Photo of the Day

Just a quick one today.  This is the Dominion not long after its construction.  The sign on top, I might add to my model when it is complete.  I don't know when it was taken down, but I believe it was during the thirties.  The era Im modeling is the fifties, however I kinda like it up there.

Tomorrow at about 6 p.m (MTN time) I will update on the progress of the Dominion Bldg.  It is starting to look somewhat like a building.

Chris

Photo of the Day

Just pretend that this is a photo taken on my layout, cause I know I do, sigh!..... some day.  This is another Jack Delano photograph, he took this shot of I believe an NYC SW8 switching at the Water Street freight terminal, in Chicago 1943.

Photo of the Day

I want to introduce you to one of my favorite railroad photographers, Jack Delano.  Every time I look at at this photo I just stare in amazement, and am just in a daze.  Not all of his photos are this great but he has some really good ones, mostly of midwestern subjects.  My first Photo of the Day was also one of his and I can guarantee that I will shear more.

The photograph was taken inside of the Chicago & North Western roundhouse in December 1942 Chicago. 

Chris 

Photo of the Day/Potential Kitbash

I actually found this photo today.  It is a Swift & Company milk and butter fat receiving depot and creamery, located in Caldwell, Idaho (1940).  I was looking at it and I thought "that looks like the Brach's Candy factory that Cornerstone makes!" and sure enough they are very similar.

It will take at least two kits to make it work, possibly three.  First I would chop the top floor, then extend the upper floor about what looks like two window panes.  Depending how close to the prototype you want to be, all the superficial concrete columns, windows and brick needs to be cut out and replaced on the outside sections.

The loading dock and awning will need to be scratch built but thats not a very big deal.  The cornice on top of the fourth floor will need to be scratch built as well.  The difficult part will be to match the brick on the kit.  Then the raised brass or gold Swift & Co. sign could be a issue but something out there will work.

This isn't something I could do for awhile but I just thought it would look good on layout if anybody else wants to give it a go.  The Brach's Candy factory is currently discontinued, but Walthers will be doing a limited production in March.

Chris

   

Photo of the Day

Sorry I missed a few days of this but I am sure that will happen from time to time.  

Okay to business.

If you look very carefully you will see a row of buildings just behind the tree that may look familiar.  They are the same ones that I posted about earlier, the one with 3 1/2 floors.  This is about two decades before the other photo, and about a decade before this, an El ran through here.  The locale of the scene is called Peter Minuit Plaza, in lower Manhattan. 

A photo like this one is a very valuable thing to have if you are working towards a specific era and feel.  I love the signs on these buildings and plan to implement as much of them as possible into current or future projects.  The other thing that if it wasn't here you couldn't date the photo mentally in your head as easy, is the cars and busses.  Using period vehicles is a key element that will help date your layout, especially  for the non railroader.  They may not know that a SD70ACe wasn't around in the 50's but they will know that a 1996 Ford Taurus were nowhere to be found.

Also on a unrelated note, I have gobs of time this weekend and will be blitzing the Dominion Building, I need it done by the first of March so I can enter it for NMRA AP judging contest.  So stay tuned for Sunday night as I will give a update then.

Chris

UCW Operating Session

Yesterday I had to drive about two hours in snowy weather (not fun) to get to my destination, the Utah Colorado Western Railroad.  A few months ago a new acquaintance of mine (Kelly Newton) that I will be doing modules with, invited me to attend a op session.  I had never attended one of these before and I was a little intimidated.  But I was invited back so I must have done okay, because from what I here that most don't get invited back.

The layout is freelance western bridge route that runs between Denver and Salt Lake City.  The layout resides in Lee Nicholas' basement, but was built by many of his friends.  It has been on the cover of Model Railroader and featured in many other magazines as well.   Something that I have learned by doing the op sessions with these guys is that I don't know anything.  The guys that attend are some of the most knowledgeable about anything railroad related that I have ever met, and it is a humbling experience to be around them.  I just have had more fun listening to them talk as I have playing trains up there.

I have a few photos that I took last night but for many many more go towww.ucwrr.com.

Enjoy,

Chris

I believe a crew house at Jiggs.

Overview of Hamilton.

Looking back at Hamilton on the left.

Looking down to Cobre.

Coal mine at Cobre.

Behind the Scenes

I always like to see other modelers work space, some have some very nice setups that I envy and others use kitchen tables.  I have always found it beneficial to have a dedicated work area, but I do realize that for some it is not a possibility.  So today I give you a glimpse into the behind the scenes of my structures and how I try to keep things organized. 

This is the overview of my work space.  My work bench is technically a small drafting table, but it works fine for my current needs.  I am a sucker for music and I must have something playing while I work, it helps me to focus on the project at hand.  That is why I have my cheap turntable and head phones near by. Also this is about as messy as I allow it to get, I work better in a clean and organized environment.

A little closer view of the work bench.  The black and green thing in the foreground is my favorite tool, if you don't have a Chopper, get one, and when you do, get the Chopper II.  I had many issues with accuracy with the Chopper I, but it was better than nothing.  I could not survive with out it.

For all of my strip and sheet styrene, brass, paper and other stuff I store in legal file folders inside of a plastic storage tote, letter file folders are too short for 12" long strips.  I still don't have a good solution for my basswood, most of the stock is about 24" long.

For my windows and doors I love these little storage dividers.  They are fairly cheep and do a great job.  I try to have a good stock of parts on hand cause I cant run out and pick these up, I have to order them, so when I need them I have them.

This is another tote that I have my detail parts in, I need much much more of this stuff cause you can never have too much detail.  

So thats all, in a bit I will post a few pictures of some of my dream work benches.