Crosby Coal - the model

Ready for placement on the White River Division.

A New Coal Dealer

on the White River Division

I have recently finished construction and installed my Branchline Crosby Coal laser kit. The prototype is one of my favourite structures along the old Rutland Ry right of way. Seems ever time I passed by the area I had to stop and take a photo of the building in its present state. I decided to apply a finish to my kit similar to what I have seen on my visits.
 

  The Branchline kit was not all that complicated to build although the coal bin floors gave me some problems. The parts are peel and stick which adds to the ease of construction.

Two words of advice in building the kit. One, read the instructions first and follow them as close as you can...something I have a hard time doing myself. Two, leave the ladders on the back off till you are completely done. I did not and both ladders have been broken and repaired at least twice.

All the part sheets are laid out while I read the instructions.

The walls are assembled along with the bin floors. The structure is only sitting on the base. I did not glue the structure in place till it was finished.

I used two of my weights to hold the coal bin floor, walls and supports in place while the glue dried. It was tricky to get it all together. So I decided to first do one side wall, floor and supports. Once dried the other wall was glued in place. That is what is seen completed in this photo. One more floor section is still to be added. It appears to be a tough chore for one to glue the 5 floor supports to the two side walls all at once.

 I added nail marks with a pin in rows 2 feet apart before beginning assembly. The interior of the walls and roof panel were painted black once the basic assembly was competed. The coal chutes were added last to the structure but before the roof. The details for the chutes was not that clear. It helped having my own photos. The chutes are attached with Walthers Goo which made them more flexible and less apt to being broken off. I used two glues while building this model, white glue and Walthers Goo.

The ladders included with the kit are thick wooden laser cut pieces. I did use them since they would not be seen once the model was placed on the layout. I would suggest using finer metal or plastic ladders to emulate the metal ladders found on the prototype. I used up almost all the scrap wooden bits and pieces that held the wall sections in place as bracing. Although the model is small and there seems to be a lot of bracing with the bins and roof section I did not want to take chances once I started applying the finishes. I have had smaller building warp when not braced.

Most of the paint and weathering is completed. The decals are now ready to be applied.

Two walls were painted while the front and end wall were left as weather beaten. The back and end wall had a coat of Floquil tuscan red applied. While still wet I blended in caboose red to brighten it up a bit. I then added Hunterline original weather mix once the walls were dry. The Hunterline mix was also applied to the front and side that were to be left weathered. Once dry I went over the weathered walls with dry brush Floquil grime, SP gray and concrete. I then added dry brush caboose red to locations that showed some colour in my prototype photos. I also dry brushed some reefer white at the same time. The whole process was a see what happens when a colour was added.

On the rear wall once the red's and Hunterline wash was dry I also dry brushed some caboose red and reefer white as accents. At this point I toned the whole building down with a light air brush coat of caboose red on back and one side and grimy black on the other side and front. I brushed on some gloss coat at the decal locations.

The decals went on well and I just brushed on a little dull coat over these areas. Once dry, I then dry brushed these area with Floquil grime then added a thin wash over the area.

The slate roofing is being added. I elected to use Northeastern Scale Models gray slate instead of the paper shingles included in the kit.

Crosby coal is completed. I just need to glue on the tar paper canopy. The chalk colours I used are seen in the foreground.

Crosby coal then got dirty via my chalk weathering. I streaked some white chalk down from the lettering. Black chalk on the coal chutes and doors and openings.

The roofing was added once the walls were painted and weathered. The roofing that is included with the kit just did not work for me. I decided on using BEST #3086 36" rolled tar paper on the canopy. On the main roof I used sheet Northeast Scale Models Inc. Gray slate #HOSHG3. Once all the roofing was in place a little chalk weathering is applied.

The concrete base was given a wash of Floquil grime followed by chalk weathering. The areas were the coal would sit was painted grimy black, then a coat of white glue was brushed on. I then just poured Woodland Scenic coal over the piles. Once dry the loose stuff is brushed off. All there is left to do is glue the structure on the footings and install on my layout.

Next post you will find out how the finished scene looks on the White River Division...George Dutka