One of the industries I am adding to my new layout is the Walthers railroad shop to simulate a small diesel rebuilding and leasing company. The premise being this company was able to buy the building and transfer table from my railroad for a good price. I was originally considering the Walthers diesel house for this industry too, but I got a really good deal on railroad shop and I like the look better too. Anyway, one of the things I really like about the diesel shop are the platforms inside. Is there anyone who offers just the platforms in HO? Or is there anyone who didn't use the platforms for their diesel house and would be willing to part with them?
Good Luck, Morpar
Maybe not what you're looking for but Greenway Products has a lot of machine shop details like lathes and drill presses. I use them in my smaller machine shop adjacent to an engine house.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Morpar...Is there anyone who offers just the platforms in HO? Or is there anyone who didn't use the platforms for their diesel house and would be willing to part with them?
I can't imagine that it would be difficult to make platforms using sheet and/or strip styrene, depending on the appearance of the real ones, of course.
Wayne
doctorwayneI can't imagine that it would be difficult to make platforms using sheet and/or strip styrene,
I didn't get super critical with my diesel shop interior. Just enough to see that there's "something" going on in there:
IMG_2631Fix by Edmund, on Flickr
The main maintenance platform, as Wayne points out, was simply pieces of styrene cobbled together.
IMG_2814 by Edmund, on Flickr
IMG_0084_fix by Edmund, on Flickr
Good Luck, Ed
Ed, those interior views could easily pass for the real thing...very nicely-done.
doctorwayneEd, those interior views could easily pass for the real thing...very nicely-done.
Ditto!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
NJ International offers raised platforms in 68', 102' and 136' lengths. Walthers sells them. Currently in stock:
https://www.walthers.com/maintenance-platform-kit-scale-68-20-7m-pkg-2
If you want to try scratchbuilding, Precision Scale sells brass safety tread in several sizes. You could use either styrene or brass to build the platform supports but styrene would be much easier.
Go to page 55 of the HO Steam catalogue:
https://www.precisionscaleco.com/
Evergreen Scale Models sells all sorts of different shapes and sizes of styrene strips.
https://evergreenscalemodels.com/
Plastruct sells stairs:
https://www.walthers.com/styrene-stairs-pkg-2-9-64-quot-height-between-treads-25-64-quot-wide-between-stringers-5-quot-long
If you decide to use the NJ International platforms you could improve the appearance by substituting the Precsion Scale decking for the molded plastic ones.
Cheers!!
Wow! Very inspiring work! I am keeping this in mind for when I start on my rebuild facility. Thanks for the photos.
Model Power had some in plastic.
In addition to the good suggestions above, if you Google Images search for 'HO scale service platforms' you'll see other ideas
incuding:
Diesel Engine Service Platforms (traincat2.com)
Dave Nelson
Hi Dave,
By the look of them, those are great platforms, and they are way cheaper than the NJ International ones that I showed above. Much better product for way less money. Win win!
Awesome work! I swear I was looking at real life. How did you mimic the concrete between the tracks? I def want to do that. Thanks!
Don't overlook the possibility, either, of sheet styrene with a diamond deck or similar pattern, often seen on platforms in prototype industrial settings.
If cost is an issue, you might even wish to find pictures of various decking materials, print them out - photo paper works especially well - and cut to size. A quick spray with cheap hair spray will fix the ink in place permanently. I've done so with wood flooring, diamond deck and a host of others, to good effect. Any decent photo software, including the low end versions that come with most PCs and laptops, can help you easily rescale images to size, and you can cut-and-paste them right alongside each other in any word processing or desktop publishing software to print out sheets and sheets dirt cheap. Setting even a cheap inkjet printer to its 'best print' setting can make a difference, too. If you print on photo paper, make sure to let it dry really well before handling.
Paper will sag more than plastic or metal, especially used horizontally such as on a deck unless it is well supported. There's your opportunity to easily and inexpensively scratch-build the framework that holds a deck up. Misbehaving or curled paper, especially after being printed on, can be straightened quickly using a warm iron, but best not to use a steam setting or your ink may run. Gently fixing such decking in place with a minimal amount of glue will stop existing curling and prevent future recurrences.
If the deck will, or might in the future, have to support the weight of anything on it (people, a welding cart, etc.) you can always laminate your inexpensive printed flooring surface to cheap styrene sheet of whatever thickness you want. Making sure you sealed the ink on your paper first, any spray adhesive will easily let you do the lamination quickly.
I've used such things where they're quite visible and they're more than satisfactory. Being sure to let the first side dry thoroughly, you can also print both sides if the bottom will be visible. Nobody will notice if the decking detail patterns dn't exactly line up top to bottom. The money you save making your own could easily get you that scale drill press. Then just save your print file on your 'puter for future reuse. Changing its color isn't hard either, which becomes especially useful for wood flooring. The main things to watch are cutting your selected area straight (a rule and sharp blade is all you need) and gently darkening the cut edges of paper or cardstock with a marker to get rid of the glaring white edges. Mess anything up? Just print another. I have a file folder with entire pages of all kinds of decking already made, to cut to order.
I'm a huge fan of realistic interiors. All my buildings have floors of many kinds, and I've probably spent someting like 25 cents on them altogether. I learned a lot about making my own furnishings when I totaled up the Walthers catalog cost of furninhing my machine shop. Now Ihave a handy amount of leftover materials to use for other purposes too. Best of luck, and show us some pics when you're done and happy withi it!