ROBERT PETRICK Mid Century Modern is the name given to a style that was prevalent in the 1950s and '60s (duh). It gave us glass buildings, plastic furniture, and beehive hairdos. It also gave us . . . ... which until very recently housed the Wells Fargo Bank in Casper, Wyoming. I am scratch-building a version in N Scale (for my home layout) and in HO Scale (for the club layout). Details and photos to follow shortly. BTW, those little mini-me kiosk things in the first three photos are drive-in teller stations. Robert
Mid Century Modern is the name given to a style that was prevalent in the 1950s and '60s (duh). It gave us glass buildings, plastic furniture, and beehive hairdos. It also gave us . . .
... which until very recently housed the Wells Fargo Bank in Casper, Wyoming.
I am scratch-building a version in N Scale (for my home layout) and in HO Scale (for the club layout). Details and photos to follow shortly.
BTW, those little mini-me kiosk things in the first three photos are drive-in teller stations.
Robert
Wow, an original and unique structure that will certainly be a challenging scratchbuild. Good luck to you, and please post pictures.
For more info on this unusual building, see https://oilcity.news/community/city/2018/09/18/wells-fargos-landmark-casper-building-is-for-sale/
Gary
SeeYou190 I have toyed with the idea of trying to incorporate something "mid-century modern" into the downtown of my layout, but I always decide to stck with brick structures.
I have toyed with the idea of trying to incorporate something "mid-century modern" into the downtown of my layout, but I always decide to stck with brick structures.
Hey Kevin-
I'm working on another building from that same era (1964) that you might be familiar with. It's a small skyscraper (430') in Jacksonville that used to be called the Gulf Life Tower. It has changed hands several times since then, and I don't know if Gulf Life Insurance is still in business, but I've always liked the proportions of that building.
It is very similar in outlook to the Wells Fargo but a little more restrained in execution. Same repetitive symmetrical stark black/white concrete/glass monochromatic pallette.
Shouldn't be too hard to build, but to say I'm working on it is a bit of a stretch. I have finished the preliminary procrastination and am well into the pondering design stage. What I see is a footprint of about 6" by 6" and about 24" tall. About a 2/3 compression to scale.
It's on my near future to do list.
LINK to SNSR Blog
.
That is a magnificent building.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
. . . which until very recently housed the Wells Fargo Bank in Casper, Wyoming.
To catch up on the news and progress . . .
Fall is a busy time in the high desert (first snow was a week before Labor Day, and we've already had two hard freezes) but I'm not shirking my layout.
I'm currently scratch-building three N scale structures concurrently with three matching HO versions and writing an article about one of them (or two of them, depending on how you count such things).
The real progress as I see it is that I am installing working signals on the top of the layout. I installed the signal system and all of the major components and tested everything, including the JMRI logic, more than a year ago. But installing and testing stuff on the work bench and installing and testing it under the layout are two very different operations. Good thing I already know how to cuss.
As of right now, I have eight complete plants installed and fired up. That's 16 three-over-three RYG masts and 32 signal heads; all functioning properly. I have 16 more plants (32 masts) to go to complete the signals for the two-thirds of the layout that was planned to be signalized. The Wind River peninsula is currently dark territory and will remain that way for the immediate future. But who knows; I have a (bad) habit of changing plans at the drop of a hat and going off on a tangent somewhere.
No photos at the moment. One idea is to start up a YouTube channel. Signals in action videos are more interesting than signals in still photos.
Anyhow, progress.
PruittLittle bit. We have a deal to sell the NJ house. Contract is being written - will sign later this week, probably. Inspections for two weeks, and buyers want to close in late October. We're planning to go to Casper in a couple weeks to look at houses again. Found a builder on line that has a floorplan we really like, and it comes with a 1400 square foot unfinished basement! We'll probably find temporary housing for six to nine months until we get a place built.
Better luck this time Mark!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
ROBERT PETRICKHey Mark- ... Any news about your layout or relocation? Robert
...
Any news about your layout or relocation?
Little bit. We have a deal to sell the NJ house. Contract is being written - will sign later this week, probably. Inspections for two weeks, and buyers want to close in late October.
We're planning to go to Casper in a couple weeks to look at houses again. Found a builder on line that has a floorplan we really like, and it comes with a 1400 square foot unfinished basement! We'll probably find temporary housing for six to nine months until we get a place built.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Nice work.
I'd be happy with the matboard mockup, with some cellophane windows.
Pruitt I picked up the Walthers HO station that's based on the Q station in Omaha a few years ago planning on using it for the Casper station on my layout. They bear more than just a family resemblance, though the Casper depot is brick, whereas the Walthers (Omaha) one is block construction.
I picked up the Walthers HO station that's based on the Q station in Omaha a few years ago planning on using it for the Casper station on my layout. They bear more than just a family resemblance, though the Casper depot is brick, whereas the Walthers (Omaha) one is block construction.
Hey Mark-
I have the Union Station in N-scale. Walthers did a pretty good job on that kit. My plan is to use it as the County Courthouse, and I had to kit-bash it a little by removing that clock on top of the front parapet. Every time I looked at it I couldn't shake the image of Doc Brown's Timex on his (not to scale or painted) model of the Hill Valley Courthouse square and clock tower. Not much of a bash as kit-bashing goes . . . but still a bash.
Looks good, Robert!
I think yours will have much more fidelity to the prototype than mine.
Here's a photo of the assembled building next door to its mock-up stand-in placeholder that I made last year out of matboard. I apologize that the whiteness is so washed out in the photo.
Notice I said assembled, and not finished or completed. This is the first draft of fabricating the building with the materials and techniques I intend to use for the final product, and even though it turned out reasonably well, it is still not there. The purpose of going through a first draft is to find the problems and flaws with the design and test out constructability as well as fit and finish. I discovered quite a few things and changed the design slightly for the next (and final) go.
Nevertheless, I'll give myself about a 90 or so, which puts it into the A-/B+ range. Not bad.
Even if it was completed at this point, there would still need to be a lot of cleaning, sanding, sealing the joints (and adding a little squadron putty here and there), sanding some more, cleaning some more, and then painting. Since I don't intend this to be a permanent structure, I won't spend any more time on it right now.
Anyhow . . . here it is, such as it is.
ROBERT PETRICKI don't let insanity slow me down
Hi Robert,
CNC machine or not, that is pretty amazing! I'm looking forward to seeing more pictures.
SeeYou190 BNSF UP and others modeler Thats insane! Did you make all of those parts yourself/from scratch? Umm... yeah, that does look insane. Were these cast from patterns or 3D printed? If you scratch built all that from strip/sheet styrene you should win an award.
BNSF UP and others modeler Thats insane! Did you make all of those parts yourself/from scratch?
Umm... yeah, that does look insane. Were these cast from patterns or 3D printed? If you scratch built all that from strip/sheet styrene you should win an award.
You guys are right and I agree, but I don't let insanity slow me down; otherwise I'd never get anything done.
But the real insanity is that this is N-scale. I shoulda added a penny (or a loony for our Canuck friends) to the photos to give some sense of scale.
And no, the pieces and parts were not built up from tiny fragments of strips and whatnot. That would be insane. I cut them from 0.060" sheet styrene with a cnc desktop micro-mill. I posted a while back that I sometimes feel a little guilty that I'm somehow cheating using such a device . . . but oh well.
3D printing has not yet reached the point that I'm interested; the 'tool marks' are too pronounced and are a royal pain in the buttocks to remove. And that's for HO; for N, no way.
Anyhow, here's a photo of some windows I cut a few years ago for the C&O station in Ashland, KY (re-purposed nowadays as a bank . . . dang!!). Also N-scale. These were cut from 0.030" sheet styrene.
I'll post some more stuff tomorrow or the next day from my current work.
Thanks.
BNSF UP and others modelerThats insane! Did you make all of those parts yourself/from scratch?
It looks beautiful.
Thats insane! Did you make all of those parts yourself/from scratch?
I'm beginning to realize that Windows 10 and sound decoders have a lot in common. There are so many things you have to change in order to get them to work the way you want.
Under the general category of keeping up with stuff I'm currently working on . . .
Here's a yard sale shot of the pieces and parts cut out to scratch-build the N-scale passenger station based (more or less) on the old CB&Q station in Casper.
And here's a photo showing a few of the partially assembled sub-assemblies, which is to say walls.
More to follow shortly.
Here's a YouTube video of trains running through Wind River Canyon. The 1:1 canyon, not the 1:160 one.
Wind River Canyon
Whoever made the video gets all the credit, not me. Very clear HD video.
ROBERT PETRICKHere are a couple of photos that show the basic construction of the hardboard fascia. The benchwork 'joists' have a 1x4 endcap to tie them together. The masonite fascia is attached to the straight subsurface formed by the 1x4 endcap. The ends of each masonite strip is cut at a 45-degree bevel to form scarf joints. Easily cut using a compound miter saw.
Hey Robert!
Thanks for the tutorial. It gives us something to talk about. I appreciate your comments about the local climate. Central Ontario suffers huge swings in humidity so perhaps using your bevelled joints is a pipe dream. We are not in any hurry to do the fascia so I think what I am going to suggest to the club is that we set up a test joint to see if it will work for us or not. I'm really hoping we can pull off a similar effect. It looks so clean and crisp.
ROBERT PETRICK Nope, nope, nope, nope, and nope; though I've been to all those towns. I live in the north end of the Big Horn Basin, about an inch from Montana. I don't want to pinpoint exactly for general security reasons. Big Horn Mountains to the east, Absorakas to the west, the Wind River Range and Owl Creek Mountains to the south; 10,000 square mile sagebrush prairie in between. About 6 inches of precip a year.
Nope, nope, nope, nope, and nope; though I've been to all those towns.
I live in the north end of the Big Horn Basin, about an inch from Montana. I don't want to pinpoint exactly for general security reasons. Big Horn Mountains to the east, Absorakas to the west, the Wind River Range and Owl Creek Mountains to the south; 10,000 square mile sagebrush prairie in between. About 6 inches of precip a year.
Hmmm...my wife's college roommate was from Greybull...sounds about right...
Pruitt ROBERT PETRICK I live in the high desert of Wyoming. And that puts you where, Robert? Rock Springs, Rawlins, Gillette, Casper, Torrington...?
ROBERT PETRICK I live in the high desert of Wyoming.
And that puts you where, Robert? Rock Springs, Rawlins, Gillette, Casper, Torrington...?
I live in the north end of the Big Horn Basin, about an inch from Montana. I don't want to pinpoint exactly for general security reasons. Big Horn Mountains to the east, Absarokas to the west, the Wind River Range and Owl Creek Mountains to the south; a 10,000 square mile sagebrush prairie in between. About 6 inches of precip a year.
Sorry to hear about you having to disassemble the current iteration of the CB&Q in Wyoming, but not sorry to hear that you're moving back to Wyoming. There's a (100% NMRA) model railroad club in Casper. A small cadre of dedicated and knowledgeable modelers and a few other casual members. They have a permanent clubhouse with three layouts: N, HO, and O. The O-scale layout was built and operated by Bob Baden, the first MMR in Wyoming. Bob died three years ago at the age of 96 and left the layout to the club. There's another club in Sheridan, with their own MMR. Their layout is HO.
When you move back here, you'll increase the population of model railroaders by about 5%.
ROBERT PETRICKI live in the high desert of Wyoming.
The reason I'm asking is because I just ordered a new house in Casper! I'll be moving out there in 5-6 months.
That means, of course, that the latest version of The CB&Q in Wyoming is coming down in the next month or so. It also means I'll be much closer to everything I model, so I'll be able to do more research much easier.
Sadly, my layout space will be decreasing by about 40% as well. Looks like I'll be going back to a full double deck layout, probably.
hon30critter doctorwayne Very impressive layout, Robert, and even the roughed-in areas of scenery offer a good representation of the area which you're modelling. Excellent work! Wayne Ditto!!! In addition to all the other excellent work, I love the clean look of the fascia. I'd really like to achieve the same look at the club. Don't suppose you would share your methods would ya?!? Dave
doctorwayne Very impressive layout, Robert, and even the roughed-in areas of scenery offer a good representation of the area which you're modelling. Excellent work! Wayne
Ditto!!!
In addition to all the other excellent work, I love the clean look of the fascia. I'd really like to achieve the same look at the club. Don't suppose you would share your methods would ya?!?
Hey Dave-
Sorry for the slow response. I didn't catch on that your post had a question.
Here are a couple of photos that show the basic construction of the hardboard fascia. The benchwork 'joists' have a 1x4 endcap to tie them together. The masonite fascia is attached to the straight subsurface formed by the 1x4 endcap. The ends of each masonite strip is cut at a 45-degree bevel to form scarf joints. Easily cut using a compound miter saw.
A thin bead of yellow glue is added to the joint, and after everything sets up then the immediate area is buffed with sandpaper and painted. I specifically did not use joint tape and sheetrock mud. The tape-and-mud works well on drywall because the sheetrock edges are tapered. For flat butt joints in any material (including gyp-board sheetrock), the tape and mud would form a small hump that needs to be sanded down and feathered out.
Now for some caveats and disclaimers . . . I live in the high desert of Wyoming. The atmospheric conditions in my train room are fairly constant year-round: the temperature doesn't flucuate more than 5 degrees F (almost always between 65 and 70 degrees), and the humidity flucuates even less (almost always at 15%). The wood product of the masonite hardboard seems to have similar properties to the wood product of the wood framing lumber, so the system I build functions more-or-less as a massive whole and expansion and creep and whatnot don't seem to affect the individual components. The conditions in other locales might cause issues, and some measures might be necessary to account for shrinkage and/or warpage of the wood benchwork due to changes in local atmospheric conditions.
Hope this helps.
ROBERT PETRICK garya Agreed. What an excellent layout! I just stumbled on this thread. I've been following Pruitt, but somehow I missed this build. Hey Gary- Thanks. I don't know if you've read the entire thread; but if you haven't, this is my favorite picture: Robert
garya Agreed. What an excellent layout! I just stumbled on this thread. I've been following Pruitt, but somehow I missed this build.
Agreed. What an excellent layout! I just stumbled on this thread. I've been following Pruitt, but somehow I missed this build.
Hey Gary-
Thanks. I don't know if you've read the entire thread; but if you haven't, this is my favorite picture:
Ah. "Begin at the beginning."
It's hot here, so I sat in the bedroom (which has A/C) and read the whole thread last night. I particularly like your bridges and the gorges they span.
garya doctorwayne Very impressive layout, Robert, and even the roughed-in areas of scenery offer a good representation of the area which you're modelling. Excellent work! Wayne Agreed. What an excellent layout! I just stumbled on this thread. I've been following Pruitt, but somehow I missed this build.
Very impressive layout, Robert, and even the roughed-in areas of scenery offer a good representation of the area which you're modelling. Excellent work!
Wayne
Great workmanship, Robert.
Rich
Alton Junction
doctorwayneVery impressive layout, Robert, and even the roughed-in areas of scenery offer a good representation of the area which you're modelling. Excellent work! Wayne
carl425 hon30critter How long is that bridge Robert? I'm guessing 30", 400 scale feet.
hon30critter How long is that bridge Robert?
I'm guessing 30", 400 scale feet.
Correct . . . 30" face-to-face of concrete abutments (i.e., the length of the steel truss) and 31" overall (1/2" ledge at each end to rest on the bearing pads). The shoes on the ends of the bottom chord are not fixed; they have a slip joint to allow for flexure and expansion.
hon30critterHow long is that bridge Robert?
I have the right to remain silent. By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.