Scratch That

With the facade complete I took the next steps to assemble the core of the brick structure; applying brick texture to the back of the cornice, filling gaps with putty and creating a peak on the rear wall.  Next I assembled the walls using the kit-supplied alignment pegs and mid-level brace.  This is a nice way of ensuring the walls are plumb and square; thanks, Kibri!

Next I could begin pondering how I'd construct the photo studio add-on.  I had originally planned to use a Life-Like General Store, a structure I had kitbashed once before, years ago.  I nixed this idea because of the windows; there are too many on the kit and the prototype only has a handful.  

Test fitting with the Life-Like components gave me a feel for the relative size of the add-on and revealed an interesting geometry.  Placing the peak of the studio roof in line with the second story door then aligning the back studio wall with the side wall of the brick structure means that studio wall is slightly higher than the rest.  Based on the photos I have I suspect this was the case for the prototype structure.  Enlarge the photo below and trace the planks along the wall that says "Photograph Gallery", to see what I mean.

With these factors in play I decided to scratchbuild the studio using v-groove styrene sheet and window castings from my collection of parts.  My first order of business was to double check the fit of the structure in place on the layout.  Then I could begin making a simple-enough drawing to provide the necessary data to begin cutting parts.

The green framed windows came from the Grocery store kit and will need to be masked before I can prime them, as they're cast with the clear plastic and green plastic in one piece.  The metal windows are of unknown origin, though I suspect they're Alexander.  My brick structure isn't as wide as the prototype, so my high studio wall will be higher than the original, but that's okay.  This sort of situation is part of the fun of kitbashing, when reality suggests something out of the ordinary.  

I genuinely believe that the limitations imposed by real-life situations often produce more interesting models than we can imagine.  Studying photos of real places builds a library of possibilities which we can access to create realistic models with great interest.  Just as the freelancer studies real locomotives to produce a plausible steam engine for their pike, so to the kitbasher (and kit designers!) must study real structures so that their creations have a ring of authenticity.

A Fancy Facade for the Ensminger Building

Work on the Ensminger Building continued yesterday, making a start on the facade.  Studying the photo of the prototype I made a quick sketch on graph paper of the details as built, then simplified it into the basic outline, shape and form.  Satisfied that I could match the overall impression, I dove into the kit-mingling with abandon as if possessed by the spirit of Art Curren himself.  

Open this image in a new tab for a really big view.

I had previously gathered potential donor material for the ornate brick cornice and brought out those bits. I began by sawing away the detail from the cornice of the AHM Fire House.  The upper section split in two and flipped vertically would create the dental bits on either side of my facade, framed between bonus brick pillars from the Grocery store...more on that in a minute.  The lower sections would provide more dental detail for the four pillars of the cornice.

The green bit is the original kit cornice; lovely, but not what I want.

An unknown source provided the peaked section in the center, filed and cut to give a sawtooth look.  I drilled and enlarged ventilation holes in a pattern on that section following the prototype's example.  Additional vertical brick bits from the Fire House wall were added here and there.  In the end this is what it looked like:

Pleased with this result I returned to the bench after dinner and pondered the storefront.  The prototype is loaded with details I'd love to include.  However, since I am trying to stay within the donor kit's boundaries for the sake of time and resources, I have to live with the limitations this imposes.  I decided to correct one element, turning the four-pane display windows into something closer to the prototype though still far from accurate.  

To do this I'd need to cut away the window muntins to make a large plate glass window.  Still, if I could recreate that stained glass look above the large windows, that'd be even better.  Digging through my windows collection I found some very fine N scale windows I honestly thought I'd never use.  Never say never, and keep everything.  These little gems were a near-perfect fit into the kit window openings.

I cut away the kit's horizontal muntins and cut away three panes from the N scale windows.  Then I glued in the N scale windows from behind and reattached the muntins beneath, now as mullions.  Once that had set up I cut away the remaining vertical muntin.  Here is the result, set beneath the upper story facade:

Now a word about "bonus parts" and the problems with this kit.  Full disclosure; when I worked at Walthers part of my job was writing kit instructions.  Spend enough time reading model train discussions online and you may find someone complaining about Walthers kit instructions.  I'm not spilling any trade-secret beans to say they're aware of this.  One of the complaints you might find out there is the problem of "bonus parts", or a sprue with too many parts leaving the modeler unsure if they've built the kit correctly.  This kit is no exception, with several sprues of windows, doors and walls that aren't used in the grocery store building.

Here's part of the problem: this structure didn't start life as a Walthers kit.  It is most clearly a Kibri kit, utilizing parts from their product line (one part is even stamped "Kibri").  Kibri 38393, the ice cream parlor, uses the same side panels - and construction method - as Lee's Grocery and Lee's includes the storefront and windows from Kibri 38393 in its box though they're not needed for the grocery store.  Got it?  Good.  As a result the modeler, having completed Lee's Grocery, will be left with an assortment of parts for their bits box.  There's nothing on the instruction sheet to indicate this.  This can be needlessly confusing and a single line of text calling out the extra parts would go a long way towards helping resolve this issue.

Admittedly it's not a big deal for most modelers.  We can figure it out.  For kitbashers, the leftover parts are a boon.  As mentioned above I used a "bonus" short wall section to create the brick pillars for the cornice and I'll be using the windows and doors, not designed for this structure, to create doors for the upper floor veranda access.  I'm not criticizing Walthers for this; in my last post I commented on Scale Structures Limited's creative use of parts to make the gazebo (it appears "The Store" might be the original kit those parts were intended for, though even then they're cut apart.  Curious to see those instructions...).  A person could argue that economy of scale and creative re-use of parts go hand in hand and keep us modelers supplied with kits at a reasonable price.  I'll buy that.

 

Ensminger Veranda Part 1

No, the Shifter isn't finished, but while the gloss varnish cures I'm following my interest and starting work on the Ensminger Building, beginning with the elaborate veranda.  I'm using parts that aren't an exact match but follow the "rule of cool" and the spirit of kitbashing, using something I've already got in stock at the home hobby shop.  This is the Scale Structures Limited Gazebo kit, from which I'll be using the fancy posts and arched lattice detail, the ornate railing and the scribed floor plank sheet.

Let the filing begin!

The original kit instructions call for filing away a 30-35 degree angle from the rear of each upright post on the arched lattice sections in order to butt them together and create the illusion that two posts are in fact one.  I've got issues with this approach.  On the original model this would result in an unsightly gap behind the "post", where the two almost-halves meet.  In no gazebo ever have I seen two posts joined in this way as one conjoined post, but rather a single turned wood post is used with the railings attached to it.  This is what the drawings show but you'd have trouble making the kit parts align properly building it as instructed.

Getting closer...

However for my application of the parts, where the posts will be filed on a 45 degree bevel, the resulting post will indeed be just that - a single post comprised of two actual post halves.  I'll have a gap to deal with no matter how carefully and accurately I file them down but I can fix that with putty.  Where two arched lattice sections meet I'd need to either remove one post entirely or file away half of each post again, but this time producing a gap that's harder to hide.  For that reason I elected to remove one post and fill any gaps on that joint as needed.  The trick of course is to file slightly more from behind so the front is a tight fit, but there's that unsightly gap issue again. Sure, it is unlikely to be seen from a normal viewing angle but I'll know it's there!

Almost there (note, they're upside down)

The front veranda is deep - as deep as one arched lattice section - while the side veranda is shallower.  This works out well as the SS Ltd kit comes with 6 arched lattice sections.  I'll use 4 for the front veranda, 2 for the side veranda.  It also includes six sections of ornate railing which also must be shortened on each end to fit between the posts - note, this is what the original kit calls for!  I'll need all six and then some short bits which is fine since I've got a set of shorter railings, identical to the kit parts except half as long, which I'll use for the sides of the shallower veranda.

Section on the right de-flashed

I'd love to know what structure these parts were originally designed for, because the kluge required to turn these parts into a gazebo seems challenging.  However, it is often required of the kitbasher, indeed incumbent upon the modeler to see beyond the part as intended into the future purpose of the part as yet unknown.  In that respect I admire Jon Stetz, the designer of the SS Ltd Gazebo, for his creative use of such beautiful parts.  Perhaps my creative re-use of these parts might someday inspire another modeler to go and do likewise.

Model Railroad Myths and Memes: Whose Train Set is it?

  

I recently came across this cartoon, fed to me by Facebook.  I asked an AI art generator to redraw this comic strip - apologies to Bill O'Malley - with a different ending that showed the father and son playing together.  I prefer a "both-and" scenario to an "either-or" in this case.
 

There's much more that can be said about this, much more.  But I'll let the images speak for themselves and leave the interpretation up to the beholder.  The question still stands: Whose train set is it?

 

The Back Door and The Signs, with special guest, AI

I felt bad for the back wall of the Candy Shop after talking it up in the previous post but not sharing an image.  So, I took a picture of the wall to show its concrete stoop and details as well as a couple close-up shots of the posters.  The little vent fan on the wall is from Vector Cut, sadly, now out of production.  The rest are metal castings of unknown origin.

Why wasn't this included in the kit? (and why isn't the door inset?)

You can still get coffee at the candy shop.  The little face is a period-accurate election poster.

The roof was stippled but painting that brick was a back-and-forth process that took forever.

But I'm burying the lead here...after a conversation with Jim at 30 Squares I decided to play around with AI to generate a sign.  I used Canva, as it was the first search result returned.  The process was super easy, turning text into an image.  Here's the prompt I used:

Rooftop Sign for a 1920s business called the "Lemon Drop Candy Shop" featuring a large lemon with leaves and the text "Lemon Drop Candy Shop" in a period appropriate typeface

Here are the results that I liked best:

WOW.  I had thought I'd get a graphic, not a photo-realistic image.  But boy am I glad I didn't get what I expected.  Novelty architecture really became popular in the 1920s and 30s and these signs are a nod to that style, perfect for my railroad's era.  It wouldn't be too hard to make a big lemon out of Milliput along with some stylized leaves.  The large panel means the text could be used on both sides for a ridge-line sign.  I've got some raised styrene letters, though I might search around for a different typeface for variety's sake.  

This is exciting.  Happy modeling, and thanks for reading.

 

From Coffee to Candy

This is a post I've been waiting to make and the reason may be more interesting than the result.  You see, for a short while I worked remotely for Wm. K. Walthers, Inc. as a copywriter.  One of my tasks was writing kit instructions, and this kit is "one of mine".  Since I live in California and Walthers' headquarters is in Wisconsin, I was sent pre-production samples in order to assemble them and get a feel for any difficulties or challenges a modeler might have when assembling the kits.

I completed this handsome little building almost exactly one year ago, however the kit wasn't available to purchase until recently so I had to sit on the pictures until then.  Since this structure could easily fit into my 1920's era I decided to complete it and add some interior detail, just for fun.  The multi-pane windows means much of that detail won't be visible, even when lit, but I have left the roof removable - easily done in this kit due to the one-piece roof - so that the interior can be shown to visitors.  

I added a little concrete pad to the rear entrance (not shown) and used it as a place for adding exterior details such as a trash can, bottles, etc.  I'm not sure why it wasn't included in the kit as the door sits high above the foundation otherwise.  My sample didn't come with any signs but I believe the kit does; I chose a few from my stock that work for my interpretation of the structure.  As marketed by Walthers it is a coffee shop, however, it could easily be repurposed for any number of uses.  I chose to make mine a candy shop.  Ocala had one back in the old days called the "Candy Kitchen".  When I get around to making a sign for mine it will be the "Lemon Drop Candy Shop", to help anchor it in Florida.

The interior was made mostly from scratch, with only the sink, chairs, fruit basket and a few cans on the shelves from castings.  I'm most proud of the glass case and the scale on the counter.  The scale is a replica of a "Toledo" type counter scale, a detail I imagined would be useful in a candy shop.  I don't know if they came in red, but I like it and it stands out.  The "tile" floor is made from the interior pattern on a security envelope; I collect these for just this sort of purpose.  The colored plates under the candy in the case are cut from a printed cereal box; they're the color registry circles for the print inks.  The candy is simply construction paper cut into bits.  

Without going into the details, the copywriter position at Walthers was eliminated and we amicably parted ways last summer.  However, during my time there I was sent a small pile of kit samples and no doubt more of these will make their way onto the layout - Lee's Grocery is the next one to be used as the Ensminger building, though I didn't write the instructions for that kit...why I have that kit is a different story for another time.  I'm still debating if the Candy Shop will have a home at Ocala Springs or elsewhere.  I'm just glad I can finally blog about it here.  Thanks for reading.

Prime Time

Our winter warm snap provided a window in which I could prime the Shifter.  Prior to priming I repaired a few fallen details (Super Glue wasn't so super after all...) and Dremel'd out a bit more space in the tender for the new decoder.  I masked headlights, motor, electrical connections and a few other places, then set the boiler on a home made stand.  The other parts I sprayed on a turntable or held by the tape.  The Tamiya Fine Surface Primer, Gray, laid down well and smoothly.  That's a big worry off my mind!  Up next...will I airbrush the black or paint by hand?  We'll see.