VOLUME #1 - ISSUE #2


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Welcome to my monthly newsletter for December! In each issue you'll find helpful information designed for model railroaders who build and collect craftsman structure kits. I'll try to keep you up to date on the latest kit releases, availability, tips, tricks and techniques.

This month, I'm starting a new feature entitled, “My First Craftsman Kit”. My thanks to Jim Trunzo for coming up with the idea. He submitted a story that will be in the January issue. If you'd like to contribute the story of your first craftsman structure experience, just send me your text in Word format. If you have a photo to go with it, send it along. Please understand that I can't guarantee your story will get published, and all submissions become my property. Thanks!

My First Craftsman Kit

My first craftsman structure kit was a Campbell Corrugated Supply Shed. I built it when I was 13 years old. Up until that point in my life I had no idea that craftsman structure kits existed. I had built all the plastic kits, and thought they were ok in terms of their quality and detail. On my meager allowance, they were all I could afford.
     I came into some money after I made my Confirmation, and on the next visit to the Green Caboose (LHS), I saw the tartan plaid boxes on the bottom shelf. I was amazed…structures that actually looked like real structures! I think the supply shed cost me $7.50, but I couldn't wait to get it home, and get it built. Inside the box was a stack of cardstock sheets, some stripwood, and several sheets of Campbell corrugated roofing/siding.
     I studied the sparse instructions, and the exploded drawings, and went to work. I cut out the window and door openings, then I cut out the cardstock, and glued it together as suggested. I glued the roof on, and before I knew it, I had something that resembled the building on the box. Next I cut up the corrugated roofing. I got out my Elmer's glue, and glued the pieces to the walls and roof.
     I woke up the next morning, and picked up the building, only to find that most of the panels fell off. The glue didn't hold them. I was crushed. I tried again with airplane cement. It didn't work any better. Finally, I called the owner of the Green Caboose, and explained my dilemma. He told me I needed some Walther's Goo.
     I tried again after picking up a tube of Goo, and the panels stuck firmly to the building. Success! Except, no one told me about painting and weathering the siding. I ended up with a rather garish, shiny supply shed that reflected the flash from my camera every time I proudly photographed it.
     That was 30 years ago, and that kit has long been part of the local landfill. I've learned a lot of kit building lessons since then, but can't forget how proud I felt about that little building.

       Motivation

This month I'm introducing you to my model railroad. A few people have seen it, but I haven't really talked about it a great deal, and up until now, I've never published any photos.
     Part of the reason is because I'm ashamed. I'm not ashamed of it, but of me with regards to it. You see, I feel like I should be a lot farther along on my model railroad, and I'm not. It's a large operation. It occupies a 1,400 square foot basement, and to this point, that's been my big excuse.
     Not anymore though. Each month in this newsletter, I'm going to showcase the progress on my layout. You, the readers of this newsletter are going to provide the motivation for me to get my ever-growing arse downstairs on a regular basis. I'm using you!
     What's in it for you? Well, each month, I'll explain the processes I have gone through. While this newsletter is geared towards structure enthusiasts, this feature will contain any and all aspects of the hobby as I see fit to spotlight them. Where applicable, I'll try out new techniques and provide my opinion as to their success. Ultimately, you'll be the judge.
     While we are usually inspired to build a model railroad based on other model railroads we have seen or read about, motivation to actually do the work can come from many sources. Most of us require some form of motivation in order to get anything done, even though building a layout is something we have voluntarily undertaken.
     I hear about the burn-out factor all the time. Usually it's seasonal, but some people go long stretches without working on the layout. Others never suffer such maladies.
     Dick Elwell is one exception to the rule. Dick has been in the hobby since the late 1950's. It took him about 50 years to complete his original Hoosac Valley Lines. In 2002 he built a new house with a basement twice as big as the original. He cut up the old layout, moved it to the new basement, and proceeded to build. Over the next five years, he has just about completed the layout, working 10 times faster than it took him to build the original. Of course, he has a few advantages that most of us don't yet. He's retired. He's also not forced to deal with trial and error. He has developed proven methods that are easily duplicated. Thus, the work goes pretty quickly. He is motivated by Father Time, although he is the youngest 71-year old I've ever met.
     My good friends Carl Laskey and Bob Van Gelder are examples of modelers who have taken their time to develop a theme, and get a mental image of what they want to build. Carl just built his benchwork about a year ago, and is still working out the details in his head. Bob, on the other hand, started his layout in 1996. He struggled for several years until finally his layout is operational, and the scenery is beginning to take shape. Both men are finding their own motivation, and both will create works of three-dimensional art when they are done.
     My motivation is broader in scope. I just love trains, and have always wanted a large model railroad. I know in order to accomplish that, I have to do the work. So, with that in mind, it's back to the basement for me. See you next month.

 

Building the Rutland Railroad

My model railroad is loosely based on the Rutland Railroad before dieselization in 1953. The towns I selected are based on actual towns along the Rutland with a few exceptions which I'll discuss later.
     The Rutland Railroad was a Class 1 line with over 400 miles of mainline track running through Vermont and New York . The railroad interchanged with the Boston & Maine, the Central Vermont , the New York Central, the Boston & Albany , the Clarendon & Pittsford, and the Delaware & Hudson Railroads. These interchanges are what kept the Rutland alive for most of its life. Most of these railroads could have moved their freight around Rutland 's territory, if they so chose. Financial arrangements created the bridge traffic that kept the Rutland in business until 1961.
     Traffic emanating from the Rutland consisted mostly of dairy products, marble and granite, and forest products. Milk produced the greatest volume of freight traffic for the railroad right up to the end of operations. Almost every town along the line had at least one creamery.
     In choosing to model the Rutland , I had a wealth of research at my fingertips. Robert Nimke self-published a series of excellent books on the Rutland called, “The Rutland, 60 Years of Trying”. This nine-volume set includes track configurations of every town served, as well as diagrams of every railroad-owned structure. That made my job easy.
     I poured through the track plans, and put a yellow sticky note on the ones I thought fit my plans. Next, I put the names of the towns in a hat, and drew them out. So instead of a plan that follows the line from Point A to Point B, I have several towns throughout the railroad. I did, however, choose two end points as the bookends for my layout. Chatham , New York represents the southern terminus, and Bellows Falls, Vermont is the northern terminus. Chatham was the ending point on the Corkscrew Division, and Bellows Falls was the end of the line for the Bellows Falls Sub Division.
     Ironically, I chose not to model the two largest cities served by the railroad, Rutland and Burlington, Vermont . I felt as though I couldn't do justice to the operations in these cities due to space limitations. Building two large yards seemed like a waste of space.
     I did include three areas not on the Rutland . The Hoosac Tunnel & Wilmington Railroad is a narrow gauge line that runs from the east portal of the Hoosac Tunnel to Wilmington, Vermont . Neither of those places. Or any place in between is near Rutland trackage. In my basement, the HT&W interchanges with the B&M at the east portal, then travels adjacent to the Rutland ROW into Chatham where is disappears through a wall.



     On the other side of the peninsula from the Hoosac Tunnel, is a town based on Franklin , Massachusetts , my hometown. Once again, it's not within 125 miles of Rutland territory.
     The Rutland interchanges with several railroads on my layout. In Chatham , it trades cars with the B&A. It interchanges with Dick Elwell's Hoosac Valley in Franklin , the C&P in Proctor, and the B&M and CV in Bellows Falls . The B&M interchanges with the HT&W outside the Tunnel, and the B&M has shared trackage rights on the Rutland mainline to the outskirts of Franklin .
     When we finally get to operate, 6-10 people can keep busy running trains, including two yardmasters, one narrow gauge operator, a switcher at Proctor for the C&P, two through freights, two local freights, and two passenger trains.
     The benchwork is T-Girder construction using traditional wood products and plywood sub roadbed. I used Homabed for the roadbed. The track is Atlas code 83 and Walther's DCC Friendly turnouts. About 90-percent of the track is completed including the entire mainline. The layout is wired for DCC, and is operational. I am using the NCE system.
     The area I will be focusing on for the next several issues is the town of Proctor , Vermont . Proctor was the home of the Vermont Marble Company. Vermont Marble owned a large marble finishing operation as well as several quarries in town. It also owned the Clarendon & Pittsford Railroad that interchanges with the Rutland in here. This area of the layout is the first scene visitors see when they descend the basement stairs. I want to finish it first because I think it establishes the feeling for the rest of the layout.
     My goal is to create a finished scene closely based on the prototype. Several structures will have to be scratchbuilt to represent the Vermont Marble buildings. A mountain and tunnel will hide a hole through the concrete foundation that allows the mainline to travel from one side of the cellar to the other, and a quarry and locomotive facilities have to be built on the C&P. I want to finish this area within four months. I can do it. You're gonna help. Stay tuned.

Bragdon Weathering Powders

     For years, I've used pastel chalks to create weathering effects, but after attending a clinic on weathering freight cars, I've decided to try something new…at least to me.
     The gentleman giving the clinic worked with Bragdon Weathering Powder. I'd heard several modelers speak of them, and decided it was time to try them out.
     The basic weathering kit comes with a plastic case that holds 12 different colored powders. These colors range from four rust colors to Ash, Dust Bowl Brown, Grimy Gray, Weathered Brown, to more esoteric colors such as Green Grunge, Used Brick, The Blues and Old Yeller.
     These are not chalks. Unlike chalk, these powders have a binder in them that makes them permanent after a while, and unlike chalk, any mistakes you may make with these powders will be harder to correct.
     To use them, you need only dip the bristles of a paint brush into them, and dust the powder across its intended surface. A little goes a long way, and I suspect that even with all the structures I build, I'll have this set around for a while.
     One benefit of these powders vs. chalks is that you can seal the weathered surface with a spray fixative such as Dullcote without dissolving the powder. Chalk will always disappear under anything but the lightest spray coats.
     One drawback is the permanency issue. Despite having built and weathered hundreds of structures, I still play around a little with the weathering before I'm totally pleased. Chalk allows you the opportunity to change your mind. You need to be a little surer of yourself with the Bragdon powders.

Acrylic Craft Paints     

     For years, model railroaders used paints made specifically for the hobby. Floquil, and its subsidiary, Polly S were the main suppliers of these paints. Floquil is a foul-smelling formula that can make your family hate the hobby, and Polly S was an overly thick, water-based paint, that was difficult to achieve good results with.
     A few years ago, Floquil discontinued its line of Polly S paints, and replaced them with Polly Scale paints, a thinner, acrylic-based substitute. The pigments in these paints are ground finer than those of Polly S, and when mixed with a number of thinning products, can be sprayed with moderately good results.
     The move away from solvent-based paints, and their inherent health problems, and the cost of Polly Scale (anywhere from $4.00 -- $5.00 for a one-ounce bottle) have forced hobbyists to seek alternatives.
Enter the arts and crafts superstore. Once the bastion of the estrogen-infused middle class, these big box retailers have now found a following as the low-cost savior of the model railroader. Its shelves of inexpensive craft paints have finally given us an alternative in the hobby paint market.
     One look at the work tables in my office will tell you that I spend some quality time with the ladies at AC Moore. I have about 100 of the two-ounce bottles, and seem to find more every time I go over there. For about $1.00, I can match any color on the Floquil or Polly Scale paint chart. More importantly, among the seemingly millions of colors, are colors relative to what we do, and colors you'd never find among the offerings of Floquil.
     My favorite is Barnyard Red made by Folk Art. This color was used on many railroad structures such as freight houses, utility sheds, maintenance sheds, etc… Many mills also used this color. Of course, if you're modeling a farm scene, this is a necessity. Almost all barns were painted with this red paint that contained a chemical to retard mold.
     Mostly, I use this paint on wooden surfaces. The pigments are fine enough to work very well on plastic, although on occasion I can get away with it. When I need to spray it, I dilute it with windshield washer fluid, and if the paint goes bad, so what, I throw it out.
     I haven't been able to totally replace my line of Floquil and Polly Scale paints, but I have taken a big bite out of the expense of keeping them in stock. To his credit, Bob Van Gelder of South River Modelworks has been using and recommending these paints for the last few years. Hopefully other kit manufacturers will jump on the bandwagon soon.

Fine Scale Miniatures' Bartholow Coal J.S. #9

This years' Fine Scale Miniature's offering, Bartholow Coal, is a change of pace from the last several FSM kits. The previous three kits have all been street scenes, but Bartholow is a throwback to the days when George Sellios was designing some of his best work.
     This coal dealer reeks with character and charm, and although I liked the street scenes very much, I eagerly anticipated this kit. I wasn't disappointed.
     Gone are the days when a FSM kits weighed 20 pounds. The fact is, casting metal has gotten too expensive, and George Sellios would rather keep his kit pricing below $300.00. His thinking has also changed somewhat in that perhaps some of the older kits contained too many detail castings.
     Fear not though, FSM kits are still the most highly detailed craftsman kits on the market, and Bartholow is no exception.
     The big surprise this year is the enlarged sheet of color photos. In past years, George provided an 11” x 14” sheet. This year, the sheet is 16” x 20” and includes 10 beautifully photographed shots from all sides including the rear. George's daughter Tara took the photos, and they are some of the best kit shots I have seen.
     Consistency has been a trademark of FSM kits for the past 40 years, and Bartholow carries on the standard. The quality of the laser cut siding, the dimensional stripwood, the templates, the castings and the instructions are first rate. I have recently built several FSM kits for a project, and like them, Bartholow's castings required NO clean up.
     The instructions come on three double-sided sheets that measure 16” x 20”. The type face is large and easily readable. There are 14 template cards, five sheets of cardstock for roofs and walls. The kit also comes with the obligatory roll of Campbell shingles, two sheets of signs, three pieces of corrugated roofing, several small bundles of stripwood, dowels for telephone poles and a lovely yellow box!

     What don't I like about the kit? Nothing. In fact, I think this is one of George's best designs. Someone did actually call George to complain that the structure didn't have enough windows! George replied that the building is a big coal bin, and did the caller think the coal needed to be able to see outside?
     One critique of all FSM kits is the instruction sheets. I hate them. They are too big and unwieldy. I understand it's less expensive to print the sheets vs. an instruction book, but I'd gladly pay the extra money if that's what it takes.
     I started building the kit the moment I got it, and will post a review with photos of the finished kit in the January newsletter. See Fine Scale Miniatures latest kit at http://finescaleminiatures.com

Doug Foscale FOS SCALE LIMITED
     Why We Make Craftsman Kits
     What's the point in building scale models or making them into kits for that matter? I often ask myself this again and again as I am both a model railroader and kit manufacturer. My interest in models has been with me for as long as I could manipulate material in my hands. First in memory was a kindergarten project, a fire station made from a shoe box. Then toys made it easier; Lincoln Logs, Lego's and my favorite all time toy from Kenner , the Girder and Panel Building Set. This set of parts included plastic steel girders and I- beams, as well as acetate printed glass panels that allowed you to build skyscrapers over four feet tall. At the time I barely understood the fascination of representing in miniature what already existed, if nothing else it seemed a redundant exercise. What was the point of a scaled down version of the same thing?
     At the age of six, I couldn't have possibly understood the purpose. Only the fun aspects of building with your hands made any sense. Just stepping back after some flurry of connecting pieces of this and that was enough satisfaction. But there was more to it. Several key moments led me to building models and ultimately make them into kit form.
     When I first saw the film Star Wars the idea of using miniatures to tell a story left an impact on me that's never wavered. Even at seven years old when I first saw it, I was of course blown away by the story and the characters, but more than anything I wondered, how did they make those amazing ships? The detail was beyond anything before it, save for 2001: A Space Odyssey . And, the weathering was another story entirely. Everything looked worn and lived in; everything looked real .
     I wish I could remember the Italian restaurant somewhere in Astoria , Queens , NY , that got me hooked on miniatures for good. For some reason the owner had built an HO scale scene, probably four feet wide and starting at floor level, occupying the space under the counter at the door. It was the perfect height for kids. All I can remember was a city scene with hundreds of details, including construction barriers and cones still made to this day by Life Like. The scene sparkled with working lights, cranes, cars and trains. I barely ate a thing that night; my parents couldn't pull me away from it.
     Strangely, during long road trips I never got bored, especially driving through the city. I had this game in my head wherein everything I could see out of the rear windshield would be transferred into a machine that would miniaturize it for me. Buildings, lampposts, bridges – whatever came into view would be sucked into the vortex of this device, and it would be waiting for me at home. I suppose, however imaginary, that was my first layout.
     Only later could I appreciate what had been brewing in me from the beginning. The idea of taking nothing, that blank page and giving it form and function was and is fundamental to everything I do. And the final lynch pin was architecture. Fortunately I was encouraged by both my parents. Then later at 15, I was given the best job I could imagine at the time, making blueprints for an architect; a neighbor of mine whom I am indebted to. By 16 I was drafting and filing Building Permits and Certificates of Occupancy. By 17, I was designing buildings, restaurants, residences – even a heliport - that actually got built. More interesting to me than the actual structures however, were the models we built. I finally figured out how they made those ships in Star Wars, they made them to scale - what a concept. Once I got a hold of that bit of information I created projects for myself; gave myself homework - the most ambitious, a proposed extension to the land filled Battery Park City in New York . I laid out streets, set zoning regulations and height restrictions and of course built a model of it all. This was in the ninth grade.
     I was also fortunate enough to go to a high school that was all art; The High School of Art & Design in New York , while I was working for the architect. And architecture was part of the program at school and I was surrounded by Manhattan ; so I was immersed…naturally I chose architecture for a major in college, but only stayed with it for three years. Apparently all this math and engineering is required to make buildings stand up and not burn down, or something like that. I forget the reason why. Whatever it was, it wasn't for me. I just wanted to design and build models. So I left that school and their strange rules about the tensile strength of concrete …. So, graphic design it was. I had to get a degree so they said, so I did.
     Backtrack to before High School…from about eight to about thirteen years old I played with trains, went through several layouts and scales; the whole time marveling at what was in Model Railroader. John Olsen's Jerome & Southwestern was something I stared at again and again; I still do. And taking the subway to High School every day was a bonus. Then, trains took a sidetrack to architecture for a good while, then graphic design. For nine years I was involved in product development for an import company. I designed a range of houseware products and packaging, as well as all of their showrooms, displays and trade show booths. When I was about 26, I picked up an issue of Model Railroader. It was an issue with George Sellios's Franklin and South Manchester – and that was that. This was the kind of modeling I wanted to do. Then not too long after, I discovered Fine Scale Miniatures and South River Modelworks kits, and knew that's what I wanted to do. First I had made dioramas and sold them on Ebay. But when the time came to part with them, I was always reluctant. Anna Maria, my wife, had urged me to finally make a kit and give it a try; Big Lou's Grill was born in April of 2002.
     But still, why make kits and not just build them as a hobby? As a student of architecture and design, I can't help but be disenchanted with the state of structures today; be it big box stores like Wal-Mart or the latest condo developments. Few, if any new buildings have the character that those of just fifty years ago had. And many of the remaining relics, of a time when a person would design a building with a pencil, not a computer and a spread sheet, are quickly vanishing. One of our goals in making kits is to preserve an era lost to banality, mediocrity and harsh economic practices. And as do paintings, photographs or text, a three dimensional scale model is an equally valid act of historic preservation. So aside from the enjoyment of building and designing structure kits, we're very proud to play a small part in possibly providing some education about the past. Every day one of those old relics gets demolished. Hopefully every day someone is building a smaller version of what just vanished.

Visit http://www.foslimited.com for FOS Scale Limiteds products & services.

Want to submit a column or article? email Scott.

Join me for the 2007 scottymason.com Tour!

     By popular demand, I've created the First Annual scottymason.com Tour. This year we will be getting together two days before the Big Train Show in Springfield , MA . We'll tour three of the most famous (and one not-so-famous) model railroads in the United States, as well as visit the 4 ½ mile-long Hoosac Tunnel. With any luck, we might even see a train!
     You'll see Dick Elwell's Hoosac Valley Lines, featured in several issues of Railroad Model Craftsman, Model Railroader, and Volume 6 of Allen Keller's Great Model Railroad Video Series. In my opinion, Dick is the greatest all-around model railroader, and a great guy too. Judge for yourself!
     George Sellios' Franklin & South Manchester Railroad is without question the most highly detailed model railroad ever built. No trip to New England is complete without paying homage to this work of art.
     While my rendition of the Rutland Railroad is far from complete, you'll get a chance to see some long class 1 mainline action set in the Green Mountains of central Vermont .
     Many of you have read the description of the restoration of the famous Pennsylvania Railroad Middle Division. The layout was originally built by Dave Frary for a series of articles in Model Railroader Magazine in 1993. Jimmy Deignan bought it in 2000, and I restored and enlarged it with a little help from my friends. The layout runs beautifully once again. See it in person!
      It's not necessary to attend both days. Feel free to come along for one, or both. I hope to see you all in January!

Schedule* Thursday, January 25, 2007

  • 8:15 a.m. Meet at the Best Western Hotel in Springfield , MA
  • 10-12:00 p.m. Dick Elwell's Hoosac Valley Lines
  • 12:30-2:00 Lunch at The Pub, Heritage Park , North Adams , MA
  • 2:00-2:45 Hoosac Tunnel Museum , North Adams , MA
  • 3:00-4:00 Hoosac Tunnel
  • 4:20-6:00 South River Modelworks
    6:00 Return to Springfield

Friday, January 26, 2007

  • 9:00 a.m. Meet at George Sellios' shop, Peabody , MA
  • 9:00-12:00 p.m. The Franklin & South Manchester (Please note that there is a separate entrance fee of $5.00 here)
  • 12:00-1:00 p.m. Travel to Franklin , MA
  • 1:00-3:00 p.m. Barbeque lunch** (There is a fee of $26.00 per person for lunch. Reservations must be made by December 15 th by clicking on the link. This fee is non-refundable.)
  • 3:00-4:00 p.m. Scott Mason's Rutland Railroad
  • 4:00-5:00 p.m. Travel to Jimmy Deignan's
  • 5:00-6:30 p.m. The Pennsylvania Railroad Middle Division
  • 6:30 p.m. Return to Springfield
      *Please understand that despite my best intentions, I cannot control the weather. In January in New England , our weather can run from blizzard conditions to spring-like to sunny and zero-degrees. All tour plans are contingent upon the cooperation of the weather. By attending the Tour you agree to be responsible for your own travel decisions.
     Please also note that you will be responsible for making your own travel arrangements throughout the tour. There is no group transportation on either day. You will be provided with detailed driving directions to each location, as well as back to Springfield .
     **The Barbeque Lunch includes chicken, pulled pork, baked beans, cole slaw, and corn bread, and is being prepared for us by an award-winning barbeque competition team. This is the good stuff! Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages may be purchased at the event. Sorry, alcoholic beverages may not be brought into the event.
     Guests scheduled to join us for lunch include Dave Frary, Dick Elwell, Jimmy Deignan, Jim Corcoran, and more!

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Published monthly by Scott Mason ©www.scottymason.com - EMAIL SCOTT - Visit www.scottymason.com Volume 1 Issue 2 December 2006