3-D Printing Comes to Warrenville

3-D printed items have begun to enhance Warrenville!

In the above picture you will see that the WPLA Plasticville radio tower has had a cell phone antenna added - printed by my daughter, Karen, and then painted by me. I don't know why, but there is also a monkey climbing up the original antenna.

In the same picture you will also see one of the billboard frames our buddy Andy's grandson printed for LITCA members last year. I painted it and made the billboard insert for them: "LITCA and WarrenvilleRailroad- Perfect Together".

Speaking about cell phone service, something that was lacking in Warrenville, Karen also printed 3 cell phone towers; two small for rooftops and one large to be freestanding. I painted them all. I went further on the larger tower, making a base using a dowel that I covered with a brick pattern paper that I printed. I also added the silver disk (made from a milk carton pull-out tab painted silver). Lastly, the framework on the bottom of the base was also printed by Karen and added.

The pics below show these towers on the layout.

Everyone has something to discard. Karen printed a couple dumpsters for Warrenville, I painted them.

They are being well (?) used! In the below picture you will see one of them - it appears that a citizen (allegedly) killed his significant other, dumped her body in this dumpster, and is nonchalantly walking away.

Updates:

More dumpsters - these are about a scale foot wider and proportionally taller than the ones Karen made earlier:

After detailing:

3D printed Hot air ballon flying over the Absolute yards:

A custom logo, about 9 inches long:

After a little paint, the above 3-D printed logo updated some signage on a bridge.

Before:

After:

Signage update for the Zoo:

Karen printed a White Castle restaurant for me for Christmas - sized it to fit in with my Plasticville:

I couldn't wait to detail it, add window "glass" and signage. Lights too.

Here it is, open and ready for business:

Karen just printed a new sign for my homemade Standard Gauge diner:

Click here to see the story behind this diner: Building a Standard Gauge Diner

April 2025 building fronts were designed and printed by my daughter Karen, painted, decaled and detailed by me. I think they made a huge difference to about 9 feet of background in Warrenville. Follow along here:

As Printed:

After painting, installing frosted window "glass" and decals (that I printed):

Right side of back wall before installation of new building fronts:

Right side of back wall after new building fronts installed:

Left side of back wall before installation of new building fronts:

Left side of back wall after installation of new building fronts:

Another 3D printed sign:

A few more signs for Warrenville Oil Co:

3D printed trolls just moved in under a bridge:

HVAC units, piping made from plastic model sprues:

I'm really liking this 3-D printed stuff!

Keep an eye on this blog entry for future 3-D printed items on Warrenville.