An Idea

I had always intended to put some kind of yard office/tower in a blank spot at the east end of the yard.  A new structure release from Monster Modelworks gave me an idea http://monstermodelworks.com/HO-Scale/HO-Kits/ho-scale-freight-yard-office.html .

This kit was based on a MEC structure that once stood in Bangor, Maine.

The prototype even had a similar overall setting to the space I had, and I liked the retaining wall and general feel of the scene  http://www.panoramio.com/photo/72545877 .

Building the Model

I considered building the kit as-is, but decided to add an extra canopy to shade the second story windows.

I added more flashing around the roofs, plus a roof mounted AC unit to prevent the occupants from baking in the Utah summer heat.  Note how the ground slopes down behind the pig ramp , and how the structure would have to be recessed into the hill to get it behind the tracks. 

Using the prototype scene as a general guide, I built a retaining wall from styrene, incorporating a base intended to be finished with sidewalks.  I cut into the plaster hillside, and added some blocking to level the structure for the next step.

The building site was leveled with thick plaster screeded smooth.  The completed base was secured with adhesive caulk, and gaps around it were filled with pieces of paper towels, which were then covered with dirt and other ground cover.  I started working on a few details like the dumpster from Hi-Tech Details http://www.hitechdetails.com/dumpsters.html and a stairway down the ballast slope .

Next

Among the features I liked from the prototype were the parking lot and road crossing.

I modeled pavement with gray sanded tile grout, weathered with chalks and dry-brushed acrylics.  The prototype crossing looked like asphalt all the way across the tracks, so I went with that too.  I chose to build the crossing perpendicular to the tracks instead of using the shallower angle in the real scene.

The second track in is the yard lead, which received more weathering in keeping with the switchers moving constantly across it.

Once of my buddies thought something was missing from the parking lot and suggested a light pole.  Note that I painted the dumpster.

The big windows are begging for some kind of interior, which I will likely add in the future.  I was ready to move on and finish other things.

Superb model and scene, Rob.

Superb model and scene, Rob. Will you be putting lighting it it?

Uh oh

Lighting?  As my operators will attest, you're lucky you actually have lights for the train room, let alone the structures!

Well done Rob

I think I just found the yard office for my Vermillion yard. Did you color the sanded tile grout before or after applying it? 

Nice looking building

but I'm confused. The prototype is apparently a B&M building while the layout is WP?  ......DaveB

Adaptable

It's a Maine Central building adapted to use in the western US by adding additional sunshading. By the 1960s, some railroads were replacing older structures or opening new facilities, using contemporary architecture styles to emphasize their relevance. UP built a passenger station/freight house in Idaho Falls that could be mistake for a streamline-era Greyhound station, for example.

Very, very nice!

I really like the modifications that you added and the overall look of the scene.

don't forget the added A/C

Excellent Work

I had the privilege of seeing the structure and scene in person over the weekend and I can assure you, it's even more amazing in person.  Rob, thanks for sharing.

Lou in Utah  

I think I need that kit...

I think I need that kit... Very nice execution BTW. Inspiring.

Very nice!

Great job with the build but also great job on incorporating the real world photo into the layout! I love seeing scenes preserving a moment in time captured on film!

Terrific modeling! One thing,

Terrific modeling! One thing, however-this was a Maine Central tower, not Boston and Maine,

S

Re: Comments

I applied the grout as-is.  The only extra color in this instance is the weathering.  

As Graham Line pointed out, it's generic architecture found cost to coast.  I "needed" a structure and this one looked like it fit.  

Fixed.  All that eastern stuff looks the same to us westerners!

Thanks to everybody for the kind words.

The Hole in the Wall

Right next to the yard office the main track enters the staging helix.  It's not easy to hide or control viewing angles, so there is no ideal solution for disguising it.  I chose to scenic around it like a cut, and always planned to cover the bottom edge of the backdrop with a pipe.  Everybody uses a highway bridge or some kind of connection between adjacent structures, but thought none of that would look quite right here.

Hey Rob, you are probably

Hey Rob, you are probably aware of this and I only mention it as a finishing touch. Your modeling work like your back drops are first rate. The only thing indicating a difference is the lighting behind the back drop. I read an article some time ago in either one of the annuals or a model railroader mag on this very subject. I believe it was called making tracks disappear but I am not sure. One of the keys to pulling this off was having the same amount of light an intensity on both sides of the backdrop. In the photos I saw it really made a huge difference. You might want to try some portable light source to get a closer match to the lighting and see if it would be worth the effort to you. That pipe looks great by the way.

I knew that would come up

There's lighting behind the backdrop already, so the light level on both sides is the same.  The dark area is under the 2X2" backdrop framing, and there's only so much I can fit under there without causing a distraction.  What it comes down to is I'm not bothered enough to do anything about it.  

It might only be noticeable

It might only be noticeable in the photo rather than in the views of your layout, photos do that sometimes. If your happy then it works well, and I am sorry for putting up something that sounded critical as that was not my intent.

I't's not noticeable

Rob, I think it's the angle of the photos that makes it look a bit darker. In person it looks great and the shadow is not noticeable and certainly not distracting.  

Lou in Utah

Re: Rob in Texas

Hey, not a problem.  It probably does show up in photos much more readily than in person (as Lou noted).  There's a lot of non-ideal stuff on the layout that doesn't bug me and I just leave alone.

...

If you want to Use the shadow, paint a happy large tree on the Knoll behind the pipe to the left of the track, in such a way that the large shadow belongs to the large tree.

Lovely Work.   Lovely indeed!

OK

If we're gonna have trees, they might as well be happy.

The Tower...

The WP would gladly have accepted a tower like that one.  Perfect for the location you had.  Fits like a glove....

Pat Flynn
Leland NC