Continuing along the track and backdrop at Eugene, I turned to Eugene Planing. This industry appears in several photos of Eugene near the depot. It is distinctive with both a bow (curved) roof and shed roof. One of the photos I used is on Joel Ashcroft's SP Cascades website:
http://spcascades.railfan.net/photos/DILL/264.jpg The industry appears in a couple of other photos published in the Austin and Dill "SP in Oregon" books. The side facing the tracks used clapboard siding, painted white.
Given my model location alongside both the main post in my basement and against the backdrop, I chose to start with a good mock-up. The mock-up may stay for a while, so I added details including marker pen outlines for the windows facing the tracks.
Foam-core mock-up of the primary structure placed on paper for further planning of the bow roof for the left half of this structure and its walls. The right portion of the structure uses a shed roof, as seen in the photo on Joel Ashcroft's site.
As I built the main structure (the combined bow roof and shed roof), I felt I needed something more against the backdrop. I consulted Google Earth and easily found today's version of the structure in a satellite view near the depot. The buildings have been re-purposed, but the distinctive shape is very identifiable. It appears Eugene Planing had buildings on both sides of Eugene's Third Street. My space only represents the property on the track side of Third Street. I employed "Modeler's License" to add more shed-roofed structure directly against the backdrop, conveying the feeling of a larger industry.
Eugene Planing building mock-ups. The main loading sheds are near the tracks and have their roofs. The add-on sheds against the backdrop are being tested for fit and artistic feel.
While the main structures were done in foam-core and other card stock for roofs, I chose to model the loading dock and timber gantry crane in styrene, nearly completing them. The loading dock extends from the bow-roofed structure along the back-drop side of the rail spur and underneath the timber gantry. I used my "conventional" freight dock construction with an Evergreen V-groove siding deck and styrene strip joists underneath. There were something like 200 legs individually applied underneath.
Loading dock under construction.
I designed the timber gantry by roughly scaling from the photo. I drew it up and then adjusted my dimensions. My first cut was too large when I compared it to photos. Careful photo study showed the purpose of wood piece that extended up from one corner post. It was one half of the support for the three electric power wires for the gantry. I easily modeled this with a bit of styrene strip, a few small holes and some phosphor-bronze wire. The wire is even the right color!
Timber gantry. This gantry likely was replaced by fork-lift vehicles sometime in the late 1950s or early 1960s. Right now, I chose to let the era anachronism slide. I like the gantry.
Eugene Planing looking RR-East, toward the depot on my railroad.
Eugene Planing, ready for service.
Although I have most of the materials to convert the foam-core mock-ups into completed models, I will leave this complex as is for a bit. I am off to other industry adventures!
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