O SCALE STRUCTURE KITS
D&RG ROUNDHOUSE

    We are just finishing up the pilot models for The Denver & Rio Grande Roundhouses in O-scale. Yes, that's plural. We are doing both Durango (brick) and Gunnison (brick and stone), and are they something! Not only are they narrow gauge icons, in quarter-inch, I think they are some of my best work yet.

    Click this link to see the progress I'm making:     CONSTRUCTION INDEX  

    Or click on this link to see:     2006 NARROW GAUGE CONVENTION  

    The footprint of our 71 foot brick roundhouse (17-3/4") is set back 96'-0" (24") from the turntable center with 14'-6" on center (3-5/8") stalls at the engine doors and 25'-0" wide (6-1/4") rear walls. We've intentionally done the roundhouse longer than the 67 ft. prototypes (actually this is an inside measurement while ours is the total length outside) so your model locomotives with their over-sized drawbars can better fit in. We also know space on your layout is often an issue so we have shortened the approach a little bit (little over an inch from the 101' prototype) thus widening the rear walls by about one scale foot (1/4") in the process. The resulting models if done with all 10 stalls (Durango) or 11 (Gunnnison) will just fit on a 4' x 4' sheet of plywood. Yes, they are huge!

    We'll offer the following options for those who order the complete 10 or 11 stalls. Options may be limited on lesser orders. We'll see.

    Originally, it appears the engine doors were framed in brick. We believe they were either engineered wrong, constructed improperly, or simply replaced with wider openings. There is a photo showing a 10 stall roundhouse handsomely faced with brick poratls. The captions identifies it as Gunnison but this can't be- Gunnison had 11 stalls. So we think it might be an early photo of Durango. Later we see Durango was faced with wood frame construction while Gunnison was partially rebuilt in 1938 with six stalls done in wood. If there is interest we are offering this as "original" on both locations featuring handsome windowed engine doors and a clean brick face. Well, we have the castings anyway.

    We are offering Durango in two additional versions. The classic "early" version with windowed engine doors of various sizes, stalls 7, 8, 9 and 10 for instance heightened for the larger engines. And the classic "late" version, with non-windowed (rebuilt) engine doors, machine shop in stall 1, stalls 4, 5 and 6 extended. Instructions will be given on distressing and aging the brick as much or as little as you like. The cap stones for instance failed due to the harsh climate and were repaired with concrete patches. That's a simple fun project.

    We are also doing the attached buildings for Durango. The boiler house and coal pocket to the north, and the foreman's office, crew room and storage to the south. We will treat these as additional stalls but you can probably talk me into including them with full ten stall orders. These are so interesting we decided to release them separately as two-stall dioramas.

    Then for Gunnison we're doing the classic mid-40s look with a mixture of door styles that is so hard to describe I won't even try. Just about each one is different! Stall 1 is fully windowed, stall 2-7 are extended and heightened, stall 11 houses the snowplow. Right side wall is stone.

    We will package the kits like we did in S-scale with a five stall minimum with the exception of either side of Durango, these as the side wall plus two stalls, and the boiler house or foreman's office, as a diorama. Additional stalls beyond the first five are $150.00 each. If you opt for the extended stalls you must purchase a minimum of three on top of the five masonry. These were wood frame construction modifying the existing masonry stalls adding 13'-0" (3-1/4") out the back on Durango, or 9'-6" (2-3/8") on Gunnison with 3 ft. in height there.

    The models feature my hand-rendered scale brick expertly cast in White Hydrocal in my shop. It's not jobbed out to China or the lady down the street. We are using my hand-carved stone for the Gunnison version's right side wall, and same stonework for (1") foundations all around. The roof panels are precisely laser-cut and marked for rafter locations, with timber frame trusses, as are the wood frame extensions. You will love the smokejacks, doghouse vents and other detail. The engine doors are laser cut with working photo-etched hinges. The windows are also laser-cut, with mullions on both sides of laser-cut "glass". They can be built wide open, or shut tight for winter. Cast Hydrocal inspection pits are included: two narrow and one wide per 5 stalls.

    Wow, pretty amazing when you put it all together! Well, we didn't stop there. Can you imagine the brick detail inside too! You don't have to imagine it, we did that too. This will be the ultimate display case for your prized On3 locomotive fleet and the focal point of your layout. In fact you can forget the rest of the layout and just model the engine facility. It will make a great place to display your roster.

    We spent two years studying drawings and photos, figuring out just what was "right". There are many answers to that when you consider different dates, variations and two locations. Our intention is to provide you with the components to construct various versions of the roundhouses. Thus the brick patterns will be an early version that will allow you to modify to a later version, adding the concrete patches if you want, boarding up windows, fixing engine doors, extending stalls and so on. Right up to when Gunnison was torn down and Durango burnt (if you want to model it after the fire you can built the kit, burn it down (video on You-Tube please) and we'll discuss how you can rebuild it).

    To construct your model properly you'll really need to start from 1-3/4" below ground. Yeah, sorry, more than likely you'll have to scrap what you already have but trust me, in the long run it will be worth it. You'll want to build your new roundhouse and approach tracks on a good firm base (not supplied). We recommend a high quality 3/4" plywood (you'll need at least a whole half-sheet if you are doing all 10 or 11 stalls!), with 1" of Homasote (double thickness) on top becoming the cinder floor. A 1" stone foundation will skirt this floor and can be buried (like Durango) or exposed (Gunnison), or whatever your layout requires. The inspection pits will be 1" deep as well and built into this base.

    Or click on this link to see:     CONSTRUCTING THE BASE  

    Then on top the base we'll build our roundhouse model starting with the foundation. I recommend pinning the walls in place rather than gluing. Same with the timber trusses, and the roof panels simply lay in place. This allows you to refine the fits and adjust as necessary, access your locomotives, plus in the end you'll be able to disassemble your model and move it to new locations more easily- There are many benefits to a little extra work.

    My collaborator Glenn Farley has completed the Gunnison Roundhouse while I am lagging far behind on the Durango pilot model, now thinking I want to do the later version. If we wait for me to finish... We're much better off getting this thing into production! My model was shown at the 2006 Durango narrow gauge convention, Glenn's Gunnison at the 2008 Portland convention, and we will post more pictures as we go. Glenn plans to submit a feature article to the Narrow Gauge Gazette on Gunnison and I posting same for Durango on the web site.

    Complete step-by-step instructions are included. Plan sheets and templates include location plans (Gunnison and Durango), elevations for all sides, roof and truss templates, and assorted details. Everything you need to construct your museum quality roundhouse.

    These are truly DELUXE C. C. CR"O"W SCALE models of the highest quality. It's about time someone did them right, without compromise.

    Currently there are about 50 kits reserved. They will be released in the order of reserve starting with the complete Durango 10 stall kits first. Let me know your name, address, phone number and how many stalls of which location to reserve. For Durango let me know which era: original, classic or late.

    Again, I apologize that this is taking so long. We should finally begin production shortly. My guess is I'll be able to do about one per week but we'll see. Any new orders can expect to wait at least a year.

    E-mail:   C. C. Crow  

    Write to reserve your model today.

C. C. CROW   P. O. BOX 1427   MUKILTEO, WA 98275

  PHOTOS OF O-SCALE PATTERNS

Click this link to see the patterns I'm working on:     O-SCALE PATTERNS