Hardware store model start

Here is the start of my old hardware store model.  I first began by modifying a DPM resin kit but soon realized it was not a fit for what I was trying to achieve so that went into a box for maybe later.  This structure will adjoin the old house I just built.  The roof will be shingled.  There will be a front porch with lots of "stuff" on it and a roof/porch above it.  I plan to have some interior detail near the front of the inside since the front windows are fairly large.

Below is a view of the rear of the structure.

I am not yet sure what other details this structure will have since I make these things up as I go along - that is the fun of it.

Below is a very old cartoon apparently from a newspaper as I has gardening ads on the back.  I just think it is a fun cartoon.

More to come next year.

Happy New Year!

Old house & garage complete

I have completed the old house and garage.  I added some attached scenery at the front and back as it will be difficult to scenic once they are installed since the structures will be in the center of the module.  The scenery was attached on heavy paper glued to the base.

On the front you can see a dog on the porch and a mailbox by the steps.  There is some trash on the grass including some beer bottles and paper trash.

At the rear there is a shed and a porch.  On the porch is a man sitting on a bench reading a book and two children playing.  There is also a variety of junk behind the garage.

Next model.

The next model will be an old hardware store which will be attached to the side of the house opposite from the garage.  I plan to have a front porch on the hardware store with some merchandise on the porch.  I have made some sketches to work from.  With the holidays coming up it may be a while before I make much progress.

Old house and garage model

Here is the old house and garage I have been working on.  It is not totally complete but it has been a while since I posted.  I still need to add a porch and shed on the back and do a little more weathering.

These will be part of a street scene representing an older section of town.  It will be across the track from the industries I just finished.

The side of the house you do not see is blank and will adjoin another structure - have not yet decided what that will be.  The scenery around these structures once they are installed will be somewhat shabby.

For added interest, here is a photo I took some time ago of a deteriorated flat car - I think it was an East Broad Top narrow gauge car.  I was very lax in writing descriptions on my photos over the many years I toured and photographed industries.

I may eventually do a model of this.

Industrial vacuum co installed

The industrial vacuum  company has been installed with some scenery around it.  It fits into a tight industrial area.  I also built a storage battery truck to move supplies and finished products around the factory.

Above is a view of the other end of the factory.

And another view above.

Above is my battery truck model with  load of supplies.  I sized this by the wheels which are RR truck wheels with the flanges removed.  It was modeled based on the prototype below.

Another variation of this type of motor truck is below.

That concludes my work on this model unless I come up with other ideas.  I really had fun making the machinery.

Next Model

Next I will be building a street scene across the track from the vacuum company and located in the middle of the module.  It will include old houses, garages, stores and whatever else I come up with.

Another vacuum machine for the factory

I built another industrial vacuum machine for my industrial vac company.  It is 9 1/2 feet high to the top of the cylinder and 7 feet long.  It was made using miscellaneous scrap parts, wire and bits of plastic.  It is modeled along the lines of one of the prototypes I posted.  It is fun doing these unusual machines.

While I was building the vac, I also assembled a pick-up truck kit by Sylvan.  I have built a number of their kits.  They are moulded using a polyurethane resin that is fairly soft and easy to remove flash.   The tires are actually moulded rubber which fit over the wheel hub.  I painted my truck gray versus the somewhat bright color in their illustration.

These models were a breather from the structure building.  I was also involved in some nice family events - can't do modeling all of the time.

I have been working on the location for the vac factory doing such things as road crossings on the track that runs by where the factory will be located.

Industrial Vacuum Co complete

I have added the second building to the industrial vacuum company completing the industry, although additional features will likely be added.  The view below is what will be seen from the edge of the layout.  The track is on the other side of the industry.

These photos are darker than I prefer but the recent computer operating system update changed the way the Photos process works and I am still trying to understand how to use it.  I have a number of details on the flat roof which are not easy to see in this photo.

The loading dock on the left is the truck loading dock and the one on the right is rail-side.  I built another, smaller vac which is sitting on the truck loading dock.  There is a figure on the roof of the near structure who is peering over the edge at the rail loading dock.

Next I will be installing the industry on the layout.  

Steel mill items

I received a brass steel hot metal car from my Railroad Industry SIG members some years ago after running the SIG for about 13 years.  I was working long hours at my job at the time and had mentioned  to some Sig members that I might stop doing the SIG.  As a result, at the next SIG meet they gave me a plaque and a vintage style steel mill  hot metal car with a nice plaque on the bottom dedicated to me to keep me going.  I eventually gave up the SIG after 20 years.  The SIG was picked up by one of the members then died a few years later.  This week I decided to paint and weather the hot metal car.

Above is a photo of the car.  I will place it near the steel mill on my layout.

Above is a graphic of some steel mill cars from an ad in a very old book.

And above is a photo of an old steel mil from another old ad.

I thought I would put these items up to keep the blog fresh as I am still working on building number two of the industrial vacuum company.  It is taking me longer than expected, but then other things have gotten in the way of modeling - imagine that!

Industrial vacuum machine model

I have built a model of the Sturtevant light weight portable cleaner depicted on my last posting.  This model was made from wood,  plastic and metal parts.  I think I captured the essence of the prototype. I will be placing this model on the loading dock.  It is approximately 8' long and 7' tall.

I may build other industrial vacuum models but next I will be building the other structures of this industry.

I also built a very old model truck kit.  It is a Weston 1914 Ford truck model which cost $2.25 when new - probably a fair price when it was produced.  It is a cast metal kit which I built essentially as the kit was designed.

I find it interesting to build these old kits.

Industrial vacuum co shop

I have completed the industrial vacuum company shop.  There will be additional structures attached to the far end.  The shop has interior details which can be seen to some degree through the open door assisted by the various windows.  The details are all scratch built simulations of machinery with some figures included.  The windows in the upper section were made from sections of City Classics industrial windows and were a little tricky so took me longer than expected too make.

The side windows are by Tichy.  The tar paper strips on the roof are Builder in Scale/C C Crow.

Next I will build the additional buildings as well as some industrial vacuum machinery.  Below are more examples of the early industrial  vacuum machines.

Above is an example of an industrial vacuum machine cleaning lint out between the spindle bases of a textile mill.

And above are examples of several styles of industrial vacuum machines.

Industrial vacuum co model start

I have started on the industrial vacuum company model - just three walls of the shop building at this point.  There will be a building or more of different styles attached  to the open end.   I am planning to make this look like an older industry that grew over time with various additions.  I will also be building one or more industrial vacuum cleaner models - likely sitting on the loading dock.

I also added an additional section to my layout inside of the "C" shaped addition I have been working on.  This will provide me with some additional space for structures and industries.

You can see the brush company model at the lower left.  The industrial vacuum company will be to the left of the brush company.

Above you can see the open space on the layout.  This is likely the last expansion I can make actually attached to the existing layout.

Years ago I visited a friend who lived in Phoenix Arizona,  His name was Fred (Phread) Henderson.  He was a frequent contributor to the NMRA Bulletin when Whit Towers was editor.  Phread built his layout in a small spare bedroom.  The last time I visited him he had expanded his layout to cover the entire bedroom area with the exception of a small pop-up area in the center of the room.  To get to the pop-up hole you had to crawl under the layout (on a carpet).  I do not recall how he reached much of the layout from there but it may have been by walking on the surface of the layout.  His model railroad was called the Unlikely & Improbable - a fun style layout such as my father had with his Troll & Elfin model railroad.  I will not be doing anything like Phread did.

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.