Modelling Dyeco - a Structural Flat

                                       

Dyeco is a little-known industry located at the intersection of River and Orchard Streets along the Inner Harbour. I hadn't really planned to model the industry, but I came to the realization that my Anglin tank-car unloading facility was really in the wrong spot, and that Dyeco would be a more appropriate industry to have beyond the River Street bridge. (A secret/stealth second track goes under my River Street bridge, and I'll now need to rebuild it since this industry will be staying!)

I printed off 1935, 1925, and 2019 photos of the industry for reference. I realized that the long side of the building along Orchard Street is where the CP spur was. A rummage through my scrap building drawer found two walls that would fit the bill (above). I cut a hole for the unloading door in the right-hand section, and blocked off window holes, adding door and windows to the left-hand section:

I painted both sections, now glued together, with a light brown, then dry-brushing bricks over the light brown mortar with a light rust hobby paint, then a darker red-brown. The brick colour is perhaps a little dark. A paper door was added to the unloading opening. Pilasters from a leftover Woodland Scenics (DPM) modular wall kit were also added, though my brickwork was in no way as involved as the prototype. After all, it's a backrop, and they're not supposed to have too much detail to draw the eye. I also started marking in the brick-wall lettering that I would be adding:

I used a white gel pen, and a black fine-tipped marker to rough in the lettering. Any mistakes could be covered up with another coat of reddish-brown, if necessary! I didn't think the second, smaller-font line could be well done (of Canada Limited) so I left it off. I did, however, add the baseball-style Dyeco logo, moving its location to the right, and weathering all the lettering. Perhaps on the prototype it was gone by my nominally 1970 modelled era, but I enjoy seeing and painting this type of original, old-timey lettering, so here it is!

I added side end walls about one half-inch deep, glazed the windows with acetate, then smokestack and pipes on the roof top. The smokestack is only half-circumference, blending into the wall better and not leaving a shadow in photographs. The completed structural flat with a few details is shown below. I still need to emplace it, bring the spur closer to the building, and scenick the area. It was a fun two-day pandemic project!