Like a bear in a china shop I have taken the liberty of starting this thread as the topic was starting to occupy a lot of space here …
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/239243.aspx?page=1
… and I believe is worthy of its own thread any way. I just hope Rich doesn’t mind and also that others might contribute their valuable insights, or methods.
Rich posted this picture…
… and posed the question, “How would you go about scratch building this structure?” to which there have been a couple of good answers.
Looks like it was made with DPM modular parts dementions wouldn’t be exact but close enough.
Bear,
I could see building one of the six-units sections as a master, then making a mold from it and casting the sections in plaster. It a pretty forgiving and cheap method. The master could even be made by hacking up suitable brick building sides from DPM or made up of the Walthers (IIRC, these have been discontinued??) or other modular walls.
I agree that the ~4’ long compressed version you calculated should be big enough to be as impressive as the original. Of course, once Rich has a mold, it would be easy to make it even longer.
Wow, where do I start?
First of all, I am most appreciative that JaBear would start this new thread on my behalf.
Second of all, I feel a little bad that Frank and I inadvertently hijacked Steven Otte’s thread as we waxed nostalgic about 1950’s Chicago - - LOL. No telling what repercussions may come from that!
Third of all, JaBear clearly captured the essence of those windows and drawers in his drawings. Nicely done.
Fourth of all, Mike’s suggestion to cast a mold is pure genius. I never even thought of that. What a money saver that would be.
I need to study this thread a little more, and I look forward to any further replies.
Rich
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How long would one of those 6-panel molds be? Might be a bit unwieldy at that size.
One of my backburner ideas is the PRR fruit terminal in Pittsburgh that’s a staggering quarter of a mile long, but made up of dozens of the same 25ish foot panel. A similiar endeavour.
Got a pic? A google search turned up nothing.
Wow this is great, I’m looking forward to seeing how Rich can build this. Really cool stuff.
Well…I’ve just got to say this, Rich. After all of the generous help and time you have given to me and other’s projects you deserve no less! Hope you get your project the way you envision it. Pretty cool thread/pics, JaBear.
Jim
I would use DPM modulars. Very close match.
I agree. The more that I look at that photo, JaBear’s drawings, and the DPM web site, the modulars seem to be the most well suited to this project.
I would like to learn more about casting molds though because the sheer cost of using DPM modulars to build this structure can be enormous.
Could I use one set of DPM modulars to make the molds and then go from there?
Rich
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I am going to take the liberty of copying my post from Steven’s thread to this thread:
Rich:
Neat structure!
I would suggest that this project would be better handled as a kitbash then a scratch build unless you are willing to forgo the arched brick over the windows. Personally, I think the arched brick is a key detail so I would want to have it on the model if it were mine.
As an aside, your structure could be built fairly accurately with Walthers Modulars but the cost for doing a building the size that you want would be pretty stiff, so forget that!
Frank’s suggestion of the Walthers freight house is almost perfect for the upper story with the two windows/pilaster/two windows/pilaster pattern, and the arched brick over the windows. The windows aren’t quite as tall as on the prototype but I think they would be plenty close enough. The trick would be to find a matching styrene brick sheet for the lower storey. If you can do that then you are away to the races. According to Walthers their brick sheets match the brick patterns on their Cornerstone brick structures.
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3524
At first I thought that one Walthers freight house should provide you with all the upper story windows that you would need, assuming that the building will be seen from one side only. However upon closer examination it appears that the windows in the freight house are not all the same height so you may need two kits depending on how long you want the two storey section to be. I am also assuming that the Walthers freight house is the same on both sides. If you use the taller windows on the first floor and the middle windows from the end walls of the second floor you will get six panels of two windows and one pilaster, or two pilasters as will be needed for one end of the wall. Each panel is about 3" so if you want the two storey section of your frei
It’s five blocks long. It doesn’t look as long in this picture as it really is.
http://goo.gl/maps/fnKp9 From the air you can see how long it is.
Since I have done a lot of resin casting, I will try to give you a cost on materials.
To cast this yourself, you are looking at a minimum of $120 in casting and mold making materials. That doesn’t include the masters (DPM parts), and whatever you will use for the roof materials. What you would have to make is four different wall section molds, and four different window / door molds. The wall sections can be cast from plaster, but the windows and doors should be cast in resin.
But, if you make the master sections to include the windows and doors, you wouldn’t have to make molds of the windows and doors. The primary cost is the RTV needed to make the molds. This is going to be $80 alone. If you make the windos and doors as part of the walls, and cast them in plaster, then you are looking at the extra cost of the plaster and paint. And plaster will be cheaper than plastic resin.
If I may, strictly as an observer, offer: I’d be reluctant to use the DPM parts even as a master. Of course, now you have to make a master from…something else. DPM parts look like DPM parts no matter what you do with them. I think it’d detract from the overall appeal of undertaking the duplication of such a large and unique structure.
NittanyLion,
Your pic, looks similar to the Produce South Water Market in Chgo
Take Care!
Frank
Click on pic for more info and other pic’s from host.
15th st:
NT, I don’t disagree with you, but what would you do?
Rich
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One option is to slice and dice the DPM molds into something that resembles the prototype more closely. I don’t think they probably have anything real similar, so presumed some modification would be needed anyway. In the end, most people will have a convincing view of the bulk and repetition of the structure. The few who wnat to argue details should just be congratulated and then you can launch into a lengthy description of how much trouble it was to just get close-enough that they may be able to appreciate why you didn’t handcarve the whole thing from a ginat block of balsa wood…or maybe not, sometimes that’s how those folks just are[^o)][;)]
As for the size of the mold, I’m thinking ~12" wide, which is not super large. On the other hand, splitting it into two different molds would be no problem at all and would make it easier to handle.
Rich, You so easily told me to get going on an Sn3 layout, now I’m going to ask you to get going on this project! [;)]
Yeah I’d figured something like taking brick stock and laminating it to a thinner backing of styrene. That’d let you control the distance between the pilasters, the size, and so on in a way that DPM panels don’t let you.
That’s pretty impressive. It looks like it beats the B&O’s warehouse in Cincy for length, but the one in Cincy is five stories tall. What it lacks in length, it makes up in floor space.
Steve S