Skip to main content

I am blown away from the work many of you have done in creating unique tall buildings. Right now and for the foreseeable future, I am limited by commercially available buildings that I can easily take apart and detail.

This is a Railking building that I mortared the bricks on (Roberts Brick Mortar) and detailed the first floor. As the base brick color was kind of rosy read, I spray painted the windows a dark evergreen color, giving the building a Christmas look.

DSC01033DSC01031DSC01032DSC01030

Attachments

Images (4)
  • DSC01033
  • DSC01031
  • DSC01032
  • DSC01030
Last edited by Paul Kallus

On closer inspection, this appears to be a Chrysler/Empire State hybrid building, an Emprysler Building – body of the Chrysler, head of the Empire State – a mythical beast that haunts the Garden State.

I believe that Ben had said elsewhere on the forum that this was indeed another model of the Empire State Building that was installed some time ago. They got a different Empire State Building which was bigger in size that was installed where this one was, and that one got moved down. I am trying to think when that was exactly as I don't remember if the new one was installed in 2019. I'll have to see if I can find them on the forum tonight.

Since it is Tuesday, how about some more of the NJ HiRailers Layout from back in October 2019?

Great far shot of the Twin Towers.

IMG_20191020_112946IMG_20191020_112953IMG_20191020_113015

Every time I see the Esso Refinery I think of my late Uncle Eddie. He had an Esso grease gun which he used every time he had to work on my first car(which was a lot).

IMG_20191020_113026IMG_20191020_113108IMG_20191020_113110IMG_20191020_113114IMG_20191020_113126

Hey, you can still see the Twin Towers. Who shot this photo? Oh, me.

Attachments

Images (8)
  • IMG_20191020_112946
  • IMG_20191020_112953
  • IMG_20191020_113015
  • IMG_20191020_113026
  • IMG_20191020_113108
  • IMG_20191020_113110
  • IMG_20191020_113114
  • IMG_20191020_113126

Since it is Tuesday, how about some more of the NJ HiRailers Layout from back in October 2019?

Great far shot of the Twin Towers.

IMG_20191020_112946IMG_20191020_112953IMG_20191020_113015

Every time I see the Esso Refinery I think of my late Uncle Eddie. He had an Esso grease gun which he used every time he had to work on my first car(which was a lot).

IMG_20191020_113026IMG_20191020_113108IMG_20191020_113110IMG_20191020_113114IMG_20191020_113126

Hey, you can still see the Twin Towers. Who shot this photo? Oh, me.

A Wonder of the World.

I can't seem to get enough tall buildings in this hobby, and here's one of my latest almost-completed projects. It consists of 7-floors from 3-3-story Railking buildings, where I gained extra floors by removing the roofs which are screwed on and then cutting off the cornice of the top floor and (used fine-toothed hand saws and filed down the irregular edges).

Goal was to create an industrial-style building. Because the stock building colors did not match, I stripped them all down and painted the shells a brown primer; and since the sills and lintels are cast in, I had to mask off the brick in order to paint them. I painted all the windows a drab green color. Bricks were mortared using Roberts Brick Mortar (I love this stuff).

Getting a couple of the floors to fit flush was a major challenge; don't know why, possibly because the structures were made in different factories. Eventually, I had to say 'this is good enough.'

I am debating on using the structure as-is or adding details to the base floor, figures, etc. If the latter, I would have to cut the base in order to get it to fit in the area where I need an industrial building.

The building may not look special, but it is to me and that's a neat feeling. I must over 40 hours of work into it. BTW: If I can do this, anyone can as my modeling stills are average to below average.

DSC01203DSC01205DSC01206DSC01204

Attachments

Images (4)
  • DSC01203
  • DSC01205
  • DSC01206
  • DSC01204

It's not Tuesday but I needed some inspiration...I've been battling Lyme disease and working half days and finally got the building I posted last week on the layout today and wanted to share my achievement with fellow tall building enthusiasts. It's in the middle background. The two buildings on the right are my custom paint and weather jobs - took me forever though I really like their industrial aspects, mainly the colors I chose. The building on the left is the Menards Hotel, with brick mortared on two sides done and two other sides to do. At this angle it appears as an industrial building. If you're familiar with what used to be the industrial waterfront along the Delaware River these kinds of buildings were commonplace, as were copious amounts of smokestacks and billboards and water towers.

DSC01262

Attachments

Images (1)
  • DSC01262

@Paul Kallus

Nice of you to pop some in here. Unfortunately I was tied down last night with a lot of S___. Mostly work stuff so that stunk. I still have photos of the 50th Anniversary of OGR at the NJ HiRailers, but I will eventually run out. Hopefully at York I can get some other tall buildings, but it will be even less than what I have now. See what comes, be here next week for sure.

Hey Dave, other than custom builders, is there anything to find at York in the way of tall buildings? Unless I missed them last year at the October, meet, I only saw a limited amount of structures for sale, of any size. In the meantime, check out the now famous George Sellios Franklin & S. Manchester RR - tall buildings galore (HO scale). I first saw the RR a couple of decades ago, and given my own urban city-living years when I was younger, I became fascinated with city RR's, despite the fact that I now live in the country and love country life

Last edited by Paul Kallus

Oh yes Paul, there are a bunch of folks that do make tall buildings at York. There is quite a list that are there, I can only think of three, one being Todd Model Architecture a forum sponsor. He's always there and has a wide variety of things he has built and can fabricate. The other two I'd have to look at my York pictures, or possibly way back in this topic.

Here's one of two buildings I recently completed. This one is a hodge-podge of Railking buildings that I assembled into one 8-story building using wooden connecting girders and various O-scale details to cover the holes where the signs were placed. As usual, the structure was painted a uniform color, in this case, a brown brick, and windows were painted a colonial red, awnings a dark green, and lastly bricks were mortared. Lots of work but well worth it. I'll likely use this building in my industrial area, though I have to fabricate a custom base as the Railking base is too deep for the application, even after trimming

DSC01393DSC01392DSC01391DSC01390DSC01389

Attachments

Images (5)
  • DSC01393
  • DSC01392
  • DSC01391
  • DSC01390
  • DSC01389
Last edited by Paul Kallus

A little more from NJ HiRailers.

IMG_20191020_132653IMG_20191020_132701IMG_20191020_132713IMG_20191020_132724IMG_20191020_132752

Twin Towers just hiding off of this shot. Never forget.IMG_20191020_132915

East Coast Enterprises from October York 2021

IMG_2280

These are from October 2017, my first York. I don't remember whose buildings these were, but they were down towards the old car that had the trains running in it(up from the Lionel booth a ways).

IMG_20171019_131833190IMG_20171019_131843643IMG_20171019_143325208

Attachments

Images (10)
  • IMG_20191020_132653
  • IMG_20191020_132701
  • IMG_20191020_132713
  • IMG_20191020_132724
  • IMG_20191020_132752
  • IMG_20191020_132915
  • IMG_2280
  • IMG_20171019_131833190
  • IMG_20171019_131843643
  • IMG_20171019_143325208

Here's a hodge podge industrial scene that can be any number of industries that I choose, left to right (my custom cement factory, Menards silos, Golden Gate coal tower, Todd's Architectual McLain background, Lionel coal tower, and my custom Ameri-town background). This was challenging to build given the depth of the cantilevered section of layout is only 12" deep and the 2-track mainline takes up almost half of that. I want to install some Lionel storage tanks in the foreground and an MTH operating tank station that will require building out the fascia a bit. Most items have been wired for lighting, and can't wait to route some power and add some figures!

DSC01346DSC01345

Attachments

Images (2)
  • DSC01346
  • DSC01345
Last edited by Paul Kallus

This is our new Downtown Building #1. It has a footprint of 9" x 9" and stands 25-1/4" tall at 10-stories. The first and top floors are recessed back 1/2" all around. There are approximately 200 laser scored and cut pieces per elevation. The model has individual floors and ceilings and comes complete with ten individually lit floors. You may choose from four window glazings: clear, translucent, Roscolux 97 (light gray) and Roscolox 98 (dark gray). 97 allows partial (tinted) viewing to the interior when not internally lit. 98 does not allow viewing to the interior when not internally lit.

The model features scored block joint lines that wrap the window openings and corners, marbled half columns in between windows, and a removable back to allow for interior decorating access.

Downtown Building #1 is now in limited production for April 2024 TCA York delivery. Pictures of the pre-production model are shown below.  Five models are being produced and two are spoken for. If you are interested, please contact the shop directly by email or telephone.

IMG_7351

Roscolux 98 glazing





IMG_7349

Clear glazing





IMG_7348

Clear glazing





IMG_6247

Fully developed AutoCAD elevation





IMG_6546IMG_6579IMG_6547IMG_6578

Attachments

Images (8)
  • IMG_7351
  • IMG_7349
  • IMG_7348
  • IMG_6247
  • IMG_6546
  • IMG_6579
  • IMG_6547
  • IMG_6578

A couple of recent projects using the Railking Harley Davidson 2-story buildings to make a 6-story and 10-story. The motorcycles are various brands, different scales and even some Indians made their way into the HD facility as did a K-Line Diet Coke machine...did they have diet coke back in the 1930s...and if they did, would any self-respecting biker drink it?

DSC01413DSC01414DSC01415DSC01416DSC01419DSC01420DSC01421DSC01422DSC01429DSC01430DSC01431DSC01431DSC01432DSC01433DSC01434DSC01435DSC01436

Attachments

Images (16)
  • DSC01413
  • DSC01414
  • DSC01415
  • DSC01416
  • DSC01418
  • DSC01420
  • DSC01421
  • DSC01422
  • DSC01429
  • DSC01430
  • DSC01431
  • DSC01432
  • DSC01433
  • DSC01434
  • DSC01435
  • DSC01436
Last edited by Paul Kallus

Add Reply

Post
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×