Here's the new home for the helper engines that are assigned to the engine facility at Tall Timbers, Colorado on my Cimarron and Tall Timbers RR. The side and rear wall castings were part of a Banta Modelworks, "Ridgway Engine House kit," while the front wall and two sets of doors were scratch built.

Photo 2.

Since the tracks were already situated and a Celotex "make do" structure was in place, I couldn't use the original plaster rear wall pieces because they were too wide. They were cut them down with a band saw to fit the location and a brick pilaster casting was used to hide the seam.

The Grandt Line window castings were also cut and fitted into the openings. I used a solid piece of clear vinyl storm window material for the glazing and secured it in place with ACC.

Photo 3.

Once the plaster parts of the building were glued together, I painted them with Krylon Satin Beige spray paint to seal the plaster and give it a base color. The bricks were painted with Red Oxide liquid acrylic craft paints. The same type of paints were used on the stone foundation. A thin wash of white, for mortar, and black for grime was applied with the tip of a brush and allowed to "wick itself" along the mortar lines.

Photo 4.

Prior to the building being secured in place, a concrete floor was created with dry wall compound which was applied with a wide bladed putty knife and "screeded" smooth with a concrete trowel. It took three applications to achieve a smooth surface. Once it had dried, it was sanded smooth and flange ways were cut along the inner sides of the rails with an old hacksaw blade.

Photo 5.

Section lines were carved in the concrete with an Xacto knife blade. The completed "concrete" floor was then sprayed with Krylon Flat Gray primer.

Photo 6.

The concrete floor is slightly smaller than the outer dimension of the building. This will allow for the ground cover to be brought directly up against the foundation stones to create a realistic effect.

Photo 7.

The entire front wall had to be scratch built. A piece of untempered Masonite serves as an interior support and prepainted strip wood pieces were glued onto it. The door openings were framed and large, windowless doors were built. Three Grandt Line 1/4" scale engine house door hinges were used per panel and attached with 5-minute epoxy. Brass wire was bent and secured into the door frames which allow the panels to be lowered easily onto them. The doors can be positioned in open or closed positions.

Photo 8.

The roof is made from two pieces of the untempered Masonite. Two additional pieces were cut at the proper angles and glued into position on the inner surfaces to serve as supports and also to aid in centering the complete roof in place. A single piece of ½" square scrap lumber was glued in place to reinforce the joint between both of the roof panels. Once everything was checked for fit, it was spray painted with Krylon Ruddy Red primer. Polly Scale Weathered Black was further air brushed around the underside and edges.

Photo 9.

Prior to assembling and painting, alignment lines were scribed into the panels to aid in positioning the roll roofing paper. Non-Flammable contact cement was applied to the panels and the peel and stick roll roofing material that I had cut to 3' widths was carefully applied.

Photo 10.

The two vent towers are left overs from the Sargent's engine house project. I cut their bases at an angle that allowed their top surfaces to be parallel with the ground. They were glued in place to the roofing panels. White glue was carefully applied to around their bases to suggest tar sealing material. When the glue had dried, it and all the end seams of the roll roofing were painted with Pactra Glossy Black paint to represent additional tar applications.