass for a friend. I had built several in HO scale so making the smaller model wasn't all that difficult, but it certainly was fussy work. You have solved the issue with getting the doors and windows made so now you are 3/4s of the way there. I will be interested to see the results of your efforts. Cheers!! Dave
Thanks, Dave.
I have this Silhouette Portrait cutter that I bought a few years ago and have yet to take out of the box. I think it's time. I just need to get a handle on the software, and fortunately it imports AutoCAD dxf files, since I've been using it since 1988. I still can't find a way to keep the scale correct, but that's a small matter.
Neptune48 I still can't find a way to keep the scale correct, but that's a small matter.
When I am designing a building to be scratchbuilt, I usually start by measuring a single man door. Depending on the era, a single industrial door would be about 84" tall by 32" - 36" wide, excluding any transom lights or sidelights. Older doors might be a bit smaller. If you have a picture (ideally a straight on view) of the structure you can figure out all the dimensions using a door as a reference point. In N scale, I don't think that you need to be extremely precise, i.e. to the inch. What it important is to get the proportions correct. Personally, I think the proportions in your drawings look pretty good.
I'm not sure if that helps or not.
hon30critter Neptune48 I still can't find a way to keep the scale correct, but that's a small matter. Hi Bruce, When I am designing a building to be scratchbuilt, I usually start by measuring a single man door. Depending on the era, a single industrial door would be about 84" tall by 32" - 36" wide, excluding any transom lights or sidelights. Older doors might be a bit smaller. If you have a picture (ideally a straight on view) of the structure you can figure out all the dimensions using a door as a reference point. In N scale, I don't think that you need to be extremely precise, i.e. to the inch. What it important is to get the proportions correct. Personally, I think the proportions in your drawings look pretty good. I'm not sure if that helps or not. Dave
That's pretty much what I did, except this door worked out to be 6'–8"×3'–0", a standard residential size. That yielded stair risers at exactly 7" and the distance between floors at just over 10'. I don't think that was unusual in 1926, when the last Hobart tower was built.
Like you and others have advised, exact measurements in a world of selective compression are not as important as getting the model to look right.
In the meantime I was able to figure out how to import the drawing into the Silhouette software at the right scale. Online research indicates I can at least score .030" sheet styrene to start very precise cuts. There are some tweaks needed in the staircase and some test fitting with paper or card stock before it's ready for 3D printing.
Neptune48That's pretty much what I did, except this door worked out to be 6'–8"×3'–0", a standard residential size.
I hope you don't find my suggestions to be condescending in any way. You obviously have a very good understanding of how to do what you want to do. Sometimes I tend to run off at the mouth with my explanations without giving people enough credit for knowing how to do things.
hon30critter Neptune48 That's pretty much what I did, except this door worked out to be 6'–8"×3'–0", a standard residential size. Hi Bruce, I hope you don't find my suggestions to be condescending in any way. You obviously have a very good understanding of how to do what you want to do. Sometimes I tend to run off at the mouth with my explanations without giving people enough credit for knowing how to do things. Cheers!! Dave
Neptune48 That's pretty much what I did, except this door worked out to be 6'–8"×3'–0", a standard residential size.
Not at all, Dave, I appreciate any suggestions. Like you, I'm an explainaholic, so this is perfectly acceptable.
I studied architecture briefly in college and have some rudimentary knowledge. My brother is a real architect and a model railroader, so we often swap notes.
If you have the October 2019 issue of Model Railroader, the plans for the East Los Angeles Depot (just a few miles from Hobart) were mine.
On a hunch, I reworked the fixtures 3D printing design to have the stairway fully assembled, with railings. It increases the price considerably, but it will save me a lot of time assembling the stairs and fabricating railings from brass wire.
I'll have to wait a little while before ordering the job.
The windows will be glazed with overhead projector film.
Your drawing is impressive! 3D printing continues to amaze me.
I started using AutoCAD professionally in 1988, and since then its 3D capabilities have expanded a lot. The 3D solid modeling is very powerful, and will output directly to a 3D printer file format.
Some time ago I drew and had printed N scale UP CA-5 caboose shells to fit on the Atlas caboose body. They came out very nice.
Two chimneys (one a spare) were tucked inside the shell for protection until I was ready to paint and assemble.
The UP caboose shell is on the left and the Atlas factory shell is on the right.
It's too hot in Phoenix to airbrush in the garage during 7 months out of the year, and now that it's cool enough I've been dealing with other issues. They're still waiting for the photoetched roof walks and paint.