Model Railroad Structures From A To Z By Wesolowski Wood Cardstock + Soft Cover

$15.00

Model Railroad Structures From A To Z By Wesolowski

Soft Cover

230 Pages

Contents

Introduction 11

1 Getting Started 13

Some Thoughts On Scratchbuilding—Photography-A Useful Tool—Research And Planning—Hindsight Hints—Scale And Gauge—Plans—Component Parts

2 Basic Tools And Techniques 33

Measuring Tools—Cutting Tools—Cutting Machinery—Files And Sandpaper—Tweezers, Clamps, Weights And Holding Devices—Drills—Fixtures And Frames

3 Working With Wood 52

Types of Wood—Wood Stock—Selecting And Storing Wood—Coloring Wood—Glues, Adhesives And Joints—Cutting Techniques—Layout And Construction Techniques

4 Building A Simple Drainage Bridge 74

Union Bridge—Construction

5 Building The Schulz Brothers' Icehouse 90

6 Working With Paper 105

Window Areas—Simulating Wood And Metal—Cardstock Construction Tips—Cutting—Gluing

7 Building A Lineside Storage Shed 112

8 Building A Trackworkers' Section House 130

9 Working With Plaster 145

Reasons For Casting—Plaster-More Than A Wall Covering

10 Plaster Pattern Making 160

Symmetry Of Design—Casting Structures—Picking The Prototype And Selective Compression—Parting Lines

11 The Molding Process 175

RTV Or Silicone Molds—Latex Molds—Pouring Your Castings

12 Building A Simple Highway Bridge 183

13 Building Cast Brick Chimneys 197

Glossary 208

Appendix Selected Scratchbuilding Suppliers 215

Index 217

On Back Cover

Any way you look at it, there's a lot more to model railroading than setting up a track and switching on a train! Once you're in that engineer's seat, you won't be satisfied until your layout is the best one around. From tracks, cars, locomotives, and prototype operations to scenery, electronics, and sound effects, there's always something new and exciting to add to your pike! What's the best way to make your setup really special? Build your own model bridges, buildings, and backgrounds ... from scratch!

This is the book to show you how to create all kinds of unique, original models from wood, paperboard, plaster, and other inexpensive, easy-to-find materials. Easy step-by-step instructions, plus lots of detailed illustrations, including eight pages in full color, help you make professional-looking models, right from the start! Build a simple drainage bridge, the "Schulz Brothers' Icehouse", a storage shed, section house, or a highway bridge .. . even learn how to design your own outbuildings!

Introduction

Welcome to the world of model railroad scratchbuilding. The consistent growth of the model railroad hobby can, in part, be attributed to its multifaceted nature. You can not only enjoy the fun of just playing with trains (as I am unabashedly fond of telling my friends), but you also can specialize, or at least dabble, in a wide variety of subjects including things like trackwork, cars, locomotives, prototype operation, scenery, electronics and sound effects, among many others. The list is almost endless. But perhaps one of the most enjoyable aspects of model railroading is making special models for your own pike. One of the great satisfactions of any hobby is the ability to say "I made this." As a beginner you can start with simple kits and then proceed to more advanced or craftsman type kits which will contain possibly hundreds or thousands of parts and castings. One or two steps beyond this type of fun is scratchbuilding, where you not only assemble the model but design it from-and to some degree reproduce-the prototype. The satisfaction now is to say "I created this"-a one of a kind model specifically made for your railroad from your special set of preferences and values.

For the most part, scratchbuilding is quite inexpensive. Whereas many craftsman kits range upwards from $50 to well over $100, the typical scratchbuilding project even in the larger scales seldom exceeds $10-20. This is because it uses simple materials and your imagination.

The purpose of this book is to introduce you to the tools, methods and thinking of the scratchbuilder. We will be working with some very basic materials like wood, cardstock, and casting plaster. All along, the purpose is to help you create your own models in any scale or railroad motif with a realistic degree of accuracy. To this end I have included a number of projects ranging from relatively simple to quite complex. The simplest have a set of kit-like instructions for you to follow. Try, however, to develop your own construction sequences and modeling methods, even at the very beginning. Notice that up until now I haven't even mentioned scale or gauge. Frequently there is conflict, or at least an elevated sense of competition, between those in 0 scale, HO scale or N scale or between the narrow gaugers and the standard gaugers. Scratchbuilding transcends these differences, as the techniques are common to all scales. Scratchbuilding is fun and your scale preference is really irrelevant.

Although scratchbuilders are active in creating everything from switchstands to locomotives, I believe most begin with structures. Buildings are ubiquitous features of the model landscape and are easy to construct. Electrical work and flawless precision in moving parts are not required. I have, therefore, restricted most of our projects in this book to bridges, buildings, and general railroad structures, along with a healthy dose of information on construction techniques that could be used on any scratchbuilding project.

Well, enough of this talking ... I think the conductor is swinging his red lantern and shouting a hearty "board" so let's begin our journey into model railroad scratchbuilding.

All pictures are of the actual item. There may be reflection from the lights in some photos. We try to take photos of any damage. If this is a railroad item, this material is obsolete and no longer in use by the railroad. Please email with questions. Publishers of Train Shed Cyclopedias and Stephans Railroad Directories. Large inventory of railroad books and magazines. Thank you for buying from us.

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