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Artman
Section Hand
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 Posted - 05/22/2012 : 09:40:05 AM
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Okay, so I have this plastic HO model of the Bachmann Coal & Sand Complex that I bought long ago. I glued a few pieces together back then and added weathering effects with paint on one side of it. The results were encouraging and so I got it in my head that with a little extra effort in the painting department this thing could be made to look more realistic than the image of the model on the box, which by the way, at the time, I thought wasn’t to bad.
I like builds that look “real”, look believable and functional. Well all that is well and good but life got in the way and I had to shelve the project. In fact I mothballed my entire train collection putting it all into deep storage. The years rolled by until one day (some 8 years ago) I retrieved my choice stuff out of the dungeon, like a few locomotives some rolling stock, a water tank and you guessed it, that barely begun Bachmann coaling tower. I gathered the stuff together and displayed it on a book self in my busy art studio.
About a year or two ago I started getting the itch . . . I’d been silently watching what some of you fellows have been building here in this forum (Mike Chambers’ Craftsman’s Corner), and I began to wonder, perhaps I aught to do something with that Coaling Complex.
So I got myself all enthusiastic about starting what I thought would be a simple build only to find out I had misplaced the working plans for this model . . .
In the Railroad Line Forums “Reference & Research” section I asked if anyone might have the plans for this Coaling & Sand Complex . . . unfortunately no one did.
The advice I got was to “wing it” but it soon became clear to me that unless one is armed with the knowledge of how a coaling station such as this one, operated, you can’t make it look believably functional. Puzzling over the parts to this model, still attached to their sprues’, I set the darn thing aside.
Then came a stroke of luck, a couple of weeks ago I found the kits misplaced plans tucked between the pages of an old Model railroad magazine that I have. As I studied those plans it became obvious to me that the workings of a coaling station could not be understood looking at these overly simplified instructions, I had but the vaguest idea of how such a facility functioned . . . I needed more information. So I went on line and immersed myself into the world of steam era coaling stations. I began to get an idea of how they worked and with that came an understanding as to how I might add greater detailing to my Bachmann model and up the realism factor.
The actual working details on this model are, in my opinion, overly simplified and in some cases omitted entirely; I did notice one encouraging thing though, the basic structure was well made and quite believable. What I wanted to change were those rather “toy like” simplification of the coal chute and the coal bucket that came with this kit.
While not entirely incorrect, the coal chute that came with the kit lacks detail and the thickness of the plastic looks way to robust. If this were life sized and made of metal it would be ridiculously heavy and unworkable . . . even as a small model it looks clunky. After my on line research and education, I tried my hand at a scratch built coal chute that would address those detail and function issues.
Painted up and all, I think this coal chute definitely adds more realism to this model.
However, though it looks good in these photographs it was a tad off. My first try at this thing wasn’t aligned precisely to my liking. So I busted her apart.
And began again
The result, more precision!
That is all for now but I will post more images as things progress. Obviously there’s the sand tower to detail and complete, I will be removing the overly thick wire attached to it and modifying the arm . . . more to come.
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Robert Wanka
http://www.robertwanka.com |
Country: Canada
| Posts: 50 |
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Artman
Section Hand
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Posted - 05/22/2012 : 10:15:04 AM
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One little thing I forgot to add here, this scratch building with plastic and brass is new for me. I am however, familiar with building props out of clay or card stock.
My hope for this plastic model of a Coaling station is to make it look pretty real.
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Robert Wanka
http://www.robertwanka.com |
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Country: Canada
| Posts: 50 |
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HurleyStation
Engine Wiper
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Posted - 05/22/2012 : 10:27:53 AM
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It looks like you've done an excellent job. I have a Walthers coaling tower in N scale that maybe the same model (except for scale). If you like I can scan the directions for you. I was actually thinking of using the plastic model as a pattern to build a wooden model. When I get to it 
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Country: USA
| Posts: 257 |
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Artman
Section Hand
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Posted - 05/22/2012 : 11:27:12 AM
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Thanks Rhett,
But like I said, I found my lost instruction plans so all is well there.
I like your idea about building this thing in wood, eventually I expect to get into that medium, most probably my next build. However, I may actually add wood here and there in this build and lord knows what else . . . it’s a diorama and the aim is to make it look as good as I am able to in this scale.
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Robert Wanka
http://www.robertwanka.com |
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Country: Canada
| Posts: 50 |
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bitlerisvj
Crew Chief
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Posted - 05/22/2012 : 12:03:48 PM
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Interesting that you mention doing this in wood. If I am not mistaken, this looks just like the coaling and sand complex that Wayne Wesolowski did a scratchbuild series on in the May thru August 1988 issues of RMC. You may wish to get these issues to get ideas on superdetailing this thing. Heck, to be honest the photos you show, the paint that you did on the plastic makes it look like wood.
Good luck and regards, Vic Bitleris
quote:
Originally posted by Artman
Thanks Rhett,
But like I said, I found my lost instruction plans so all is well there.
I like your idea about building this thing in wood, eventually I expect to get into that medium, most probably my next build. However, I may actually add wood here and there in this build and lord knows what else . . . it’s a diorama and the aim is to make it look as good as I am able to in this scale.
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Country: USA
| Posts: 947 |
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Artman
Section Hand
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mark_dalrymple
Crew Chief
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Posted - 05/22/2012 : 3:36:34 PM
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Hi Robert.
I think your paint job is extremely good, and you have represented the wood colour very well. I have a Campbell kit set aside for a kitbash into something very similar to this. I also have a set of plans and construction instructions from an old issue of MRR or MRC.
Cheers, Mark.
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Country: New Zealand
| Posts: 526 |
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Artman
Section Hand
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Posted - 05/22/2012 : 8:07:32 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by mark_dalrymple
Hi Robert.
I think your paint job is extremely good, and you have represented the wood colour very well. I have a Campbell kit set aside for a kitbash into something very similar to this. I also have a set of plans and construction instructions from an old issue of MRR or MRC.
Cheers, Mark.
Hi Mark,
Boy oh boy would I like a peak  at those construction plans you mentioned . . .
Thanks about the painting, I thought I could take this build a long way just by the paint detailing alone but as you can see, I am no longer convinced that just a good paint job is needed here. There are structure details to consider, like the sand tower, the coal chute, the coal bucket and the cables that make it all work.
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Robert Wanka
http://www.robertwanka.com |
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Country: Canada
| Posts: 50 |
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Artman
Section Hand
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Posted - 05/29/2012 : 3:17:37 PM
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A brief update . . .
Still working on details, in some cases very tiny details, I’m learning to like this scratch building stuff
The sand tower and delivery spout were on my mind and I wanted to see if I could manufacture one that might look more prototypical.
I took this photo of my version compared with the one that came with the kit. Of course the brass one is my work . . . The example I have made here actually moves up and down just like the prototype.
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Robert Wanka
http://www.robertwanka.com |
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Country: Canada
| Posts: 50 |
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bitlerisvj
Crew Chief
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Posted - 05/30/2012 : 12:52:03 PM
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The brass one, yours, looks MUCH nicer. Keep up the good work.
Regards, Vic B.
quote:
Originally posted by Artman
A brief update . . .
Still working on details, in some cases very tiny details, I’m learning to like this scratch building stuff
The sand tower and delivery spout were on my mind and I wanted to see if I could manufacture one that might look more prototypical.
I took this photo of my version compared with the one that came with the kit. Of course the brass one is my work . . . The example I have made here actually moves up and down just like the prototype.
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Country: USA
| Posts: 947 |
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Frederic Testard
Engineer
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Posted - 05/31/2012 : 01:29:40 AM
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I agree with Vic. Your work is much better than the part provided in the kit!
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| Frederic Testard |
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Country: France
| Posts: 16524 |
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brownbr
Crew Chief
Premium Member
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Posted - 05/31/2012 : 05:39:38 AM
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Your work is quite an improvement on this kit.
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| Bryan |
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Country: USA
| Posts: 765 |
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Dutchman
Administrator
Premium Member
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Posted - 05/31/2012 : 07:47:08 AM
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That is some nice work on the brass spout, Robert. A great improvement over the kit's version.
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Bruce
Modeling the railroads of the Jersey Highlands in HO and the logging railroads of Pennsylvania in HOn3 |
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Country: USA
| Posts: 23277 |
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Artman
Section Hand
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Posted - 05/31/2012 : 10:24:07 AM
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Thanks guys,
Appreciate the encouragement  !
Well I put this little piggy (sand tower) all together
As you all know this is tiny stuff so it's a little tricky.
The picture I took this morning shows the step just before painting. I wanted to take a pic of it so that the things added to this little sand tower would be evident. Once the paint and weathering effects get applied it should look seamless.
As can be seen from the drawing above, my build is close but not exact . . . but I think close enough for the scale. Now apart from some tightening up of the cable (string ) a few tweaks here and there this is ready for paint . . . that is where the fun really starts.
Just a little sidebar; a friend called me up the other day and mentioned his coming across my little build here on this forum. I had to chuckle because he said “when I took a look at what you were doing I knew you were going all out, next comes the dangling chains” (meaning I was going to go nuts on detailing this thing). I might have been chuckling at the way he expressed it but he knows me rather well, I really will be adding those dangling chains. 
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Robert Wanka
http://www.robertwanka.com |
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Country: Canada
| Posts: 50 |
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Artman
Section Hand
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Posted - 06/02/2012 : 7:06:48 PM
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Some of you might call me a rivet counter but I just couldn’t let things stay as they were. Remember I got into this entire thing because I wanted believable functionality in this model . . .
So after sleeping on it I decided to alter the sand release valve (which is what I think it is) as it appears in the drawing (scroll up if you want to see that drawing).
The result, left to right Before & After:
As you can see in this image I have, for obvious reasons, simplified this structure and at the same time got it to look more like the prototype . . . and that makes me happy.
Added some paint and weathering and here she is . . . By the way, I am painting this with oils; even painted the string (cable) to minimize the frayed ends . . . seemed to work quite well.
Again, the cable could use some tightening up, looks a little sloppy but this is HO scale and something like that is really only noticeable in close-up photographs like this.
Not sure I am entirely happy with this paint job but I’ll move back to completing the coal chute, painting that and get on with the coal bucket (which needs a little modification in order to look more prototypical and functional).
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Robert Wanka
http://www.robertwanka.com |
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Country: Canada
| Posts: 50 |
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Ensign
Fireman
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Posted - 06/02/2012 : 7:43:39 PM
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Beautiful work Robert!
You have taken this kit to a whole new level with your improvements.
Greg Shinnie
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Country: Canada
| Posts: 3856 |
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