The Backwoods Water Tank & Storage Shed

KKarns

Jim, appreciate your comments as always and what I do is first think about how I want the build to fit into my overall layout plans. I wanted the "Water Tank" to have a more deep forest look which to me meant a bit darker stones and an overall more damp humid environment. I did not choose the prep based on any pictures just what I thought looked good and met my goals. Still have some texture to add here and there for moss growing on the bottom few rows of stones on the pump house. Also may put a little moss colored chalk on the very edges of some of the shingles. Will wait to see how the thing turns out before adding too much more....less is more...

This build is going to be a diorama as well...my first..and can't wait to try it. I have ordered a mess of scenery supplies and sifted some woods debris from around my place here in Ohio. Scoured all the build threads on scenery, particularly Karl's superb one. Learned tons from that one! One wall done...two more to go..-K

KKarns

The three walls completed with the pump house functioning as the fourth wall. In order as posted looking from the front;
Right Wall
Rear Wall
Front Wall

Also included the right and rear walls with some signs tentatively in place (not glued)

ironmountainlumber

Hi Ken,
Superb ! Spectacular !! I think the walls keep on getting even more realistic. I thought the prior build walls were fantastic and could not look any better. Wow! These walls could easily pass for o scale. There is alot of texture and work on each board. This is going to be a beautiful model ( just like your others). Did you do anything different?
The signs look excellent too very nice muting of the color and the rust around the edges of the old gold sign is perfect. Once you are done you have got to enter a contest with your builds.
Jim

KKarns

Hey Jim, thanks so much, your encouragement and comments mean a great deal. It got a bit hairy with detailing those front wall boards one-by-one at about 1/16 x 3/16 each!
Will continue to "fiddle" with a few of the other signs as an example, the edges of the Climax sign look to crisp to me. I decided to weather and space the boards a bit generously as this shed design has a very open concept with no doors and the large open paired bays with the left one open all the way through. You asked if I did anything different....I discovered a neat way to color and stain the strip wood that gave me a nice texture and variation in the wood, other than that, I detailed each board one at a time. Also, with this build I had to build each stud wall from scale 2x4 strip wood.

As I mentioned, this build is going to be a diorama. Fetched some base material through Karl's suggestion of sanded grout in a light beige color and I have a pile of other scenic materials at hand from various sources. Can't wait to get into it....

brownbr

I like the detailing of the individual boards and the overall gray coloring. The dirt washing up from the ground is a nice addition.

Wes

Ken

The muddier bottom 2 boards are a nice touch. Something that is often over looked by people. Your knotholes are fantatsic too.

sfc

Can't wait to see it assembled! Great work.

KKarns

Thanks guys....I think I'll go with the signs as is with a bit more weathering on a couple. I'm messin with the foam base as I'm putting a road in the back that will be on a grade with a wood retaining wall and keeping the base as an 8 x 8.

admin

the color/weathering on the walls is gonna look great with your stone casting...

KKarns

Brett, the mock up of the walls and the stone casting does look good. I'm messing around with the diorama base putting in an access road in the back behind the fence with a grade and retaining wall so had to order some appropriate scale lumber for this so postings are delayed. First go at the diorama portion so we'll see....-K

Karl.A

Oh lawdy lawdy , a monster has been created.............. fences, grades, roads.... where will it all end.

KKarns

Ahh, come on...I know you guys put something in the resin that gets you hooked on this stuff! Here's a pick of the back of the Water Tank & Storage Shed 8 x 8 diorama I'm putting together. There is a roughed in road leading up to the water tank with the retaining wall holding back the cut. There is a ditch on that side and the road, once the section is placed in my layout, will go down and cross a small creek on an old wood bridge just a foot or two above the creek bed and the track will traverse the creek at the level of the water tower over a timber bridge.

KKarns

Few pics of the shed floor which is not completely detailed yet and the walls are just set in place temporarily.

KKarns

Wes

Looking good.

Karl.A

I've been away from the forums for a week due to work and this is what I come back to...? Just the same ole same ole great stuff.... aint life wonderful !!

Sounds like you have big plans for the layout Ken, but if those big plans change and evolve you are going to have a great little scene which you can fit into the new big plans.

I'm looking forward to seeing you get some details onto this baby. Maybe don't dull them all down so much this time, a little colour isn't a terrible thing as long as its muted.

Karl.A

(Shiney red oil drums are a 'no no' )

KKarns

Thanks Wes it's fun doing a nostalgic build like this...

Karl, I really am warming up to the idea of the dioramas then sinking them into the layout later as that BIG project evolves. I'm having a blast with this build as there are a number of new techniques for me and, like I mentioned to Wes, this is a nice older kit of Brett's. I agree I don't want to get into a rut of detailing things the same way every time. We'll see how this progresses once I get to the diorama detailing. Should have some more pics soon. -K

KKarns

Few more details; tank platform, spout support, tank platform to roof ladder, and depth gauge. HO Scale must mean Elliot goes 84 mph while I go one!

ironmountainlumber

Hi Ken,
Excellent job. Everthing looks great together. The overall coloring is nicely muted and looks like an old water tower. I still really like the colors and various texture of this kit. This is really another excellent kit from Brett. I wonder if Brett would ever do a short run of this kit down the road so those of us that don't have one could get one? After seeing your build, I wish I had started building models again when Brett started producing them. So many excellent kits that are no longer available. It is hard to believe that people trade/sell the kits rather than build them. Such a same. Great job again, keep up the most excellent work. Can't wait to see your take on the castings as well.
Jim

KKarns

Thanks Jim. Your exactly right, I snagged this one just for the reasons you mentioned. Brett no longer makes it and someone had it all this time without building it! Messing around with the diorama base in between details on the structure with castings to follow.
-K

KKarns

Couple of initial shots of the rock formations along the trackside small creek. The creek will be rocky on the bottom with a very small amount of water with many of the rocks showing above the water.

ironmountainlumber

Hi Ken,
The rocks look great. What did you use to color them or are they natural rocks?
Can't wait to see this all together.
Jim

Wes

Hi Ken

If those arn`t real rocks, you've done one amazing job.

brownbr

It looks very natural

KKarns

Mother nature at her best! The rocks are real and are a hard shale. Thinking now about making it a dry ditch rather than a creek as I don't have much room for water. Keeping the diorama base at 8x8 inches. I should still get some points for rock placement and general effort....right? -K

Karl.A

You get some points for general effort, placement is hard to tell just yet, however the rock far right in the picture looks way too big for me and also too uniformly shaped compared to the others, I'd strongly suggest removing/replacing it.
The structure really looks great, the warm, worn tones of the wood, stone and shingles play nicely with each other. Nice progress.

Karl.A

Wes

How about a bit of a curve in the creek just to break up the straight lines a bit and make some space for the water.

KKarns

Thanks guys...need all the help I can get on dio issues!

Karl, I agree with the big rock on the right, it's gone.. with similar layered slabs replacing it. They are all just stuck into the foam..no glue yet just for this reason. First attempt at a diorama so I'll be nursing it along with your and the crew's help!

Wes, Yea that would make perfect sense except I'm stuck with a few space limiting issues; first is that I want/need to stay with the 8x8 inch base. Second, the water tower to track spacing needs to be where it is so the water spout is positioned where it would be to service the locos. This leaves me just a narrow berm between the track and the ditch/creek. Probably tried to fit too much in on this one diorama (ie, road in the back leading up to the water tank).

brownbr

I would think about not adding the track into the dio. Plan where your track will go on your layout and mark out where the water tank should go. From there cut out a section of sub roadbed starting at the roadbed and going back as far as you need. this way there won't be a track cutting or wiring issue later.

MikeM

Are the rocks supposed to be naturally occurring or moved into place? If the latter, maybe they should be on a scale similar to the stones in the structure? Where I live there are many retaining walls that look similar to what you have now (no need for water though our weather provides plenty of that) and you measure them by how many men it would take to move them. Generally there's an upper limit with some smaller ones thrown in the mix to make construction more stable.