Making a Mock(up) of Things

I am planning on modeling a Freight House on my layout, based on a Prototype (i.e. Real) building, on my layout.   While I can't model it or the tracks it served exactly, I'm going to try and be as close to prototype as possible.  However, little is known about the old freight house, even by those in the RF&PRR Historical Society that I've been in touch with.  So, I was at a stopping point for some time.  Below is a picture taken by well-known MR Author and Modeler, Paul Dolkos.  It's the Doswell Freight Station, which was torn down long before I even heard of the RF&P or found Doswell Junction. 

Doswell Freight House, circa 1969

Lesson of importance: Don't give up! You can always find pictures of signature buildings from someone or somewhere.

After circulating the picture to a few friends in the hobby, one friend who is also a craftsman kit manufacturer (Michael Duggan, Owner of Paw of A Bear - www.pawofabear.com), is interested in helping me create one and possibly making it into a kit, since this style of building was used in several locations on the RF&P (Milford, VA is another that actually still standing) and similar designs on the C&O and VIRGINIAN Railroad. I don't have the building dimensions, so I am going to have to approximate what and how big, along with doing some selective compression.  So, I cleared the area and started taking measurements and seeing what would fit.

Three 40' box cars on the siding and an HO Scale Ruler (or two)

After trying a few different operational possibilities, I figured the siding and building would be old and set for three 40' boxcars, or possibly two 50' boxcars, coil cars or flat cars.  I also thought that a building longer than 85' would still be pretty nice looking, and do well to break up the scenery, w/o overwhelming the scene.  So, I estimate a building about 100' + 5' long, by 18' wide, by 18'-19' tall (the building is actually 2'-3' off the ground), plus two or three loading docks.  Thanks to my lovely Bride, who is a Scrapbooker, I had some stiff paper to cut out some 'footprint mock-ups' to lay down.

The grey rectangle is an estimate of the building footprint and the brown squares are scale 'loading/unloading docks', the two ends 12'x25' and the middle 12'x12'.  Possible to work, although I think the right ramp should be a 12'x12' square with a ramp going down to the ground.  I'll work on what the front will look like (mock up) and provide all this to Michael.  More to follow as we make progress.