My first cardboard building!

[Frank K.]

 It is almost ready, my first cardboard building.
According to model of the Roundhouse of Oakland, Alameda county.

Sorry for my english.

what do you think about cardboard buildings

Greets

Frank

German US Railroad Forum

[dknelson]

It looks nice.  There is a long heritage of cardstock structures in model railroading, and there seems to be some revival of interest in commercially available structures here in the US. 

One observation is that even if the paper/cardstock is treated or sealed to keep out moisture, sooner or later it will warp.  There is still an opportunity to add some unobtrusive bracing, perhaps of basswood or balsawood strips.  But the best time to add it is when the building is still under construction.

Dave Nelson

 

[tgindy]

Yours truly, asked the question:  "What are your thoughts about using cardstock structures?" a couple years ago that received 4-stars!  You'll find the thread and pictures a piggy-back to your thread.

P.S.:  Nice pics!

[Frank K.]

 Hello Dave,

i take clear coat to save the print and the building for protection against moisture.

I'm planning some cardboard buildings and an website for download.

greets 

Frank

 

[Frank K.]

Hello Folks,

news from my first Cardboard building,

the Roundhouse of Oakland, Alameda county.

greets

Frank

[dstarr]

 Very nice.  Fun isn't it?  Have you considered stiffening the long walls with lengths of stripwood? 

[Frank K.]

Hello david,

there is no wood in the roundhouse, ist all cardboard.

The walls are ca. 1mm thick cardboard.

Only for the rails comes wood in the roundhouse.

I think at the weekend i'm ready with the roundhouse,

the draws for printing all from my self, i have only black/white pictures form this building.

greets

Frank

[larak]

 

Frank K.

there is no wood in the roundhouse, ist all cardboard.

Hi Frank,

You might want to reread Davids post. It appears that something was lost in translation.

He was not asking if you used wood, rather he was suggesting that you do so to keep the long walls straight.

Good luck.

 Karl

[E-L man tom]

Hi, Frank. I remember back when I was  kid, in the early-mid 60's I tried my hand at an O scale structure and used cardstock as the only material. The structure, a two story affair, resided in the very damp basement of my parents house. Nevertheless, it seemed to hold out quite well. As I recall, there wasn't much warping, even without the wooden braces, at least for 3 or 4 years after construction. As this was my first construction and I didn't know much about painting at the time, I used Crayola crayons to color the building. Maybe the wax preserved the cardstock. That was a fun project. Hope you're doing the same.

[Frank K.]

 Hello @all,

 i take clear matt coat to save the cardboard buildings.

Here an new pic.

 

greets

Frank

[billslake]

I have some strathmore (a type of cardboard) buildings that I made almost 40 years ago. As others have said, the walls and other large parts should be stiffened with wood. One of the buildings is a freight station based on a Jack Work article published in MR. Everything in the structure, except the freight dock and a few minor details, is of cardstock, including the windows and doors. No warping yet. Although I have not made a cardstock building in years, I always liked the work and the results.

[Frank K.]

Hello billslake,

 

i like the work with cardboard to, and i draw the buildings my self.

so i can make building that i can't buy in hobbyshop.

I can draw them like I need them for my lauout.

greets

Frank

[reklein]

Frank, the card building looks good and the price is very good. I like building card buildings but mostly I buy kits.I have a freind who models in N-scale and about half his buildings are in card.We in the U.S. are spoiled by the ready made market,and should explore card as a building medium more closely. You have courage to model something so far away. Did you travel to Alemeda Ca ?  BILL

[cuyama]

It's nice to see that structure, which looks to me as if might be modeled after the engine house of the former Alameda Belt Line (ABL) in Alameda, CA (which is near Oakland, but a different city). For those who are interested in the prototype, photos and elevation drawings can be found in the April 1980 issue of Model Railroader magazine, which also had articles on the ABL with a track plan and an article on the San Franciso Belt Line.

Although I have not found any good photos of the engine house on-line, there are few on this page that show corners of the engine house:
http://www.trainweb.org/westernrails/ca/abl.html

Byron

[Frank K.]

Hallo Bill,

 

i take the drwing for internet, also the pictures.

I never was in the USA, I build only after pictures or drawings,

but the quality does not feel mostly well.

In future it is to be offered planned kits as pdf for download or printed.

idee came from my self.

because I have not found good kits here in germany

and to buy in us is the shipping to expensive.

I hope you understand my english.

greets

Frank

 

 

[Frank K.]

Hello byron,

thank you for yours praise,
because i made the buildings only from images what i found in internet.

 

greets

Frank

[WRGMILW]

 FRANK

          THANKS FOR POSTING YOUR PHOTOS HERE !  You did very well with your building .

          DRINK BEER & BE MERRY ! 

 

[Frank K.]

 Hello guys,

my roundhouse is ready in one or two weeks.

Here two new pictures from it.

greets

Frank