# Big Little Station



## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

I have been spending some nice summer nights out in the workshop working on a station for my 7/8's scale (1:13.7) layout. the station is about 25 inches long. Doors are 6 inches tall. The body is hardibacker tile board with simple cedar windows and doors and the walls to be covered in natural random stone. The big windows are backed with plexiglass and doors and small windows with screen to allow for some ventilation. Most of the stone had to be hand split to get it thin enough. The roof will be cedar shingles

Progress so far...






























-Brian


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

Progress update (though it may be the last with 100 reads and not a single response) - most of the stone has been mortared in except for the top of the chimney. 

Here it is in place on the layout. There is a 7/8's scale couple with a G scale farmer on the right and 1/29 figure on the left. 






































-Brian


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Hey Allterrain, 
Great building and pics, it fits very nicely where you have it. 
I wouldn't be too hard on our fellow members, there is a convention that has taken our more frequent posters... 

Heck my neighbors call me a recluse, so I'm here! 

Are you going to fill the cracks with mortar too? (Between the rocks). 

John


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## bottino (Feb 7, 2008)

Brian, 
Another excellent creation from your workshop. I can't wait to see the roof on it. The way my wood stuff is decaying around my layout, I need to learn how to make stuff out of hardibacker board. I have been cleaning up for a meeting Sunday, and I almost don't dare touching some of my wood things that have been sitting for a hear. They are rotting before my eyes. I need to have some fires I think. 
Really neat. 
Paul


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

That's sweet!


(I've been a little distracted lately.)


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## Bob in Kalamazoo (Apr 2, 2009)

Brian, I love it. I bought a 4"x4" hardibacker board and haven't figured out how to begin yet. Your photos will help a lot. 
Thanks, 
Bob


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## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

Nice lookin building. Sorry I missed theh initial post. What are you using for stone? Random stuff you have or did you buy it? Just wondering cause I'm going to be starting a similar project soon. Thanks for sharing. 
Terry


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## SandyR (Jan 6, 2008)

Nice building!!! You mentioned mortar; what kind did you use? The stone looks really neat. 
SandyR


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks guys! 

Terry - the stone is from my job left overs pile of wall and field stone except the red slate which was slabs taken up from an outdoor walkway that was crumbling away. I cut it into strips on my wet saw previously to use for tunnel portals. I looked for flatter pieces of the other stone, smashed it up with a hammer and washed it well with degreaser an muriatic acid. As noted above, much had to be hand split with a chisel and hammer to get it thin enough. 
Prepping the stone took the most amount of work. 

The mortar is premixed mortar for stone, marble and porcelain tile. I have a big tub of it. I normally don't like to used premixed mortars since they have additives so they don't harden in the tub but the extra setting time is a plus here. You also want to use a mortar formulated for stone as stone is not as porous as normal tile and needs extra additives to make it stick better. 

I will seal just the surface of the stone with a matte acrylic stone sealer and then grout it with a natural gray sandless grout. 

-Brian


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## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

1:13.7 Wow, that's big indeed! It's becomming a good looking building. Looking forward on more progress prictures.


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

Zipping along with stone sealing, grouting and door painting. I could not find a light gray sandless grout so I went with one called 'Alabaster'- off white with a little tan/gray. It really makes the stone pop. 




















-Brian


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## Robert (Jan 2, 2008)

Really looking nice Brian. What was your source for the "regular" shaped stone you used on the chimney and above the windows. I have an abundence of irregular stone but...

Robert


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Robert. The cut stone was cut on my wet stone saw. They were left over pieces used for tunnel portal projects of similar construction - 



















-Brian


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## Robert (Jan 2, 2008)

OK, thanks for the that information Brian.


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## Richard Weatherby (Jan 3, 2008)

Very nice job!! I love the technique. What did you use to adhere the stone to the hardie board?


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Dick. I used a premixed mortar for stone, marble and porcelain tile. Comes in a big tub. Worked great so far. 

Major progress made with a hardibacker roof, finished up the chimney, added trim and rafter boards and got a good start on the shingles - 




























-Brian


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## tom h (Jan 2, 2008)

Brian, excellent job!! Is that a wood roof and then you just put cedar shakes on top? I am going to have to try that method some day, I really like the stone look in buildings. Thanks for sharing Brian.

Tom H


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Tom. The roof is more of the 1/4 inch hardibacker with a spray coat of primer and cover coat. 
Yes, those are real cedar shingles in 1:12 scale for doll houses. Close enough to 1:13.7 scale. 

-Brian


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## bottino (Feb 7, 2008)

That is well done Brian, it should last longer than the ICC behind your house. Really great work. 
Paul


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## altterrain (Jan 2, 2008)

Got the station finished up and installed. Finished shingling and sealed them, sealed the grout, installed copper flashing, made some door knobs from nails and epoxy, made my copper gutters and hung them and installed a couple of malibu type lights from the center roof beam. 
Tomorrow I'll get some trains out and take some pics in the sun. 




























-Brian


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## digger (Jan 2, 2008)

Great little depot, Brian.







Nice proportions, interesting building techniques, looks like it will be quite robust. Your roof looks it should hold up quite well, and it's a nice finishing touch. I'd offer one suggestion, if I may, which is to be sure that you have thoroughly sealed the bottom edges of the Hardibacker you used for your walls. It does have a tendency to delaminate if exposed to moisture for long periods of time. I'd suggest Jasco Clear Wood Preservative or a similar penetrating sealer rated for below-ground applications. May save you some heartbreak after a few heavy rains!


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Brian
Great looking building, the roof looks awesome, One shingle at a time takes alot of time.
Dennis


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## TeeCee (Jul 26, 2020)

Brian
Outstanding work!


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## fyrekop (Sep 20, 2011)

Nice build. The use of different scale figures to make the family group really worked well


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