Gryme & Dylapidaytid RR Roundhouse at Gryme

This group of photos shows the construction process of the HO/HOn3 (1/87 scale) Gryme & Dylapidaytid RR Roundhouse located at the North end of the town of Gryme just below Gryme Heights. Also included are some photos of the Turntable and other accessories associated with the Roundhouse such as the Power Plant for the Gryme Roundhouse. Actual construction started in December of 2003 preceded by about 6 months of studying prototype photos, plans, sources of information, and planning, including the detailed drawing up of the plans.

The first photo (Figure 1) shows a plan view of the start of the base and flooring. The plan consists of 3 bays, or sets of tracks, within the roundhouse and a machine shop at the right rear of the roundhouse. The plan is my own design and is based upon prototype photos, various plans and kits and ideas from various sources. It is entirely scratch built using individual board on board construction with 1/87 scale lumber and some details and parts from various kits and scale model parts suppliers . In this photo the flooring and code 70 rails are finished in Bay #1 (next to the machine shop foundation on the right), and 95% finished in Bay #2 (middle Bay). Bay #3 has only the foundation and floor joists installed.

Figure 1, G&D RR Gryme Roundhouse Floor Plan and Flooring.

The next photo (Figure 2) shows the completion of the code 70 rails and all the flooring including the machine shop and the installation of the walls and framing for the doors. The machine shop flooring was extended forward about 6 scale feet to provide an entry platform for the machine shop. The door sections are shown laid out on the right on the layout board. I used a 3/4-inch plywood board for a construction base and for installing the roundhouse on the G&D RR Diorama. Also shown is an HO Scale brass Shay geared locomotive in Bay 2.

Figure 2, G&D RR Gryme Roundhouse Walls Installed and Door Detail.

The Figure 3 photo shows the same construction status as above but from a front view angle. Here the beams for the Post-on-Beam roof supports can be seen resting on posts that are better shown in the next photo which is a side view of the same construction status.

Figure 3, G&D RR Gryme Roundhouse Post-On-Beam Construction.

In this next photo (Figure 4) the Post on Beam construction can be seen along with the installation of the side and rear windows. The Shay locomotive can be seen in Bay 2.

Figure 4, G&D RR Gryme Roundhouse Post-On-Beam Construction Detail and Window Installation

The Figure 5 photo shows some interior detail that was added by early February 2004 including the compressed air plumbing, electrical lines, fuse boxes and outlets for each bay.

Figure 5, G&D RR Gryme Roundhouse Interior Electrical & Compressed Air Plumbing Installation.

The next photo (figure 6) shows a better view of the skylight window details and some interior details that have been installed. The skylight windows are all glazed, as are all the other windows. These details show up better in this view. The compressed air plumbing, electrical lines, fuse boxes and outlets for each bay can also be seen in this view.

Figure 6, G&D RR Gryme Roundhouse Interior Detail and Skylight Installation.

The next step was to construct the roof sections. By mid February 2004 I had finished the roof sections and installation. The following photo (figure 7) shows the roof installation. All of the roof sections are removable so I can work on the interior details. The roofing is scale corrugated metal and in this view the machine shop walls have also been installed along with the roof. Also finished are the door and window installations for the machine shop, and the skylight windows on the roundhouse which can be seen here. The skylight windows that are opened show up fine but the ones that are closed do not show up well in this view. They show better in the photo following this one. The main roundhouse doors (on the layout board on the left) have yet to be installed because I wanted working door hinges in true scale size and the various ones I tried to make didn’t work out well in scale size. Also shown are the smoke Vent stacks that had to be made from scratch.

Figure 7, G&D RR Roundhouse Roof Installation and Smoke Vent Stacks

The next Figure 8 photo shows the progress of interior detailing as of about mid March. Also shown are the installed main roundhouse doors that I finally was able to make hinges for.

Figure 8, G&D Gryme Roundhouse Interior Details and Main Door Installation

The Figure 9 photo below shows a portion of some individual details I finished prior to installation including various work benches (FSM details) and other scratch- built details.

Figure 9, Some Details that are (or will be) Installed in the G&D RR Gryme Roundhouse.

The next photo (Figure 10) shows some additional progress on the interior details. The true to scale interior lights (with the green shades) can be seen hanging from the beams over each bay. The lights are wired and are functional. The bulbs are the smallest bulbs available that actually function and work on 1.5 volts. The interior detail is not finished; much more clutter and dirt and grime needs to be added along with the workers and engines under repair.

Figure 10, G&D Gryme Roundhouse Interior Detail Progress.

Figure 11 below shows the roof of the added lean-to work shed area adjoining the left side of the roundhouse for Track/Bay #4. The shed roof has two water barrels on top in case of fire.

Figure 11, G&D RR Gryme Roundhouse Interior Detain and Added Lean-To Work Shed area on the left.

The next photo (Figure 12) shows the temporary fit check of the roundhouse installation on the G&D RR diorama on or about April 2004. This shows a better overall view of the roundhouse lean-to work shed area (the water barrels have been removed from the shed roof in this view).

Figure 12, G&D RR Gryme Roundhouse Installed on Diorama showing the Lean-To Work Shed Detail.

The Figure 13 photo shows an overall view of the temporary roundhouse installation and the “Armstrong” turntable modeled after the prototype one in Laws, California. The scenery around the roundhouse is not started in earnest and much more must be done for this scene to be complete. Additional tracks must be installed and other work finished before this can be completed.

Figure 13, G&D RR Gryme Roundhouse Installation and Armstrong Turntable

By about mid April 2004 I installed the tracks leading from the roundhouse to the turntable and added some scenery details around the roundhouse area. This next photo (Figure 14) shows the status at that time. The installation of the additional tracks to the left of the roundhouse for servicing locomotives has also been started in the lower portion of the photo.

Figure 14, G&D RR Gryme Roundhouse Installation Progress

The next photo (figure 15) is about a year later (Mid 2005), after work has been done on other areas of the layout. You can see the auxiliary tracks on the side of the roundhouse have been installed and the steam power plant for the roundhouse has been installed (bottom right). The steam supply line from the power plant to the roundhouse is not completed yet and stops just to the right of the lean-to work shed. The water tank for the area has been installed in the upper middle of the photo, just behind the turntable.

Figure 15, G&D RR Gryme Roundhouse, Steam Power Plant, and Engine Servicing Area Progress.

The Figure 16 photo shows the details of the lean-to work shed area with the roof removed. Also show is the completion of the steam supply line from the power plant to roundhouse.

Figure 16, G&G RR Gryme Roundhouse Lean-To Work Shed Detail (roof removed) and Engine Service Area.

This next photo (figure 17) shows the installation of the A-Frame supports for the steam supply line. The supply line comes from the Power Plant at the right in this view and enters the roundhouse at the rear of the left side (shown better in the previous photo, but without all the A-Frame supports installed)).

Figure 17, G&D RR Gryme Roundhouse Steam Power Plant Details and Steam Line Installation.

The next few photos Figures 18 thru 21) show the details of the Power Plant for the Roundhouse. The Power plant started out as a Sierra West kit with some kit bashing changes and lots of additional details added. The views are from different angles to better show the details.

For a feel for the actual size of the structures and the details, a 6-foot man in 1/87 scale (HO scale) is about 7/8 inches actual size in these photos. As shown below, Figure 20 is slightly larger that actual size, and Figures 18 and 21 are slightly smaller than actual size. That should give you reference point for the actual size of some of structures and the details I added. Most of the structures and details are scratch built (using magnifiers) from various materials that I collected over time. If kit bashed from a kit I always mention the name of the kit manufacturer. If kits are used, they are 95% board-on-board construction.

Figure 18, G&D RR Gryme Roundhouse Steam Power plant Close-Up, North Side.

Figure 19, G&D RR Gryme Roundhouse Steam Power plant Close-Up, West Side

Figure 20, G&D RR Gryme Roundhouse Steam Power plant Close-Up, South Side

Figure 21, G&D RR Gryme Roundhouse Steam Power plant Close-Up, South & East Sides

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