I've started my depot project - haven't cut any styrene yet, but I have finished the n-scale drawings. I'll post my progress here, and I'm sure I'll be posting some requests for help and advice.... And a warning, I'm not nearly as fast of a modeller as Jerry D is . It took me several weeks of researching and drafting just to get the drawings done!
Aahhhh....I see what you mean about the arches! Going to be a real beauty! Look forward to the progress shots.
Dave I admire your modeling abilities to even attempt a structure of such magnitude. I can't wait to see the pictures of your progress in this project. Way to go!:thumbs_up:
OK, I'll be watching this thread and leaving the light on! That sure is a beautiful building. http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/photos/graphics/building_facilities/lr_depot-drawing-modesto-ca.jpg It probably won't help for me to tell you that it even scares me.
:0 :0 I hope you have a compact flourescent bulb in your lamp, as the light's gonna be on a LONNGGG time! Cool link, it's interesting how the depot has been added on to and modified over the years from the drawing. Thanks for the words of encouragement
I stared at Winslow's La Posada for literally years. I had photos, but no drawings, and the size and complexity of the thing was just daunting - I couldn't even figure out the basics of how the building was put together. The breakthrough was when I got a copy of the blueprints from the current owner - Alan Afeldt. The floor plans finally explained what I was seeing in the photos. Plans good, real building study even better. Most of my buildings rely purely on copied and rescaled photos, and there are always nasty surprises doing it that way. I did the Flagstaff station way back in 1975, but hadn't really spent a lot of time studying it on site until this last year. I was stunned to find out that there was a real operator bay window stuck under the track entrance arches, pretty much out of sight in the shadows, but still a distinctive feature I'd entirely missed. You can't see it in photos from the front because of the angle, or the side because of shadow. So if the building is still around, you really want to do a field trip if at all possible. I just did the NAPA auto parts store in Flag (photos coming) and next up is a rebuild of the 'real' Commercial Hotel in Flagstaff that burned in 1975 - right behind the depot, four stories. It's in all my '72 shots, and I have a bashed Heljan building in as a stand-in, but it's time I actually did it right.... another one I've been looking at for years wondering how I would ever do it. I'm secretly glad though that it's no longer there, greatly reducing the chances a critic will 'call me out' on severe errors!
Yes, I've been thinking about this project for years, and I finally am getting started also. I've enjoyed the challenge of putting the scale drawings together. Between numerous slides that I took when I lived there (of course I always focused on the trains - what was I thinking ), plus internet searches, I've been able to get enough views to feel pretty comfortable about all 4 sides of the building. Now the fun begins! I'm sure I'll visit sometime in the future after I finish (whenever that will be) and some 'aha's or 'doh!s' like you mention!
One thing I've done a lot is to make posterboard or strathmore mockups of the building. I usually do my original drawings on strathmore and just cut them up (horrors!) to do the walls. After I get everything fitted together on the mockup (which is particularly valuable when you have compound angles on roofs that need to work) then I either start reinforcing and finishing the strathmore, or using the strathmore as a template to cut styrene or whatever other final material I am using. Works great until somebody wants to see the drawings you made.... On the 'gotchas', I was pleasantly surprised when I stayed at La Posada last August and, much to my relief, nothing jumped out at me as being horribly wrong from what I'd made. But that never happens, well, maybe only once.
Super drawings. For what era are you going to build the model? The SP main through Modesto was peppered with packing houses up into the 70s so you could build a very distinctive scene.
I'm modelling the depot as it appeared in the mid 90's - unfortunately for me, it has been added onto significantly since the drawing in Randy's link was made! I'm in the process of building a posterboard mockup - I'll post some pics when I get it done - It's coming along, just needs the roof.
I spent the last couple of nights making a mock up of the depot out of poster board, so now I have a feel for how I am going to build it in styrene. Here's the mockup - I built it in N scale, by cutting up my drawings (I made a bunch of Xerox's) to make templates. The arches are going to be a bear in plastic, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Pay no attention to the crude construction (scotch tape) or roughly drawn windows (not sure what I was thinking....)
Here are the templates, which will come in handy during actual construction And construction has begun! The foundation: For now, I've got the mockup on the layout where the real depot is going to be, to provide a little inspiration (it looks a little better than the empty lot) More to come....
This is going to be a beautiful depot. I am really enjoying this thread and will be watching how you approach this with great interest. keep up the good work!
Looks like a great start Dave! I think the mock up was a good idea. Lets you see what you have to do, size, shape, etc. (And Yes, seeing even a 'mock-up' does provide inspiration!) Looking forward to seeing more.
Sadly, almost all the packing shed activity has gone away to be better served by trucks. I believe there are still a couple of the sheds trackside converted to other uses so at least you could capture the flavor of that era.
A little progress this weekend...I'm building the 'inner' building (the part under the tile roof) first, and then going to build the portico/flat roofed section around it. Here are the walls...I'm doing a double wall on the backside, since the windows will be visible and I want to have window sill detail. And I'm very anxious to get a workable technique for the arches. This is close, although I think I'm going to go with a little thinner styrene on the inner arch wall (the curved portion--I used .010 thickness) to get it to bend a little better. I ended up cutting the arches & the outer wall first, then building the 'framework' behind it, and adding the inner arch wall by bending it to match the curve of the arch. It didn't end up perfectly curved, but I think w/ a little thinner styrene and being a little more careful w/ the glue I can make it work: the backside, showing the 'framework':
Dave, that's exactly what I did, I just used strips of strathmore and basswood instead of styrene. My walls had to measure about 18" thick on exposed exterior; windows inset about a foot. Don't be afraid to use some filler in there to get the arches smooth; the white Squadron works real well for that and isn't as miserable to paint over.
