Lloyd Thomson - HO Scale
8' x 16' structure is freestanding and constructed on a 2x4 frame. Proto-freelance trackplan approximates Union Pacific in 1955 and will include engine terminal operations, staging / fiddle yard, and logging operations.
1) Benchwork materials.
2) Using 1x4 fir, open grid bench work construction is underway and attached to 2x4 frame with 2" drywall screws.
3) 3/8" plywood was glued and screwed to 1x4 frame. Pink foam insulation board (1 1/2" FOAMULAR 150 Extruded Polystyrene) cut to fit.
4) Ten 4' fixtures installed with 32W GE Cool White tubes, 4100 degrees K.
5) Formed two broad curves with 1/8" hardboard panels and installed with 3/4" wire nails.
6) Decided against "duckunder" as a means of entrance and exit in favor of this swing gate.
7) Loctite PL300 used to adhere foam insulation board to plywood benchwork.
8) Prepping hardboard joints for filler (DAP DRYDex).
9) Installing 1/8" hardboard for fascia.
10) Installed two 4'x8' hardboard panels on "outside" wall.
11) Using BEHR paint mixed at Home Depot, outside wall painted Union Pacific colors of Harbor Mist gray, Armour Yellow, and Vermillion Red. (Colors were scanned from Rivarossi dining car, City of Los Angeles.) Used Adobe Illustrator to draw the door, windows, and lettering. From the file, Rainbow Sign and Banner (St. George, UT) printed and installed the vinyl graphics.
12) Made tight-radius background panels from white .060" PLAS-TEX PolyWall sheet plastic, purchased at Lowes. Mounted panels with Loctite PL375 general purpose construction adhesive and staples.
13) Backdrop painted BEHR eggshell Charismatic Sky. Valance and fascia will be painted Harbor Mist gray.
14) Pink foam board painted BEHR Stone Brown, matte finish.
15) Completed swing gate and "vestibule" door from outside. "Frost King" tubing insulation above the door protects against unwanted head wounds.
16) View from the inside.
17) Outside view of the "passenger car".
18) From left to right, ATX PC power supply provides 12VDC, 5VDC & 3.5VDC (routed to 5A fuses) for lighting & accessory circuits. Next, home-built unit outputs 18VAC to turntable motor. Last, Lien Engineering unit provides dedicated 15VDC (5A) for slave Digitrax Command Station. CPU fan blows across command station heat sink.
19) Wood scraps, casters, retired laptop, & Digitrax PR4 used to build JMRI workstation connected to isolated programming track in the engine terminal. After use, workstation rolls under bench work, out of the way.
20) Swing gate track & roadbed secured with gap-filling CA and cut with razor saw.
23) Future home of diesel fueling rack in foreground.
24) 650 Ton Coal Bunker (International Hobby Corporation kit) completed and weathered.
25) Walthers 130' turntable (933-2850) installed and weathered.
26) Fourteen stall roundhouse construction is underway using Walthers 933-2900 and 933-2901 kits. Back walls of closest 5 stalls will be omitted to allow visitors to view the roundhouse interior from the aisle.
27) Smoothing stall-to-stall seams with sandpaper, spackle, and razor.
28) For aged concrete roundhouse floor, used FolkArt Home Decor Chalk acrylic paints (Oatmeal & Light Gray) applied with artist sponge as detailed at http://hoscalecustoms.com/lets-talk-concrete-fifty-shades-of-gray.
29) Stalls were trimmed flush to bench work, roof trusses erected, and 52 LEDs (courtesy of Joe Zukowski) were installed (with temporary wiring).
31) ... used Tamiya X24 Gloss Clear Yellow paint on LEDs to better simulate the tone cast from incandescent lights.
32) First look inside with roof and walls temporarily installed.
33) Using Evergreen rectangular tubing as conduits, 20 gauge feeders were run from 14 gauge buss wires under bench work to each of four LED strings. To hide from view, conduits were glued to the back side of uprights.
34) 3.5VDC from ATX power supply used to illuminated LEDs in this mock up view inside roundhouse.
35) Instead of local area red dirt, Lee and I took a drive to Cedar City where I gathered a browner shade. After sifting twice, dirt was spread, moistened with alcohol, and adhered with diluted white glue (1 part glue, 2 parts water). Weathering accomplished with Bragdon "Weathered Brown" and "Lime Mortar White" powders.
36) Rear walls and front doors installed.
The Streamliner (Volume 34, No. 2) published by the Union Pacific Historical Society has proven to be an invaluable resource for detailing the roundhouse interior. The magazine provided photos and drawings of the Ogden facility's expansion to accommodate the new 4000 class locomotives.
37) Scratch built block & tackle from a chunk of sprue, 0.020" styrene, and two sizes of scale chain suspended from Evergreen #274 I-beam.
38) Scratch built tool boards and large component work benches.
39) Scratch built Foreman's office (between stalls 9 & 10).
40) To check proper fit, roof sections laid onto rafters.
41) Used 1/2" black gaffer tape to simulate 44" tar paper roofing material. Bragdon "Dust Bowl Brown" powder applied with makeup sponge and blended with makeup brush.
42) Roof now complete and weathered with Bragdon "Light Rust" powder applied around stacks.
43) It appears new roof already needs repair.
46) N scale cinders (Arizona Rock & Mineral) spread on the approach tracks and under the bunker. Installed the first of two wash rack supply pipe assemblies made from 0.055" piano wire. Nozzle pipes (0.025" piano wire) will be applied parallel to the stand pipes.
47) Sanding tower built with 1/2" PVC, piano wire, Evergreen strip and sheet styrene, welding rod, and MDF. Painted Tamiya Gray Primer. Thanks to Jim Harper for Union Pacific decal.
48) In 1955, UP opened a new facility in Salt Lake City specifically built for servicing its growing diesel fleet.
49) Facility's service tracks are installed. To simulate concrete service racks and shop floor, styrene (.020") was installed between rails & tracks.
50) Diesel service facility made from 3/16" foamcore board and positioned in its final location when complete.
51) Front wall with window openings and exterior cladding was created in Illustrator, printed on 20 lb photo paper, and adhered to walls with Scotch Photo spray adhesive.
52) 3D printed window frames temporarily installed for fit.
53) Interior bracing was created in Illustrator, printed, and used as a construction template. Evergreen 0.125" I-beam stock used for bracing to support future overhead crane.
55) Absolutely exquisite detail of these 3D printed industrial machines purchased from Shapeways. Painting with Vallejo and Tamiya colors has begun.
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