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Disused coaling station - photo intense

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  • Member since
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  • From: Orig: Tyler Texas. Lived in seven countries, now live in Sundown, Louisiana
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Disused coaling station - photo intense
Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Saturday, October 25, 2008 9:04 PM

 One of my current projects is a long abandoned coaling station. I model diesel (mostly 70's to modern) and I wanted this structure to look like it hasn't been used since the 50's.

I started with this Bachmann coaling station I picked up at the LHS.


I then stripped the roof off it and weathered it appropriately.


Next I rubbed aluminum foil into the contours of the original roof and spray painted it a rust color.


The next step was to cut and place rafters where the original roof had been.


I weathered the rafters with a wash of gray paint and alcohol.


The next step was to cut the roofing into scale 4x10 foot pieces.


I then used white glue and a pair of tweezers to place the sheets where I wanted them. I used the tweezers to tease the bends into them. First one side:




Then the other side:





Running Bear, Sundown, Louisiana
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Posted by Johnnny_reb on Saturday, October 25, 2008 9:12 PM

I like it Jeff. Looks good.

Johnnny_reb Once a word is spoken it can not be unspoken!

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Posted by tstage on Saturday, October 25, 2008 9:24 PM

Jeffrey,

You mentioned that you model "mostly 70s to modern".  What year would this coaling tower be "photographed" in?  If the 70s, a couple of thoughts:

  1. I wouldn't think the roof would be in as bad a shape at that point
  2. The roof color would be much more faded, with some "brownish" patches - i.e. rust

Given that, I would assume you still have more work planned for it.

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

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  • From: Orig: Tyler Texas. Lived in seven countries, now live in Sundown, Louisiana
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Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Saturday, October 25, 2008 9:36 PM

 I was thinking more like mid 80's to late 90's. I modeled the roof after the roof of my grandfather's old welding shop. The building was over 50 years old and the roof was in much the same shape just before the building was torn down in the late 90's. Almost all the color you see is rust. I used several color variations.

Running Bear, Sundown, Louisiana
          Joined June, 2004

Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running Bear
Space Mouse for president!
15 year veteran fire fighter
Collector of Apple //e's
Running Bear Enterprises
History Channel Club life member.
beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam


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  • From: Carmichael, CA
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Posted by twhite on Saturday, October 25, 2008 10:53 PM

Jeff-- I really like what you've done. Just a thought--in the fairly wet climate that you model, I'm wondering if you might have the rust 'leeching' just a little down the sides of the coaling station itself.  As if rainwater had leaked the rust between the joints of the galvanized roof.  I know out here in the Sierra, which can get pretty wet during the winter, that older, disused mining and industrial buildings with galvanized roofs tend to have a kind of 'rust' color under the eaves where the water has leached the rust onto the building itself. 

Just a thought. 

Really like it, though. 

Tom Smile

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Posted by tomikawaTT on Saturday, October 25, 2008 10:57 PM

Interesting concept, and the basic colors are good.  My question is with the condition of the roof.

Are you modeling an area with nothing but gentle breezes?  Or is Hurricane (Fillintheblank) or a supercell likely to drop by for a visit.  If the latter, all those really loose pieces of tin are going to be a flying debris hazard.

Old windpower sailors have a saying, "The wind is always fairer aloft."  What they really mean is that the wind grows stronger as you climb higher.  A roof on a low building somewhat protected by trees and adjacent structures won't be subject to the full wrath of Mother Nature.  That coaling tower is pretty tall...

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)

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  • From: Orig: Tyler Texas. Lived in seven countries, now live in Sundown, Louisiana
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Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Sunday, October 26, 2008 7:19 AM

tomikawaTT
Are you modeling an area with nothing but gentle breezes?  Or is Hurricane (Fillintheblank) or a supercell likely to drop by for a visit.  If the latter, all those really loose pieces of tin are going to be a flying debris hazard.

A good point. Winds here are usually on the calm side of the scale as we don't get much in the way of hurricane force winds here. Tornodoes and straight line winds on the other hand are a different matter and this is the type of damage and stress I've shown in the roof panels. It would fit right in with the majority of the old structures along the line here.

Running Bear, Sundown, Louisiana
          Joined June, 2004

Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running Bear
Space Mouse for president!
15 year veteran fire fighter
Collector of Apple //e's
Running Bear Enterprises
History Channel Club life member.
beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam


  • Member since
    June 2004
  • From: Orig: Tyler Texas. Lived in seven countries, now live in Sundown, Louisiana
  • 25,640 posts
Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Sunday, October 26, 2008 7:41 PM

 Today I straightened the panels a bit so the roof doesn't look quite so tattered.

Running Bear, Sundown, Louisiana
          Joined June, 2004

Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running Bear
Space Mouse for president!
15 year veteran fire fighter
Collector of Apple //e's
Running Bear Enterprises
History Channel Club life member.
beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam


  • Member since
    June 2004
  • From: Orig: Tyler Texas. Lived in seven countries, now live in Sundown, Louisiana
  • 25,640 posts
Posted by jeffrey-wimberly on Thursday, October 30, 2008 3:28 AM

 Here's what I have after the work I did on it on the 28th.


Running Bear, Sundown, Louisiana
          Joined June, 2004

Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running Bear
Space Mouse for president!
15 year veteran fire fighter
Collector of Apple //e's
Running Bear Enterprises
History Channel Club life member.
beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam


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  • From: Duluth, MN
  • 208 posts
Posted by Dean-58 on Thursday, October 30, 2008 9:22 AM

Nice job of weathering.  However...

No, I don't think  I want to be a spoiler.  I guess none of the Old-timers want to be, either.

Dean "Model Railroading is FUN!"

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