O Scale Trains Magazine Online

ing would go on after the platform was
attached to the front wall and the structure
had been painted.
The lower platform was built right side
up over a copy of the plan. After the four
support beams were pinned down over
the plan, I cut the decking from 1/32”
thick 1/16” scribed basswood sheet.
You’ll need to edge-glue several pieces to
complete the lower platform decking. I
would have left off the decking until after
the structure was painted, but the lower
decking had to be in place before I could
add the 6” square (1/8” square) platform
support posts.
I built the two platforms into a single
unit before I attached them to the front
wall. See Photos 5 – 7 for details. First, I
cut the eight 1/8” square posts that support
the upper platform. Then, I pinned
down the rear edges of both platforms
over the decking plan. I made sure the
two platforms were perfectly vertical
before the eight posts were slid into place
and glued to the upper platform stringers
and the lower platform decking. At this
time, I should have added the 1/16” x
3/16” diagonal sway braces to the front
of the platform assembly. For no good
reason, I overlooked this detail until the
structure was finished. I had to add them
afterward. That’s why you don’t see them
in the unpainted photos. The finished
platforms were then glued to the front
of the structure. To allow a little time for
the platforms to be correctly positioned
before the glue set up, I used Elmer’s
White Glue to attach them.
Staircase Construction
I followed Harold Russell’s excellent
drawing of the staircase and duplicated
it exactly in basswood. If you don’t care
to scratchbuild the staircase, Plastruct
has risers and treads that should work.
You’ll still have to build up the railing.
Staircase construction began with the two
risers. Before I cut the risers, I checked
the height on my model from the upper
platform to the bottom edge of the foundation.
Small dimensional differences
from the drawing can creep in, and the
angular slant of the staircase risers will
compound an error. The top tread on
the staircase should sit 3/16” below the
upper decking.
The easiest way to make the risers
is to lay out the tread notches and riser
outlines on a sheet of 1/32” basswood.
When you have the lines drawn, cut the
tread, right angles first, and then cut the
riser outlines. A fresh #11 X-Acto blade
will ensure that your cuts are clean, with
no crushed wood. See Photos 8 – 12 for
clarity.
The treads are 1/32” x 3/16” basswood
8
9
10
11
12
strip. I cut mine to a uniform length on
my Northwest Short Line Chopper. The
risers were then pinned in place, on edge
and the correct distance apart. A block at
the bottom end of the risers lined them
up. A pair of tweezers made short work
of gluing the treads to the risers. It’s really
much easier to do than it sounds.
The staircase railing was built in one
piece, right over the plan, using basswood
strips as specified on the plan
(Figure 5, page 20). When the railing
was done, I glued the 1/16” square posts
to the outside riser and then glued the
assembled staircase to the side of the
building. The building, sans roof and
cupola, is now complete.
Roof, Cupola Installation, and Paint
The CP prototype has minimal roof
overhang. The 6” rafters were boxed in
with fascia and soffit trim boards. To replicate
this feature, I used 1/8” thick basswood
sheet for the roof panels. I hid the
exposed end-grain at the peak ends with
1/32 x 1/8” basswood trim strips (Figure
6, Page 17).
After gluing up and cutting the two
roof panels to size, I beveled their upper
edges so that they met neatly at the ridge.
The roof panels were glued in place with
Elmer’s White Glue and held down with
masking tape while the glue cured. I
recommend the tape because the white
glue can warp the panels just enough to
impart some curl before the glue sets.
I measured the footprint of my cupola,
then marked that outline onto the roof.
Two Zona-saw cuts were made, crossgrain
to the roof ridge, then down into
the roof. I made the remaining two cuts
with an X-Acto knife. I cut the roof opening
slightly undersized and then trimmed
the opening so the cupola slid snugly
into the opening. I plumbed the cupola
and glued it in place with slow-setting
CA glue.
We’re now ready to paint the structure
(except for the roof), and upper and
lower platform decking. Then I’ll show
you a neat way to replicate asphalt roofing
shingles. At this juncture, I masked off
the entire roof, the upper platform joists,
and the lower platform decking. I left the
eaves and roof ends exposed for painting.
My research on the correct colors for
CP icehouses began at CPR’s archives
website, migrated to Ted Culotta’s excellent
Steam Era Freight Car Yahoo discussion
group, and then the CPRSIG
(Canadian Pacific Special Interest Group)
Yahoo group. See the references at the
end of the article for the Internet links.
Overall, I received several responses
which varied by sender. I’m sure much of
the variation is due to the different locations
where these icehouses were built
and the span of time over which these CP
structures were in use.
Jo-Anne Colby, at the CP archives, says
the body and trim of the icehouses were
brown. The upper body and eaves were
a cream color. Roofing was dark gray
asphalt shingles. A CPSIG contributor
suggested using red oxide, as the builders
bought their paint locally and likely
July/Aug ’06 - O Scale Trains • 15