Modelling the Commandant's House

 

The juxtaposition of a Napoleonic-era dwelling with huge, modern bulk fuel tanks on Kingston's Inner Harbour caught my eye. That photo is in this previously-published post. The house, pictured below, looked more like Gone With the Wind than Kingston's waterfront, and of course I could find a space for it on the Hanley Spur layout!

Of the two houses on North Street, I first had to decide which one was more model-worthy. I did some sketches, checking them against the prototype buildings and the space:

I termed the houses A and B in the previously-published post. I was leaning toward A, the Commandant's House. But B was neat because it seemed to be built into the bluff the tanks were on. I built paper mock-ups of both, slightly smaller than scale, in an attempt to make the house more distant and to blend it into the background. I couldn't really get B to fit:

I much preferred the fit for House A's mock-up. Technically, both houses are prototypically-sited on the far side of the limestone warehouse, just visible at left. Or as I call it, dropping off the edge of the layout! So, this site would be the best one available:

I recycled styreme from my Vermont-prototype Ide mill, with roof pieces from a train-show find station structure. Typical of the period, the house had large chimneys at each end. I pencilled in windows and door openings:

For the house's verandah, I used a raised-station platform from yet another train-show find, a brick brewery:

I painted the roof black, added limestone paper to parts of the house: foundation and chimneys, and weathered edges, eaves and roof based on the prototype photo. My usual dislike of cutting numerous arose, so I used paper windows glued to styrene:

To orient the house overlooking my imaginary harbour, I decided to build the house on an angle. To accomplish this, the back wall and roof were cut at an angle:

Another view of the final Commandant's House in place, pending final surface painting and scenicking of the surroundings. I'll truncate the chain-link fence and likely add more vegetation.