Friday 19 April 2024

Found a Fire Escape

I happened across this fire escape, assembled, which was part of the Roberts Printing Company kit from Walthers. Found it in a parts bin, and I really don't know when or why I would have put it in there.

This is actually a bit of a significant find for me, as that Roberts Printing kit is what the industry/warehouse building with all of those broken windows is kitbashed from.

There are exit doors at 3 levels at this end of the building, and with no landing on the outside of those doors, that's got to be at least a bit dangerous for any HO scale folks that might step out for a smoke or to watch the trains as they pass by or switch out the loading dock below.

Happily, the whole building held together as I picked it up and moved it over to the workbench.  I dusted off the roof (needed it) and then attached the fire escape with tacky glue, which allows plenty of time to adjust placement and of course dries clear.
Here's a look at the fire escape in place.  I'll have to put a ladder in place now from the dock to the 2nd floor level.

Just as an aside, I've been thinking of covering over some of those broken windows, at least those on the 2nd floor with some steel siding.  Just to give the building a different look.  If or when I do so, I'll post before and after photos.  The windows on the first floor have been covered over for a long time.

Over on the other side of the layout, last week I showed the two signs that I made for the Ferrous Processing & Trading site.  I've also made up this one for the large billboard that's placed by the highway overpass.
Again, copied from an online photo, and printed to size using my Corel PaintShop program.

That's it for this week.  I hope you'll have some fun doing some model railroading.