My railroad yard looked too bare, so I decided to build a small building to act as a yard office and add a little visual interest.

I started by building the basic shape of the building with clear 1/4” acrylic sheets that I cut to size.

I used 1/2” foamed PVC for the base.  

The roof is flat, so scraps of acrylic were glued inside to act as the roof support.

I wanted a brick building, but I thought I that I would try something different. I would use Magic Scuplt to make the textured walls.   Magic Sculpt is a two part material that is mixed together to form a modeling compound.   This compound will dry in about three or four hours, giving you plenty of time to work with it.

I mixed up a batch that will cover one side and roll it out flat onto the acrylic wall.  Next, I press some Precision Products sheet onto it.   I started with a block wall to form the foundation. 

Next, the brick sheet is pressed on.   I found that it helped to spray the plastic sheet with water before applying; it seemed to help keep the Magic Sculpt from sticking.  It was also helpful to use the roller to press the sheet into the Magic Sculpt.

I used a thin plastic knife to outline where I wanted to place the windows and doors.  The Magic Sculpt is scraped out from the opening and I finished by using a wet paper towel to get the last remains from the acrylic - after all, the acrylic will act as the window glazing and I want it to be nice and clear.

I only do one side at a time, as the drying Magic Sculpt could be easily damaged trying to do two walls at a time.   Once the Magic Sculpt is dry it can be cut or sanded, if necessary.

Once the sides were done, I molded some steps and placed them in front of the door.

Windows and doors were framed with some styrene strips.

I built a chimney from some brass tube and painted it black.

I painted the office with exterior grade latex paint.  You can get custom colors mixed, but the smallest quantity available is a quart. A quart will paint a lot of buildings.

The roof was made with .100” styrene and painted with textured black paint. 

A final wash weathers the structure.