On my layout I will need some scratchbuilt models to represent signature buildings, such as the E.T. & H.K. Ide building in St. Johnsbury. Other structures can be used relatively as designed. Here are some of the structure projects I’ve worked on for the layout.

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I finished up this Mainline Siding and Supply kit. I changed the kit by making the pre-stained wood a little more brown and turning it into an antique barn. I named the business for my mom who likes to collect antiques. It will be placed somewhere near the Maine Central track on the layout (when that section is built!). Twin Mtn. is between Whitefield and Fabyans. (Click on image for larger view)

Another laser cut kit, this one from New England Scale Models, is in use for the Fisher covered bridge in Wolcott, VT. This is a fairly accurate model for this bridge, although the siding on the model is horizontal instead of vertical. I added some trim detail using L shaped styrene. I’ve since added some weathering to the roof and installed this on the layout. One problem I encountered was trying to pre paint and weather the pieces. If you build this model, don't try to do any painting or weathering before it is assembled. I had lots of problems with warping, regardless of painting both sides. After it is glued and assembled, then paint and weather! (Click on image for larger view)

One of the great advances in model railroading in the last 15 years or so is the advent of the laser cut wood kit. Before, tackling one of these craftsman kits could be quite a challenge. Now, these kits are simple and great looking every time. This model was built by my wife Tanya, her first such model ever built. It is the Dill's Market Laserkit by American Model Builders (featured in a MR Step-by-Step article). She had lots of fun with this and I think it came out great. It is serving as a rural post office in Hardwick, VT, like so many you see up north serving small villages. (Click on image for larger view)

With my wife building a laser cut structure, I decided to dig out the Laserkit Springfield Depot I won a few years ago as a door prize. She was having so much fun that I wanted to build one as well! It looks complicated, but this literally took a couple of hours over the course of 5 days. First I 1 built up the walls on the base, braced the corners and set it aside to dry. Then I brush painted the window and trim sheet Aged Concrete. I airbrushed the walls D&RGW Red. In the next session I applied all of the windows and trim and started the bay window. Next time I completed the bay window and started the roof. In the final session, I painted the roof and chimney and applied the last of the trim. Although not an exact match, I'll put this somewhere on the LVRC. If you've never tried one of these kits, you don't know what you are missing. We've already gone through the catalog and picked out our next models! (Click on image for larger view)

A while back I worked up some mockups of key St. J buildings to get a feel for the size and placement on the layout. Well, one night sitting at the computer I decided to play around with my photos of the E.T. & H.K. Ide building to see if I could improve the look of the mockup. This worked pretty well. I trimmed and resized copies of the images with software and printed out the pieces on a color printer. I used a glue stick to attach the paper to the existing foam core board mockup. I'm going to try some other buildings, perhaps scanning in pictures from books for views I don't have. If you'd like more info on how I did this or the actual ready-to-print images for this building, let me know via e-mail. (Click on image for larger view)

In preparing the St. Johnsbury section, I need to scale down some of the buildings. So I decided to use mockups to help do this as well as fill in these empty spaces until I can get around to actually building these structures. Here is a scaled down Caldbeck-Cosgrove building. I've kept the basic idea intact but reduced the size and therefore the number of windows. It has helped and I think when I do build this I will lower it slightly to look more correct. For this mock up, I photo copied the Grandt Line windows and glued them to white paper. I then glued the paper walls onto foam core board and assembled the building. (Click on image for larger view)

Here is building that is a mock up no more! I completed the Allen Lumber company building. It is scaled down a bit and is not an exact replica. For example, the prototype is not clapboard siding and the 2 windows are a bit different. But I think it captures the feel of the building. This is built entirely of styrene with construction paper strips for the tarpaper roof. For the sign, I painted stick on lettering blue and applied them to a piece of styrene. The effect helps simulate the raised letters on the real building. (Click on image for larger view)

Last Update: April 8, 2010

At the north end of St. Johnsbury yard the road East out of the center of town is Rt. 2 also known as Portland Street. It rises above the CP and MEC tracks on a deck girder bridge. I figure this serves well to help bracket the scene and block the fact that the tracks curve behind the backdrop. I built my bridge using the Rix kit but added styrene sidewalks to widen it, scoring lines to represent the concrete sections. For the base, I used 3 Atlas plate girder bridges. I cut these in half and then glued them upside down to the Rix roadway sections. Not an exact match, but close. For now, it rests on the Rix supports, but I plan to build the round concrete support columns like those on the actual bridge to make it a little more accurate and a little bit less similar to everyone else's highway overpass. (Click on image for larger view)

This is a Walthers grain elevator built per the kit instructions. It is being used to represent the Boudreau Brothers building in Sheldon Jct., Vermont at the crossing of the LVRC and then the CV. I don't have any actual pictures of this building, so I used this kit to fit the area. I still need to add some signs and ground level details, but it immediately transformed the look of the area. (Click on image for larger view)

I’d like to say I built this structure as it really is outstanding work. It was built by my friend Diane. Diane was married to my late friend Glenn Salvatore and this was built for the Rutland layout we worked on together as part of the South Jersey Workshop in the late 1980s/early 1990s. After Glenn passed away and as Diane prepared to move up to NY, she presented this model to me as a remembrance of Glenn, the SJW and our days together working on his layout. I really appreciate that. The model is scratchbuilt and reprsents a potato house. It even has a handcarved stone foundation. Really nice. I included this on a farm scene along the LVRC. (Click on images for larger view)

This is a GC Laser farm stand kit I found while browsing on-line one day. I thought it was really cool and built up the kit. It went together pretty easyily and is a really nice model. I will have to try other GC Laser products in the future. The problem was where to fit it on the layout. I found a small area along the front edge and was able to make it work, and it really transformed the scene. I made Hardwick Farms signs on the computer and added people and other details. (Click on images for larger view)

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