[peter bunce]

Hi,

I have started a new section house, based on the drawing of the one at Forks Creek in his book ‘Up Clear Creek on the Narrow Gauge’.

It is not a straight copy as the lean to or ‘catslide’ on the back is reduced in size, and the smaller shed deleted – there is not enough space for it.

Windows are scratch built, and done first as usual –that way I can easily mark out the walls for the; these windows seem to me to be unusually large, but look quite good.

Walls are 5mm PVC solid foam, and the inner roof is from 2mm thick styrene card. The chimney stack is from offcuts of the walls material, and the bricks added in my usual style.

With the upper part of this building being used as bedrooms, there will not be a bunkhouse built to go with it, but that area will instead have a pair of storage sheds added instead.

A front view of the building

A top view of the rear of the building, showuing the almost complete chimmney stack and the cross beam it will be fitted to wheb the rear top roof is fitted (it has now been done and also the extra roof on the 'catslide sction as well). The battens are part cut and will be fitted after the plastic corner moulding have been marked out for - the will be fitted later as they are like the rest fo the railroad builings iy two shades.

Ther may yet vbe some extra windows fitted - in the new book on the 'Colorado Central RR'there are some extra small windows close against the roof that would have lighted the upperr floor, of the depot at Beaver Brook; I think they would 'just fit'!

The last photo shows the shell in its intended location, and just visible behiond it is the stone flag for the sheds mentioned.

The PVC solid foam is now being used in Germany for making bridges and trackbed fabrications, - website is at http://www.easygleis.de/index.php?id=66, and it is in German – Google can translate it for you. Go to ‘Easigleis products’.

I am wondering if I can make a quite long wooden (Howe Truss) bridge from it: there will be some metal beams built into it for stiffness, and I think, and possibly it would be made from the 8mm sheet thickness – anyone any ideas?

 

[peter bunce]

Hi,

Dave, the PVC solid foam board (NOT foam board, that seems to have a paper covering on each side and is soft; artists use that. The board I use is quite hard, and may have a semi-matt finish or gloss - get it from plastics suppliers, it is used for rigid exhibition signs and such like - does not need any preparation, other than a light sanding to provide a tooth for painting with masonry 'tester pots' for the main color, and then enamel for the trim. acrylic craft paints can also be used but they will need a varnish coat or two for protection as they are a bit soft. For varnish I use either Johnson's Future (thats right the stuff used on Kitchen floors, its an acrylic varnish) or a UV protector varnish.

John, Love to but alas I have a space problem! This is england - all pushed in together unlike your wonderful looking area! However the replacement is likely to have more buildings there and the small area that is left there- a shed, and materials storage (think of an open barn like structure) will replace the bunkhouse, not very big but will make some interest.

 

[peter bunce]

Hi,

A final set of photos after the building has been finished: it gained additional buildings rather like ‘topsy’ thus more time was put into the project.

So, what was gained - I added a workshop, and a coal/wood? Store for the (supposed boiler inside the workshop, and of course an outhouse was also needed. This set fills up the end of the depot area.

All the buildings are of ‘Korroflute’ – the plastic corrugated board; the extra buildings
Are ‘utilitarian so the show the difference they all have corrugated iron roofs to them, the workshop has an open, but covered are in front of it, for working on large items; it is not really large enough, but as usual there is not enough space available.

The front half roof is fixed to the small extension past the center line with plenty if glue, and some inside supports the front edge has 4 supports that drop onto four panel pins fixed into the floor; that is left loose, for future re-painting – so access can be gained to the front of the building. The whole building is fixed to its foundation slab with a couple of pieces of plastic angle, with a third alignment piece as well.

The plans for the section house show a small bench outside: this and a larger one were made from scrap, with a small plastic bowl (like a small and less deep bucket) for the smaller one, and the larger bench has a vice added to it, again from scrap. These are loose, they will not stay outside!

The two smaller building are quite standard, and slip over formers on their foundation that align them. They are not in a windy area so are quite OK like that.

They were all fitted into their locations, as the sun has come out for a change here, and it was time to clear the buildings out of the house. By far the largest is the produce building – that has also been fixed to its foundation, which will in future need the village area re-arranging (permission has been sought for a village extension!), and the local cameraman was deputed to use his magic: here are the results –

A birds eye view of the new buildings in location


http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/peterbunce/buildings/section house/finished3.jpg

a ground level view – the trees behind are small Japanese maples


http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/peterbunce/buildings/section house/finished4.jpg

a closer view of the workshop

a view of the new produce building, now fitted to its foundation slab and towering over everything (supposition has it that it was here first so its large size has to be accommodated!) It is rather high, but that height is dictated by the needed height of the loading platforms (rail at the rear, where the Tiffany Reefer is on a loose bit of track), and vehicular at the front – so I can put horse drawn wagons there.