Building the Kentville Station in HO

[Dan Conlin]

I am going to add interior lighting and a lift-off roof. The fascinating details in 1902 plans for the station at the Nova Scotia Archives gradually lured me into adding the more of the interior. At first I was just going to do a few walls for strength and then I decided to add floor detail and then doors and then stairs etc. The big tiled area is the station restaurant. The smaller tiled floors are the washrooms. The narrow corridor led to rooms where train crews picked up their orders through wickets from the dispatcher. Attached are a couple of shots from the test fit of the walls.

[stem]

Gee Dan, I'm salivating. That staircase is a real showpiece and the tiled floor is awesome.

[Paul Charland]

Beautiful stair case Dan.

Adding interior lights is a must. Back in the 90s I switched to Rio Grande Southern and started building Vance Junction board by board. The 22 x 40 foot depot took over 5450 pieces to construct including a full interior. Looked great except by the time you added window frames and glazing you needed to hold a flashlight up to one window and stick your eye up to another to see anything inside!.. lights would have helped a lot!

Paul

[SamuelMClark]

WOW, I wished I had your skill for that Dan! AMAZING!

[stem]

That's the kind of dedication that borders on obsessive compulsive. I know because I've been there too!! I think that in retrospect on many of the things I've built that I should have planned right in to the design a method to always open it easily and a second section that would fit right back where you took the structure off to open it made of acrylic so that it could be left "open" for display but still look like it's closed up from most angles except the clear display angle.

I know these days that I've seen building done like this which is where the revelation probably came from.

[Dan Conlin]

The walls are up on the Kentville Station - inside and out. Interior furniture is on order. Now it is on to the bay windows and time to figure out a roof system.

Dan Conlin

[Paul Charland]

Sorry, already made this suggestion... must be getting old!

Paul

[Dan Conlin]

Wow Paul, 5400 pieces board by board! Your Vance Junction sounds impressive. Love to see a picture.
I am experimenting with some strip LEDs which I hope to hide in ceiling spaces.

Dan

[Paul Charland]

Hi Dan,

I'll have to find what's left of the shots I took of the set of buildings I made for Vance Junction. Board by board turned out to be relaxing, I made all these buildings and still had no room for a layout so sold them off. Even the two place outhouse took over 250 pieces.

If I were to do it again I'd surely install some kind of interior lighting. Spent a lot of time creating furniture that I never seen once the windows were in place.

I think some are still on this computer somewhere, just have to find them!

Paul

[Paul Charland]

Found these shots online from posting them to ABPR back in 1999, this is what you get for 5454 parts!







There is a full interior that you could see until I added the windows!

Paul

[Dan Conlin]

Wow that is terrific work. The board by board technique really enhances the clapboard - looks super real. Wonderful fine work on the windows and stairs. I also like the subdued paint job.
I have roughed out the roof on the Kentville station. I will probably use Campbell Shingles. What did you use on your roof - and how did you paint or stain them?

Dan Conlin

[Paul Charland]

Hi Dan,

I also used Campbell shingles for the roofing. Not sure what they are like now but back in the early nineties they came on a roll and when you started the roll they were pretty straight but as the roll got tighter, the shingles tended to start curving upwards and it was a pain to try to keep them straight. I thing there is another company out there that sells shingles in strips and they stay straight... not sure if they are paper or styrene though.

The shingles were a brownish color to begin with, like and old paper grocery bag. I mixed up the brown Floquil paint and let it dry. I also had a "off the shelf" wash made up for weathering things, just thinner, a few drops of black and grey. Where it was applied wet it took some of the brown off and where it was applied as the brush dried it left grey streaks. Just had to remember to apply it in the direction the rain would be and it turned out. As I remember a couple of areas took too much brown off and I dry brushed a bit more back on.

Paul

[Dan Conlin]

Thanks for the shingle weathering tip. I know what you mean about the Campbell shingle rolls.
Here's a couple of shots of progress on my station. The tower is a fairly demanding piece. I carved it out of solid pine because it will act as a handle for the roof. It will need some fussy work to get the "bellcast" shape that gives it so much of its character.

Dan

[Paul Charland]

Hi Dan,

Wow, this really is looking great, I see the second floor in the background and the mug in the foreground which reminds me... the auction people packed mine and I have to go find it before it walks out the door!

Great idea about using the tower for a handle, I've seen some great work turn into kits over the years when someone broke part of the roof trying to take it off to show interiors.

Paul

[stem]

Museum quality piece Dan. Looking absolutely wonderful!