by John Hutnick

We all like loco sheds. Most of us enjoy engines with tenders, do not have a surplus of space, and cannot possibly scratch build everything that we might like. Lionel has provided us with a possible solution.

Photo 2

My goal was to build a generic, single road shed that would accommodate most tender locos, fit in a fairly narrow area, and be relatively uncomplicated. I am thinking possibly of a scene similar to Swanage, with a turntable close up to the shed. Since I am modelling the GWR, I reviewed Great Western Engine Sheds 1947, and counted 20 shed examples from 15ft to 22ft wide and 60ft up to 120ft long. Other railways will no doubt have similar structures.

doubt have similar structures. I came across an older Lionel product, number 6-12897 (see photo 2). This was also sold as 6-12710, and is currently listed on their site as 6-24296 moulded in a more brick-like colour. As with many things, searching Ebay over time for an older product is likely to prove fruitful.

For 7mm scale, the building scales out at around 18 ½ x 73 ½ ft. With appropriate trim colours, this shed will hopefully look at home for various railways.

The kit comprises older mouldings, and the quality is not up to current standard. The bricks are oversize and there are moulding marks that show the originals were made in the US. The sides and roof sections are in two parts, so gluing these together is the first job. Test fit beforehand, maybe slightly open the holes in the joiner plates, use lots of solvent, and squeeze the parts together to get the best fit. Lionel has given us a bonus choice however. Don’t do the above, and you can get two smaller sheds from one kit. Photo 5 shows how a GWR pannier tank just fits in half of the wall.

Next, we need to paint our building in a basic brick colour. I masked everything so that I retained the light grey interior. Being in the US, I used Floquil ‘boxcar red’ and sprayed outdoors. The result is in photo 3. The roof was done in a dark grey. For Great Western, I sprayed window frames and other parts still on sprues with something approximating GWR dark stone. By chance, in the paint sale area of the hardware store, I came across a gallon of some mis-tinted house primer in a colour that looked suspiciously like ‘stone.’ I went back with a colour chart to check before I bought it. So I probably have a lifetime supply. Next, we need to paint our building in a basic brick colour. I masked everything so that I retained the light grey interior. Being in the US, I used Floquil ‘boxcar red’ and sprayed outdoors. The result is in photo 3. The roof was done in a dark grey. For Great Western, I sprayed window frames and other parts still on sprues with something approximating GWR dark stone. By chance, in the paint sale area of the hardware store, I came across a gallon of some mis-tinted house primer in a colour that looked suspiciously like ‘stone.’ I went back with a colour chart to check before I bought it. So I probably have a lifetime supply.

Photo 3

The next stages is where we all get to be real artists. I used a mixture of acrylics for mortar - neutral grey, burnt umber and white - to get a muddy looking colour. Try darker rather than lighter, with a thin mix. The basic technique is to brush on your ‘mortar’ and quickly wipe off. Dampened pieces of old cotton T-shirt worked well. Start with a small test, then do one building panel at a time.

For bricks I squeezed little blobs of various colours onto a dinner plate as a makeshift palette - umbers, sepia, red, etc. Mix the colours with a fine brush and start picking out individual bricks. See photo 4. You can go on forever, and I am probably not done.

Photo 4

Once the paint has dried, cement together the building corners and get it all square and level on a convenient surface such as the kitchen worktop. I could never clear 20in of space on the workbench. Add in the floor sections. The roof is made to be permanently attached, but I wanted it removable. The kit supplies only two interior roof trusses, so I made triangles of 0.060in black styrene (7 in 12 pitch) to serve as added roof supports. With a bit of care, I managed to get all of this glued together and still have the roof removable. After the glue was set, I added the chimneys and roof clerestories. I hand brushed two coats of diluted Wilkinson’s peach blush paint on the door panels to simulate weathered light stone. I once read that this colour was a reasonable GWR paint match, so I bought a tester pot while on holiday in the UK. When dry, I fitted the windows and doors and used the frosted window glazing panels to help hide my lack of interior. I had to be very careful not to break the little protruding door tabs that serve as hinges.

Photo 5

Photo 6

Photo 6 shows how Lionel’s other contribution to O scale, Olton Hall (né Hogwarts Castle) fits nicely in the shed. The slight wall curvature disappears when you insert the roof. The intro picture shows the final work of art, but somehow a little engine driver has snuck in an LMS Jubilee when I wasn’t looking!