Ed,
I once talked with Billy Wade about designing a actual 'roundhouse'
rather than the 2-3 stall engine houses. He liked the idea. However it
wasn't too long and I became overwhelmed with all the variables that
would be have to be considered. I had obtained plans for a Santa Fe
prototype that looked feasible from an architectural standpoint. After
that the variables took over to the point where everyone would have to
be a custom product.
As I related to this group a couple of years ago. I finally obtained a
modified kit from CC Crow's Sn3 kit. He understood what I needed for
the most part. However, I still had to cobble together many pieces of
plaster castings to make it work. Right now I have 4 engine houses that
were from kits because their size and space available worked out. I
think this is great but my six stall roundhouse had so many
qualifications to be filled only a custom kit bashed or scratch built
product would fit at the time. I once owned a roundhouse kit from the
Monon Shops but really it was just a bunch of scratch building parts,
some really basic instructions and some mathematical tables to make the
variables align. Actually Steve (?) Munson from the Minneapolis area
had built a nice model of it--proving it could be done.
I think all of the others have been offered one time or another, but I
certainly agree we all don't want the same buildings on every
layout...photographers will appreciate that. I don't think I have my
copy anymore but the old Mini-structures line of kits was several pages
long and, I think, offered them in several scales. If those were
offered today with updated technology and materials, I'd have to double
my layout's size! ya right.
Since my layout is in the 90% complete stage, in most cases I would have
to replace one structure for another, so it's kinda like giving up a child.
Bob Werre
Group,
I am sure there are a lot more structures today then years ago but
what about:
roundhouses (wood and brick)
medium size coaling towers
boiler houses
machine shops
misc yard area items like ashpits, diesel fueling facilities, etc.
Icing facilities
Bridges, bridges, bridges!!!!
These items are still hard to find and if available most are ib a
narrow guage size.
Ed Sauers
