Photo of the Day

Today we are back in Chicago, its the day after Christmas in 1967 and the CB&Q Empire Builder pulls out from Union Station.  The station is out of view because of the massive post office (the large white building on the left) is right in font of it.  Two other buildings that are of interest are the huge Pennsylvania Railroad warehouse on the right.  Then the tallest building on the left is the Chicago Board of Trade, at the foot of this building is the LaSalle Street Station that is served by the Rock Island and New York Central Railroads.

Photo of the Day

Again I got this photo from the LoC years ago so I don't have much data.  I do know it is New York and it is near the Fulton Fish Market.  I found this one when I was researching the area for a possible part of my fictional city of Hudson.  

Photo of the Day

This image I found on the Library of Congress site, if you've never been I highly recommend it.  I know this scene is in New York City, during the late 60's or 70's, but beyond that I just don't know.  The thing that is fascinating is the building second from the left,  why do the floors progressively get shorter as you ascend.  The windows  on top I would say is just a second set of windows for the 3rd floor, but why is there is a fire escape on floor 3 1/2 ???  

Chloe's Cafe

Over the weekend I pumped out a new little structure that I have named after my daughter Chloe.  This little guy was a kit (this was the first kit i've made in about five years) made by Willmodels that you can only get off of ebay.  I was introduced to these from a post on the very good  N Scale Modeling Blog.  As of yet there are only three kits available and I chose his Millie's Cafe kit that will go on my mining town module that I will start on soon.

I basically stuck to the instructions on the assemblage, but I did the painting and signs how I wanted so it would be somewhat unique.  Kits are great but I wish more people would have some fun with them and stray from the picture on the box and make it their own.  While I am up on my soap box I want to say how much I dislike the "built ups" or factory finished structures that are becoming more popular today.  For the most part they look good, but you kill the creativity and uniqueness that is great about this hobby (okay off soap box).

  If you are wondering why the front steps are missing it is because when this get planted on the layout the front door will be level with the side walk and the ground will slope away from the front.  most of the signs I found online with exception to the yellow Chloe's Cafe sign, I made that one.

The Coke sign was forged from .010" sheet styrene, .015" brass wire and two copies of a Coke logo from the inter-web.  The little light is .015" brass wire and a Titchy Train Group shade.  I built the billboard from HO scale 3"x3" strip wood and .025" spacing siding from Northeastern Scale Lumber, and a add that I found ages ago.  

I fiddled about with the paint on the brick to get a fairly realistic look.  It turned out okay but next time around it should turn out better.  I weathered it with a wash of india ink / alcohol mix, then I added some dirt and rust effects and then toned down the whole thing with a diluted white paint mixture.  Between each coat I sealed it with Dullcote, if you don't you will be in a world of blah.

Chris

Photo of the Day

Im going to try to get a photo up almost every day of something.  I will try to keep them related to either of my two modeling locales or at least railroad or modeling related.  What I want to do is share many of the pictures that I use for reference or inspiration.   

To start of we will start of with one of my favorites.  I don't know the year it was taken but it feels like the 40's.  But what you are seeing is the Illinois Central yards at the foot of the amazing Chicago skyline.  This photo is what my ultimate goal or vision looks like, I want to capture this feel, not necessarily the exact scene but the feel.

Dominion Bldg. Post Card from 1916

I found this post card of the original building from 1916.  I know there was a face lift on the building and some parts of the roof were changed,  but I don't know if the colors were changed in the past as well.  If those colors were right, I personally think a disservice was done by changing it to the monotony  of the current version.

I had thought about changing my version to the colors in the post card, but I think that it will call to much attention to it.  Believe it or not I actually want this building to blend in with the other buildings.  I want it to be part of a scene, or make the scene, not some loud drunk causing the others to be uncomfortable and feel out of place.  

Let me know your thoughts of the colors, should I change it to the post card or stay with my own color pallet? 

Chris

Post card

How it stands today

I Do Windows

I spent most of last weekend framing windows, and have survived to tell the tale.  To begin with this little beast has 166 windows, I finished 88 of them, plus the 21 that I had done earlier on the 11th floor.  Of the 88, 33 were ones that I redid from months ago because they were no good (I may redo the other 21 windows as well).  The windows that are not done will be finished in stages, the ones in the top two floors are next.

Now each of the 88 windows had a grand total of 12 individual parts of strip styrene, that is 1056 parts for those windows.  Most of the remaining windows will not require as many pieces as the others . . . . . . whew!   

If I add the detail that I did under the windows that I did two weeks ago to the list of parts we get the tiny number of 1475 parts.  I am sick and tired of windows for a bit, what I need to do is make molds and cast my windows . . . oh well there's always next time.

Next up after I finish the 16 windows on the top two floors is work on the bottom two floors.   I need to add allot of detail and finish the mezzanine area then, gasp! . . . more windows!?

All the parts for the 88 windows precut.

I stuck in a sheet of black paper so the windows would show up.