Like the rest of the model, the truck loading platform (above left) is built from styrene. Tank cars are unloaded here by attaching a drop pipe to the swiveling fixed height ones on the platform. The tanks, pump house and both raised platforms are on a plywood base that allows scenery materials to be easily added at the workbench. Seemingly insignificant details like the NO SMOKING signs and lamp- shades are actually important in helping to create a realistic look.
derside with a heavy coat of black auto primer. I then glued the various struc- tures into position using Liquid Nails® adhesive. When these were set, I added the overhead walkway,
fastening it
solidly in place with Tenax 7R liquid cement, the plastic adhesive that I used throughout this project. I also added railings from the ladders to the walkway railings. Using a small brush, I then applied a fairly thick coat of earth-colored latex paint around the structure bases and out to the edge of the scenic base, then dusted on the first layer of real, sandy ground cover while the paint was still wet. When this initial scenery had dried, I added more dirt and foliage around the bases of the structures, holding it in place with Woodland Scenics liquid cement. I also added a small tank, maker un-
known, to the side and scenicked around it, as well. The last bit of struc- ture building was a small shed to store the forklift that seemed to be needed for loading oil drums, crates and the like into delivery trucks. I reasoned that it wouldn’t be left outside in Mother Na- ture’s wrath, especially in the winter.
RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN
Keeping with the styrene motif, I cut a random supply of beams, studs, floor- ing and bracing, distressed them, and glued the shed frame together, really without any formal plan. There is no door as such, just a front opening, and I sized it and the rest of the building to fit the Woodland Scenics forklift I had on hand. The shed’s dimensions are about 9′×12′ with a height of ten feet. Once the frame and floor were set, I sprayed them with Floquil Earth, as I had the other wooden parts, and weathered them with the alcohol and ink wash. The corrugated siding and metal roofing are also the same as on the rest of the project with similar weathering. I used Aleene’s Tacky Glue to secure the metal siding to the studs. The short ramp up to the door is sim- ply a piece of wood tapered and covered with dirt. Anyone familiar with Maine winters might question the wisdom of having a flat roof but there are small, flat-roofed buildings here, and there is a stout ladder ready to be used to re- move snow should the accumulation become too great. There is little decoration on the deal-
ership’s buildings. I had a set of decals from a Plastruct tank set, and that pro- vided the Mobil sign on the tank. I pho- tocopied the decal sheet, and that yielded the smaller warning signs. The company sign is from a local fuel com- pany here in South China, Maine. When I went down one day to order this winter’s supply of wood pellets, I grabbed a business card and used that for the sign; it’s always good to support the locals.
The finished photos show O’Brien Oil in roughly its final location. This area in Bigelow, like most of the rest of my lay- out, is still a work in progress, but we’re getting there. This was not really a diffi- cult industry to build and the “thought process” of deciding on the materials, arrangement, size and the like were ac- tually more onerous. As I said several times, the dimensions aren’t nearly as important as creating a product that fits one’s space and desires. Yes, I may have violated some industry or safety standards, but hopefully the 1:48 scale OSHA will cut me some slack, and I don’t think there’ll be any spills. Build carefully and have fun!
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