Millvale, PA Diorama

[chicken45]

I was in Millvale this week. I went to Ester's and my wife went to the French bakery. As I drove there, I kept looking off to my left at all the tracks and when I got back, I was even more impressed with your work. You're killing it, man! Looks great!

[Jesse6669]

Thanks Josh, learning as I go on many things     I'm trying to keep it to scale as much as possible.


Submitted for the forum's suggestions are two structures; 


[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

I'm thinking I should just try find commercial kits that are "close". 

One is a Millvale water works building (I think it's a warehouse but may have contained pump equipment.  Looks quite a lot like an old train shed/single stall without the windows.  This can be seen in Google maps (https://goo.gl/maps/SrB3i) but the building now is missing a "skylight" (not sure what the architectural term is) on top and a dock door is bricked up..

The other is the Willow Grove yard office.  I only have a distant photo of the yard office, but I recall it was a simple structure with a porch and some kind (?) of clapboard siding.  Someone out there MUST have a photo of it but I have yet to find it. 

Any ideas are welcome.  And I might just try to scratch build either or both..

[Jesse6669]

Still searching , I found this (below); the Willow Grove yard office looks like the same design as in Handley, WV.  Possibly a Chessie era standard ?!


http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/5/1/7/9517.1309732648.jpg

[Jesse6669]

Rails are all in place. . That's progress!  I decided to omit the 2nd crossover from Main#1 to Main#2 as it would've consumed two perfectly good #7 turnouts and one of them would've been chopped.  I'll save them for my next project  ..  Now to ballasting with Ed K's Grout Stone blends.

https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=105FF725141D1B73&resid=105FF725141D1B73%212846&authkey=AP0FMQD2RtAd79I


Picked up a MicroTrains Military HQ for the yard office.  It's the same style of construction as the Chessie era yard office, same roof pitch, and even though the window/door placements are a bit different it should do quite nicely when painted.  It will also be my first structure kit..since an old Revell Engine House, and my first laser kit! 

[Jesse6669]

Updating with links to photos..  Started putting in the ballast in Willow Grove Yard.  Base is Highball black (N), gray is sand/grout blend.   This will be weathered much more, as the stubs were typically used to park the local and yard power, so accumulated plenty of diesel/oil goop and sand. 

Added the retaining wall/cribbing, and did some scenery base painting as well.

Prototype

Progress 1

Progress 2

[Jesse6669]

Hmm an idea for a scene...  Note the underpass in the background.  [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[Jesse6669]

Did some more ballasting on the P&W main. [ Guests cannot view attachments ]