Anyone have G scale building plans?

**EMD trainman** · January 25th, 2009, 05:25 PM

I was shopping online looking for model building kits and got sticker shock. I like early 60's to modern type buildings, which Piko and Pola has some kits that absolutely love. I like the Grain elevator kits, Refinery and storage tank kits, etc. I don't have the $2,000 it would cost me to buy all of this and still have to build it. I'm real good with wood crafting and figure it would be cheaper to build my own and paint it from wood with lexan windows. If anyone has G scale 1:24 to 1:29 scale ratio building plans they would like to share with dimensions I would really appreciate it. I'm really interested in mainly factory type buildings, such as freight warehouses, ice houses, grain silos, grain elevators, glass manufacturing plants, Fuel and Oil storage tanks, gas stations, fire house, oil refinery, lumber yard with shed. Any help would be appreciated.

**Dave Winter** · January 27th, 2009, 01:16 AM

Please. Don't waist your time and money on any 'off the shelf' buildings. I have 1400 sqft of layout and ONE store bought building. That one is highly modified.

The twenty-five or so structures I use are all built from rough measurements and photos I collected from real buildings that interested me and fit into an exact location on the layout. Except this one. This one came from a photo of a craftsman type kit in HO scale.
After doing a few doors and windows (The only real measurements you need to be sure of) and lots of siding it's starting to look ok.

Photo 1. The HO advertisement.

Photo 2. The location for the new building.

Photo 3. Freight door and a few windows.

Photo 4. Frame work with details in place.

Photo 5. Details on the front.

Anyway, this whole packing house will run me about $30.00 when finished. And you can see the others at Winter Valley Regional Railroad - Welcome!. There are freight houses, engines shops, stations and three grain elevators among others.

Get out the glue and have a ball.

Dave

**DragonFyreGT** · January 27th, 2009, 07:14 AM

I agree with Dave about off the shelf buildings. I don't buy off the shelf, but I look for pre-built at swap meets and shows. I just got done repairing my luggage depot and now I'm having fun trying to mold some styrene to repair the roofs gutter (parts cut out on all 4 sides).

I don't think the price of Store bought buildings is justified at all. However I do think if you find them for cheap, pick them up and have some fun. The gray trim on mine will be painted green to match some of BN's buildings.

Even if you can't use them because there not structurally sound, salvage them for parts! I have around 20 pieces of spare building parts I bought at a train show that have helped in my building repairs.

**Flash Blackman** · January 27th, 2009, 10:15 AM

As an N scaler with no G scale experience...:D...I think most "scratch" builders just scale it off. That is, either build an exact model from dimensions on published plans or measure the area available and design something to fit, as suggested above. Dimension conversion is not hard to do using a calculator.

Just my two cents, you know.

**Dave Winter** · January 27th, 2009, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by Flash Blackman

As an N scaler with no G scale experience...:D...I think most "scratch" builders just scale it off. That is, either build an exact model from dimensions on published plans or measure the area available and design something to fit, as suggested above. Dimension conversion is not hard to do using a calculator.

Just my two cents, you know.

Right! And sometimes there are features of large structures that attract your eye and you can use them in your smaller buildings. Loading docks, freight doors, window arrangements, signs and the like. And think of how much satisfaction you'll get by having built it yourself.

Dave

**DragonFyreGT** · January 27th, 2009, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by Dave Winter

Right! And sometimes there are features of large structures that attract your eye and you can use them in your smaller buildings. Loading docks, freight doors, window arrangements, signs and the like. And think of how much satisfaction you'll get by having built it yourself.

Dave

Even if it's not scratch built, look in my photographs at my platform kit. That yellow line draws your attention to the detail. Buildings and details can make the scene besides your trains. All my signs are going to be done myself, soon as I find my vinyl paper. But I built all the new signs for my buildings out of styrene myself, there is no feeling greater then building something yourself and saving money to boot~

**EMD trainman** · January 27th, 2009, 11:53 PM

They say to start small and work your way up. My 1st scratch build building will be a small gas station with a one car garage.

**Bob Vaughn** · February 8th, 2009, 10:38 PM

Take a look at Colorado Model Structures they are in Port
Richey Fl. I have a bunch of their kits...they are in expensive...:pcool::tb-biggrin:

**DSP&P fan** · March 13th, 2009, 08:15 AM

Structures and rolling stock are different beasts.

For structures, you need to get some of the standard dimensions...door width & height...plus frame, window width & height...plus frame, floor heights, and shingle/siding dimensions and you are good to go.

For building rolling stock, (which you might want to consider as well), it is better to start from plans and just multiply up the dimensions for your scale.

The NG&SLG is a great source for plans...but not necessarily for structures as modern as you're thinking. Since you appear to be a std gauge modeler...consider building your buildings to either 1:29 (Aristo, traditional American #1) or 1:32 (Accucraft, scale & foreign #1). 1:24 was more of a fad in the 1980s and 1990s...so unless you have some or plan on specific pieces...it is oddball now. Actual G scale is 1:22.5...and I'd guess that most of the European stuff is either 1:22.5 or 1:32 like their trains. Note that the Spectrum stuff is mostly 1:20.3 (scale for 3' gauge).

**Tripptee** · March 9th, 2012, 11:58 AM

Would plans like this be of interest to anyone? Is there a structure that you have from a magazine (non trademarked or licensed) that you want converted to a building template?