Not too long ago some of our fellow modelers were looking for HO Diesel Loco Servicing buildings.
Basic complaints:
Walthers retired their nice looking Back Shop and Car Shop kits (why?) and if you want one you have to go hunting on Ebay.
The new Walthers Diesel Loco Shop kit is nice, but larger and might not work for modelers with limited space on the layout.
Here’s an option I noticed while browsing Walthers and Ebay.
As you know the Bachmann Plus “Locomotive Maintenance Building” (out of production) is an attractive looking brick building with 2 stalls and big windows. Fits in any era from the 1950s thru today. It was made by Heljan for Bachmann. This kit now pops up on Ebay from time to time and has gone from $50 or more.
While browing, I discovered that today, Heljan produces the “Railroad Wash Facility” building kit. Guys, IT’S THE SAME BUILDING!
Nice, large windows with some slight differences on the outside. Very easy to modify into a diesel locomotive shop building. It’s in stock and available from Walthers for $31.98 MSRP. (you can probably get it at a discount) On the Walthers web page It’s part #322-1886.
One of my favorite scenes on any layout is a servicing area for locomotives.
Neat opportunity to display your favorite power while at the same time providing operations opportunity.
On my layout I plan on having locomotives roll into the fueling lane, receive servicing (fueled and sanded) and then the hostler parks the units on the “Ready Track”. With DCC/Sound it would be neat to have several units on the RT standing by with engines idling as they await assignments.
Update: I bought the sanding rack kit from my LHS a while back. This kit looks sharp! Heljan did a very good job as there is almost no flash or burs to trim off.
Those bright yellow walkways look just like the ones I saw back in the 1970s in front of Seaboard Coast Line’s big locomotive shop in Tampa (Uceta Yard).
Once assembled, it will need some weathering with a light coat of grime and some light speckles of rust. [:D][;)]
BTW: Walkways like these are not just used for sanding racks, some railroads used one or two of them inside of the shop buildings as well. Mechanics and electricians appreciate the easy access that these platforms provide.
Great, Antonio! Just grand! I’ve needed a breakthrough like this!
I notice that the sand rack is on backorder. Fortunately, I bought a Bachmann sand rack about a year ago off eBay. If you hit it at the right time, you can find one cheeeeap.
These are items that Heljan made for the Bachmann Spectrum line some years ago. The Bachmann/Heljan relationship terminated, but Heljan started making these kits again.
The building and walkways are American, no doubt. Honestly, I’m not sure about the fueling rack but Heljan does build a considerable number of American based models.I have prototype photos of SCL’s walkways and they’re incredibly similar in appearance to the Heljan kit.
An easy option if you want a differently styled fuel rack:
Use sheet styrene, cut it to size, paint and weather it concrete or asphalt colors. Next, for the fueling dispensers you can purchase Woodland Scenics item #D32 (I think). All you have to do is paint and glue on.
Antonio, sounds like you hit a home run with this one mate, good eye.
I’ve been planning a large diesel maintainence and rebuilding facility for my line and that Heljan brick and glass building looks like exactly what I need. While I wasn’t planning to be building that part of the layout for a long time, you’ve got me thinking about it a bit now and I may have to change around what sections I’ll be working on this summer.
What’s neat is that so many of the Heljan and Walthers kits are easy to modify.
Also should mention that the 3 stall Walthers Car Shop kit, though retired, shows up on ebay regularly. Makes a good locomotive service building as well. To look more realistic, one can modify the roof slightly to add exhaust vents or stacks.
An easy shortcut, would be to cut out a couple of the angled panel window glasses and glue in several industrial type fans. I plan on using using locomotive radiator fans, since I’ve got so many of them in my parts box. [;)]
The steel buildings like Pikestuff makes were just coming into their own in 1957 (my timeframe). I might make an addition to a brick building using their steel siding, though.
Apparently this building is going to be phased out. Of course it stands to reason that there are probably still a decent number of these kits already sitting on store shelves.
So those of you that are in that “Well, I really want one” stage might want to consider putting one on layaway at your LHS. Otherwise you may have to contend with ebay or hunting various LHS’s to find one.
This happened to me with the Walthers Car Shop kit. I was finally able to snag one on ebay last year.[;)]
The diesel fueling rack and maybe the sanding rack I believe are modeled after the B&O facilities in Cumberland, so definitly a US prototype. I think I will be ording the washrack myself.
I love engine Servicing, One of my favorite things to model. Since i didn’t have enough space the model them on my large layout, i was going to make a stand alone module that was engine servicing.