O Scale Trains Magazine Online

Building the Exterior Vinegar Tanks
Two large exterior holding tanks were assembled with
board-by-board staves over solid interior forms. Four 3.5”
diameter wood circles were cut out of one inch pine using a
hole saw on the drill press. A 5/16” center hole was drilled in
each. A 15’ length of 5/16” dowel was glued (yellow carpenter’s
glue) into each base circle. Then, I slid the second circle
down over the dowel, leaving five feet protruding above the
top of the pine (Photo 4 and Figure 3 on Page 45). Staves were
made from HO 3” x 14” scale lumber that was Goo’d to the
Grey, Rust, and Aged White. A final light overspray of Floquil
Grimy Black was added, since they are under cover from the
weather (Photo 6).
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circular form. This size of scale lumber was just about right for
the barrel radius, and the casual observer won’t notice that the
staves are not beveled. The barrel band hoops were fashioned
from Special Shapes 1/16” x 3/32” brass stock. The brass was
pre-rolled into shape, marked with a 1-1/2’ overlap, clamped,
and soldered for a press fit over the staves. The overlap section
in each hoop was drilled with a #70 bit for three Grandt
Line #23 nbw’s in each band. These nbw’s were CA’d in place
and the excess was trimmed off, after which the hoops were
installed on the barrels spaced roughly equidistant (Photo 5).
In addition to the barrel bands, nine cables were also added
Building the Attached Boiler House
The North wall of the boiler house is a 24’ long wall unit,
again pre-assembled with 2 x 4 studs. The studs are 7-3/4’ high,
set on two-foot centers with a 4 x 4 on the ends. The 4 x 4s on
the ends were used to join this wall to the East wall of the boiler
house, and also to the East wall of the main building where a
4 x 4 was left for this purpose. The framing was set to accept a
Grandt Line #5031 window and a modified #3601 door that had
the door framing “adjusted” (Photo 7 and Figure 4 on Page 46 ).
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around these barrels. To do this, nine Grandt Line #48 hoop
fasteners were each threaded with #0 surgical silk secured
with CA. Groups of three were Goo’d to the barrel equidistant
between each barrel band. The length of surgical silk was then
wrapped around the barrel and the end secured on the hoop
fastener with CA. The barrels were then stained with a mystery
mixture of Minwax (a mystery since the bottle is continually
topped off with whatever color I find first and/or thinner). The
hoops were painted with Polly S Steam Black, and various
stains added with washes of Roof Brown, Milwaukee Road
The East wall of the boiler house is 33’ long, assembled with
7-3/4’ long 2 x 4 studs on two-foot centers. Again, a 4 x 4 on the
end forms the end post at the south end of the wall to join with
the lattice/trellis exterior wall that also supports the roof rafters.
There is also an interior 4 x 4 in this wall to join with the South
wall, along with an additional 2 x 4 to support attachment of the
board & batten exterior. The framing was also set to accept a
#5031 window.
The South wall of the boiler house is 24’ long, minus the
width of the East wall. This wall fits “inside” of the East wall of
the boiler house while joined to the East wall of the main building.
This was again assembled with 7-3/4’ long 2 x 4 studs set
on two-foot centers with a 4 x 4 on the ends. The framing was
set to accept a modified #3601 Grandt Line door, again after the
supplied framing has been “adjusted”, and four modified windows
of unknown origin from the “junk” box that were glued
42 • O Scale Trains - July/Aug ’06