Gilmore Fuel - Full Steam Ahead

I finally finished my Gilmore Fuel station kit. It is a very nice kit offered by Full Steam Ahead that went together really well. I did put finishing off the kit till I decided on what colour I wanted it to be  in. I took a lot of photos while visiting layouts this November for reference and finally came to terms with what looked the best.

To begin it is best to know a bit about Gilmore Fuels. It is a west coast company started in California around 1900 operating till about 1945. In about 1940 it was taken over by Mobil and all the stations became Mobil Fuels in 1945. The Gilmore station colours are red and cream and in the peak years had almost 4,000 stations. The other signs seen on this station are those of Richfield fuel another west coast fuel dealer that operated during the same area as Gilmore.

I decided to use the garage in my Westboro scene and have yet to decide where the fuel station will be used. As it really is a 1940's era station as modelled, I may use it on a Maine narrow gauge diorama as I model that era. I decided to model the station as is using all the neat signs and the older style pumps that the kit came with. I could have updated the pumps and used signs found on the East coast but I really liked the looks of the model as offered...guess that is why I purchased it. I noted a familiar style Gilmore station on  New England modeler George Sellios Franklin & South Manchester railroad...so I guess if it is good enough for him it should be good enough for me...my logic.

The fuel station in early construction.

Fuel Station
The station went together really well. The rafters and all walls are painted with a wash of Floquil reefer white while the base of the walls are signal red. For weathering the walls the white receives a coat of Bragdon white lime, the red got antique iron. These colours tone down the walls nicely. The doors are modelled open. The windows glazing got a coat of dulcote before adding to the frames. The roof is painted grimy black on the underside. I then added Minuteman Models black tar paper weathered with powders. The roof also had a stack added from my caboose parts box.

The base was painted Floquil concrete with some soot powder added to the base. All the detailed castings are painted with Floquil grime. After a few days of drying I gave the pumps a wash of signal red and reefer white. These are glued in place. The coke cooler is a BEST detail part I added which is not included with the kit. It also has a wash of signal red and white chalk brushed into the Coke insignia. Two of the tire displays are added along with the oil can display. I used Canopy Glue for adding all these details. The kit has a lot of nice signs. I uses as many as I could. These are also all attached with Canopy Glue which is very forgiving. The glue leaves details flexible and does not leave any marks if too much is applied. The last thing added are the Tichy lamps that are painted red.

The painted station is seen with its roof trusses. The roofing is now being added. Note I pulled some of the wall boards up. As it turns out a lot of them got covered once the signs are added.

The finished model. Note the Coke cooler. It is a BEST models detail casting.

Both of the finished models are seen here. The base colour of the station and the garage are the same but the white added to the garage was a thinner wash than the station...giving it a more gray weathered look.

Garage
The kit came with a bonus garage which I found needed a little work to get square. I made a floor out of picture mattboard painting it concrete adding some powder weathering. All the doors are modelled open and are held in place with Canopy Glue. The walls got a coat of Hunterline light gray stain followed by a wash of Floquil reefer white (when mentioned my washes are more thinner than paint). The look was a white wash that is then covered with Bragdon powders. The windows are painted Tuscan red followed by chalk red weathering. The window glaze included dulcote to get a dirty look.

All the walls, roofing and windows are laid out for the garage.

The roof got a coat of grimy black on top and bottom followed by gray tar paper roofing by Minuteman Models. I also added a couple of patches to the roof. Bragdon weathering is also added. The smoke jacket is A-438 a Crow River Product. The two side lamps are from my parts box and painted Floquil Reading green

This turned out to be a really neat looking kit....I am glad I tried it...George Dutka

I had a tough time squaring up this garage but it all worked out.

The doors are seen painted and weathered. They will be attached with Canopy Glue shorty. This glue is great for leaving parts flexible.

I added a few signs to the rear of the garage as this is what one will see when first viewing Westboro. These signs are not included in the kit.

The garage is about finished. All I need it a smoke stack to be added. That was a detail not included in the kit but I though it needed one.