Model Railroads

Page 16

Feeding the Souls of the Little People

The Church

The Chief Gardener decided that the town needed a church and she spotted one at the local train store that suited her fine. It turned out to be big enough for all the souls in the county and then some. It is a Korber resin kit, the first I had ever seen. The company is defunct.

Publicity photo.

Above – May 14, 2010 – The church sides were taped together for a location template. This was the original idea for placing the church but it didn't work out because the reverse loop siding ran through here.

Above – June 3, 2010 – Construction is underway, the pieces with the brick foundation showing have had the mortar painted gray.

Above – June 16, 2010 – The bricks have been painted and the main structure is assembled. Quick Set Gorilla Super Glue was used to hold the resin pieces in place then silicone used to seal the joints to assure an all-weather structure.

Above – June 16, 2010 – The steeple base structure is started.

Above – June 16, 2010 – The steeple base is finished and half of the main roof added. All the kit pieces were supplied already painted in their basic color. A thin black wash was added to the roof.

Above – June 16, 2010 – Inside view of the main structure. Also on the bench are the assembled bell tower to the left and the steeple in the center.

Above – June 17, 2010 – Test fit of steeple, front and side steps.

Above – June 18, 2010 – The Chief Gardener wanted the church well lit, so the brown resin interior was give a rough coat of white paint for better reflection.

Above – June 30, 2010 – With the new reverse loop siding in place behind the church, the location could be finalized. The foundation size was determined and a form built. The preacher is glad that no serious railroading takes place on Sunday.

Above – July 1, 2010 – Wiring has been strung to the control area, the foundation base dug and filled with crusher fines.

Above – July 2, 2010 – The form is put in place with an insert consisting of a hardware screen reinforcement and cross pieces for building mounting.

Above – July 2, 2010 – Time to pour, where is that old bag of Quikrete Mortar Mix that worked so well last year? Here it is, just add water, mix and pour. Looks good!

Above – July 3, 2010 – Let's pull off the form and admire our new slab. Whoops, what's happening? The slab has the structural integrity of a sand castle!

Above – July 3, 2010 – Did this happen because the Quikrete was a year old and had been sitting in a paper sack on the garage floor all winter? Prolly…..

Above – July 10, 2010 – Ah well, while a new batch of Quikrete was being procured and poured, the "stained glass" windows were being installed in the church. The tape holds them in place while the glue dries.

Above – August 12, 2010 – Finally, the lights! Seven LED's should do it. The silver duct tape seals light gaps and adds to the reflectivity inside. Also, note the cedar corner reinforcing pieces.

Above – August 23, 2010 – The new slab was poured some time ago and the mounting blocks have been screwed down to the inserted, treated lumber. The crack is on top of a third mounting insert and doesn't affect the structural integrity of the slab. (We got it right this time.)

Above – September 22, 2010 – The road is in and the gravel is nearing completion.

Above – September 28, 2010 – Finally, the lights have been wired and tested, the building attached to the base; then the bell tower and steeple were added to complete the installation.

Above – October 5, 2010 – The preacher has made a deal with the railroad, no whistle tooting on Sunday morning.

Above – August 21, 2011 – Open House, here come the people. 'Saint Luke Church' is the tounge-in-cheek name given in honor of our very active grandson, born 2004.

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