Rex - you may have already answered this but I scanned this thread and could not find it. How do you intend to transport that structure out to the garden? Is it rigid and strong enough to be lifted from the ends? Al
Rex:
Read June 09 GR, page 14, Letters, People in buildings, by Bruce (TheJoat). He is also doing much the same thing, just different subject matter, different materials, different … OK, everything he is doing is absolutely different from what I do, except that it involves a photo/picture on the computer. The end product is that from a distance of 5 foot, the human eye will see something inside the room through the window glass.
Jack/Al: I’ve been planting subliminal seeds into his brain so that when it comes time to move this monster to the GRR, he will slip up and call FedEx instead of U-Haul. 
It only took two years to get Vic to part with a couple of Mack Bashes, I figure it just might work with Rex.
Yes the Grand Hotel is strong. I built the floors with plank and beam construction. I’ve been picking it up many times to work on different sides or take it outside to paint. The fireplace is removable so I can take it out to have access to the dining room and lobby.
I have a 16’ covered trailer I haul my RC planes around in so it will haul my winter garden railroad building projects up to the mountains where the layout is located.
I’ve been thinking about your picture suggestions for the room windows. It would sure save a pile of money on furniture and window dressings. I’ll give it a shot. I think I’ll still have to furnish the dining room and back deck with tables and chairs and people too.
The back deck will have stairs but those will be added after placing the Grand Hotel on the site.
Thanks for all your compliments and suggestions.
Rex
Heck, I’d stay there in a heartbeat! Great looking hotel.
Later,
K
The picture thing works when windows are on only one side of the room. Not having met you face to face, I’d say that no matter how nice the photo thing looks, you won’t be satisfied until the photos are gone and tables, beds, chairs and people have been built/acquired. In the meantime it give a “lived in” look without a sudden breakage of the wallet.
Rex, your hotel is coming along nicely! It’ll sure be an attention-getter on your layout! I know this is too late to be of any use, but in case someone else is interested, here’s a tip regarding your problem with the chimney… Consistency of the mortar is certainly a facter, but also the spacing the rocks. So far, I haven’t done anything using river rocks. Being round, those don’t fit very closely together, so they’ll let more of the mortar seep through. One solution is to use smaller stones – either alone, or mixed with the larger ones so that the little ones fit between the big ones. This would reduce the size of the gaps.
I’m finished! This project started back in February and now all that’s left is to place it on site and finished the front and back steps when I figure out where they go. Here is the picture progress report:
Yes I went with a dark stain on the roof. The doors were mass produced in a strip and then painted. Door knobs were added before glueing in. I’m going to wait on the window dressings for now.
Rex
Very impressive. ty very much for showing us.
Rex: With all those blue green doors, you’re going to need a couple of “bawdy” girls for the second floor. 
Well done my friend!
Beautiful! Is there glass/plastic in the windows? It’s hard to tell in the photos – the lighting makes it look like they’re just openings.
Ray,
Nothing but holes for windows so far. Tom has me thinking about photo’s of hotel interiors as described in the GR mag this month. It beats the price of furniture for all those rooms. I’m thinking I will spring for tables and chairs and some people for the dining room and the back deck.as a minimum.
How do you finish your windows? I recall you having some interior furnishings viewable through the windows. I’d like to get to multi-pane but don’t have many ideas yet for the dividers. Would painted wire over clear styrene work say glued to the inside? Some of the Pola kits come with paper curtains to glue to the inside of clear plastic but they fade pretty quickly.
Rex
You could do as I did.
Scan the sheet into a jpeg file. Print on transparencies. Use Elmer’s spray craft glue over the printed side, stick to plexiglas. Print is sealed from any weather exposure. No fading is noticeable after a year plus outside. The curtains are in the widows, the round window above the door is “printed stained glass”.
Get some automotive “pinstriping tape” put it on plexi or whatever you use for glazing. Automotive pinstriping tape is going to UV proof, weather proof,
Here is an update on the Grand Hotel project. As you can see it’s in place and getting a lot of comments from neighbors and drive-bys.
This shot shows the Grand Hotel location on the high priced side of the river: Still no windows finished so that will wait until the fall.
Here is the barn and ranch house. I need to build the coral.
I also set out the new fire engines.
I have grass and trees in the park. I used cold patch for the road around the park.
The trains are running!!!
Rex
Hi Rex; that’s some impressive and beautiful work. It’s also in a nice setting.Have fun, Rob
Rex: It is customary to remove the hanging chain from birdhouses before putting them into the garden railroad.
