Our fictional railroad, the Oberammergau, Ogden & Olomana RR or “Triple O” takes its strategic guide from the Oahu Rail & Land Co. that transported processed sugar from Oahu’s plantations to the docks of Honolulu. Our dock at our fictional port city of Haluku’ilio (Dog Wallow) had long since rotted away, so we took advantage of the annual “scrap box” build challenge on another forum to correct that deficiency. We also decided that each person would make a small market stall for the dock.
The dock itself is framed with bits from an old easel, “planked” with scored plywood, stained, and fitted with “bollards” that are actually drawer handle nobs (not shown…yet!).
This happened as each persons or team decided how to make their market stall.
I cut up the poles from a long gone play tent to make the frame for a stall and planked it with scrap craft sticks from a previous project.
Some Dremel work, paint, and “train boxes” later resulted in this:
Later, I would add sig
[quote user=“PVT Kanaka”]
Our fictional railroad, the Oberammergau, Ogden & Olomana RR or “Triple O” takes its strategic guide from the Oahu Rail & Land Co. that transported processed sugar from Oahu’s plantations to the docks of Honolulu. Our dock at our fictional port city of Haluku’ilio (Dog Wallow) had long since rotted away, so we took advantage of the annual “scrap box” build challenge on another forum to correct that deficiency. We also decided that each person would make a small market stall for the dock.
The dock itself is framed with bits from an old easel, “planked” with scored plywood, stained, and fitted with “bollards” that are actually drawer handle nobs (not shown…yet!).
This happened as each persons or team decided how to make their market stall.
I cut up the poles from a long gone play tent to make the frame for a stall and planked it with scrap craft sticks from a previous project.
Some Dremel work, paint, and “train boxes” later resulted in this:
Thanks! Yes, the train boxes are scraps of foam cut and colored to look like LGB and USA Trains boxes. The F-unit is a bit of scrap wood worked with a Dremel.
The rest of the crew took different approaches. My oldest daughter modeled her stand from PLAYMOBIL shelving, using basswood scraps as her prefered material.
A bit of paint brough the whole together. She mounted everything on a scrap of plywood. Again, the total cost was $0,
In the background are the alcohol markers we used to color the train boxes and to make sundry signage.
More to follow later!
Eric
My other daughter and youngest son teamed up to make a vegetable stand.
She crafted fruits and vegetables from modeling clay. 
They worked togehter to cut, carve, paint, and mark foam…
…to create their stand.
One more stall to go, then we’ll show the project in its totality!
Eric
Eric,
that’s a really fun project for your family! They’re doing a great job.
Can’t wait to see how it turns out!
Paul
Paul, here is the next installment!
My oldest son discovered tissue-on-frame model airplanes, and he wanted a 1:24-ish stall that featured his hobby. In addition to the contest’s limitations, he additionally tried to estimate in advance exactly what he needed from our scrap buckets! He came close!
Part included model airplanes which he scaled down from existing plans:
For the stand itself, he largely used foam…
…but added bits of wood and homemade “corrugated steel” roofing. The end result looks like this:
We’ll bring this all together in a follow-on post!
Have a Great Weekend!
Eric
Looking good! The model airplanes are really cool!
Scratchbuilding in large scale is fun, and can cost next to nothing. In the smaller scales, you would have to buy strip wood at the hobby shop, or craft store. This adds up in a hurry! In large scale,you can use just about whatever you find; scrap, bits and pieces from the hardware store. Usually you may already have most of what you need lying around. This seems to be what you are describing.
Recycled and repurposed! It’s part of the fun!
Fun project!
Paul
Paul,
Yes, Bill B., who haunts these pages as Chocho Willy, got me going in that direction. A friendly competition offered a chance to bring it all together and simply see what some creativity, paint, and glue can do! None can avoid the initial investment in track and trains, but there are ways to create the credible impression of a miniature world without breaking the bank!
Anyway, on to market day!
A local celebrity peddles his farm fresh goods…
…as someone else lets his dubious looking dad negotiate for a new model plane!
Antiques are on sale further down the pier…
…and still further on a family contemplates that 1:32 scale
Wow! There’s a lot of color and detail in those scenes! And a lot of life. I keep looking at those scenes, and notice more and more as I look.
Paul
Thanks, Paul!
We don’t go “all out” with the PLAYMOBIL too often. They are neither dog nor sun resistant, so short- and longterm placement are both ill advised! Still, we find PLAYMOBIL, or “little people” as the kids used to call them, infinitely valuably in bringing vignettes to life. The system comes in a variety of eras and includes innumberable detail parts enabling scenes ranging from dragon-slaying to rocket launching! Practically, the tools and accessories really enable railroad scenes, whether driving cattle into the stockyards or doing MOW on the mainline.
Eric