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Scratchbuilder looking for structures to build - with dimensioned drawings !!!

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  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Scratchbuilder looking for structures to build - with dimensioned drawings !!!
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 19, 2007 5:32 PM

Relative newbie.  Just finished my 1st scratchbuild and realized I need a LOT more practice.  Not very creative so I can't just look at a fuzzy picture and crank out a model ... need dimensioned drawings.  Prefer wood structures and will take anything different and interesting but I would prefer yard type stuff like branchline water towers, sand houses, engine houses and unusual bridges ... also logging stuff like sawmills, etc.

My 'dream' would be a gallows type turntable with drawings which even show the underside mechanics, etc.

If you have anything or can point me in a direction, I sure would appreciate it.

Thanx for any help you can provide.

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Rimrock, Arizona
  • 11,241 posts
Posted by SpaceMouse on Monday, March 19, 2007 5:35 PM
Perhaps someone could send you some craftman kit plans. Often the drawings are 1:1 with the scale building.

Chip

Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.

  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: In the State of insanity!
  • 7,982 posts
Posted by pcarrell on Monday, March 19, 2007 5:47 PM

Not sure how much this will help, but this is the Waldo station in Waldo Maine on the Belfast & Moosehead Lake RR.

And this is Brooks station a bit up the line.  It's supposedly identical to Waldo station.

And this is Unity station on the same line, also supposedly identical.

Don't know if it helps or not, but it would make a fine model and it wouldn't be real hard to do.

Philip
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 19, 2007 8:13 PM

You don't mention what scale you are building in. So that makes it a bit rough on where to tell you to find scale drawings.

Do you have any drafting skills? Can you look at a picture in a Walther's catalog and get the footprint size and then draw a building to the footprint dimensions? You can generalize the doors and windows as they are fairly standard in size. Using the doors and windows as guides you can get pretty close to figuring out the size of a building.

You mentioned logging. That makes it a lot easier as they built their buildings to suit their needs. Saw mills, water towers coaling and sanding facilities were built to serve a purpose and no two were probably the same.

I use all sources plans, pictures catalogs and magazines. The scale makes no difference to me. I built a gas station fron a N Gauge magazine. I model in G scale.

Go to the hobby shop and get the names of kit manufacturers. Get on your computer and look up these manufactures web sites. When you see buildings you like, print a picture and draw up a rough sketch to build from.

 

 

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