GWR/LMS OO Gauge DCC RR&Co

[user=2172]Claus Ellef[/user] wrote:

Hi John,

I will follow your hotel project with great interest. I too, want a 'double-sided' hotel for Wombat Creek. Please keep us updated with the progress.

Hi Claus

Glad you are finding the project useful. Not sure how long you have been following Granby but I started the hotel project in February of this year so there are already some earlier posts covering the building of the front.

Its a challenging model and probably the most complex that I have attempted but nevertheless very enjoyable. The design is very ingenious in the way it incorporates so much three dimensional decorative detail.

As I continue with the project I will try and remember your interest and include more “lessons learned”  which may be of use to you. Do feel free to ask any questions.

Best wishes

John

I'm green on 2 counts John - firstly, your very lush looking garden - as you may remember, at this time of the year here, everything turns a sad shade of brown unless one spends hours each evening watering.  Doing so with "town water" is not only very costly but also, at best, frowned on or at worst, forbidden by law.  Dordogne, our neighbouring county, has just had fairly tight restrictionsintroduced so their gardens are about to wilt and many pools will have to be topped up after dark b by  masked intruders …..   
Are you the horticulturist or do you just carry out Mrs Dew's instructions ?  Whoever is responsible, your garden looks wonderful and very relaxing.
My 2nd green count is that hotel - another "Granby development" is taking shape.  These "developments" are aways something to behold.  I'll have to go back to the srart of the project bdcause I didn't realise it was a Scalescenes kit ……albeit heavily modified.

It's a mightily impressive structure and will look perfectly in scale overlooking that very grand trainshed.  

Apologies John - I had completely forgotten the origins of the hotel……. :oops:
I did however, thoroughly enjoy going back through all those pages searching for it.

I think I've mentioned your eye for detail before but now I'm in awe at your ability to design the hotel from elements of the high street kits.  It was great fun identifying where the various elements on the hotel actually came from - wow, talk about lateral thinking !!! 

Thanks for the kind words Peter.
The post office which is next to the hotel is a genuine kit bash involving a number of different elements from the Scalescene High Street kit. However I fear I have mislead you about the hotel :oops:. The photos I have shown so far were built directly from the low relief hotel kit. As it is very complex I decided to build the front exactly by the book………I am now embarking on the difficult bit because I want it to be full relief:shock:. I am now buildIng two Low relief sides almost identical to the completed low relief front except that at the ground floor the ornate pillared entrance will be replaced by a third window


Once that is done, along with a second corner unit I will have a hollow square……I still have to work out the back and how to create a roof over the entire edifice………its hardly surprising I confused you!:roll:


Glad you like the garden…….everything is pretty luxuriant now …..we had a very wet June. This year there are no watering restrictions, normally its alternate days and no sprinklers. We have developed over the years a home made irrigation system that operates by timers during the night. We both spend a fair bit of time in the garden but I have to admit Doreen is more active than I…….I am always looking for excuses to sidle off into the railway room.


Hope you are both well and Prudence of course…….I have to ask…how appropriate has that name turned out?


Best wishes


John

Hi John
Your garden looks a real haven to work in, and like Peter, I am extremely envious.  Having been away, we have come back to luxurious weeds and plants dying of thirst.  I have pretty much emptied all the water butts just giving the greenhouse and some of the outside fruit and vegetables a drink.  

Good to see you picking up the hotel again, I remember your initial progress and plan; I will be interested to see how you go about adding the sides as I was thinking of doing something similar, although not with the hotel kit.  I assume the rear will also be visible, so will need covering as well?  Very neat corner sections too - I do like the way the building is designed - interesting to build as well as to look at.

Michael

[user=1512]Headmaster[/user] wrote:

Hi John
Your garden looks a real haven to work in, and like Peter, I am extremely envious.  Having been away, we have come back to luxurious weeds and plants dying of thirst.  I have pretty much emptied all the water butts just giving the greenhouse and some of the outside fruit and vegetables a drink.  

Good to see you picking up the hotel again, I remember your initial progress and plan; I will be interested to see how you go about adding the sides as I was thinking of doing something similar, although not with the hotel kit.  I assume the rear will also be visible, so will need covering as well?  Very neat corner sections too - I do like the way the building is designed - interesting to build as well as to look at.

Michael

Hi Michael

Hope you had a great holiday. It seems to be ever thus when one returns…..no matter what precautions have been taken its always a bit of a shock when you walk into the garden…….so much growth…..invariably in the wrong areas!

I guess I delayed returning to the Hotel Project because I was uncertain about the actual foot print of the completed building. To be honest, I am still not absolutely clear but the sides have to be built and it makes a perfect project to work on in the garden. 

The hotel backs on to the  main lines leading into the station. The plan is to use elements from the high street backs kit on the ground floor of the back to create a behind the scenes look in contrast to the elaborate frontage…….but that is all some way off…….once we get into fall I will be running trains again.

Best wishes

John

I did wonder about how you might do the rear wall, they are not always the most elegant features of hotels, and the idea of using the rear high street  buildings is quite inspired and would really add to the authenticity of the structure. Perhaps an opportunity for one of your marvellous cameo scenes as well!
Michael

[user=2057]TeaselBay[/user] wrote:

That video is fantastic. Some lovely movements there, I’ll have to investigate the Zimo decoders. 
Some very nice sturdy camera work also!

I was using Lenz decoders and then discovered Zimo about three years ago. I've never looked back. The running is smooth as silk with starts and stops that you can barely see. Except for the MX600 they're easy to add stay alive to, but since I plucked up courage to have a try, I'm no longer worried about it. I have a fair few sound loco's too; all except one by Paul Chetter who supplies Digitrains of Lincoln… worth every cent.

[user=1120]peterm[/user] wrote:

[user=2057]TeaselBay[/user] wrote:

That video is fantastic. Some lovely movements there, I’ll have to investigate the Zimo decoders. 
Some very nice sturdy camera work also!

I was using Lenz decoders and then discovered Zimo about three years ago. I've never looked back. The running is smooth as silk with starts and stops that you can barely see. Except for the MX600 they're easy to add stay alive to, but since I plucked up courage to have a try, I'm no longer worried about it. I have a fair few sound loco's too; all except one by Paul Chetter who supplies Digitrains of Lincoln… worth every cent.

We need an "agree" button! :thumbs

I was a big fan of Lenz but Zimo are smooth as silk.

Cheers

John

Continuing with development of the Scalescene Hotel. We now have a completed side to add to the front and corner unit.

 The weather was a bit changeable last week. Rain didnt exactly stop play but it did cause a few changes in venue, hence the changes in some of the photos.

The side is identical to the front except I wanted to substitute a central window in place of the pillared Entrance Door .I have tried to avoid repetition and too much detail. Hopefully the photos help follow the sequence but delighted to answer any questions.





The base layer template for the new window had to be cut out and centred very carefully.

When I made the front section, in February, I found it difficult to get clean cuts on the small windows using my usual Olfa craft knife …….this time I used a scalpel blade. Time consuming but much crisper.
 



I originally intended to have two plain central windows on the 1st and 2nd floors but then realised that using the overlay from the kit would avoid a lot of complications blending in new cover




All I had to do was reduce the width of the central columns and print some more cover layer ……..and Bob's your uncle:



Add windows and curtains





Next paste the support elements….ceilings,floors sides on to 2mm board


The instructions suggest doing this first. I think it better to complete the front so you can test fit as you go and avoid the dangers of "thicknessr creep".



Lots of cutting out and laminating









Completing the jigsaw…….the two front elements slide between the horizontal ledges

There is virtually no tolerance……hence the importance of test fittin early on.


:
Pediments and pilasters…..buttresses and friezes……..all done:







Another side to do but first I will make a corner unit and try and finalist the footprint and pavements.

Regards from Vancouver


John

John,

Awesome project and work. Which glue do you use on your card kits?

Colin

That is a great walk through, John, and the finished side looks brilliant.  It will be a fabulous addition to the layout..  Your cutting is first class too.  I would never have thought of making the side another low relief section, but I can see that it serves two purposes - one to give the effect of all of those individual rooms, rather than one big open space; and two, it must make the structure really secure and strong, connecting to the corner sections..  I defy anyone who does not know, to think it is anything other than a full sized building kit.  Once again, the detailing on it is excellent too, I know how fiddly and time consuming that must be.
Great job.

Michael

A good job well done. Everything looks just right.  :thumbs

Hi John,

You have set the bar pretty high!  :lol: I may not post my future conversion of the hotel :oops:

[user=2170]Colin W[/user] wrote:

John,

Awesome project and work. Which glue do you use on your card kits?

Colin

I use Uhu sticks for glueing paper to card. Its more expensive than most but is mase in Germany rather than China and far superiot.
  
I use Uhu for some card to card but for bigger pieces like buttresses I use thin beads of everyday White PVA

Best wishes

John

[user=1512]Headmaster[/user] wrote:

That is a great walk through, John, and the finished side looks brilliant.  It will be a fabulous addition to the layout..  Your cutting is first class too.  I would never have thought of making the side another low relief section, but I can see that it serves two purposes - one to give the effect of all of those individual rooms, rather than one big open space; and two, it must make the structure really secure and strong, connecting to the corner sections..  I defy anyone who does not know, to think it is anything other than a full sized building kit.  Once again, the detailing on it is excellent too, I know how fiddly and time consuming that must be.
Great job.

Michael

Thats very kind of you Michael and much appreciated.

In truth its a bit over engineered. At ones stage I was going to make just the facade and use plain Card for the support structure but although a bit wasteful in terms of both time and material it has resulted in a very solid structure.

As I have said before John Wiffen is so clever in creating all this additional three dimensional detail.

I will make another side following the same procedure with three ground floor windows and a second corner unit but perhaps  with a ground floor window ……..its all free lance after that with the back and roof. The roof is the biggest issue…..there are gables and dormers to finish off the low relief units and I can probably do the same with the back. Linking all this with a credible centre roof will be challenging……..nothing venture etc

Best wishes

John

[user=1120]peterm[/user] wrote:

A good job well done. Everything looks just right.  :thumbs

Thanks Peter….glad you like it.

Cheers

John

[user=2172]Claus Ellef[/user] wrote:

Hi John,

You have set the bar pretty high!  :lol: I may not post my future conversion of the hotel :oops:

Thanks Claus

But dont give up on your project. Start a thread and ask questions. I am sure that  I and many others will be delighted to help

Cheers

John

Masterful!

D

An impressive building John, I wouldn't have thought you had room for it :)