modular train shed - real world extended 10027 inspired model - a 21 year journey!

[Murdoch17]

In 2003 I got World City set 10027 (Train Engine Shed) and played with it for number of years, but it was sadly destroyed sometime around 2007 in an attempt to make it totally enclosed - this was because I didn't have the skills or the parts. (I also didn't know about Bricklink at the time) Then in 2014 I made it again, but this time it was far too large (96 studs long and 32 wide) and unwieldly when moving it - which lead to that MOC being scrapped in mid-2016.

These two abortive attempts to modify the set were recently on my mind, so I decided another run through of the set was in order - with slightly-expanded length and enlarged entrances to allow for bigger modern locomotives (such as my steamers) to pass through, but yet small enough to not be a burden when transporting. (The total shed length is capped at 80 studs, and will not be extended.)

The outside of the shed. I replaced the original expensive black sliding doors from the set with a brick built version.

You may have noticed it's not a fully enclosed building: I didn't complete this MOC because at Gateway LUG shows in the past, I've gotten public comments about not being able to see inside my train sheds. So it's half a shed - but fret not! Unlike the original set, this model is modular and two copies of my MOC could click together using technic pins at both ends if I ever wanted to build another one.

The five roof sections are removable, with the middle portion being the extension to the original set.

Some of the tools of the shed (L to R):
foreground:

drill press
Lathe
big oilcan
Octan 55-gallon oil drum (not shown here)
Vise (not shown in this pic)

background:
lug wrench
small oilcan
socket wrench
drill
various wrenches

The repair shed crew.

The shed with my 7-studs wide yellow 4-8-4 loco in it in an atmospheric B&W shot for that old fashioned feel. I even wrote a story for it:

'It's mid-August 1944, and World War II is raging on multiple fronts across the globe. American trains run coast-to-coast nonstop, taking men and material all over the country to be shipped everywhere you can imagine to stop the Axis powers and win the war. The railroads are at their absolute peak during this conflict - never before have they moved so much so quickly.

Still, regular maintenance must be done, even during the austerity conditions of war. Steam locomotives especially need servicing every once in a while, and here we see Brick Railway Systems 4-8-4 number 5086 just arrived for a light overhaul and tune-up. The staff of the servicing facility pause in their duties for the government photographer, get the publicity picture taken, and then get back to the grimy, greasy, dirty work of railroading.

'Keep 'Em Rolling to Victory' say the government posters - and this is exactly what this crew intends to do!'

Thoughts?

Edited July 19, 2024 by Murdoch17

[Darkkostas25]

Best set ever IMO. Nice iteration and attempt making it bigger, yeah it`s makes it better. Nice to see that you keep main features like making it`s fully close or half open (once i was against this idea but with time i understand it`s best option) 
Will be nice to se some ideas/modules for expending this build in kinds modular/clip based form if could be possible.
Great job! 

[Feuer Zug]

Nice MOC/upgrade to the original. The ability to build a second part and clip them together is great. Even the removable roof should help at shows.

[Murdoch17]

On 7/21/2024 at 9:54 AM, Darkkostas25 said:

Best set ever IMO. Nice iteration and attempt making it bigger, yeah it`s makes it better. Nice to see that you keep main features like making it`s fully close or half open (once i was against this idea but with time i understand it`s best option) 
Will be nice to se some ideas/modules for expending this build in kinds modular/clip based form if could be possible.
Great job! 

Agreed on best set ever @Darkkostas25! I have a design for an removable endcap segment mostly built in real life that can be placed on one end of the tracks, but it sadly doesn't work like I hoped.

26 minutes ago, Feuer Zug said:

Nice MOC/upgrade to the original. The ability to build a second part and clip them together is great. Even the removable roof should help at shows.

Thank you @Feuer Zug!

[The_Cook]

I haven't expanded 10027 but I have doubled it and assembled them back to back.

 

After sourcing 4 pairs of black doors at great expense, I realised that they weren't going to work. The modern 6wide locomotives all have clips and handles hanging off the sides which means that they weren't fitting through the 8 wide arch easily, i.e. my son trying to run them through the engine shed at full speed! Therefore I redesigned the doors to be 10wide giving ample wiggle room for an 6 plus a bit wide locomotive.

The roof structure was also tweaked to avoid having to source the expensive 1x14 red bricks and the sliding doors aren't the unique black doors which were again prohibitively expensive to source.

I source 4 16x32 baseplates but then promptly lost 2 when it came to building the 2nd half so reverted to 8 16x16 plates, having built it I finally located the 2 lost baseplates! The plates are more in keeping with the rest of the layout than the baseplates as the layout is mostly comprised of modern sets from the PF era along with a couple of PU sets that I've converted to PF. Interior is sparse because my son keeps stealing it to use elsewhere and then entropy takes over and everything is reduced to individual bricks.

 

[Murdoch17]

Nice work @The_Cook, I especially love the new doors! Keep up the good work!

[The_Cook]

I've had this built for about 6 months then I saw this thread pop up and I thought; I should probably post but I was on vacation at the time. Then I got back and got distracted, and it was only whilst trying to tidy up after my son that that I realised I hadn't posted.

If only 65734 Slope, Curved 4 x 1 x 2 2/3 with Stud came in trans brown then everything would be prefect. Sadly I think the likelihood of this ever happening given the seeming demise of trans brown.

[Murdoch17]

16 minutes ago, The_Cook said:

I've had this built for about 6 months then I saw this thread pop up and I thought; I should probably post but I was on vacation at the time. Then I got back and got distracted, and it was only whilst trying to tidy up after my son that that I realised I hadn't posted.

If only 65734 Slope, Curved 4 x 1 x 2 2/3 with Stud came in trans brown then everything would be prefect. Sadly I think the likelihood of this ever happening given the seeming demise of trans brown.

Regular reddish-brown would look good in place of trans-clear, and there is a higher chance of it coming in that color someday. (It would also match the bottom 2/3 of the doors.)

Edited September 4, 2024 by Murdoch17

[Feuer Zug]

Nice work. The modification works well and makes it much more affordable.

[Murdoch17]

4 hours ago, Feuer Zug said:

Nice work. The modification works well and makes it much more affordable.

Thanks, and it helped my wallet that I had a ton of the bricks in my collection already @Feuer Zug! 

Edited September 5, 2024 by Murdoch17