Armstrong Woolen Mill, HO Scale

[Sakrison]

The photo on the left is of the large building from the "Rust Rock Falls" kit by FOS Scale Models. The photo is from the FOS Web site.

I am scratchbuilding it in paper from photos. The photo on the right is the first wall I completed. The heavy frame of the elevator is basswood stained and sponge-painted. The walls are a modified Clever Models texture paper printed on 65# cardstock and laminated to 0.5mm card (cereal box), with lots of interior bracing (basswood and balsa). The windows and doors are from photos of the FOS model or from my "digital parts bin." The elevator is paper, drawn in Photoshop®.

I'm building mine as mirror image of the FOS design, to fit the space I have for it on my layout. It will be by far the largest building on the layout, and located about halfway between the two terminals on the U-shaped shelf.

I'll post more photos and comments as I make progress.

[Vermin_King]

I had thought that you already had planned all your structures. Was this in your original plan or did you come up with space for this one due to the re-wiring?


I believe the term for this one is 'Ambitious', not that you can't handle it

[Kevin WS]

That's a wonderful building you chose there.

Is there a water wheel under the one section, or was it built over the river so the river was used as a drain for used chemicals, dyes etc?

[SCEtoAUX]

Nice project. The first wall looks very good.

[Don Boose]

Another excellent period building. It will be fun and instructive to watch this one take shape.

Don

[gotham]

I echo Vermin King - "ambitious". This is going g to be a very atmospheric piece. Good luck.

[Sakrison]

Originally Posted by Vermin_King

I had thought that you already had planned all your structures. Was this in your original plan or did you come up with space for this one due to the re-wiring?

I've built more structures than I will ever have room for. Some I sell on eBay, some I give away to other model RRers, and some I keep on a shelf because I really like them.

This version of Armstrong mill replaces an older mill, shown here, that I designed but never got around to building. I still like that old design, and I might build it someday as a diorama, but it won't have a place on the layout.

[Michael Mash]

I took a tour through the FOS Web Site and had fun looking at all the great buildings they have.
Certainly nice choices for model railroad builders. I understand you named the Armstrong Woolen Mill after a friend.
Is it based on a replica of an actual structure, or fictional?
In any case, looks like a great project, and I’ll enjoy following your work.
Mike

[Sakrison]

Originally Posted by Michael Mash

I took a tour through the FOS Web Site and had fun looking at all the great buildings they have.
Certainly nice choices for model railroad builders. I understand you named the Armstrong Woolen Mill after a friend.
Is it based on a replica of an actual structure, or fictional?
In any case, looks like a great project, and I’ll enjoy following your work.
Mike

My mill is based on the FOS design which was created by the FOS design team, probably based on details from several mills around New England.
My older mill design was inspired by a model built by Mark Dalrymple, a modeler from New Zealand, pictured below. You can see more of it
here, and some truly stunning model work at Worldwide Miniatures.

The mill is named for our long-time friend Amy Armstrong, a very skilled and creative spinner, knitter, and weaver. And an image of a Scottish thistle on the mill's wall pays homage to Amy's (and my) Scottish heritage. (Sakrison has roots in Norway. My mother was a McIntyre whose ancestors came from Kirkton Glen, Scotland.)

[Philip]

Terrific realism, as usual.