The IGA grocery at Carberry MB has found a home on my layout. This typical early 20 th century building, and a thousand just like it, can be found on every Main Street in prairie Canada. A little research on my part (A good idea if your going to build the replica) found that this particular structure was initially built as a furniture store and funeral home. You could buy your casket out front and lay the old fell’a to rest out back.

Large-scale builders can start out with a Piko or Pola building of their choice and modify them, as they like. There are also many Courthouse Square buildings in smaller scales that can do the same job. I chose to start from scratch using MDF and selectively shortening it by a third. That’s probably too heavy a material for HO, and smaller, but there are plenty of better materials at your local hobby shop.

And don’t forget that power pole.