Calfornia cruisin'

Hello UPWilly

This structure impressed me even before I read that it was n scale.  Congratulations.  I think it will be right at home in California - around Blythe?  I think UP runs through there following the Colorado River?   UPWiilly will know.

Artarms

+ +

Looks very good for a first attempt, even better since  N-scale.

What would really bring it up a notch is simply replacing the windows, door, signs  with 3D items or wood/card stock strip to give it some needed depth.   A quick way would be to print 2 copies and cut out the door, windows, sign and use them to double up for thickness.

Marc Fournier, Quebec

The Freebie is cool check out the rest.

Very nice work and even better for "N:" Scale. I just bought the Model Builder Software for windows from Micro Mark 3 weeks ago at one of their 1/2 price sales they have for members every Fall. I bought the Program mainly for the shingles and brick work for back ground buildings. I haven't built anything with the soft ware yet but have lookd it over and the program isn't too bad.

Again Nice work Willy !!

Dan

Thanks for the comments

Thank you Artarms, Marc and Dan. Very constructive suggestions. Yes, Artarms - Blythe would be fitting. UP frequents the mainline through the "windy pass" between San Gorgonio and San Jacinto, also quite arid. From my understanding, UP also uses the mainline through Cajon pass, sharing it with BNSF occasionally.

Marc, per your suggestion, I will do the double-up layering and cutouts on my next attempt - probably the same structure and then ...

Dan, let me know how your experience with the Model Builder Sofware goes.

 Bill here are some ideas to

Bill here are some ideas to bring your structures to life !

Do all the following steps before assembling anything and keep all parts flat

Before you put the roof on, If you take an X-acto knife (W/Sharp New Blade) and carefully cut around every other shingle about half way through the paper and lightly lift the lowest edge of each shingle you will get a better look of the wood shingles and give them more of a 3-D look rather than just a flat appearance.

Print out three complete copies of the 4 wall sections and cut out the door and window frames. Be sure to carefully remove the glass from the frames first while still connected to the wall and don't cut the wood frames you want to save those frames. As soon as you have removed the glass carefully cut the whole window frames out of all 3 sets of the walls and set them aside. (the reason for removing the glass first--it helps keep from tearing the frames while cutting)

Take and glue just the sets of window frames together and make sure they are squared up, set these aside and do the same with the door frames and set them aside to dry.

If they seem to start to curl up set some wax paper over them and set a heavy book on top of them and leave them for 6 to 8 hours to dry flat

Now glue a piece of super thin clear plastic on top of the windows still connected to walls make the plastic bigger then the original glass but smaller than the out side of the frames.

Once the plastic is dry and the extra frames are dry glue the frames you cut from the other walls over the plastic be careful to make the edges cover the outside of the clear plastic and align with the frames still connected to the walls.

Do the same to the porch floor like you did to the wood shingles and cut along the length of the boards lightly with the X-acto knife and slightly lift the edges just very slightly. this will give the porch a more rustic look.

Now take some roof brown water base paint, any medium to dark brown will work. Add 1 drop of brown to every 25 drops of water and take a clean paint brush dip it in the thinned brown mix and paint the edges of the floor planks to color any white from where you lifted the edges. Now quickly before it dries place a doubled up paper towel on top of the floor and blot up all the water don't wipe just press down on the porch floor and then set the porch floor aside to dry.

Using the same color do the same to the roof sections around the lifted shingle edges. This will give your building a rustic and older look and most people will never know it's not wood. Now the walls ar ready to assemble into a very nice model.

Have fun

Dan

Dan, in N-scale?

I can see doing as you suggest in ho, but he is modeling in N.  That is why I model in ho, and sometimes wonder if I should be doing S or O instead!

I don't remember if U.P. crosses into California through Blythe or not.  It would be the exS.P. main and I think that runs along the U.S.-Mexico border and would go through Yuma, Az.  The U.P. main runs through Las Vegas and crosses into California North of where the Colorado River turns South bewteen Arizona and Nevada.  I runs roughly parrallel to Interstate 15 to Yermo, Ca. just outside of Barstow.  The U.P. yard at Yermo is a prototype staging yard, where the U.P. stages trains waiting to get clearance to go on to the Santa Fe tracks over Cajon Pass.  The U.P. also owns the exS.P. main thrugh Mojave, Ca and over Tehachapi.  That building would be appropriate anywhere in the desert in So Cal, Arizona, or southern Nevada.

Making it a real project ...

@Dan Many thanks for your great ideas - I will try your suggestions, even though it is N scale.

@Russ - Thanks for the special info on the UP into Yermo and Barstow. I was aware of the route, which includes Las Vegas - I found good pics on the net a couple of months back. Could have sworn I saw UP running through the pass by Beaumont, et al. (yes, probably the exSP line).

I would do HO as well, considering my age, but I don't have the real estate for it. Tiny trains are fun.

Nicely done.

Nicely done, Bill. You are skilled and that shows in the finished building. I hope I can do as well in HO. The building is started, life just keeps getting in the way. Dan's suggestions are great and I'm going to try them.

Again, well done.

Roy