Berrigan's Boat Works Foreground Structure from Full Steam Ahead R.G. Shinnie Kit

The foreground building that helps make up the larger Berrigan's Boatworks facility was made using Full Steam Ahead's "R.G. Shinnie Boatworks" kit offering.  This is a wonderful waterfront kit that offers the modeller many choices as to placement of docks, dormers and other various aspects of the structure.

Before going into greater detail on the foreground structure, I would like to share with you this image of the background structure that will help make up the full facility.  It is located on the far side of the tracks up against the backdrop.  The lefthand side of the structure was made from the Foscale Winger Paper Bag kit and the righthand side of the structure was scratchbuilt using some of the parts from the foreground kit I will be sharing with you below!  Yes, robbing Peter to pay Paul, if you will.

Back to the foreground kit now. I followed Joe Rutter's directions as to bracing all the walls before glueing them together. Bracing is necessary when constructing wooden walls as paint and glue will warp the walls over time if they are not properly braced.

Note how I've chosen the cedar shakes alternative although the kit did offer the modeler the choice of that or clapboard siding. Two large windows on the back of the structure were not needed, so I boarded them up and used the windows on the background addition which you can see in the image below.

The roof shingles are now in place on the foreground structure.  It is a lot of fun placing the foreground structure in different locations in front of the background one just to get a sense of how things may look.

This additional dock area with an overhang will be the area where smaller boats can be worked on.  The kit offers all the templates to construct this great looking add-on.

Jigs are offered in the kit for all the dock areas.  This jig has holes for the pilings.  They certainly aid in the alignment of the pilings.

The finished  two-level decking for the front of the structure is looking nice.  I pre-painted all the strips of wood first before creating the dock work.  Then I ran a wash of black over top the wood pieces to give that weathered look.  I prefer doing this method before making the decks.  A jig for the smaller stairs was also provided in the kit.

In this image we check out the stairwell at the side of the building.  Its supports are angled into the wall and are not really visible in this image.

The structure placed on some basswood in order to determine its necessary height.  This is the structure pretty much completed.  A lot of scratchbuilding will be necessary to place it on the diorama.

And...here we see some of the scratchbuilding necessary to help create the feel of a waterfront industry. 

This structure is the new addition to the scene.  The kit is Full Steam Ahead's R.G. Shinnie Boatworks and it offers a lot of scenic details to help add a waterfront dimension.  I have the structure resting up on some basswood to help determine the appropriate height I want for my future diorama.

Viewed from another angle, you can see the great options this kit offers.  All the docks and tires are included as is the life preserver on the building wall.  I really like the character the two upper roof dormers and the side staircase bring to the scene. 

Remember me "imagineering" the scene (here with the foreground structure nowhere near completion)?

Well, I think I've set upon this juxtaposition of the two structures to help make up the scene.

More scratchbuilding is done on the diorama.  No, the water is not in as yet, but the Boston and Maine GP9 "Bluebird" is checking out the scene as it passes behind the foreground building known as Berrigan's Boatworks!

There will be a detailed thread on the overall construction of the diorama.  Keep a lookout for it in the links to the right! 

Also, to view an in-depth version of this build at the Railroad Line Forum, copy and paste the link below into your address bar above

http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=30198

 Have a super day!  Mike Hamer