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Majestic Towers

Instructions for Assembly of Majestic Towers

Kit Contents: 452 each laser cut acrylic parts, 8 each sidewalk parts,10 each Window Templates, 10 each Window Glazing, Instructionswith diagrams.

Thank you for purchasing this kit. Please read these instructionscompletely before beginning and take your time. Allow parts to dryafter painting or gluing and do not try to build this in one night.

Drawings of all the parts have been included for ease of partidentification.

Practice gluing the acrylic together if you have never done it before.There is plenty of scrap in your kit that you can use for this.

If by chance a part is missing or broken, please write us indicating thekit name and part number and we will send you a replacement.

You will need the following items to assemble your model: Sharp hobby knife, file, paint (see“Painting Your Model”), paint brushes, glue (see “Gluing Acrylic”), modeling putty.

About the Kit

This kit will build a 20 story building. The kit is built up in modules labeled as units. There arefour units in all. The units range from 1 to 7 stories. The units stack on top of each other whencompleted.

The assembly of each unit is very similar. Once you have built the first unit you will most likelybe able to build the rest without reading the instructions. However... I spent a lot of time writingthe instructions so I would appreciate it if you would. Repetitive sequences will be described indetail the first time and then less so subsequently.

Parts are labeled in the instructions inside parentheses. The first number is the unit number andthe second is the part number in that unit. For instance (3-6) would be part six in unit three.Each unit has a base and top that are identified with a letter. As these are the same for multipleunits there is no unit number associated with these.

Many parts have engraved details on them. Be sure that these are facing out when gluing theparts together. It is easy to install these backwards by mistake.

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Gluing Acrylic

Always glue acrylic in a well-ventilated area, and read the glue manufacturer’s label forinstructions.

We recommend using Tenax-7R by Hebco or Plastruct brand “Plastic Weld Solvent Cement”(PPC-2 or PPC-16) or “Bondine Solvent Cement”(Bond-2 or BOND-16). Tenax-7R comes witha dispenser and Plastruct sells a Solvent Syringe (HT-8 or HT-10) and various other solventdispensers. Most hobby shops carry these products or they may be ordered directly from Hebco(931)-796-7442 or Plastruct (626)-912-7016.

Acrylic must be glued together using a solvent that will melt the two edges and literally fusethem together. To do this, place the two pieces to be joined together and run a bead of solventdown the edge. Capillary action will suck the solvent into the joint and after several seconds thepieces will be fused. After only a few minutes the pieces will be strong enough to work with. Thebond will be completely dry within twenty-four hours using the above-mentioned products.Solvent can be dispensed two ways.

Typically the solvent comes in a small bottle with a brush in the lid. The brush allows you todispense a drop or two of solvent at a time.

You may want to use a polyethylene bottle or syringe with a blunt needle dispenser. This allowslarger amounts of solvent to be dispensed quickly and cleanly. Be sure the bottle you are using isapproved for the solvent you are using or you may melt through it. These may be purchased fromCMR.

Preparing Your Model for Painting

We recommend lightly sanding all parts to remove the raised edge created during the lasercutting process. In order to hide the seams we recommend using “hobbyist putty” such as GreenSquadron modeling putty. Do this in a very well-ventilated area. Apply the putty over the seamsand allow to dry overnight. Once the putty has dried, place a sheet of fine sandpaper on a flatsurface and sand smooth. You may need to apply asecond coat of putty and sand again.

You may choose to “wrap” the engraved linesaround the corners with a small triangular jewelersfile. See Figure 1.

Figure 1

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Painting Your Model

After building each unit and prior to installing the windows we primed our building with KrylonGray spray paint. We also primed the window frames. For our building paint scheme, we used“Poly Scale Acrylic” paints which are available in most hobby stores. We also used “Poly ScaleAcrylics” for details and weathering. Always test compatibility of your paint with the acrylic bypainting and testing a small area first.

Alcohol can cause acrylic to crack and “shatter”. Do not use alcohol to clean the parts or alcohol-based paints. If you apply washes to your building we recommend using a water-based wash.

If you plan to light your buildings interior than we recommend that you prime the building insideand out. This will prevent the walls from glowing.

We painted the building khaki and the windows silver. Hand-painted details included light grayrooftops, terra cotta balcony floors, and light gray and silver bands on the large decorative roofdetails. Finally, we installed the painted windows into the units.

Note on Tabs

Sometimes it is necessary to sand or file the tabs slightly in order to get them to seat themselvesinto the slots. This is due to slight variations in acrylic thickness. If the tabs are not fitting intothe slots properly, you may need to file them back at an angle to fit.

Window Glass

There are printed window shades included with your kit. These are designed to be laminated withacetate window glazing prior to installing in your model. The printed window shades arenumbered to correspond with the window frame parts.

Lightly spray glue the window shade pages on the printed side with spray mount and apply asheet of acetate to them. Press in place. We used3M Spray Mount part number 6065 which isavailable at craft and office supply stores. Gluethese to the back of the window frames usingsuper glue (CA) after you have painted them asnoted in the instructions.

After gluing the window glazing to the windowframes, place the assembly face up on a cuttingmatt and trim off any excess glazing with a hobbyknife. See Figure 2.

Figure 2

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Assembling the Tower Units

This structure is asymmetrical in that opposite sides do not match one another in detail andcharacter. The walls of the building will be referred to as the front, left, back, and right sideswhen looking at the building head-on. Figure 3 shows base part A face up with the first set ofwall parts ready to install into their appropriate places.

Please note that all pieces referred to as bases and tops (parts A, B, C, etc.) should have the partnumber facing up during assembly unless otherwise noted. This is the correct orientation toinsure that the tabs on the wall parts will fit into the slots facing the right direction.

Unit 1

Begin by taking base (A) and laying it flat on yourwork surface with the engraved part number facingup. Insert the tabs of the “front” wall (1-1) into theslots on the side marked “front” of part (A) andglue in place (see figure 3 for orientation). Notethat the tabs on the top and bottom of the wall partsare different sizes and positions, and the walls willonly fit into part (A) in one direction.

Working clockwise, insert the tabs of the “left”wall (1-2) into the slots of part (A) and glue inplace. The two walls should meet and be glued atthe corner. Continuing around part (A), the “back”wall (1-3) and “right” wall (1-4) should be glued in the same manner to form a box. Make sure toglue all the corners together. See Figure 4.

Figure 3

Figure 4

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Glue the top (B) onto the assembly with the engraved part number facing up and the “front” sideoriented correctly. Check that all the tabs are seated properly. See Figure 5 & 6.

Fill and sand the corners of the assembly if necessary. You may choose to “wrap” the engravedlines around the corners with a small triangular jewelers file. See “Preparing your Model forPainting”.

Parts (1-5) are decorative vertical strips. These should be glued in place on all fours wallsbetween the engraved vertical lines. See Figure 7 & 8.

Paint the unit and set aside to dry.

Figure 6Figure 5

Figure 7 Figure 8

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Paint the window frames (1-6), (1-7), (1-8), and (1-9) your choice of color and install the windowglazing as described earlier. When gluing the window frames in the building, make certain thatthe engraved side is facing out. Install part (1-6) behind the “front” wall, part (1-7) behind the“left” wall, part (1-8) behind the “back” wall, and part (1-9) behind the “right” wall. See Figure 9 & 10.

Figure 9

Figure 10

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Unit 2

Begin by taking base (A) and laying it flat on yourwork surface with the engraved part number facingup. Insert the tabs of the “front” wall (2-1) into theslots on the side marked “front” of part (A) andglue in place. Working clockwise, glue in the “left”wall (2-2),“back” wall (2-3), and “right” wall (2-4).Make sure to glue all the corners together. Glue thetop (B) onto the assembly with the engraved partnumber facing up and the “front” side orientedcorrectly. Check that all the tabs are seatedproperly. See Figure 11.

Fill and sand the corners of the assembly ifnecessary. You may choose to “wrap” theengraved lines around the corners with a smalltriangular jewelers file. See “Preparing your Modelfor Painting”.

Parts (2-5) are decorative vertical strips. Theseshould be glued in place on all fours walls betweenthe engraved vertical lines. See Figure 12.

Paint the unit and set aside to dry.

Paint the window frames (2-6), (2-7), and (2-8) your choice of color and install the windowglazing as described earlier. Install part (2-6) behind the “front” wall, part (2-7) behind the“left” wall, and part (2-8) behind the “right” wall.See Figure 13.

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

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Unit 3

This unit is a bit tricky so take your time, become familiar with the parts and test fit everythingprior to gluing.

Begin by taking base (A) and laying it flat on your work surface with the engraved part numberfacing up. Insert the tabs of the “front” wall (3-1) into the slots on the side marked “front” of part (A) and glue in place. Working clockwise, insert the tabs of the “left” wall (3-2) into theslots of part (A) and glue in place. The two walls will meet at seven narrow points and should beglued together at right angles to form the corners. Continuing around part (A), glue the “back”wall (3-3) in place. The two walls should meet and be glued at the corner. Finally, glue the “right” wall (3-4) in place completing the box. Glue the corners together at right angles in asimilar fashion as the other sides. Glue the top (C) onto the assembly with the engraved partnumber facing up. Check that all the tabs are seated properly. See Figure 14 & 15.

Parts (3-5L) and (3-5R) are balcony floors. Theslots on these parts correspond to the tabs on theunderside of the top left and right narrow cornerswhen facing the front of the building. Make surethat the engraving faces up and the corner piecesdo not bow when gluing the floors in place as youneed to maintain a right angle. See Figure 16.

Fill and sand the corners of the assembly ifnecessary.

Figure 14 Figure 15

Figure 16

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Parts (3-6) and (3-7) are decorative vertical strips. These should be glued in place on all four wallsbetween the engraved vertical lines. See Figure 17.

Paint the unit and set aside to dry. Hand-paint thebalcony floors individually after the unit has dried.

Parts (3-8) through (3-12) make up two recessedbalcony units on both top front corners of unit 3. These sub-assemblies will be constructed andpainted separately and installed into unit 3 duringthe building assembly phase. To build the firstbalcony take part (3-8) and lay it on your worksurface with the engraving face up. Parts (3-9) and(3-10) are glued into the back slots. The narrowsides should be facing one another and gluedtogether. Parts (3-11) and (3-12) are glued into thefront slots next to the engraving. These alsoshould have narrow sides facing one another. Glue all corners of the sub-assembly together toform a box. Test fit, but do not glue, sub-assembly into the slots in part (C) to be certain they fittogether properly. Repeat with other set of parts to form a second unit. Both balconies areassembled in the same way, however, during installation they will be installed as right and leftunits and will only fit into the slots in one configuration . See Figure 18,19, & 20.

Fill and sand the corners of the sub-assemblies if necessary. Paint them and set aside to dry. Hand-paint the balcony floors.

Figure 17

Figure 18 Figure 19 Figure 20

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Assemble the front corner windows for this unitprior to the painting. Parts (3-18L) and (3-18R)are the windows facing the front of the buildingand have engraved lines next to the windowopenings on one side. These engraved sides willbe at the very corner of the unit when installed.Parts (3-19L) and (3-19R) are the side windows. To assemble, place part (3-18L) face down on yourwork surface. Glue part (3-19L) on top of part(3-18L) at a right angle with the narrow sidesmeeting. Test fit the assembly into the unit to besure that the parts are in the proper orientation andangle. Repeat with parts (3-18R) and (3-19R). See Figure 21.

Paint the window frames parts (3-13) through (3-19) your choice of color and install the windowglazing as described earlier.

Install part (3-13) behind parts (3-11) and (3-12) of the balcony sub-assemblies. Be certain toglue in the front windows before the side windows as they are a tight fit. Once the windows are

in place, install the balcony sub-assemblies in unit 3. Make surethat all points of contact with themain unit are glued together.

Now, continue with gluing thewindows in the rest of the unit. Parts (3-18/19L) and (3-18/19R)assemblies are installed into thefront left and right corners. Install part (3-14) behind the“front” wall, (3-15) behind the“left” wall, (3-16) behind the“back” wall, and (3-17) behindthe “right” wall. See Figure 22.

Figure 21

Figure 22

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Unit 4

Begin by taking base (D) and laying it flat on yourwork surface with the engraved part number facingup. Insert the tabs of the “front” wall (4-1) intothe slots of part (D) and glue in place. Workingclockwise, glue in the “left” wall (4-2), “back”wall (4-3), and “right” wall (4-4) in placecompleting the box. Glue the corners together atright angles in a similar fashion as the other units. Glue the top (E) onto the assembly with theengraved part number facing up. Check that all thetabs are seated properly. See Figure 23.

Parts (4-5L) and (4-5R) are the balcony floors. The slots on these parts correspond to the tabs onthe underside of the left and right narrow cornerswhen facing the front of the building. Make surethat the engraving faces up and the corner piecesdo not bow when gluing the floors in place as youneed to maintain a right angle. See Figure 24.

Parts (4-6) through (4-8) are the balcony walls forboth the right and left sides. To install thesepieces, they will need to be cupped slightly in orderto secure the tabs of the pieces into the slots ofparts (D) and (E). Beginning with left sidebalcony, glue one part (4-6) into the slotperpendicular to part (4-1), and one part (4-6) intothe slot perpendicular to part (4-2). Next, glue part(4-7L) into the slots facing the “front” of the unit. Last, glue part (4-8L) into the slots facing the“left” side of the unit. It is important to assemblethese pieces in order or they will not fit togethereasily. Make sure that all walls are glued togetherand all points of contact with the main unit. Repeat for right side balcony in a mirror imagefashion.

Fill and sand the corners of the assembly ifnecessary. See Figure 25 & 26.

Figure 23

Figure 24

Figure 25

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Parts (4-9) are decorative vertical strips. Theseshould be glued in place on all fours walls betweenthe engraved vertical lines. See Figure 27.

Paint the unit and set aside to dry. Hand-paint thebalcony floors.

Paint the window frames parts (4-10) through (4-14) and install the window glazing as described earlier. Begin with the balconies and install parts(4-10) behind the “front” balcony walls first. Install the side balcony walls next with part(4-11L) behind the “left”side balcony wall and (4-11R) behind the “right” side balcony wall. Last, install parts (4-12) behind the “front” and “back” walls; part (4-13) behind the “left” wall;and part (4-14) behind the “right” wall. See Figure 28.

Figure 26

Figure 27

Figure 28

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Unit 5

Begin by taking base (F) and laying it flat on yourwork surface with the engraved part number facingup. Insert the tabs of the “front” wall (5-1) into theslots of part (F) and glue in place. Workingclockwise, glue in the “left” wall (5-2), “back” wall(5-3), and “right” wall (5-4) in place making sure toglue the corners at right angles. The front rightcorner steps in, and is comprised of parts (5-5)through (5-7). Glue one part (5-5) into the slotperpendicular to part (5-1), and one part (5-5) intothe slot perpendicular to part (5-4). Glue part (5-6)into the appropriate slots facing the “right” side ofthe unit. Glue part (5-7) into the appropriate slotsfacing the “front” side of the unit. Make sure allcorners are glued together at right angles. Glue thetop (G) onto the assembly with the engraved partnumber facing up. Check that all the tabs areseated properly. See Figure 29.

Parts (5-8) are the balcony floors. The slots onthese parts correspond to the tabs on the undersideof the left narrow corners when facing the front ofthe building. Make sure that the engraving facesup and the corner pieces do not bow when gluingthe floors in place as you need to maintain a rightangle. See Figure 30.

Parts (5-5), (5-9), and (5-10) are the balcony wallsfor the left side. These will be installed in a similarfashion as the ones in unit 4. Glue one part (5-5)into the slot perpendicular to part (5-1), and onepart (5-5) into the slot perpendicular to part (5-2). Next, glue part (5-9) into the slots facing the“front” side of the unit and part (5-10) into theslots facing the “left” side of the unit. It isimportant to assemble these pieces in order or theywill not fit together easily. Make sure that all wallsare glued together and all points of contact with themain unit. See Figure 31.

Figure 29

Figure 30

Figure 31

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Figure 34

Figure 32

Figure 33

Fill and sand the corners of the assembly ifnecessary.

Parts (5-11) are decorative vertical strips. Theseshould be glued in place on all fours walls betweenthe engraved vertical lines. See Figure 32.

Paint the unit and set aside to dry. Hand paint thebalcony floors.

Paint the window frames parts (5-12) through(5-17) your choice of color and install the windowglazing as described earlier. Begin with thebalcony and install parts (5-16) behind the “front”balcony wall first. Install the side balcony wall next with part (5-17) behind the “left” sidebalcony wall. Install part (5-12) behind the “front” and “back” walls; part (5-13) behind the“left” wall; and part (5-14) behind the “right” wall; and part (5-15) behind the inset “right” wall.See Figure 33 & 34.

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Unit 6

Begin by taking base (H) and laying it flat on your work surface with the engraved part numberfacing up. Insert the tabs of the “front” wall (6-1) into the slots of part (H) and glue in place.Working clockwise, glue in the “left” wall (6-2), “back” wall (6-3),and “right” interior wall (6-4)in place making a box. Glue the corners together at right angles in a similar fashion as the otherunits. Glue the top (I) onto the assembly with the engraved part number facing up. Check that allthe tabs are seated properly. See Figure 35 & 36.

To complete the right wing of Unit 6, glue the “right” outside wall (6-5) into part (H)perpendicular to part (6-3). The front right corner now steps in and is comprised of parts (6-6)through (6-8). Glue one part (6-6) into the slot perpendicular to part (6-1), and one part (6-6)into the slot perpendicular to part (6-5). Glue part (6-7) into the appropriate slots facing the“right” side of the unit. Glue part (6-8) into theappropriate slots facing the “front” side of the unit. Make sure all corners are glued together at rightangles. Glue the top (J) onto the assembly with theengraved part number facing up. Check that all thetabs are seated properly. Finally, glue part (K) ontop of part (J) to create a double thickness for theroof. See Figure 37.

Fill and sand the corners of the assembly ifnecessary.

Figure 35 Figure 36

Figure 37

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Parts (6-9) and (6-10) are decorative vertical strips. These should be glued in place on all fourswalls between the engraved vertical lines. See Figure 38.

Install one “curved decorative roof element” (see assembly instructions on the next page) on theroof above the set back side of the right wall. Make certain the outside decorative elements areagainst the vertical wall. See Figure 39.

Paint the unit and set aside to dry.

Paint the window frames (6-11) through (6-16) and install the window glazing as describedearlier. Install part (6-11) behind the taller sections of the “front” and “back” walls; parts (6-12)and (6-13) behind the “left” wall; part (6-14) behind the shorter sections of the “front” and

“back” walls; part (6-15)behind the upper and lowersections of the “right” wall;and (6-16) behind the insetsection of the “right” wall.See Figure 40.

Figure 38 Figure 39

Figure 40

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Curved Decorative Roof Elements

Units 6 and 7 have two large curved decorative roof elements and two buttresses.

The curved roof elements are made up of parts (8-1) through (8-6). Begin by making three stacksof part (8-1) with six parts per stack. Glue each stack of parts together. Double check that theparts of the stacks do not shift and that the corner remains true. Use a right angle to test fit theparts. Next, make two stacks of part (8-2) with four parts per stack and glue each stack together.See Figure 42.

Last, glue together two end stacks, one each withleft and right decorative elements. These are madeof two of part (8-2), with part (8-3) on top, and part(8-4) narrow band on the very top outside edge. Tocomplete the stack, apply part (8-5L) to the cornerwith part (8-6L) on top. Repeat to make a secondend stack using parts (8-5R) and (8-6R) this time. See Figure 41.

To assemble the curved roof element, you willneed one left and one right side end stack, and theinterior is alternating (8-1) and (8-2) stacks. Makecertain that the end pieces both face the correct direction with part (8-5)/(8-6) standing vertical.Glue together making sure that the corner remains square. Repeat and make a second curvedroof element. See Figure 42.

Figure 41

Figure 42

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The small and large buttresses are assembled in thesame fashion as the curved decorative roofelements. Take the four plain interior pieces andglue together. Parts (8-7) form the smaller buttressand parts (8-9) form the larger buttress. Glue part(8-8L) and (8-8R) on either side of the (8-7) stackwith the engraved sides facing out. Glue part(8-10L) and (8-10R) on either side of the (8-9)stack with the engraved sides facing out. Makecertain the corners remain square. You may wishto test fit, but do not glue, the buttresses in place. See Figure 43.

The buttresses should be primed and paintedindependently at this point. They will be adheredto the structure after units 6 and 7 have beencomplete, painted, and joined.

Figure 43

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Unit 7

Begin by taking base (L) and laying it flat on your work surface with the engraved part numberfacing up. Insert the tabs of the “front” wall (7-1) into the slots on the side marked “front” of part (L) and glue in place. Working clockwise, glue in the “left” wall (7-2),“back” wall (7-3), and“right” wall (7-4) to form a box. Make sure to glue all the corners together. Glue the top (M) ontothe assembly with the engraved part number facingup and the “front” side oriented correctly. Checkthat all the tabs are seated properly. Glue part (N)on top of part (M) to create a double thickness forthe roof. Make certain that the part is installed sothat it matches the shape of the part below withindentation facing the back. See Figure 44.

Fill and sand the corners of the assembly ifnecessary.

Next, the decorative trim is adhered. Part (7-5) isglued to the lower portion of the “front” wall. Follow the engraved line below the squareopenings for placement. There should be a 1/16"overhang on either side. Glue part (7-6) betweenthe square openings using the engraved lines as aplacement guide. This, too, will overhang theright and left sides. On the right and left sides,glue parts (7-7) and (7-8) where indicated by theengraved lines. These parts should meet up withthe overhang from the front side. See Figure 45.

Install the second curved decorative roof elementon the back of unit 7. The top part should fitbetween the indentations of parts (M) and (N).See Figure 46.

Figure 44

Figure 45

Figure 46

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Four decorative strips, parts (7-9), will completeunit 7. They are glued to part (N) and follow thepattern of lines created by the higher sections ofthe curved roof. Carefully measure the distancebetween each section and mark down the length ofpart (N). This will keep parts (7-9) parallel whenglued in place. See Figure 47.

Paint the unit and set aside to dry. See Figure 48.

Figure 47

Figure 48

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Assembling the Building

Now that you have built all of the building units, itis time to assemble them. Make sure that thebottom and top of each unit is perfectly flat andsmooth. Sand any imperfections off as necessary.

We used a slow setting glue and clamped the unitsup as we glued them together. This allows for evendistribution of the glue and minor adjustments tobe made while the glue is still setting.

Glue Unit 7 on top of Unit 6. Install buttresses onunits 6 and 7. See Figure 49.

Continue gluing the units together in this fashionmaking sure that everything is straight and true asyou go along.

Once completed touch up any glue and paint imperfections along the seams. Paint the roofs andlower sections of the curved roofs light gray. Paint the higher sections of the curved roofs, thecenters of the buttresses, and the top roof elements (7-9) silver. Paint the provided sidewalkconcrete.

Your building is finished and ready to install on your layout. You may add lights and otherdetails. We thank you for purchasing this kit from CMR and hope that you have enjoyed buildingit. Be sure to see our other kits at www.cmrtrain.com.

Figure 49

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