# A new station at Blacklog



## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Well, it looked like a good idea at the time--using Fiberock tile underlayment as a core for buildings. In fact, I was able to set this shell of a building outside in the elements for nearly two years of constant exposure to the elements to test its resistance to weather. After that time rain, sleet, hail, and snow, I figured it'd be a good way to build buildings. So I finished building the station, laminating Precision Products veneer siding on the outside. Here it is in 2008:










It was modeled after the EBT's Shirleysburg depot, and occupied the siding at Blacklog. If you can't already tell from the fact that I'm using past tense, something went wrong.










Here's the station a mere two years later, when the Fiberock walls had begun to deteriorate. The first thing that clued me into something not being right was the freight room door falling in. An examination of the rest of the building revealed the walls were weakening over time. Evidently fairly rapidly. By the Fall of 2011, the only thing holding the depot up was the veneer sheets. I have no idea why these walls lasted two years in the elements without issue, and then fell apart over the following two years. Suffice to say, that's one material I won't be using again. (Nor will I be using Hardi-backer, which I used for the floor. It de-laminates into very thin, weak layers.)

So, what to do about the vacant lot that used to be Blacklog depot? My thought last Fall was to get some 1/2" blue foam, cut it to size, and re-laminate the veneeer sheet to that. Alas, that didn't happen over the winter as I had hoped. As luck would have it, though, my dad had a surplus Pola "Silverton" station kit with nowhere to put it. So, I packed the parts in my suitcase on my recent trip back east, and brought the station back to see what I could do with it:










Here's the new depot, using the roof of the old Blacklog depot to get rid of the gable over the bay window (it fit perfectly!). I built a proper freight platform extending across the end of the building, so crews can have an easier time loading and unloading freight.










So the depot once again fills the scene at Blacklog--slightly smaller than its predecessor, but hopefully much more robust. 

More photos and info are on my blog, whcih you can get to by  *clicking here*  or in my signature banner below.

Later,

K


----------



## Tom Bowdler (Jan 3, 2008)

Awesome Kevin! 
Very Shade Gap-ish. 
Keep up the good work, 
Tom


----------



## Jethro J. (Apr 4, 2012)

Agreed, that came out great.

Jethro


----------



## Andre Anderson (Jan 3, 2008)

Kevin, 

I like the look of the new depot, especially the way that you forced the perspective by the freight door. Yes I went to your web site, I have one question for you though, where did you get your figures for your live steam locomotive?


----------



## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Kevin,

That'se a really fine looking building and it fits the sceen perfectly. Thanks for the heads up on those materials. It's always good to learn from other modellers' experiences. That's why this site is so great.

Doc


----------



## Bob in Kalamazoo (Apr 2, 2009)

Kevin,
Both buildings looked great. Sorry the first one didn't work out. But thanks for the report on it so that we know what not to try. I would have expected it to hold up quite well. I guess exterior plywood would have held up better. I have one small building made out of exterior plywood that only has paint to protect it, and it's been out three years so far and shows no signs of falling apart. And that has been out all year in ice, snow, wind, rain, and sunshine
Bob


----------



## VictorSpear (Oct 19, 2011)

Glad to learn about the average life of FiberRock outdoors. Would soaking it in dull polyurethane and then assembling the final structure for the outdoors have helped ? Did something like that for ship models that still float in the ocean after 4 years. 

Cheers 
Victor


----------



## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

I would guess it was humidity trapped inside the structure, which would be impossible to avoid 

The new structure looks great and doesn't look at all like a kit. 

What did you build the platform out of?


----------



## Bob Pero (Jan 13, 2008)

Nice shot looking down the tracks, The station makes the scene tell a story.


----------



## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Thanks, guys. 

Andre, the figures in the steamers are from Rich Kapuaala's *Scale Humans*. 

Mike, the platform is Precision Products sheet laminated onto a block of blue styrofoam. It's solid underneath, so no worries about moisture collecting in there. 

I've currently got my Shade Gap station (built from the same Fiberock board) on the workbench now. Only one wall is in questionable shape, though the paint I put on the interior walls on that one has peeled off, so I'm sure it would only be a matter of time. Not sure how best to approach re-inforcing that. Part of me just wants to fill the entire inside with expanding foam insulation, but I'll have to figure out some way of leaving room for the lights. Gotta have the lights at night. 

Later, 

K


----------



## Zonk (Feb 20, 2008)

Great work. Your railroad looks fantastic, thanks for sharing. BTW thanks for the nice article in the last GRR 

Matt


----------



## snowshoe (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice work Kevin. Always love the little scene you creat. They are never overdone just the right touch.


----------



## kormsen (Oct 27, 2009)

Posted By East Broad Top on 01 Sep 2012 08:36 PM 
...Part of me just wants to fill the entire inside with expanding foam insulation, but I'll have to figure out some way of leaving room for the lights. Gotta have the lights at night. 



you could glue some plastic cups with lamps in them to the inside to the windows, before foaming. but does not this expanding foam suck up wetness?


----------



## esteam (Dec 27, 2007)

The new station creates a great setting - thanks for showing this. Kevin, what kind of glue are you using to glue Precision Products sheet to blue foam? 

Dan


----------



## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Good job Kevin. Sorry about the one that fell apart. I used Hardi-backer as a base for several switches and it de-laminated after several years on the ground. All my buildings so far use a base of 1/2 inch pink extruded foam which seems to be quite water proof. (see Zia and Columbine buildings in this forum) I would also like to know what people find works best for glueing the Precision Products vacuum formed styrene sheet to the foam. I have tried panel glue, Titebond III and latex caulk none of which worked as well as I would like.


----------



## FlagstaffLGB (Jul 15, 2012)

The only method to use hardi-plank or cement underlayment is to cover it first with a layer of thinset. It wasn't meant to be exposed to the elements. Thinset is like a thin layer of concrete or mortar and will prevent it from falling apart, event when outside. To better make it water proof, add a cheap latex paint (any color) at about a 1/5th or 1/4 amount. It should then last for a very long time.


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Not to dredge up an old topic, but was at one of our stores yesterday, and looked at some real, brand name hardibacker. Yep, that stuff is junk for outdoors, it is indeed in layers, not waterproof, and not near the product I used for my switchyard. Wonderboard is apparently what I used, and a quite different animal. 

Regards, Greg


----------



## Phippsburg Eric (Jan 10, 2008)

I had some of that stuff after a tile floor job...I had in mind to use it...glad I didn't! Well now that I think about it I did, I made Don in East Boothbay a station platform which fell to peices quickly. I thought the problem was the stiffeners of plastic trim board came unglued. In reality probably the board was coming apart.


----------

