A Great Link and Free Signs to Boot.

Hi all, 

I just rediscovered a website that I haven't been to in years, in is called the Triveno Circle, and is run by James A. Powell.  The layout that he has been building is in HO but ideas, styles and basic construction is generally universal in all scales, so I don't discriminate against the other scales except TT, right now it looks silly, but so did N when it first arrived.  But anyway his layout is called the Wiscsasset Trivino & Western, it is an excellent layout with many great structures.  He has a style that is a little unique, he weathers the pants off of everything and the layout has a very dark undertone.  I highly suggest checking it out.

But one of the bonuses of his site is he has many great free signs to download.  I have a few examples down below that are from his site.  I have had these signs for many years but had forgotten where I had gotten them from, you may notice on a few of my structures I have used these signs, most recently on the Gordon.  Just click on the free signs tab on his site for many more to download.  Just one note, the signs are at a high resolution so the quality is excellent, you will need to shrink them down so they will be appropriate for N-scale.  

So don't just take the signs from here and his site, spend some time looking at his amazing layout and get some great ideas.

http://www.trevinocircle.net/wtw.asp

Gordon Building - Inspiration

I have had a number of people ask if the Gordon is based on a prototype or if it is my own design, the short answer is yes!

There have been many that I have taken ideas from, but the two main influencers are the two buildings bellow.  I don't know the names of either but I will tell you the little info that I do know.  

The first I do know it resides in mid town Manhattan among the thousands of nameless mid-block mid-rises.  I initially was going to use this design at the reduced height of where the Gordon currently sits.  I decided to change it up when I found the photo of the other building and I decided to make it into a okay example of art-deco.  That building is in Europe, but I forget what country.   

Favorite Buildings - Sun Tower

Sun Tower

Vancouver, Canada -1912-

The Sun Tower was an structure that I almost built instead of the Dominion.  I debated between the two for a few days and we all know what route I took.  The funny thing is I don't know where I got the confidence to even consider either, I had only scratch built one structure and must have felt invincible.  But by doing so I forced myself to learn so much.  The funny thing about this building is that it is only about a block away from the real Dominion and was the building that past up the Dominion in height to become the tallest building in the British Empire.  I still would like to build this structure someday but I don't need too may Vancouver landmarks in my eastern U.S layout.

Favorite Buildings - Newhouse & Boston Buildings

Newhouse & Boston Buildings

Salt Lake City, UT -1908-

This pair of eleven story buildings has been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember, one reason for that is because they are so close to home.   The buildings are actually fraternal twins, each has slightly different ornamentation, but basically the same.  I think it was the Boston went through a renovation last year and the other had one done a few years earlier.  These two are structures that I definitely model (in a few years), those curves will be a bear.

On a side note, a few of you have introduced to some amazing buildings that I have never seen or heard of before, and I love it.  So some of the others that are visiting, please share with me some of your favorites, I really would like to know.

Favorite Buildings - Chicago Board of Trade

Chicago Board of Trade

Chicago, IL -1930-

If you are a fan of the New York Central (like myself) you will undoubtedly know this building, also if you are a fan of Batman Begins, this is the Wayne Enterprises building, they changed the building for the Dark Knight.  The LaSalle Street station that was served by the NYC and Rock Island railroads was across from this, but was raised for and expansion of the Board of Trade in 1983.  

Outside of New York this is the tallest Art Deco building in the world, it was also the tallest building in Chicago till 1965.  At the top of the building rests Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture.  Also there are numerous sculptures relating to Native Americans and the Harvest.

Favorite Buildings - Helsinki Station

Helsinki Central Station

Helsinki Finland -1919-

I don't have very much info on this building but it is one of my all time favorite art deco buildings in the world.  The two pairs of granite statues are very striking and stylized and wouldn't mind one as my porch light on my home.  The clock tower is the other feature that I love on this building and yes more of that patina I love. 

Favorite Buildings - McGraw-Hill Building

-New York Public Library-

McGraw-Hill Building

New York City -1931-

The McGraw-Hill Building or aka "Jolly Green Giant" for the era that it was built was a very radical choice in colors.  It is clad in a turquoise green terra cotta, the same color is used on a smaller Art Deco building in Los Angeles that I may also post on.  Art Deco is one of my favorite styles of architecture and I will finally use it on my next structure.

McGraw-Hill no longer resides in this building but like the Chrysler Building it still carries the moniker it was born with.  

Favorite Buildings - Book Tower

Book Tower

For the next building we go to the depressed city of Detroit.  Because of Detroit being down on its luck for so many years, it has some of the greatest examples of early 20th century architecture in North America.  The Book Tower was built in 1926 and was an addition to the Book Building built in 1916.

The buildings last tenants moved out on January 5th of this year and so it has been shuttered.  The company that owned it was unable to pay the back utility bills and that is why it is now abandoned.  

This building was the inspiration of how I was taking the Dominion Building.  This is why I did the  patina on the roof,  the detail between the windows comes from this and whole color scheme was to be modeled after this building, but some of you talked me out of it and now that is why the Dominion looks the way she does now.  I still want to use this color pallet on another structure, but hey, I maybe dumb enough to try to build this building in the future. 

-by statlerhotel on Flickr-

Favorite Buildings - Hoboken Terminal

Hoboken Terminal

This terminal is located in Hoboken New Jersey, just across the Hudson from New York.  It had fallen in to disrepair but has been going through a restoration.  Most of the work was finished for its 100th birthday in 2007, including the waiting room and a new clock tower being erected.  The original clock tower was dismantled in the 50's because it had become structurally unstable.  It was originally run by the Lackawanna  Railroad but is now under New Jersey Transit control.

Along with serving rail it has six ferry slips, but they haven't been used for years, last I had heard they were going to dredge out the slips and begin operation again  out of a few of them.  It is a gorgeous example of Beaux Arts architecture and as some of you know I am a fan of that patina color, the clock tower I believe is also copper and will eventually weather to match the rest of the terminal.  

-wallyg on flickr-

-geekninja on flickr- 

Favorite Buildings - Singer Building

In this time of transition, the Dominion running home and the Gordon warming up, I am going to do a little daily series of a few of my favorite buildings.  This may give you a idea of what inspires me to obtain the detail that I demand of myself.  I hope you enjoy.  

Speaking of the Dominion this Sunday will probably be the last update, I know its kind of sad but we all knew that this day would come. 

-picture taken from flickr courtisy of Olde New York-

The Singer Building

Our first building is a sad example of "progress", Im all for progress but not at the expense of a icon of the early 20th century.  Because of it being narrow is the main reason it was demolished, it had been deemed "obsolete & unprofitable".  Up till the World Trade Center disaster it was the tallest building demolished.  It was demolished about the same time Penn Station was raised and the loss of the two lead directly to the strengthened move for historic preservation.

It was built between 1906 & 1908 and was the tallest building in the world for about a year, passing up the Philadelphia City Hall, then being surpassed by the Metropolitan Life Tower.  It was designed by architect Ernest Flagg and he had done other buildings for the Singer company as well.

Photo of the Day/Note on the Dominion

So what are we looking at?  First off I am fairly certain this is the Illinois Central yards in Chicago.  The two incredible landmark buildings are the Wrigley Building (left) and the Tribune Tower.

Just a little note for everyone on the Sunday Dominion update, I am trying to get a few things done, so I have something to post on, the first part is small but made a large difference.  The other isn't huge but six out of eight of you will like it, that is if I can get it done.  Also Sunday like the rest of the week is going to be busy, so the update wont come till latter than usual.

Dominion Sign Mockup

I have been messing around with doing the sign on top, I still am waiting to see what everybody thinks in the poll.  I have had a few emails and posts on why I should build it but I have seen a few no's, and I would like to know why you feel that way.    My mind isn't 100% made up but I am leaning to building it.  

I threw this together today, it still has a bit of work left, but I felt it was worth the time to get a feel for it and I can make dimensioned plans right off the drawings fairly easily, (that is if I can remember how).  I haven't used this program for about a year now and I am a little rustier than I thought I would be.  If you are curious, the program I am using is called Inventor, it is made by Autodesk, the company that makes AutoCAD and 3DStudio Max.

The lettering on the sign will be a white if it gets built, I changed it to a light grey so it would show up a little better for your viewing pleasure.  What you read on the sign is exactly how it reads in the picture, and this will be a very big sign as well, it will stand a scale 24' tall and 73' wide.  

Dominion Sign Poll

There is a sign on top of the Dominion in this picture and I don't know when it was taken down.  My question is should I spend the time trying to reproduce it?  Or don't worry about it?  I want to know the opinion of everyone of you.  

Thanks

Photo of the Day

Ah PCC's, I love PCC's, its a shame that most are gone, but a few cities are still running these attractive trolly's.  This picture is up in Toronto in 1964, and I love the meddle of subdued colors in this photo.

Photo of the Day

I have been kicking around the idea of scrapping my current half built El and going with a more ornate station such as this one right above the very text you are reading (wow what are the chances of that) This station was I think on the 9th ave. El if memory serves me right.  But don't hold your breath cause this may not happen for awhile.  

I am very tired, hence the quirkiness. 

Photo of the Day

Today's picture is a sad one (and not a repeat).  On Saturday at the monthly op-session on the UCW I was informed of another structure that needs to be built.  What is needed is a single stall engine house with an open area for a second track on the side, so I was hunting for a few reference photos and I stumbled upon this sad scene.

It is engine #26 of the Virginia & Truckee in Reno Nevada, and what had happened was the engine was stored for the night on May 1 1950 and a half hour later this was the scene.  Some believe that the death of #26 was suicide, because the line she ran on was scheduled to be abandoned in under a month.

To read the story in better detail go to the Western Nevada History site, they also have a good collection of photos of that locale from different era's that will prove beneficial when construction on my mining town module begins.  

Like I said above this is a sad photo, It is also a haunting image as well, something from a nightmare.  I just think there is a very strange look about the locomotive in the picture that looks ghostly.  I don't think I am describing it very well and the average viewer would look at it and say "Meh. . . anybody die".

Photo of the Day

It has been a while that I did a photo of the day and so here is one for everyone.

What we have is a New York Central SW1 doing a little switching work in Chicago on Illinois Centrals south water street freight terminal.  The date I have of the photo is 1943

Rosenwach Wood Water Tanks

This company has built over half of the thousands of tanks in New York City.  Its a good video ruffly showing how they are built.  The basic form of construction hasn't changed in over 80 years, they are still using some of the original equipment to mill the lumber.

Also if you can find it, this same company was on an episode of Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe.  It is a little more informative than this news report, and Mike Rowe is more entertaining.  I believe it was Season 4 episode 8 "Dirty Jobs of the Big Apple".

  

Water Tower Reference Photos

These are a few photos I used as reference on my water tower.  As you can see they are in different sizes, colors, bases, and condition.  

Enjoy

Swift Building Elevations

This is a elevation for a background building that I drew a few years ago.  I was going to have road run under the opening in the middle and install a mirror to give the illusion of depth.  This was or is going to be a Swift meatpacking plant, but is based of off a former Navel warehouse that is in Brooklyn, it may be gone now but I haven't checked. 

The plans don't have any dimensions but it should be to scale, if you want to plot it out it needs to be done on C size paper (24x36").  It may not look like it but this is a BIG building for Nscale.  When I do build it for my layout I may scale it down a hair.

These are a few photos of the prototype below for a little reference.