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Hey all,

First, I want to say this is a great forum. I'm just getting back into O-Scale 3-rail after several years in N and HO scale, and the entries on this forum have given me a lot of ideas and inspiration. 

This is my first post to the forum, and I wanted to ask if anyone knows where I can find a modern O-Scale enginehouse akin to the HO Pike Stuff engines houses. I'm going to begin building a set of modules, and I want to start with a engine service facility to "store" my engines. For this I wanted a modern engine house.

I've seen the Korber models and MTH offerings, but I wanted something newer in design. Any suggestions?

Thanks. 

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Welcome to the forum, it is a great resource for all! I just reentered the hobby just before I retired in 2011 after a hiatus of many, many years. So I am still playing catch up. I'm sure someone will be along with some suggestions.

Most folks seem to like the steam to diesel era and there are a lot of buildings available from that time period. I also like the more modern buildings and trains (I have all diesels, no steam) and have noticed they are sometimes a bit hard to find in O gauge. I think more modern items are starting to show up here and there, but more are still needed, IMO.

Good luck with your search and if you need any further assistance this is the place for it. I have learned most of what I know from the good folks on this forum. 

Maybe try Colorado Model Structures...They're a large scale building manufacturer but they have a blue metal building that may work. The Kenrow Plastics's building is rather small in 1:29 scale as would only measure like 20' x 40' x 12' tall...a big garage really.

The owner is great to work with as far as doors and such.

Scroll down a bit... http://www.coloradomodel.com/default1.htm

Last edited by Casey Jones2

Carl:

I and a friend worked with Rich ?Redmon? when he owned Korber / Pecos River on a modular kit for a diesel engine house. I wanted brick detailing and my friend wanted concrete. All the panels are standard product. Peter completed his building - see below.  I have yet to build mine. Attached is a planning packet Rich put together. Peter's shed is longer than mine and also contains a one story back 'office'.

You can ask the new owner Steve Nelson to work with you to put a kit together.

Peters Shed

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Images (1)
  • Peters Shed
Files (1)

I'm in the process of designing a big one (40+") to house steam and diesel engines. I have an Allegheny and Pennsy S-1 which accounts for the extreme length. I'm deciding whether to have the "kit" cut with a friend's CNC mill or having it laser cut. I'm not ready to pull the trigger yet, so I have time to decide. Originally, I was going to have custom windows laser cut, but now I'm resizing the openings to use stock windows from Rusty Stumps.

This version has the custom windows which will be bigger than the Rusty Stumps stock windows. The drawing was done in SketchUp laid over actual Google Earth Track images from a Louisville, KY rail yard.

3d Engine House Ver 5~~ 2017-01-26 19571900000

SketchUp also gave me the ability to render and interior. The GP-40 was pulled from their 3D warehouse. Someone somewhere was nice enough to draw one. All I had to do was click on it and drop it in. In SU you draw at full scale so all the images in the warehouse are properly scaled for whatever you're working on.

3d Engine House Ver 5~~ 2017-01-26 18172700000

The overhead gantry crane will have to be scratch built. Clearly, the long inspection pits will require some interesting solutions when using 3 rail track. Some fellows have strung some bare copper solid strand wire under tension to serve as the hot rail while making it very subtle. My 3.5" Ross #4 switch track spacing creates a very narrow space between tracks to have work platforms.

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Images (2)
  • 3d Engine House Ver 5~~ 2017-01-26 19571900000
  • 3d Engine House Ver 5~~ 2017-01-26 18172700000
prrhorseshoecurve posted:

Kerrigan, that looks more like a copy of the I.H.C./Atlas O enginehouse. With it's arched window design and all brick facia does not appear to be modern late 20th or 21st century design.

Don't know.  Got it from Crescent with modified high doors for electrics.  It seems to fit my time period of the 1950-60s.  Old building.  Ventilators on top replaced smokestacks to suck diesel fumes out. Don't remember where I found those.  Probably a kit he modifies and assembles with weathering?  Dave does nice work. He put together, with great improvements, my old 5-stall roundhouse from old Kober kits.full houseIMG_0083

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Images (2)
  • full house: Roundhouse with locomotives
  • IMG_0083: Roundhouse interior/roof off
Last edited by Kerrigan
Trainman2001 posted:

What happens to that middle blade when you remove all the insides of the ties? You can't have the ties crossing over the pit or you don't have a pit anymore. The pits are going to be more work than the engine house since I already have Ross track imbedded in hydrocal as yard track. I'm not looking forward to digging them out.

Use one of those vibrating tools to cut? With the Ross or Gargraves track you can use a piece of piano wire as the replacement center wire. With the MTH track you could simply hide a support underneath it. Even use a figure with it's arm raised and the support hidden behind it. Like to see the work in progress.

That's a huge roundhouse...just like their late steam engines which I love. I have a Q2, T-1, J1-a and S-1. I first remember seeing a Q as a model in the mid-50s at a long-gone train store in Philly, Les Meyers. It was (I think) a Max Gray O'scale model and it burned itself into my 10-year old brain. The T-1 was imprinted in my impressionable brain since the demonstrator version was beautifully drawn in George J. Zaffo's Big Book of Real Locomotives where the pictures were all huge pull-outs. In that book also was the GG-1 and the Alco PA Santa Fe. Nuff said! No wonder I had to have these engines on my layout as an adult. I had no choice. It was out of my control.

The decision to have or not have a roundhouse was made long ago when I first designed the layout. By leaving the center open for access precluded having the roundhouse. So now I'm stuck with a conventional diesel style design. Luckily, I have enough ways to turn steam engines around without having to pick them up and manhandle them.

645 posted:

Don't forget that Menards has a nice single stall modern engine house too at a very reasonable price. They have a few different ones available. Search for "O Gauge Locomotive Maintenance Shed" on Menards' website:  Menards

Thanks for the suggestion, 645!

We currently have three unique models, all of which are prebuilt and prelit. These are definitely worth checking out if you have a chance. We have two with electronic signs (Milwaukee Road and CNW) and one with a black-lit sign that includes 30 decals that are interchangeable.

Milwaukee Road (279-2291) Shop Now!
279-2291

CNW (279-2675) Shop Now!
Please note this item is only available from one of our retail locations. If you are curious about how to order, I would be happy to help.279-2675

30-Sign Maintenance Shed (279-3069) Shop Now!279-3069

And, if you're looking for a conversation piece, we also have a fire-damaged engine house!

Fire-Damaged Engine House (279-3092) Shop now!
279-3092

Thank you,
Mark the Menards Train Guy

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Images (4)
  • 279-2291
  • 279-2675
  • 279-3069
  • 279-3092

Thanks for the all the suggestions.

Rioght now I am looking at either the Korber or a model from Locomotive Works as they offer multiple stalls and are more modern looking.  I haven’t ruled out making my own, but with time as a consideration, I am leaning towards a kit or pre-built.

As always, if there are any more ideas, please keep them coming.

I got a like on this old post today and thought it would be appropriate to show some images of the finished product. This project was documented in full in my long-running thread on the building of my layout. You can see it here…. starting on page 64. Don't let the thread title fool you. I update it with each new project.

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...e-pandampprr?page=64

The model consisted of all laser-cut large parts by my drawings. Cutting was done by Rail Scale Models. Details were 3D printed on my own resin machine. It arrived just when construction was starting on this project. All the roof details are 3D printed as are all the machines in the machine shop. The overhead crane was a combination of 3D printed details, laser-cut railings and scratch-built styrene chassis.

EH Landscape 2

Engine House Lot LightEngine House Corner Light

Some machines like this Niles wheel lathe were my own drawings. Others were downloaded from SketchUp's 3D Warehouse and then extensively edited so they could be 3D printed.

MS Hoist Installed

EH Lighting Comp 2

All the parts in the yard including the prime movers are 3D printed from my drawings.

EH Yard w WheelsEH MS Interior LightingEH Gantry CloseupEH Lighting Comp 3

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Images (9)
  • EH Yard w Wheels
  • EH MS Interior Lighting
  • EH Gantry Closeup
  • EH Lighting Comp 3
  • EH Lighting Comp 2
  • MS Hoist Installed
  • Engine House Lot Light
  • Engine House Corner Light
  • EH Landscape 2

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