Missouri History Museum Model
Railroad Layout
Tips and techniques for building a model structure
Smalltown USA "Helen's Country Kitchen"
text and photos by Richard Schumacher
This page is "building" in more ways than
one. You can follow the step-by-step process for
completing this HO scale model building. While I am
writing this article, I thought you would still like to
see the photos. Come back to read the completed article
in late October. Click any of the photos to see a
larger, high resolution version.
See companion article on basics
of assembling plastic structures.
Remove pieces from sprues and pins from backs of
walls with rail nippers. Make sure to leave the two pins
at the top of the front wall in this kit (see below).
Assemble the four wall sections with Plastruct
plastic weld general plastic solvent cement.
Adding roof helps to make sure the walls are square. The
two chimney sections are glued together and then to the
roof. Add tile cap to top of side wall without windows.
I wanted a heavily weathered look for the brickwork
on this structure. Wash the building with a couple drops
of dishwashing detergent and water. Allow to dry. I made
a 40-60 mixture of Badger Model-flex 16-30
"Sand" and water. This was applied to one side
of the building at a time with a Q-tip and allowed to
dry (takes only a few minutes). The mixture settles into
the joints of the brickwork. Make sure to do the chimney
to match. Attach the front windows and door. Note that I
raised the door and slightly trimmed the length of the
corner post to allow a section of Walthers or Spectrum
sidewalk to fit beneath.
Paint the windows, doors and cornice with Badger
Model-flex 16-85 "Reading Green." Paint the
window sills and keystones, and Streak the roof
(downhill), with 16-05 "Weathered Black."
Paint the the vents (under the cornice) and the top of
the chimney with 16-01 "Engine Black." You can
add some light black streaks to the roof as well.
Highlight specific bricks, such as those in the window
arches, with the fine tip of a Berol Prismacolor art
marker. I prefer PM-150 "Mahogany Red" and
PM-152 "Henna" for this. Add decal signs, set
with Walthers Solvaset 904-470. The signs on this
building were leftover from a Bachmann Spectrum
building. Microscale makes a number of building sign
decal sets.
Blend the building colors using weathering chalks.
Your weathering, like the water which carries it in real
life, flows from top to bottom. My favorite weathering
chalk is the SMC-901 set by Stoney Mountain. One kit
will do your entire railroad. Make sure to weather the
roof, roof tile, walls, and over the decal signs. I left
the doors and windows unweathered to represent a new
paint job. Seal the chalk weathering with a light coat
of Testor's 1260 "Dullcote" clear flat lacquer
overcoat.
Add the "windows" provided with the kit,
which is a pre-printed color sheet covered in a glossy
clear laminate to represent the glass of the windows.
These are cut out on the dotted lines and cemented to
the back side of the walls with Woodland Scenics
"Hob-e-Tac" adhesive. This adhesive holds the
windows in place on contact. Test fit the placement
before applying the cement.
Read more about the Gateway Division's small model railroad layouts and
track plans.
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