Marketing the O-Gauge Zen Garden

I'm not sure where the idea came from, but I recently decided to add more detail to the structures on the layout.

While looking for parts, I ran across  Custom Miniatures from Mke Cerdo. Cerdo offered a paper interior detail kit for Plasticville markets. I suddenly knew what my next project would be.

Plasticville made two types of supermarkets -- I owned the smaller one. The example I own was a second-hand model. It didn't have its box, and it was in a very common color scheme.

In other words, I was free to modify the model.

Paper details

The interior kit was printed on heavy paper. And that made modification extremely simple. The panel for the back wall was too long for my store. But I could fold it and make it the wall for the back and side.

I knew that I would be installing interior lights into the structure. The first step was to paint all the interior surfaces of the building with black paint.

Plasticville plastic is thin enough to be translucent with a strong light shining behind it. I wanted to ensure that didn't happen here.

I would be using adhesive-backed LEDs as ceiling lights. In order to hide the wires, I built out the walls. This created a space to hide the wires.

I cut up an old yardstick to use for spacers. I then glued the side walls of the structure to the back. Once that assembly was dry, I glued the spacers to the back wall, then to the side.

My scrap yardstick turned out to be a great source of wood.

After everything was dry, I measured the paper panel and marked where I needed to fold it. I then lightly scored the fold lines with an Xacto blade.

The panel was then folded and glued into place.

Free-standing structures

While that assembly was drying, I worked on some of the smaller pieces. The kit includes an island with shelving. I used more scrap yardstick and built a frame to fold the paper panel around.

I also built some cola cartons, an ice machine, and a magazine stand -- all provided by the kit.

I carefully positioned the fold to fall between
the two wall units.

The kit had a wraparound counter, with a sunglasses display. Well, I wanted detail!

I used another yardstick scrap to make a base for the counter. That elevated the counter, which is something I've seen in many older convenience stores.

Now it was time to glue the front of the store to the finished sides and back. Once that was done, I placed the store on the layout and placed the interior details -- shelving island, magazine rack, cola cartons, and counter. I then added customer and clerk figures.

Adding lights

Quite a while ago I had added a Miller Engineering Bryer's Ice Cream sign to one of the front windows.

Now it was time to add more lights. I went with Woodland Scenics Just Plug Lighting System. Their LED lights are individually adjustable. The interior of the store was no longer hidden behind opaque window shades. The new lights wouldn't need to be very bright to realistically illuminate the interior.

I attached the two lights to the roof. Using electrical tape, I affixed the wire from the store sign and the two lights to the roof's interior. I then threaded the three wired down between the back wall and its paper panel, and through the table. It was then a simple matter to complete the wiring.

I was quite happy with the end result. The store has real character now. Unfortunately, the other structures seem kind of... bland. I have some ideas, though.