Thanks Jim. Trying to think of the right color. I'm leaning towards grayish driftwood, dirtied, etc. Problem is, no one ever took pictures of depot platform floors, just the depots, so I don't really know how dirty they actually were.
She's done, but the jury is still out. I'm not so sure I like how it turned out. The weathering job is fine, but I can't see it with the depot finished, so I'm kinda lost. I'm going to put it aside and finish my depot and then bring it back to see if it does anything for me. I can't picture it next to the depot, even with trying to imagine landscaping, etc., near it.
May I humbly suggest light earth tones and grays followed by gentle passes of medium grit sandpaper in front of doors and platform edges and ending with spraying the lightest coating of dust. Just a thought. I'm sure it looks fine. You're too hard on yourself.
Well, I've been slowly working on the outside. The biggest issue for me is what color did I want to do the depot in. I was bouncing back and forth from gray/white, gray/red, gray/green, depot buff/red, DB/brown, etc. What a PITA. There are no recordings of the colors of S.A.F & N depots. So I went with the safe bet: Depot Buff and Depot Brown Polly S. The outside Board and Batten are individual 1x2's that I glued over the lines in the side. I just didn't like the press and peel stuff. The window and door are Tichy products. They fit the holes perfectly. So they were painted and once dry, were installed in the wall. The window does have clear glass panes. It is sooooo nice to be able to clean them with Windex with Vinegar! Clean, clear windows! Microscale's Window Adhesive has the glass in place without a trace. Inside, I've been working on more details. Most noticeable is the banjo that a passenger left by his chest waiting for the train. Little does he know that the station master is one mean Texas fiddler. If these two get together, there's gonna be a hoe-down fer sho! I received the .006 white dry transfer lines from Clover House today. I can now build the train schedule board for inside the depot. The desk typewriter is on the way. Once painted, I'll place it on the desk. Oh, yeah, the station master used to be a deputy marshal. He goes no where without his trusty Peacemaker. Look for it in the depot. It's left in a conspicious spot to scare off any would be train robbers. More to come! Manny
Hoe Hoe Hoe Down or no...I was born with ten thumbs and two left feet. I am going to wait for the Ho Ho Ho who slides down caboose smoke stacks in December. I don't see any hand written phone numbers next to the phone...anybody know why? I do! On my first job I was paid with wooden nickles. That was OK until a bunch of termites attacked me. When I tried to pay the grocer with a sack full of sawdust he threw me out the back door along the railroad track...I was hungry as huck finn but took in some great railfanning that day! Joe Toth
Working today on the depot. I finished the opposite long wall. Window is installed as with the door with a transom window above. My attention then turned to making the train board. A simple piece of Evergreen .020 x .250" styrene, painted a tarnished black to symbolize a chalk board, and white stripes, .006, from Clover House. I'm thinking of placing a book shelf below with some books for entertainment/boredom periods. Don't know yet. I have to investigate. I'll start adding the batten on the exterior, then paint, and install the window. I've thought about humble curtains, but not sure. I have never seen a depot picture with them installed. Thoughts? More to come... Manny
One thing bothers me. Will the depot have indoor plumbing or will there be an outdoor privy? These were the days before Porta-Potties I believe... No polictics. Just some "Hot Air" coming out of the rear door of the caboose on a hot summer afternoon! Joe Toth
There will be an outside hand pump for water, and an outhouse for the folks to use. Fredericksburg Jct was just a whistle stop, not a huge depot facility in real life.
Glad to know I won't have to go behind a tree, bush or boxcar when Nature Calls! Will the outhouse have all of the "minute" details? Gads, what a thought... GREAT WORK! Contest Quality. Hope you will consider entering it in one! Joe Toth
I've been working on the structure this evening because I cannot sleep and over the past few days since the last update. One of the end walls have been added to the structure. An interior cross beam was added to brace the side structure to prevent any "bowing" as this is a wood kit. The edges of the faces and ends were sanded down, and then painted. The Tichy windows are great! Even better is the glazing that Don Tichy included with his windows. Windex with Vinegar cleans the plastic to a clear shine without fogging or marring the glazing. A little Microscale Krystal Klear and they are permanently in place. The office side end wall has been painted and is awaiting its window. The same supportive type beam is in place. I am waiting for a few of the desks detail parts to arrive before I can put the wall permanently in place. The middle beam gives the inside walls support in the middle. It also serves as the beam that holds up the ceiling fan. This is another Scale Structures Ltd accessory. I wish it could be powered, but alas, the technology is just not there yet. I will be added and LED above the beam to illuminate the depot. The inside roof will be painted white to reflect the light. Here are the pics of progress so far. Time for bed. Manny
My lands, you mean they have strung wire in your neck of the woods and you will have access to real electricity or will you have a hand crank generator to produce the juice? My arms are tired already! I see a lot of line poles and wire being hung along the right of way too... Joe Toth
Looking very nice. I'm afraid my Zalma depot is still using kerosene lamps for light. Still none of that fancy lectric along the branch. Just a telegraph wire
