An update on the structure progress being made in the shop. With the cooler weather 69F rather than 105+F) I finally got my general contractor (me) up and doing something.

The two tenement buildings (two Walthers kits) are progressing together. Everything seen here is glued in, except the roof. I'm leaving that for later. The stairs and storm gutters are next.

Finally, finished as defined by Walthers. Walthers calls these "background" buildings. Since they are meant to go near or against a skyboard or backdrop. So, they have no rear walls. I am making rear walls from Plastruct brick sheet. Before they are installed, I am considering the installation of partial floors and interiors behind some windows, possibly with lighting.

Certainly, they will need figures on the landings and stairs. Maybe elsewhere, too. I have a couple of the 'Roof Accessories' packages. Right now I'm thinking a large A/C system for the building. That would require a wood walkway from the hatch to the unit. And, that would require a sunbather laying on a towel, eh?

A decision as to whether the basement stairs will be installed will have to wait. That would require cutting a hole in the mounting surface. Right now, I don't know if that surface will be the plywood or a layer of foam on it.


The next set of four buildings is a single kit from Greenmax, kit #46-4. They are three-story buildings. The kit has four different front facades, and an assortment of side and rear walls. The facades not only have different styles, but different textures as well.

A nice set to work with, and certainly good bashing material. I chose to paint each building a different color, as all were styrene grey.

There are quite a few detail parts to add to the roof, too, making each one unique.

The final six two-story buildings are a single Greenmax kit as well, #33. The walls are a mix-and match system.

There are 24 wall panels, and six front facades in three styles, cast in gray and white.

Also, there are six separate gables for the walls. A variety of roofs are included.

Looking inside the preliminary assembly, note the small stubs on the walls. These are to align the gables. However, the wall is deeply scored, indicating that it can easily be shortened to one story.

And, the stubs look like good supports for an interior floor, too. Again, I think this is good bashing material.

I painted all the side and rear walls a light sand color to resemble stucco. When I get really, really industrious, I may paint the trim on each.

The facades were each painted a different color to brighten up the scene. How bright depends on how much weathering I do. Probably a lot, to look like a dingy, lower-income area.

So, the structures for the city scenes are starting to come out of the boxes. Once some more of these progress to 'adequately finished,' I will attack the next ones. The sequence should be directed by the order I decide to use in 'finishing' modules. Nothing is ever really finished, is it?

For now, I need to check into interiors and lighting. If I do go that way, the interior walls will need a layer of flat black to stop any light leak-through.

Enough rambling for today.