Bob Ferrero
Leadville, Colorado
Scratchbuilt wood
The engine house still looks great after seven years. The facades are holding up well in our sometimes-hard winters and hot summers.
Goal: To operate trains anytime, weather permitting, with minimal setup effort. The engine house was built in two 8′ sections, enabling the ability to move or reposition it to different layouts. The train layout is raised to about 24-30″. The engine house is held level with the track by sitting on square steel (1-1/2 – 2″) tubing with the bases in cement. The entire unit stays dry, even in blizzard conditions.
Construction: The size is 2′ wide by 16′ long. Three tracks run the length inside. The center, top area is completely weather proofed (needed), and contains all necessary electrical equipment for track power. The building has three separate roofs that can be raised easily by gas struts (auto dealers usually have used take offs). In order to make the exterior look as authentic as possible, I modeled actual buildings in Leadville, Colorado, from the late 1800s. These building facades are removable if necessary for touch-up and repair. The exterior was primed in oil-base primer with the color coat in latex. The buildings were constructed with scale-cut redwood glued together with Titebond III.
Result: A layout that can be enjoyed most all the time; just remove the snow from the track and have fun.
