#001 03 Dr. Bank's Office - Drawings Complete

I finished up the drawings this morning in 3rd Plan It.  Here are snapshots.  Next, we'll need to buy some lumber and get busy!

As to NMRA AP scoring, I got my friend and NMRA SER Region AP Chairman Randall Watkins to pre-score this model.  What?  You haven't even built it.  Well, yeah.  But WHAT you are going to do, coupled with some assumptions, can yield a score!  I always do this exercise just to make sure I am STARTING with a model that can win 87.5 points. 

Per Randall Watkins:

More that 87.5,

 

CONSTRUCTION: Simple Model to Very Complex or Difficult.

I would say Somewhat Complex and your workmanship would be Bery Good.

27 to 29 Points. (my score 28)

 

DETAIL Complexity of Detail, I would say Moderate Detail and Easy-to Add

10 to 11 Points.  (my score 11) 

 

CONFORMITY: Do you have photos and/or plans, if no plans or documentation

a maximum of only 15 points. Your will have plans, the model will be Largely

prototypical to Completely Prototypical.

20 to 22 Points (my score 21)

 

FINISH & LETTERING:

Complexity is from Simple to Complex, this model i would say Moderate,

Your finishing would be Good to Better .

16 to 18 Points. (my score 17)

 

SCRATCH-BUILDING: (The good Part) The Complexity of this model would be Moderate

 and Completely Scratch built.

13 Points (my score 13)

 

I would score it 90 points.

    

RW 

 

Thanks, Randall!  I scored it and got a 91, so we're in the ball park.  Still not a lot of wiggle room, but judges usually score more flexibly than either I or Randall do.  Actually, I'm a tough judge, but gladly took 88 points on a kit I built once.

 

Off to the basement to get cracking!

#001 02 Dr. Bank's Office - Make Drawing

 

Tonight I began the drawings for Dr. Bank's Office.  First, I went searching on the internet for prototypes that matched Darryl Huffman's Miner's Bar.  There were quite a few including a historical preservation Doctor's Office that is almost identical to it!  

All in all about two dozen prototype outer photos and another dozen interior photos are in the files now.  Yes, I am detailing the interior.  It is a forefront model.

I made a few changes to the front of Darryl's building but the rest remains true to form.  For the NMRA contest we'll call this freelancing, and I'll use the prototype photos to back up the construction practice.

The big question is can it make 87.5 points even if I do an awesome job due to the complexity category.  I'm thinking board-by-board construction should get me there.

We'll begin construction in two weeks.

Your thoughts?

(Actually, I went and got the NMRA Judging Guidelines.  If I do a really good job on the finish and the interior detail, I should score between 88-91.  That will do!

#001 01 Dr. Bank's Office - Found the Model

Doc Banks is the company physician.  He always calls himself a physician instead of a doctor.  Banks if from Philadelphia and worked with Hebard Lumber after he lost his practice due to a little gambling problem.  Often, after hours, you can find the good Doctor engaged in a game of cards.  Other times its hard to find ole doc Banks at all.

The doctor has his own office on Billy's Island, provided by the Cypress Company.  Anyone that is associated with lumbering can go see him.  Locals can even come in if they like, but they seldom do.

I've decided to build one of Darryl Huffman's "Miner's Bar" building for the doc.  The big windows and the sign board will serve him nicely.  We'll white wash it up for him and even put a caduceus on the sign.

The building is not too hard to build and if I make a mold of the interior structure I can rapidly reproduce these to make the logger's cabins.  It is a very flexible structure and I'll detail the interior.  Maybe I'll change the sign board a little, but the rest will work fine.


Darryl goes into great detail on how to build the structure in his dvd series Scratchbuilding In Wood.  You can read my review of the 4 DVD series by clicking on the link.

Meanwhile, Doc Banks is over at the engine house trying to scare up a game for tonight.

The Hebard Cypress Saw Mill

 

Click on Photo to Enlarge

The Hebard Cypress Saw Mill is very unusual looking.  Kind of modern in fact.  It has been very hard to find photos of this mill.  I intend to construct an O scale version for the layout.

Billy's Island Map

Above is the only map that I have of Billy's Island.  It appears to be somewhat accurate and matches a track profile that I have in another book.  Not the best snapshop, but I hope to find a better one when I visit the park next time.

Here is my plan so far for Billy's Island and all the structures that I've planned to construct.  I've not begun to draw any of the structures yet.  There are few photos to work from.

Engine House Under Construction

There is a new kit about to be released for an O scale small enginehouse and I've got a pre-production model that I'll be assembling over the next few weeks.  Will give you a peak when I get done unless it is classified.  So if I'm not posting its because I'm playing 007 in the basement.

Edited:

Well, maybe not so secret.  It is advertised on Dr. Ben's Scale Consortium!
http://www.debenllc.com/servlet/the-3492/Industrial-Engine-Shed-Kit/Detail

Go have a look!

Working on the Lights

I did some more work on the lights today, but still not finished.  Most of my time has been spent on the Dixie Central.

http://dixiecentralrailroad.blogspot.com/