Vilas County Lumber Company
12306 Lakeview Trail
Homer Glen IL 60491
Prices: Michigan Central passenger-depot plans, $17; farm wagon plans, $29
Website: www.vclco.com
Plans for large-scale structures, bridges, boats, and more; includes CAD drawings and (in many cases) materials lists, 3D drawings, and photos
Pros: Plans for a variety of things to enhance large-scale railways; different levels of complexity available (depending on model); generally clear drawings
Cons: Multi-colored drawings at times confusing
The station depicted in the plans is a Michigan Central passenger depot. The package contains two B-size (13″ x 19″) sheets of drawings, an 812″ x 11″ sheet with a parts list, an 812″ x 11″ sheet with four photos of a finished model, and one more with construction suggestions.
This plan set is actually not plans of the prototype structure, but for a model of that structure. Drawings include front, rear, and end elevations, and a roof plan. Each of the views is dimensioned in decimal a (as opposed to fractions). Views are not drawn full size for the model but are reduced to a scale of 1″ = 4″, or 14 of the full-size model. The printed dimensions, if followed, will produce a 1:24-scale model. The construction-guideline sheet contains several drawings of the structure, showing things like internal bracing and the way the walls go together. The building is intended to be built of plastic without an interior.
Plans are printed in multiple colors. This particular one could be cut out and glued to cardstock to produce a paper model in 18″ scale.
This plan set is not intended to be highly detailed or complete in every aspect. It is a general plan that will allow an experienced model builder to recreate the structure depicted. The parts list includes things like windows, doors, siding, and trim details, along with the recommended manufacturer of these parts, and websites for further information.
The farm-wagon plan set is at the far end of the completeness spectrum from the station. It is complete in every detail, down to the nuts and bolts that hold it together. The package contains five B-size sheets, 11 A size (812″ x 11″), and three 912″ x 13″ sheets. These are broken down into subassemblies, with all of the appropriate sheets for each individual subassembly stapled together. Each subassembly contains a materials list.
Drawings for the wagon are full size for 1:24 scale. Each part is dimensioned in decimal inches and numbered, the number corresponding to the materials lists. One sheet includes a 3-D drawing of a particularly tricky assembly. On this model, parts that represent wood are to be made of wood and metal parts are, likewise, to be made of metal. These drawings, too, are printed in multiple colors.
Generally speaking, I found the drawings to be good. They are not intended for beginners, however; you should have a good bit of modeling experience under your belt and be able to read and understand drawings of this nature, as well as having a firm understanding of scale in all of its manifestations.
The colored ink were problematic in certain areas. Sometimes they did help to clarify things but, at others, I found all of the colors confusing and a little off-putting. Yellow was particularly difficult to discern, especially when it depicted smaller parts. On the station plans, some of the lines looked fuzzy, especially around the windows. Close examination under a magnifier revealed these lines to be
made up of different colors, combined, but at a resolution too low to give them sharp definition.
Take a stroll through the company’s website to find drawings for a wide variety of railroad-related structures and other items not found elsewhere.
