Motrak Models bills itself as source of structures, parts, and supplies for modelers. I chanced across the McGuirl Transfer Depot kit and thought that it not only looked interesting, but also familiar, not unlike many photos of older stations and depots. Little did I know then, but this kit was derived from the older HO scale Dyna Models Products kit from the 1950s. O scale modelers missed out on a lot of nice kits that were delivered to planet HO.
The McGuirl Transfer Depot is a structure that could be bracketed by tracks on either side for transfer of freight between did I know then, but this kit was derived from the older HO scale Dyna Models Products kit from the 1950s. O scale modelers missed out on a lot of nice kits that were delivered to planet HO.
The McGuirl Transfer Depot is a structure that could be bracketed by tracks on either side for transfer of freight between degrees of freedom that I was confronted with during this step. This is also a good time to put the end into place, using the roof to hold it in place as opposed to risking breaking that thinner section of the sides. Once that end is in place supported by both the sides and the roof, you can add the support posts. I added the brackets at this point as well, wanting to use the sides, posts, and roof to secure these parts.
Assembling the cupola is straightforward. Getting the grilled vent sides in place is a bit different than pictured of the completed model, so there’s a bit of muddling through here, but nothing heinous. The laser-cut panel for these parts was missing, but the ends were included. We’ll return to that absence later. The ends just go to the grilled sides and then some trim gets added to wrap around the corners. Some sanding of the base of the grilled sides to put a bit of a bevel on them helps to get this unit to sit down on the angled roof.
The roofing itself is laser-cut black paper for rolled tarpaper. The paper gets glued down and a little crinkling is good since that added texture helps to make this material look a bit better. Weathering and all will add a lot to its appearance! There was to be an ornamental bracket at the end, but that was in the missing laser-cut panel. I substituted by adding in some trim stripwood from the shop about the joint between the roof and both ends.
There’s a “brick” storage building that gets appended to the one end. The brick is laser-etched and this all goes together neatly with a roof and door to build up with glazing. Again, prepainting these parts is recommended. Now there enters a choice to be made. Well, I made a choice. The entire structure is intended to be up on post legs at a height to facilitate transfer of freight from one side to the other. The more I looked at my build of this, the more I liked the way it all looked flat on the ground, sort of how it might be just barely up out of the dirt on some joists. So I left mine like that and kept moving. That storage building now fits against the back side of the station on the same level, with just a bit of the roof mortised out to attach nice and flush to the back wall.
Overall, a good, fun kit to build (hope to see more Dyna Models Products kits translated to O scale!) that is very flexible as to its use and placement. And, while it has that old time look, there’s nothing to stop you from converting it into a pizza joint in a station that’s been saved into current times that still has a train line running by it every day. —Martin Brechbiel
McGuirl Transfer Depot
SKU 43300
MSRP $75.00
Motrak Models
717 Windsor Lane
Martinsville, VA 24112