Back-dated truck body model

I had an old, cheap plastic truck body which I back-dated and modified to use on my layout.  I removed the dual rear wheel sets, changed from double tires to single tires, repainted and added details on the front.  I then added new lettering using some old 125 Line dry transfers for the Sears and  Roebuck company.  I finished with some chalk weathering.

The truck trailer will be placed at some industry loading dock.  There is no truck front end,    I used an old truck image as an inspiration guide.

Sears bought out Mr. Roebuck many years ago and it became just Sears. That company has declined over the years.

The 125 Line dry transfers were produced many years ago by Irv Schultz who had a nice line of vintage dry transfers.  He also had a nice vintage shelf layout called the St. Clair & Northern.  There were several articles on his layout in Model Railroader magazine back in the 1970's.

Next Model

My next industry model will be an industrial vacuum cleaner company.  I am finding it harder and harder to come up with new ideas for industry models.  Vacuum cleaners were invented in the early 1900s and refined over time.  Below is a photo of an early industrial vacuum cleaner.

I am currently drawing sketches of how i will build my model.

Brush factory installed

The brush factory is now installed on the layout with scenery and details.  I expect I will do more detailing over time.  Photographing the model was a little difficult as it is both at the edge of the layout and close behind the boarding house.

You can see the layout edge at the lower left and the area behind the brush factory is not detailed.

I added a ladder to the boiler house roof and a tank attached at the back.

A view between the boarding house and the bobbin mill shows part of the loading dock, the shed, and some details beside the shed.  The left detail is an old "machine" cobbled up from various plastic parts and to the right is a barrel with junk on the top - that is part of one of the old FSM detail parts sold long ago as casting parts #1 (there never was a number 2).  I found them strange as they consisted of metal casting barrels stacked with boards and other stuff - not very realistic so I cut them apart and used the individual parts.  I actually prefer urethane castings as they are easier to deal with and have far less to file off.

Above you can see the wood scrap pile to the left of the shed and some other details.

I think I have come up with another industry for my next model - more later.

Brush factory complete

My brush factory is complete.  Next I need to install it on the layout with surrounding scenery and details.  The loading docks will be trackside.  The boiler house is the brick structure on the left and the shed at the back, right is for storage of materials such as hog bristles and wood for handles.  The sacks on the dock contain hog bristles.

This was a fun build.

This rear, side view shows the various doors and the fire hose on the wall.

Above is the opposite rear, side view.

Now to install it on the layout behind the boarding house.  It provides a great view for the boarding house occupants sitting on their back porches.

Brush factory start

I have made a substantial start on the brush factory model.  The four walls are complete except for such details as the railings and supports on the upper platform.  I am also making a brick boiler house and a wood shed that can be partially seen in the photo.  There are no roofs in place yet.

The widows are a combination of Tichy and Grandt Line.  The doors are scratch.    There is still a lot of work to be done.

Below are some vintage brush company ads showing some of the types of industrial brushes made in the 1920s and 40s.  I would imagine my brush company manufactures similar brushes.

Brush factory model planning

My next model will be a brush factory.  This company makes paint brushes and industrial brushes.  In the first half of the 20th century most brushes were made using animal hair,  most often hog bristles.  That is the process my factory uses.  As usual, the most difficult part of any industry I build is deciding what to build and developing a basic design.  I have built so many industries that coming up with something new is getting harder.  My inspiration for this model design was a photo I took some years ago during a model railroad convention.  The industry in the photo has nothing to do with a brush factory - I just liked the look.

My model will be different than the photo above but I liked the idea of the elevated platform.  My model will have capped siding and will be somewhat weathered as with all of my models, but is basically good condition.  I have built the front wall and am working on the side with the elevated platform.  I will post the first progress photos later this week.

Another photo I took years ago at a different convention is the small crane below

This would be a simple model to build and is mounted on a very small rail car.  As I recall the crane was sitting in a scrap yard.  I do not plan to build a model of this but I thought it was interesting.

Some railroad history

I saw a short notice in an old railroad journal about two solid wood passenger cars being made in Tulare County, California for exhibition in Chicago in 1892.  They were being made from the trunk of a sequoia gigantia, and shaped to the outward form of railroad cars.  They were then hollowed out and finished on the interior with seats, etc.  The whole car was polished.  Since the note was pre- exhibition I can only assume they were competed and displayed.  If so, I wonder what happened to them.

Boarding house installed

The boarding house is now installed with additional details and scenery.  It is at the outside corner of the layout extension so I backed up the photos with a cloudy sky scenery board to avoid having the layout room as part of the photos.

This is a view of the front with a tree in the front yard and an auto at the side of the house.  You can see some of the inside of the fence that boarders one side and the back.

Here is a view of the back and the outside of the fence.  I added signs to the fence.  I also added some laundry hanging on the upper level, a rag on the second level railing along with a potted plant and some "stuff" on the lower level which cannot be seen in this photo.

Here is another slightly different view of the back.

That finishes this model.  I am doing the planning for the next model.