Bar Mills "Waterfront Willy's"

Thinking about build this kit. I know many people have built it and it has become somewhat of a "cult" things customizing, adding onto and just making the thing look cool.

Here is a good opportunity to display your Waterfront Willy's model and show others what can be done. In the process I'm hoping to get feedback on the building process, the quality of the kit, how easy or difficult it was, and general comments about the kit, it's instructions, paint schemes and the like.

Here is one Willy's I found that looks awesome...

 

Here is the same kit built as "Jackson Transfer". This was built about 8 years ago. This kit was easy to build and the results are typical of good laser cut building kits.

 

Nice!

Boy those are nice buildings! Are they all Bar Mills? Is Bar Mills a craftsman kit type? Thanks.

 

Thanks Flash. The Jackson Transfer and Idaho Hotel (corrugated roof) are Bar Mills kits. All the buildings in this photo are Craftsman kits. The Idaho Hotel had a limited run of 250 units.

All these buildings were on the "original" JJJ&E. Most are over eight years old.

 

I haven't built mine yet, it's next in line after I finish with Sam Cahoon's Fish Pier. It's sitting downstairs, still in the plastic case that it came packaged in. I imagine it will take me a day or two, give or take 6 weeks, to finish it. Pictures will definately be posted when finished.

 

Groundbreaking for Trackside Jack's took place this evening, when the seal on the plastic storage case was broken. This should be a fun kit to build!

 

Keep us posted with progress pictures.

So what do you think of the kit in general (quality)? And the instructions? Any good?

 

At first glance, it's very similar to two other kits that I've built, Sam Cahoon's Fish Pier (Northeastern Scale Models), and the Brookside Ice House (JL Innovative). Both were challenging to build, but I enjoyed both immensely. To me, it's sort of like "here are all the parts, and a shove in the right direction, but you're mostly on your own", which I like.

 

The quality of all Bar Mills Kits is excellent and the instructions are easy to follow.

 

I'm gonna try this one but I think I need a little more practice on some easier kits first. Look forward to seeing the progress tough.

 

That is an easy kit to build. If you were going to try Sam Cahoons Fish Pier I'd tell you to try other kits first. You can do that kit easily. It's rather straight forward.

Here is the Bar Mills Fish Pier Kit. I built this kit over nine years ago for the "original " JJJ&E. I'll be using it on the "new" JJJ&E as well. I had to rebuild the piles on the bottom of the kit when I removed it from the water under the Pier.

 

Powersteamguy says it's an easy kit to build, and I agree, having just opened the box, it certainly looks no more difficult than the other laser-cut kits I've built. I'll have to withhold comment until I've finished it. Give it a try; if you get started and decide it's too hard for now, put it away for later. The challenging ones are the most fun!

 

Thanks for the encouragement guys. I have a corner of my layout that I'd like to have the Willie's and a small water feature. Never done either before so it's an idea I hope I can bring to life.

Bob, the picture above looks great. You do excellent work.

Tracy, by all means post pictures of the progress. How do you plan on weathering? It's another thing I'm very inexperienced at. I'd like to try Acrylic paint and then use powder pigments for weathering. Do you or anybody have a technique for doing this? In fact I think I'll start a specific thread about this later. I've searched the forum for hours and while I find a lot of threads about weathering rolling stock and locos I haven't found one that deals specifically with "wood" other than maybe Bob's "Windex" formula. Thanks.

 

Train Kid:

I also use Bragdon Weathering powders after using washes for the final weathering of buildings and rolling stock. This weathering system adheres to the surface of what you're working on.


http://www.bragdonent.com/weather.htm

 

I don't plan to post a blow-by-blow of the progress, but I wanted to post this photo to give you some idea of the construction involved. There are 10 pieces assembled to form what you see here; the wall, the window, the window frame, the window glass, the door frame, two sections of door glass, and three pieces that form the door itself. This is exactly the same assembly method used on the Rocky Point Lighthouse that I built over Christmas, and similar to that used on Sam Cahoon's Fish Pier. It would be difficult to make a "fatal" mistake while putting this together.

As for weathering, I'll respond in your other thread.

 

Nice work Tracy. Gives me hope that I can do this too.

I am going to build one more laser kit to get a little more experience and then give the Waterfront Willie's a try.

Looking forward to more of your progress. Well done.

 

Thanks for the heads up I'll have to look into the Bar Mills Kits.
I am looking for some modern day laser kit rail side structure if there is such a thing?

 

I have started the kit and wanted to post this picture. It is showing my wall supports.

I am new at this but this thread gave me the courage to open the box and start.

I am going to paint tomorrow. Will post as I go along.

 

Looking forward to seeing the painting job. I asked before (somewhere) but didn't get a response. Do these particular instructions "suggest" a color scheme or are you completely on your own?