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The "Loco and Service Shops" Scratchbuilt in O Scale. Karl.A

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Comments

  • yes, yes... as much additional info as you would like to provide.
  • Go for it...
  • edited July 2017
    Still not sure how your Loco and Service Shops Diorama didnt win 1st at the NGC...one of the 7 wonders of the world...
  • I was thinking that as well....
  • It's a popular vote competition. The diorama wasn't the mot popular amongst the 'people' who actually got to vote, it's as simple as that.
    Ultimately it lost by one vote,
    but, the Mt Albert award still means more to me.
    It was the same situation for everyone in the room.

    I'll carry on with pics tomorrow of the machine shop progress.


  • So glad to see you continue posting on this. It is truly the bar against which I hold all modelling, up there with Doan.
    Thanks, serioulsly
  • edited July 2017
    Thank you for the kind words,
    it is going to take me some time to get back up to speed and sort through pictures I had forgotten about. But as we are moving forward with the machine shop I'll start with the machinery.

    These are some incredible pieces, so highly detailed it blew my mind. Having Brett's original pilot models to use, as I said earlier in this thread was such a huge priviledge.
    http://www.sierrawestscalemodels.com/mt.html

    I just needed to adjust some of the weathering to fit in with my own scenario, scarey stuff to do with these 'one of a kind' originals.... here are the results of the ones I have pictures of.



    001
    002
  • Karl, your attention to the mechanical detail is amazing. The details show through in subtlety which just enhances the realism. Thank you for such a wonderful example of what is possible.
    Mark
  • Hey Karl, now that I 've been through the categories, you really set a standard for this kind of modelling. A true reference. Thanks for it. Just awesome !!!

    Robert
  • Thank you, but all I did was weather them. These machines were exquisitely built and painted many years ago by Brett to showcase them and I was fortunate to use these original showpieces.
    004

    As they were originally built for sale display and I was using them in the model I adjusted the weathering to suit my needs and blend with the 'shop'.
    Added shadows, highlights, re-polished some areas, added rust effects, oil, grime, some added wear and tear, an extra detail or two on a few of them and that was about it.
    002

    More later,

    Karl.A
  • While searching through my pictures I came across this progress setup shot, I don't know what it is I like about it so much but figured Id share it. It shows how I was trying to tie the machine shop into the main area by having the areas flow into eachother and blend.
    I also like the subtle reflections/shine on some items...
    the wrenches on the two benches, anvil, quench tank, wheels to name a few, also how the patina on the metal bench top shows up and the wear marks on the styrene rails ontop of the crane.
    020

    Karl.A
  • Wow! So glad this thread popped back up!

    When I see great models that are well modeled (yes, two components) I'm equally blown away by the end result and drawn into the process. I can't stand NOT knowing how a magician pulls off his illusions. In the same way, I want to see how the best of the best get their modeling results. These new glimpses help illustrate all that went into making this gem. So, I hope there's more.

    Watching you take the handoff from Brett and running with it almost makes me nervous FOR you. This was more than "adding some weathering." You're taking a one of a kind original and...tinkering with it. But, I realized this wasn't an effort to make the pieces "better". It's simply an adjustment for the setting.

    However, you gave me another anxiety attack when thinking about the full model: a showcase for Brett's originals. Yikes! Who needs THAT kind of pressure?? Glad it's you and not me!

    Please keep digging for more pics. I never not learned a trick or two for watching over your shoulder!

  • Great to see this continued Karl. So much to see and learn from here.
  • This thread was what I had spoke of Karl in my thread...your attention to "detail of reality" as I call it.....the stuff looks real....
  • edited July 2017
    Thank you Ed, Bill and Ken, yes Bill very nervous when I started.

    With the machinery placement (almost) finalized and the decision made to have an 'engine room' it was time to start filling in the spaces, as in the other areas, I wanted the details around the machine areas to be specific and logical.
    Some bare castings were used for spacing, arrangement, shapes, height, etc.
    010
    Once some ideas began to fall into place after hours/days/etc of moving things around it was time to design and build the actuals. As before, bare castings were used to plan things out.
    011
    Once I was happy with detail arrangement the castings were removed and finished properly, and, once they were glued down the benches could then be weathered appropriately.

    012

    013

    Once I had specific pieces to position and move around I could then detail the areas around and behind the machines. A few specific tools for adjustments, some oil and lubes for maintenance, an odd spare part, and, of course some scrap stock scattered out of the way. A lot of it not really visible, but all still finished to best quality and it hopefully adds to the effect.
    Some more progress pics and still not finished.

    014

    015

    016


    018

    017

    As I said earlier, blending the two rooms (machine shop and main shop) together....... the 'steel and pipe' rack was purposely placed on the otherside of the wall behind the power hacksaw. The 'off cuts' on the floor flow around the machine, the waste bin, the wall and ultimately around the pipe rack on the other side, thereby tying that whole scene and work process all together.
    The pipe rack is next to the open door in the main shop so that long stock can be unloaded from a short flat car and fed into the racking, (the scene with a half unloaded pipe car on the tracks was always planned for this area, but not completed, yet!)
    Likewise the hacksaw was purposely positioned next to the open main doorway so that long stock can sit on the stock support and extend out of the door whist being cut to shorter lengths without intruding into the machine shop.
    The pipe handrail is there to protect workers that come through the door to the main shop from the hacksaw drivebelt, the guardrail is actually positioned just far enough back so that longer stock when it is in the hacksaw jaws can pass past it into the shop if needed.

    019

    More machinery and areas in the shop later, or tomorrow.

    Karl.A
  • Karl, your details are absolutely fabulous. I think that I am actually in the shop.
  • Sure is nice to revisit this.
  • Loving the tour and learning so much. Thanks for the effort in posting all this. I look at this last picture and can really see how this could be a "Partworks" model and this would be one of the quarterly issues. Enough in this little scene to spend days and days getting it "right". Amazing work.
  • edited July 2017
    Thanks for the comments Steve, Brian and Joel, very appreciated.
    Appologies for picture quality on most of these 'progress' photos, I know most are blurry in a lot of places and the lighting is too harsh or dim, but, these were taken as I was working and used for myself for detail placement, angles, planning views etc, I wasn't concerned with picture quality at the time.

    Karl.A

  • edited July 2017
    Last of the machines..... the front wall is off on these so somethings look a little strange with the exterior details intruding into some of the pictures.

    The grinder (MT-520)
    which was swapped with the vertical drill.
    (looks like somebody has an axe to grind)
    021
    A higher view without the wall.
    022
    Few more axes waiting to be sharpened.
    023

    Universal Miller (MT-540) one of my favourites
    Sitting in the redesigned corner from previous pics.
    024
    I added a screw driver and couple of wrenches to the machines 'tool tray'
    025

    Vertical Drill (MT-520)
    Hard to see and not a good shot, the scene still isn't finished.
    026

    Single Bolt Cutter (MT-560)
    Again, a still unfinished scene.....
    Bill asked earlier in the thread what I would change or add, this pic is another good example of that.
    The catch box under the lathe needs to be filled with shavings.
    The bucket next to the lathe needs trash/rags
    There will be a 'C' clamp rack for the drill and a 'die' rack for the bolt cutter between the two machines.
    Some misc details between drill and bolt cutter.

    As with the list of 'changes' I specified on the previous page, its not that I missed these things, they were always planned, I just basically didn't have time to do them and I haven't gone back to it, yet.
    027

    Well, that's a not so quick shop tour and views of all the machines, I couldn't find any finished overall shots so these few will suffice for now.
    028
    029
    032

    Next onto the engine room to get some power to these beauties...

    Karl.A



  • To say it's impressive would be an understatement. I really hope this comes as a ( several part ) kit in the O scale. I am in ! I can't place it on my layout anymore , but will create a special diorama with it. It is with work like yours that one gets ambitious to move up to the next level of modelling. Thanks Karl.
  • edited July 2017
    Thank you Robert.

    Here is some trivia about the model some may find interesting.
    Although I am about to show the engine room design and build, even at this point in the process the only thing actually permanently glued down is the rear wall and its details.

    The structure was assembled and detailed and then torn down again many many times.
    This was necessary because each time I worked on a scene I had to be able to take the walls apart and detail them flat on my desk relative to the scene. Some of you may have noticed the clips holding the walls together in many of the previous pictures
    009

    The picture below shows the actual structure, everything was built forward from this back wall. Not sure when this picture was taken but you'll notice the weathering on the floor where the lathe sits in the workshop, so at many previous points everything had been built up, placed and detailed, the machines had been put in place and then all removed again so I could work on a different area.
    001
    The next picture shows planning the engine room, but, in the background the crane and surrounding details are removed (infact I don't think they had actually been done yet), the machines are in the wrong places, the welding scene hasn't even been started yet.
    002

    The next picture shows why this was necessary. This pic must be near the end of the build(although it doesn't look it), the side walls are finally glued down as are the details but everything else is removed again. This was necessary so that I had full access to go back to each wall to do finish detailing and weathering to all the areas now that everything had finally been planned out infront and throughout the interior.

    006

    Certain things were definite from the beginning and needed to be anchors for everything else, but, I had to be able to go back and have access to the other 'not yet designed' areas. The carshop was definite as was the machine shop, The crane was originally going to be a travelling crane the entire length of the center bay, I'm really glad I scrapped that plan and changed direction early on.
    So, things were designed out of sequence but ultimately needed to be built from the back forwards.
    The only way to do this was to keep everything removable until the interior was fully designed and laid out and all the scenes worked together. Only then could I go back and do the next levels and start gluing things in place.

    I had a sheet of paper for each scene to keep everything organized when removed and so I knew where all that stuff went back to.
    Below you can see basic detail sheets for the machine shop, engine room, car shop, wood cutting scene, car shop exterior , log bunk building scene....

    007
    that weird looking thing top right is the line shaft, which also had to be designed and built as removable, hence the bare strip wood temporary braces holding the rafters together.
    008

    One day there would be a detailed structure on my bench, the next there may only be three or four walls, or even just a single wall propped up on my glass work surface depending what I was working on, and so it repeated and progressed throughout the build.

    Karl.A

  • Brilliant Karl!...holding some comments as I have seen most of this previously so a real treat for those that haven't. I love that third from the last shot...reality encompassing the illusion of reality!...so many, many wonderful details in that space it boggles the mind.
  • edited July 2017
    The engine room pt1

    Very, very early on in the build, Brett and I decided it would be very cool if the HO office was changed into a boiler and engine room to power the machineshop, we agreed it would make a great scene, a quick mockup on the glass surface but way to early to figure out how it was going to work, I needed to make a lot of progress inside before we could start planning this out properly.
    001
    Several months later and the back wall is detailed and glued in. Several other areas have been decided on and planned, now the engine room could be revisited.
    As you see the front wall was originally built exactly as per Bretts HO design.
    002
    However, the engine and boiler weren't going to fit in the small office together.
    003
    We decided to bring the boiler outside under an overhang, but, not possible with the existing front wall layout.
    By reversing the front wall (for mockup purposes) we agreed that a second large doorway should be added, thus giving an engine room and access to the boiler, this would also provide great views inside.

    You can also see from this pic how the structure is clamped together, the carshop is pretty much detailed and I'm working on planning out the second wall, crane scene, pipe rack and there are several 'place holder' details for planning while I work on the actual ones. The machinery placement hasn't yet been fully worked out at this point.
    004
    Not quite ready to pull apart my beautiful and completed front wall until we had it 100% figured out I went back to working on the interior. The second wall shelves and benches were now being worked on the wall was detailed, the crane scene was being planned and worked on, well, except for the crane, but I used a mock up for visual planning, and a few other minor details inside the main engine bay such as the pipe rack and the hand pump on a drum.
    Now with a better sense of the interior layout the front wall was revisited.... and pulled apart.
    005
    When held up on the structure it looked good, but not great, the windows didn't look right and I wanted a bigger boiler scene and that window on the left was in the way. At this point I also decided on the front wall being removable, but also in two sections, for viewing. The wall was again pulled apart, this time even more.
    006
    Once rebuilt with the third window removed the wall was test fitted. It was now in two removable pieces. The worksop side could come off for viewing of the machinery and shop leaving the boiler wall and roof in place, or the boiler side could come off, or both. The whole interior had once again been temporarily detailed to check viewing angles, placements etc with the new wall in place
    007
    The boiler scene and outside work area was mocked up to see how it flowed and balanced with the interior details/views.
    008

    All was good, so it was time to finalise the machine placements, detail the machine shop, build the lineshaft, all of which you have now seen , and, next post, to work on the engine room layout and details.

    Karl.A
  • Hi Karl,

    What method did you use for the peeling paint? It looks awesome.
  • Karl...you are approaching the continuation of this thread to perfection! I love how you are going through and describing the thought process and the planning as I love this part of a build. The mock ups, the thoughts and planning such a vital part of a great build. This thread is so good and so inspirational it makes me want to jump right in and get some serious work done on the bench. Bravo my good man...
  • So Ken, What is keeping from getting some serious work done?
  • edited July 2017
    Thanks for the comment on the peel of the boards Steve, I used the technique from Brett's HO locoshop manual, its a fantastic method and when you quickly get used to it you can do some wonderful and amazing things with it.

    Notice how in picture '5' in my previous post the boards are all heavily peeled, but, when you look closer you'll notice that the bottom 2/3s of the wall (which would be exposed) is peeled much more than the top 1/3 (which is protected by the eaves and roof). Its easily overlooked, but its there.
    Its one of those things that overall just looks right, but, its subtle enough that it isn't specifically noticed until you spot it or its pointed out.

    If you focus on the wall level all along above the windows it is mostly paint, heavily peeled, but, mostly paint. If you focus only on the area level below the windows it is mostly bare wood and very little paint. If you look at the wall as a whole, it just looks like a peeled paint wall. Transition in-between.

    Because this model is heavily peeled all over I made it a very subtle difference, but, the method from the manual gives you the ability to make the peel and transition as harsh or as subtle as your own model needs. I did a much harsher and pronounced difference on my Blue Sky build for example. Also the amount of control can be seen on my Mainstreet Hotel under the stairway.

    Thank you Ken, I'm glad to read that you are enjoying the "behind the scenes" (literally), and thought processes of building this model. I hope that current/future readers of this thread may spot something in one of the pictures, and use or adapt it for one of their own models.

    I realise that a lot of these posts are 'similar',
    meaning, they are detail orientated scenes, with shelves and tools, etc, but, there are very specific nuances within each scene that I hope people pick up on and it gives them ideas for their own modeling.
    I will try to make this clearer in my next engine room post.

    Karl.A
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