I intend to have 4 background buildings on this wall behind the turntable. Could anyone give me suggestions for types of railroad buildings or other businesses that would realistically be near a turntable.
This is the TT and RH footprint.
Any help will be appreciated. Thanks.
Sue
I don’t think I’ve ever seen any non-railroad buildings near a TT. They’re usually pretty deep into railroad owned property. You might see some type of RR back shop for heavy repair.
Coal and water for steam. Refueling for diesel.
What kind of round house is that your putting in?
Concur. A powerhouse for the roundhouse and shop complex is a possibility. Repair sheds, paint sheds, and company warehouses may be located there. Take a look at the new line of Cornerstone buildings from Walthers. They have recently released a series of buildings to go around their new transfer table, and they are pretty generic RR backshop-type buildings. Some of them could well be turned into building fronts to fit right against the backdrop. They should give some ideas even if you don’t go with that brand. Generally, these were pretty “gritty” heavy industry areas.
Bill
Loather,
It is the Walthers RH.
We have planned a parts building that will have a dock with probably a crane inside.
One building could be administration of some type, but we have not planned that far.
Thanks, Sue
Bill,
The powerhouse is a good suggestion. We had decided the building locations, but need to come up with their use. Thanks.
Sue
Hey there Sue!
Since the TT is so close to the backdrop you may want to consider putting up a facade or faux front building wall with maybe a 1" footprint out from the wall. This building could have a service entrance door centered at the point where the TT comes closest to the backdrop you could model it with a retractable door shut or 3/4 partly shut but paint the inside behind the service entrance a dark color to simulate depth. You would also need to add a very short segment of track going into the door-way from the TT. Then you could model some other backdrop style buildings on either side of that building that extend further out maybe from 1" up to 4" to give more depth.
One style front facade you could simulate would be something similar to the front wall of the Rail Rebuilders Walther’s Kit, I have one on my layout and provide the image below for comparison sake. Or you could get some of those modular walls with service entrances or cut out a service entrance and add your own door and model it shut.
Sue, your image indicates that the lip of your TT is pretty much right at the wall…is this correct. If so, I would conclude that you must only paint on what you want to shoe on the wall, or else use thin styrene facades as thick as perhaps 20 thousandths. If those facades are to have any relief, then another layer, say of columns or cornices, whatever, could be added, provided they are not going to interfere with the turning of items on the bridge.
The reason I say this is because you have the large built-up model if I recall. That says to me that you have one large engine to turn. Does this large engine fit easily on the bridge, or is is a bit of a tight one? I have found that the couplers and pilot on my Hudson hang out over the pit lip, although the wheels all fit nicely and easily on the bridge length. My message, essentially, is that you don’t want to cramp needed space back there and find you have gone about it all wrong.
-Crandell
Sue, Perhaps a couple of small buildings. Possible uses: flamables storage, lube oil storage, wheel shop, or a “latte” shop if you up-date your time period [:-^]
Thanks, Ryan and Crandell.
You are correct the wall is quite close. It is a little short of an inch from the lip of the pit. There should be enough room to attach a plain side of a building directly to the wall. The Mallet has 2 inches to spare from the ends of the bridge.
Thanks for tip. I will judge any new loco purchases with the bridge length in mind.
Sue
Lou,
Our time period is the late 1940’s. We might leak into the the early 1950’s, but we are trying not to. The small buildings are all good ideas.
Thanks, Sue
Sue,
The other possibilities include the front wall of a roundhouse, the maintainence shed, a backshop that would service the locomotives or other rolling stock (sort of a rip shed), storage or caboose supply, power substation. all of which clustered around the turntable here in the Danbury yards (last major rebuild in 1920’s). Adjacent were the ash pit, sand tower, water tower and later the diesel fueling rack. Hope that helps. J.R.
This is a panorama of the roundhouse, etc. at Evanston, Wyoming:
There were a lot of small sheds and junk, and there is a powerplant nearby (About 50 yards away, brick building about 40 X 60 X 40+ feet tall). I took this shot (group of shots) in Feb. '08
What buildings there are depends on what part of the country the turntable is located. If it was an urban eastern or midwestern theme I would suggest any large Walther’s or Atlas factory building (built as a facade). Since the picture shows a hillside covered with trees and a tunnel in the background i’m going to assume its some sort of rural area,
I would get a 1-2 story brick building without a peaked roof and unfold it to make a long storehouse or office building. The alternative is to put a board fence along the wall and then some N scale buildings as flat fronts behind it as a forced perspective view.
Dave H.
Great view, Phil. I am leaning toward a power plant as an option.
JR & Dave, Great options.
Thanks, Sue
Near a turntable? how about a record store?
Tell me my memory is wrong after 32 years but I seem to recall standing by the CN tower in late 76 and looking at the action going under Spadina Street including the Roundhouse? One of the happier afternoons of my life and the trip to Canada. Now that is not a sandhouse or power plant! But I concur… most turntables would only have railway stuff near them!
Cheers from Down Under!
Trevor
Funny.
gear-jammer,
I’ve done a bit of research of steam facilities for my club’s layout. In fact, I have a map book showing all the mechanical dept.'s facilities for the New Haven, and I own a copy of “Freight Terminals and Trains” by John Droege, published in 1912. A great book, BTW, and now available for free on Google Books at: http://books.google.com/books?id=sY45AAAAMAAJ Chapter 27 is about the “Engine House”.
Generally speaking, you’d find backshops, machine shops, dorms and crew rooms, yard offices, storage warehouses for all kinds of RR items, power houses, and things like that. In tight enough quarters, you might be in a residential area, too, but more on the line of triple deckers vs. farm houses. There should be several Walthers background building “flats” that would fit the bill, just don’t put the sides on 'em.
On a related note, and looking at the pic, you also need an ash pit (close to the turntable), a sand house and sand delivery apparatus, a coal pocket, a water tank and standpipes, diesel tanks and pumps, a boarded over area for running inspections and wash downs, and, of course, places to put the sand gons, ash gons, diesel tanks, and coal hoppers to service them all. Whew! And people wonder why steam was expensive. [:)]
Paul A. Cutler III
Weather Or No Go New Haven
Paul,
The dorm rooms,crew rooms, and yard offcies are good suggestions. Most of the other essentials are covered in the long stretch of yard.
Everyone has sure been helpful. I am loving all of your ideas.
Thanks, Sue
Apart from my caution earlier, where I had thought the turntable might be tight against the wall, I didn’t provide my own answer to your question, Sue. Paul has done a very good job of that. I would add that a stationary plant (did someone already mention it?) would provide both heat, hot water, and house steam for engines in the roundhouse. So, brick facade and 40 meter stack. Wash racks to clean the engines coming off duty with grade dust and grime. Lubes shacks. Crew office and lunchroom building with showers and lockers. Just some more ideas that may fit easily.
-Crandell