Build a HO scale power plant to hide a concrete pillar

ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.


Spent time this morning on the Harborside wall.

IMG_4012.jpeg


The glue holding the vents to the wall was supposed to be thick and seal the edges like it was chaulk. It didn’t work that way. It’s acted like it is, a solvent that melts and bonds styrene. It’s finish is shiny! Lesson learned, don’t trust YouTube videos and information without testing it first
IMG_4015.jpeg

To the rescue! Paynes Grey Extra Dark Pan Pastels. Dust then scrub over the offending 6 pieces. Killed thevshinevandvi will check it Friday morning.
IMG_4017.jpeg

It’s put on strong and scrubbed into the surface. I hope the matte clear spray knocks it down. We shall see
 
Spent time this morning on the Harborside wall.

View attachment 254502

The glue holding the vents to the wall was supposed to be thick and seal the edges like it was chaulk. It didn’t work that way. It’s acted like it is, a solvent that melts and bonds styrene. It’s finish is shiny! Lesson learned, don’t trust YouTube videos and information without testing it first
View attachment 254503
To the rescue! Paynes Grey Extra Dark Pan Pastels. Dust then scrub over the offending 6 pieces. Killed thevshinevandvi will check it Friday morning. View attachment 254504
It’s put on strong and scrubbed into the surface. I hope the matte clear spray knocks it down. We shall see
Microscale micro flat solution works well in selected areas.......
 


At the club, we hid pillars by running backdrops to the ceiling. you can still tell where some are, as the backdrops do some too and fro as you walk the aisles. This is a creative solution. It would work for me. I had a friend back in Birmingham who built his house with his future layout in mind. No support pillars in his entire basement! He had steel I beams supporting the house. I know that cost him a few shekels, but he didn't care.
 
Last edited:
At the club, we hid pillars by running backdrops to the ceiling. you can still tell where some are, ass the backdrops do some too and fro as you walk the aisles. This is a creative solution. It would work for me. I had a friend back in Birmingham who built his house with his future layout in mind. No support pillars in his entire basement! He had steel I beams supporting the house. I know that cost him a few shekels, but he didn't care.

Thanks Alan. We thought about just the blue sky background paint but then he created a frame around the pillar to use as a wiring chase and when I finished the Swing Bridge he asked me to cover it. This is way beyond the original plan of just some styrene with a few block windows. It’s been interesting. Reviving old unused skills and the thought processes has been an adventure.
 


I need to cover the joint where the 2 brick walls meet up. I want a bit of a heavier corner and found out I brought home the wrong styrene angle parts the other day. The angle did not cover the corner. The 1” piece of scrap did though and gives a beefier corner

IMG_4419.jpeg
IMG_4420.jpeg
IMG_4421.jpeg
IMG_4422.jpeg
IMG_4423.jpeg
IMG_4424.jpeg
IMG_4425.jpeg


So no angle to cover the corner and the always open at 10am LHS was not open @ 10:47 this morning.

So I need to prime the walls and have done so using this
IMG_4426.jpeg


Be well
 
The run at 10:40am to the LHS was a bust. He wasn’t open. Called at 4:15 he answered I went

Came home, down to the bench and the corner pieces work

IMG_4438.jpeg


Some color

IMG_4439.jpeg

Dry fit

IMG_4440.jpeg


Parts are all here

IMG_4442.jpeg


The colors don’t match. These were 1st coats but they are all supposed to be oxide red. I hit the window frame and sash with a light satin clear finish. Hoping when I do the final coat the colors come closer together. I didn’t want blackish frames but that’s where these may end up. They have been in the dehydrator 2 hours. I will pull them at 2 hours and hopefully the last covering will bring out the red in the frames at least.

It’s almost time to let the front curtain wall commence
 

Attachments

  • IMG_4441.jpeg
    IMG_4441.jpeg
    1.2 MB · Views: 14
Last edited:
Wall #3 faces the coal unloading track, coal pile and is 30” from the digester/recovery boiler complex. It’s as big as the Harborside wall. 14.25” high x 19” deep
IMG_4427.jpeg
IMG_4428.jpeg


Couple pictures before the surface primer was applied. Sintra unprimed sucks up paint as a baby does its bottle. Over the past weeks this wall has had all sorts of manifestations. Finally I decided not to complicate it and stick to a flat wall.

Light grey surface primer is being used and the only thing done not in the picture is I masked off where the H columns and the horizontal C channels that will hold the exposed conduit piping

More pictures hopefully Sunday
 
No pictures but I’ve trying to keep a neater bench while working on this project.

I did however invoke the F word yesterday. Changed #11 blades, no problem. Needed a better concrete expansion break line for which I use the back edge to the blade and drag it across the styrene. Well I lined it up, turned the blade over and immediately put my finger tip on the exposed new cutting edge.

Terry was on the floor doing her daily exercises outside the train room door, when the F word was used. Without coming into the room asked, “ how bad is it, do you need help, do we need ER again?” Such a loving wife, she knew what I did. Just a slice, no biggie but I take blood thinners and I was able to close it with CA. The medical kind I have works through the blood but the Doctor told me try to apply when it’s oozing not pulsating!

It’s not only fun for me it’s an adventure I didn’t have to join the Navy for
 
I've used CA more times than I remember for closing cracks that would develop on my dried out fingertips before I retired. No problems this year though.

The surgeon also used it on my chest 16 years ago after my bypass surgery. Works great and no train tracks on my chest. In fact the scar is hardly even noticeable after all this time.
 


There will be a light shield behind and above the windows. That will or should defuse the brightness of the scene. The weathered walls are just a talc powder used to fill the mortar lines. The more I handle the walls the more it comes off. We shall see what’s left of the mortar when I finish the wall next week. I am making no attempt to save the mortar lines

Thanks for following along
Just my 2 cents on toning down the brightness. I used Tamiya green translucent paint inside on the clear windows. A lot of old buildings used green to block out some of the sunlight. Just a thought
 




Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a commision from some of the links and ads shown on this website (Learn More Here)

Back
Top