# Chrystal Lake Train Station



## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

I am building a train station that resembles the western Rio Grande style . These are the steel pieces ready to be welded

























Front View

















Back View
















Primed and Painted
Redwood siding added after windows and doors installed . Bottom siding verticle type, horizontal lap siding, cut into induvidual pieces.












Back side after siding installed

Dennis


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## Bender (Apr 16, 2013)

This is a wonderfull job Dennis but may I ask why are you choosing metallic parts instead other materials?


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Woof...that's really great! 

Bender...because he can. He's got the gear to cut and weld.


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## Joe Johnson (Jan 2, 2008)

Where do you learn to work with metal like that? Hogwarts?


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Thanks for the compliments 
Mike is right I have the equipment to build with metal, It is quicker and easier for me to build with metal than any other material. I know to people with little to no experience with metal to find 
this hard to believe, But I own a fairly large steel fabricating business. I get to enjoy using the equippment during the day for business and nights and Saturdays for pleasure. Not to brag though. 
To Joe, thirty years of metal working experience will do wonders in teaching the business. 
I build almost all my buildings out of steel , because how they hold up outside, I never bring in my structures. 
Thanks Dennis


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## Naptowneng (Jun 14, 2010)

Wow Dennis, that looks great. Looking fwd to seeing it on your layout. Did you design it on sketchup pro, base it on plans you saw, or the like? 

Jerry


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## josephunh (Mar 27, 2013)

Dennis looks great but I am curious what are you using to adhear the siding and everything else to the metal?


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Jerry, Yes I drew it up in sketchup as I do everything I build, I saw a model similiar to it just put some of my own flair to it. 
Joe I use a product I get at a local hardware store called Lexel glue, it looks like clear silicone caulking, and the silicone would/might work, 
I had one bad experience with a GE Silicone ( Several bad tubes from Factory) that prevents me from using it. I was looking at Lowes a while back 
there is several types of adhesive that will work also. Needs to be exterior and submersible to gaurantee to work. 
I have used the E 6000 with failure, someone said the E6000 black works good. 
Dennis


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Magic Sculpt placed in the center and front side walk


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

A shop to drool for.... and to be young again! 

Do you give the metal tooth for gluing? 

I'm guessing Shingles for the roof. 

Wonderful work as ever. 
Thanks for posting. 

John


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Thanks John 
Yes Shake shingles, 
Keep watching will post soon 
Dennis


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

It's very tough to have anything clear stand up to UV, since the UV can penetrate right into the material. 

Few people realize that the reason black works is that it has opaque particles (normally carbon black) that block the light, so only the surface get's the UV, and just a few molecules thick are affected (lost). 

Looks like you should have use the e6800 product not the e-6000.... I think it is called UV-6800 ... 

Greg


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## iaviksfan (Dec 27, 2007)

Wow! What a piece of work. Not what I was expecting to see when I clicked on this post. Just an amazing job. 
Greg R.


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Where did you come up with the Crystal Lake name? 

Crystal Lake, ILL?


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Dennis, what did you use to cut the parts. looks like pattern cut by laser..? still show's some heat along cut edges. 
Only big tool I would not have on hand, but parts look great. 

This could be a great way to build My station. 

Thanks, Dirk


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Randy it is a Friend of mine Daughters name Chrystal . 
Dirk , metal cut on cnc plasma, metal is 16 gauge, and tack welded at the joints, as you can see I only tack weld joints, 
no need to weld the complete joint, many of the smaller pieces, I lay out the plasma to leave small un cut sections so I can 
bend those areas by hand, even though we have eight different brakes in the shop, it is so much easier to just bend the joints 
by hand and tack weld into position. In the top picture you can see several flat pieces with lines cut in the metal with small 
uncut sections. 
Thanks for the compliments 
Dennis


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Well as usual, your building looks great.


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

View of the magic sculpt on the other side, Steps and door ramps in front of the doors, the paint will high light them
Dennis


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## Richard Weatherby (Jan 3, 2008)

Dennis, that is one **** of a 2 day project. So far, I have not had to use a forklift for my buildings.... 
NICE WORK....


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## Bender (Apr 16, 2013)

Congratulations again about your work Dennis! What is the weight of the finish station?


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Thanks Dick that is a high lift pallet jack, really handy for a challenging back issues. These jacks lift to 34" , on this project I can bring to a comfortable height either standing or sitting. 
When working on the ends I lower the pallet jack to the comfortable height. We use these units in our business several times a day, and are considered a real factor in reducing 
back strains. 

Bender thanks for the compliment, the finished building weighs 35 pounds, enough to prevent normal wind storms from moving. 

Dennis


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Paint has been applied to the siding and the magic sculpt.
The main sign support has been welded in place with the sheel metal flashing for the upcoming shingles.
Note the wooden block on the lower bottom right. This is the result from having a little extra magic sculpt mixed up . This makes a great looking place to 
sit a figure and have someone standing talking to them. 













The stepping stone in front of side door is to resemble a flat stone, where the ramp in front of the freight door is to look like cement.

The siding has been painted with two coats of acrylic paint.

magic sculpt painted with acrylic paint.


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)




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## josephunh (Mar 27, 2013)

Wait so this is only a couple days work?????? Dennis you should setup a side business building these and other buildings.


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## chuckger (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Dennis, 

Wonderful job on the station. Cant wait to see it finished. 

Chuck


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## John Allman (Jan 2, 2008)

that is just spectacular. 
Congratulations.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Definitely going to have to play with some MagicSculpt, now. (More to the point, going to have to come up with some excuse for a stone structure on the railroad...) Are you using Grandt Line windows and doors? The long windows look similar to the ones I've used, but if they're someone else's, I'd love to check out their line to see what they have in addition to Grandt Line. Beyond that, I'll echo others' comments. That's looking great! 

Later, 

K


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## Bender (Apr 16, 2013)

This is more light than I think at the first glance...However no problems With wind!...voiceless about your job I Like That so much!...


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Very nice, you dont have any problems with the thermal expansion and contraction of the base metal being greater than the material being applied to it?


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

2 Days ?????? Heck no I built the steel part 6-8 months ago
The building is done and setting on the layout I build my windows from exterior acrylic, I have a laser machine. The hole for the window is cut out of the 1/16" steel, 
the acrylic is 1/16" thick . The outside frames and the inside with the window panes and the clear acrylic on the inside are all 1/16" thick. all the pieces are cut with a slot close to the bottom, and a sash is cut and goes through all the pieces locking them and aligning them together. 
The 16 gauge steel with the dimensions used in structures will move so little. So expansion and shrinkage has little effects. The lap siding is made from redwood which gives almost
no shrinkage.
Thanks for all your kind compliments
Dennis


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Setting on layout













Setting in yard before getting on the layout
Backside




















Close up of station

Thanks Dennis


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## Richard Weatherby (Jan 3, 2008)

Gorgeous!!! I really like the idea of an adjustable work bench. I like to work standing up at 42 inch bench height.


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

So Dennis, still incredible work!! now I'm asking what your weather extremes might be? 

Really, you make ALL the parts for the window frames .. doors also then I take it.. what better way to get the right scale to match the building! 

Thanks, Dirk. ....mmm.. looooking fer some Magic Sculpt now...


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Another beautiful building Dennis. Work that magic.

Doc


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## dieseldude (Apr 21, 2009)

Wow! 


-Kevin.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

I just noticed this thread. Fantastic station! Great building method. I definitely need to get some Magic Sculpt. Thanks for posting.


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## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

Wow Dennis! Amazing work yet again, keep it up. 

Chris


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## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

Well, I've been thinking of building a station, but I'm not sure I could even come close to this one in looks or quality. What an outstanding addition to your layout, just beautiful. 
You'll have to let us all know when your production line is going to start up! 
A beautiful building and I'm sure you're proud of the end result. 
Great job, well done. 
Cheers.


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## catherine yronwode (Oct 9, 2013)

That is beautiful metal work to start with, and great siding and sculptural detail. You are amazing me!


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## bf2468 (Jun 24, 2013)

That station looks great !


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## M&M Model RailRoad (Sep 29, 2013)

wow great job so where the metal people


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## Phippsburg Eric (Jan 10, 2008)

Very nice looking station Dennis...no mater what material you used. I might hesitate to use mild steel here in coastal Maine because of the humidity...stainless or Aluminum...no problem. I use wood for the same reason you use metal and it holds up fine here.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Well I thought this was going to be a build of depot that was located in Cyrstal Lake Ill surprised me. Good looking depot and kind of looks like the old C&NW one in Ill. Later RJD


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Thank You for all the compliments, for Eric I would not worry about the Maine humidity, because I prime and paint inside and outside all my buildings before applying any type 
of exterior products. Besides if I did not paint them it would take years before the structure would succumb to the rust, by then most of us will succumb to life. 
The good thing about magic sculpt it works on wood, plastic, and anyother substrate, that is rigid enough to push it on. 
Thanks Dennis


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## cocobear1313 (Apr 27, 2012)

That is beautiful. Are the shingles individual pieces? I am ignorant in buildings but need to learn. 
Dave


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

No the shingles are in 12" strips, made from exterior acrylic, cut on a laser machine. 
Thank You for your compliment 
Dennis


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