Price: $25
Manufacturer
The TrainMaster LLC
2830 Fort Island Dr.
Fairlawn, OH 44333
www.thetrainmaster.com
Era: 1900 to 1960
Comments: A yard bunkhouse is the latest addition to The TrainMaster HO scale QuicKit line. The kit features laser-cut wood clapboard walls; a one-piece porch railing and roof support assembly; three sizes of stripwood; cardstock roof panels, doors, and windows; paper roofing material; and clear window glazing.
Bunkhouses were often found in or close to yards. The rooms in the railroad-owned structures were small and sparse, but they provided a place for train crews to rest between assignments. Today, train crews are either driven back to their home terminal or put up at a nearby hotel.
The TrainMaster yard bunkhouse has a footprint of 21⁄2″ x 5″. The parts fit together well and required minimal sanding. Per the instructions, I assembled the kit with wood glue, though you could also use cyanoacrylate adhesive. I secured the window glazing with clear parts cement.
Once the building was assembled, I primed the model with Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch 2X gray primer, inside and out, to seal the wood. This reduces the chances of the wood warping from changes in humidity. I stained the scribed wood for the porch with an India ink wash. I airbrushed the building and brush-painted the paper roofing material with acrylic craft paint.
Even though the building is sold as a yard bunkhouse, it could be used for other purposes. The structure would look at home as part of a lakeside resort or housing for farm laborers.
If you’ve never built a wood kit before, The TrainMaster yard bunkhouse is a good entry-level model. The detailed, well-illustrated instructions are easy to follow, and there are more than 40 process photos on the manufacturers website. In an evening or two you’ll be rewarded with a good-looking structure.
