Even though I haven’t completed my NYC Freight station yet (It’s in hiatus because I’m waiting for more 1 x 8 to be “delivered”), I decided to start on another project. This time it’s a DPM kit - Laubie’s Linen Mill:
#1
I’m adding a 1st floor and possibly a 2nd floor, as well. Each will be fitted with wood plank flooring. (I just LOVE the look of wood flooring…[:)])
After I assembled the walls together and installed the subflooring in last night, I was looking on the outside of the building and noticed two ground floor doors on the east side of the building.
#2
As you can plainly see from the overhead light shining through the thin plastic set of double doors in Picture #3, if you could magically open those doors, the flooring would come up to about chest level.
#3
That then got me thinking about what I could do to alter the first floor plan so that it would fit the scheme of the building. I’m looking for ideas and suggestions to help me do that.
Givens
Okay, here’s what I can tell you so far:
The original DPM kit does NOT include the flooring; I’m adding that myself. The flooring (for now) is still removable and can be altered, if need be.
Looking from the inside of the east well of the building, there are faint pencil marks on both the floor and wall to help signify where the two sets of doors are located on the outside of the building. The ground level double doors are on the left; the single door is on the right. The horizonal lines signify the top of the doors.
What if you make the first floor dock height and have stairs going from the single door to the first floor? That way when a truck backs in,the freight can be unloaded via fork lift or pallet jack.
You could have the single door go to a stairway directly to the second story, that would involve minimal work, and cut some scale 2x6’s and board up double doors as it became a remodeling job on inside, it’s stretch, I know, I have two of them for a kitbash job and I hate the two level door concept on such a small building, besides the windows are correct for the floor you’ve used.Another possibility for double doors is a freight elevator, shaft to second floor, you’ll need an upper shed on roof for elevator motor and the like.
I agree with Tom’s idea; but with a slight improvement…
Seeing that the floor you intend to put in the building will be 66" (5’-6") above the level of the doors, that makes for a very high loading dock. I suggest incorporating a loading dock at the appropriate height, then build a ramp up to the floor height. There probably should also be a set of stairs (or a ladder if space is tight) down into the loading dock pit so that workers can more easily access either the dock or the doors. The ramp shouldn’t be too steep or it will be difficult to push carts/trolleys up it. You should avoid any turns as well. Be sure you include guard/hand-rails where necessary or you may be in for a few building code violations and/or work-place-injury compensation claims. [swg]
As for the single door area, be sure to have a landing at the door that is large enough so that people aren’t opening the door from the bottom step. If you’re a real stickler for being architecturally accurate, you can check the local building codes (for the region and era the building was originally “built”) and see what they say about landings (often the landing length must be at least the same as the width of the stair).
A note about stairs… For simple calculations, I used 6" risers and 10" treads. Based on those numbers, your stairs will need to have 10 treads (and 11 risers), making the total length of the flight of stairs 100" (8’-4") long. I don’t know how long the area you have set aside for stairs is; but I suspect you may need to adjust your plans a bit. Alternately, you could put a 90° or 180° turn in the stairs to make 2 shorter flights of stairs; rather than a single straight flight of stairs.
Cant ya say that the window by the doors are in a stair well leading to the 2nd floor? I like the Double door of a Freight Eleavator idea, but i also like the idea of a covered freight loading area. Kevin
I was going to say a pit with a lift. This was pretty common a while back.If your going to go through the work, cut out windows in the double doors so folks can see it.
Why not cut out the doors and rais them up to floor level. On the freight doors, you could build a dock and on the walk-in door you could build a stair (or ramp).
Thanks for the input fellas. [:)] I’m not sure if I’m totally following all your ideas completely.
Just so things are clear. The 66" (or 5’-6") elevation will be the height of the 1st floor. From Picture #2, on the front or right (south) side of the building, there are two sets of double doors (one pictured; one to the right out of the picture - better seen in Picture #1) the SAME height as the first floor that would be designated as loading areas - i.e. for loading items onto large (semi) trucks.
I guess they could also be used for unloading supplies and equipment. Is that what you guys were thinking? My idea of the pit area with the lift up to the first floor was for smaller trucks and cars bringing in items, supplies, and/or equipment.
Tim, I’m with you on the guard/safety rails or hand rails around the pit. I already started thinking along those lines. I think chain would really add a realistic touch to it.
Thanks to for the riser information, too. Funny, I was actually thinking of 6" risers, which would make for exactly 11 needed to get from the ground floor up to the 1st floor - plus landings. The 90° or 180° turn in the stairwelll to save space is a good idea, too.
Actually, that may not be necessary. The platform could actually be situated on top of a scissor jack, in the floor of the pit area. If I used that, an elevator shaft or any type of overhead or roof cabling system would not be needed. I’d have to double-check to see if they would have been around in the 30’s/early 40’s. The platform could also lower down to a basment area (underneath the 1st floor) that I could model the entrance of.
I’ve had to move equipement into old buildings with a lift like that. They really do exist.
(poor planning from the architecht.) They are usually a hydrolic scissor type of lift.
(a nice detail to see through the windows)
