Inspiring Elements

 

“The Bell Hotel,” RICHES, accessed June 6, 2026, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/4230.

With the Shifter done enough for now, it's time to begin the Summer Challenge 2026: Orange Avenue! in earnest.  Let's start this journey with a close examination of the photo above; the Bell Hotel in Sanford, Florida.  It includes several elements that are typical of the 1920s that I want to include in my street scene.  It also includes some humorous history, but we'll come to that later.

So what do I want to include that is visible in this photo?  The building itself bears a strong resemblance to my Rosenbaum building, which is actually based on the Carmichael building in Ocala in the image below.  The commonality is the canopy above the sidewalk mounted below the transom windows.  Of course many similar buildings existed in the 1920s which is why I'm including one in the scene.

However, the Bell Hotel also utilizes window awnings, something the Carmichael building does not.  I've got some Woodland Scenics vacuum-formed plastic awnings but I plan to use them on the tobacco shop next to the Rosenbaum building.  I want to leave the second floor windows on the Rosenbaum open for viewing inside as I plan to add an interior there and the canopy will obstruct the view through the first floor display windows.

Sharp-eyed viewers may have already noticed a familiar structure to the right of the Bell Hotel.  Stripped of its veranda, now with the second floor door bricked up, stands the Ensminger building.  Having studied the brickwork of that cornice I can say without a doubt it is the same structure, decades later.  And that brings us to the next important aspect of this photo: the date.

The RICHES site dates it at 1917.  Nope.  No way.  The Central Florida Memory site offers the same date, but more importantly offers a transcription of the information on the sign board in the street.  "YMCA diamond ball tonight 7:30 by the Zoo free E. Side Farmers vs. Piggly Wiggly"  That's more than enough to give a more accurate date to this image, or at least a good date range.

Piggly Wiggly was the first grocer to offer self-service and was established in 1916 but didn't spread far beyond Tennessee until the 1920s.  "Diamond Ball" was the name given in 1922 to an indoor ball game which, in 1926, would be renamed to its more common and current name, Softball.  It was heavily promoted by the YMCA as an alternative to baseball which was, at the time, associated with drinking and gambling, even during prohibition.  Okay, now we're getting closer.

What about that Zoo?  Here's where things get strange.  I'll link to the source here if you want more details, but this is what happened.  In 1923 a travelling carnival went bankrupt while stopped at Sanford.  As the troupe broke up, their Rhesus monkey was given to a custodian at the Elks club.  After mistreating the female guests there, it was given to the fire chief who brought it to live at the firehouse.  A man gave the firefighters a dog, which the monkey befriended and learned to ride bareback.  Oh but wait there's more.

One of the firefighters found a female monkey.  The local ice man began collecting animals and bringing them to the firehouse for their growing collection, including racoons, squirrels, even an alligator.  The city tried to put an end to it but due to public outcry the collection was relocated behind the firehouse to the site of the former city jail and given official status as a zoo.  Though the location has changed a couple times it remains a zoo to this day.

Speaking of animals, there's an elephant in this image that hasn't been mentioned yet; the popcorn wagon.  That's really what caught my eye when scanning through these old images.  It's the prototype for Jordan's HO scale Popcorn Wagon, a Cretor Model C.  Dates for the Model C vary online, wildly, but Jordan pegs it at 1912, so let's just go with that.  I grabbed one for the streetcar station, a likely location for such a vendor.

That brings us to the last clues to date the photo; the vehicles and the stoplight.  I'm no expert, but I suspect those aren't 1917 vintage cars.  The stoplight isn't much more of a help, except that the standard three-light unit was patented in 1923 and spread throughout the county by the 1930s.  This at least puts the kibosh on the 1917 date.  I'm going to guess and say....sometime after 1925.

In the end the exact date isn't really important.  As with so many things from years long gone, our understanding of them is more than simply a fixed point in time.  A popcorn wagon from the teens would still likely be in use in the twenties and beyond.  A popular regional sport might still be known by an outdated name long after it was officially changed in some far away city.  

Even if they're not exactly right, those cars have the right look.  Sure, awnings and canopies are still used today but not to the same extent as back then.  Giving a historic scene the right flavor comes down to a careful selection of the elements that characterized the era.  I haven't mentioned the brick street or the broad sidewalks or the ornate multi-bulb sign on the corner of the hotel, all of which contribute to the feeling I'm after.

Up next, I prepare to install some sidewalks.  Thanks for reading.

Orange Avenue Mock-ups Round Two

Today I placed the Ensminger Building on the layout to get a better feel for how it will look at the end of the block, so to speak.  Seeing it there made me realize what had been bothering me about the previous arrangement of structures; in short, some didn't quite fit as I'd hoped.  So, my attention turned from the Ensminger Building to its neighbors, and I found two alternatives to the problematic structures.

Let's start at the other end of the block.  The Drug store on the corner was slated for that site long ago and despite its current unfinished status still serves to show its mass and silhouette.  Moving down the street is a new addition, DPM's First National Bank aka the Grand Hotel if you've got the kit in the structure pack for Woodland Scenics' Grand Valley layout.  I'll be using the structure as a hotel, built as it comes.

I've written before about other mock-ups I've made from paper and foam core board but these "new" mock-ups are made using the structure parts held together with hot glue.  The Rosenbaum building however is a paper and cardstock mock-up representing DPM modular wall panels which will be combined with parts from Rail Scale Models to make a large 5 and 10 cent store.  This structure will have a deep awning (not shown) across the entire facade positioned beneath the transom windows but above the large display windows, a common arrangement in the '20s and into the decades beyond.

Lastly, the tan building is a structure I had planned to kitbash and use on this street but in a different form.  "Granny's Cafe'", as it is called in the Grand Valley structure box, aka "The Other Corner Cafe'" normally, was always going to be a smoke shop with a residence above.  It will continue as such, but in a wider two-story form instead of three.  I'll be borrowing the side walls from another DPM kit but using the wide back wall from the original; a true two-kit-mingle.  Those arched windows will have awnings using the vacuum-molded parts provided in the Grand Valley box, a thoughtful inclusion.

Right away I feel MUCH better about this line-up of mock-ups.  The trolley station across the street also seems more at home opposite these facades.  Oh, and I didn't forget the back alley; I like how it looks as well.  There are several good surfaces for painted-on signs and a visually interesting variety of windows and wall depths.

The Ensminger Building still needs signs and some weathering.  I will add some interior details to the photo studio and front display windows, but likely not for some time.  I'm itching to get this structure done enough to move on to other projects.  I've also got one more mock-up to make while the Grand Valley kit collection is out, but that's a topic for another post.  Thanks for reading.

A Conversation on the Veranda

As the major construction on the Ensminger Building draws to a close the focus shifts to the details.  The structure will have only the barest hint of an interior in the storefront but there are still two major areas to include details; the photo studio and the veranda.  The photo studio windows allow a viewer to peer down into the room so I think that's a prime location for a mini scene.  However, I'm going to hold off on that scene for now and address the veranda first.  

Before I can attach the veranda to the front of the structure I needed to add any details that will live there, as getting them in place once it is attached would be akin to building a ship in a bottle.  After looking through my figures and details I found a set of chairs along with a round table, three figures and a spittoon.  I also found an oil lamp sconce to mount on the wall.

The chairs were missing their legs so I robbed Peter to pay Paul and borrowed some legs from another, simpler set of chairs.  Here they are after being repaired, waiting on the glue to cure fully before painting.  Not sure why the one fellow is face down.  Maybe he didn't want to feel left out.  The men in the chair were glued in when I got the details, years ago.

After painting the legs a close-enough color I carefully glued the details onto the veranda.  I also drilled a hole in the wall and mounted the lamp sconce.  As neat as it would be to make this a working light, I'm not convinced it would be worth the effort so for now - and likely for all time - it remains as is.  The folks on the porch will be somewhat illuminated by the interior light shining through the windows.

The figures around the table and the leaning man were all part of a detailed pool hall structure I purchased years ago.  I still have plans for a billiards parlor on this layout but these fellows won't be in it.  They are now having a conversation on the veranda of the Ensminger Building.  I wonder what they're discussing...

Next, window treatments, a base and roof details.  Not sure how much of that will make it to a blog post, as I'm getting new windows next week in the real world and that process might just turn the house upside down for a while.  Happy modeling, and thanks for reading.

 

Stained Glass

The ornate glass decoration above the storefront windows of the Ensminger Building offered me an opportunity to include a similar detail on my version of the structure.  As I noted in the post "A Fancy Facade..." I don't have the space to recreate the same pattern as the prototype.  However, I can create something that echoes the look of the real thing and for me that's part of the joy of kitbashing.  Sometimes the compromises we're forced to make due to the available materials and their limitations can lead to unique and wonderful results.

I used "Testors Clear Parts Cement & Window Maker" combined with Daler Rowney inks to make my stained glass.  The inks are really strongly pigmented and somewhat translucent, though not entirely.  You can hopefully see the effect in the second image below.  I had painted the window "lead" using charcoal colored paint before applying the colored glass.  However I had to go back and touch up the lead after the glass had dried because it is quite runny and tricky to apply cleanly in such a small opening.

Blue and Yellow make many shades of Green

Still need to add the large plate glass panes

In truth this is one of those details I did just because I wanted to and "I'll know its there".  It will be mostly hidden beneath the large veranda directly above it.  While not perfect I'm pleased with the result.  If this structure weren't along the edge of the layout I might not have done this but I'm glad I did.  

The veranda and its occupants will be the topic of the next post.

Photo Finish

The photo studio section of the Ensminger Brothers building is mostly complete, lacking only window glass, final weathering, and perhaps some signage.  A fence running between the brick building and wood entry will be added when the structure is installed on the layout, but I'm getting ahead of myself.  Here are some progress images showing how I built the roof, added shingles and painted the structure.

I used dense file folder material for the roof panels.

Normally I don't like Campbell shingles but they work well here.

I chose an aged white and slate blue for the walls and trim, with a dark mudstone for the stairs and a lighter mudstone for the shingles.  The shingles and stairs received a dark brown wash while the walls received a mudstone wash.  I used charcoal black for the roofing paper, then lightened and streaked for an aged appearance.  

In the third image you can also see the brick walls have received a mortar treatment.  I sealed the paint then applied joint compound, pressing it into the mortar lines.  This can be removed carefully from the surface of the bricks using a damp sponge.  In this case I wanted a sloppy application as seen on the prototype so I was careful to not wipe away too much.  This stands in contrast to the clean look of the facing brick, though most of that brick is hidden by the veranda.

Speaking of the veranda, it received some paint as well.  Moss green for the base coat (applied with a spray can) and cactus green craft paint.  In this image the parts need a second coat of the cactus green.

 Up next, masking and painting the remaining windows and doors!  Entering the home stretch...

Fancy Facade Revisited

Something was bothering me about the storefront on my model of the Ensminger Building.  After staring at it on the workbench over a few days I realized it was the doors and windows.  I was really happy with how the small-pane inserts looked but not happy at all with the kit supplied doors and the precast two-in-one clear plastic nonsense.  The solution was to utilize parts from another kit then add more small pane muntins.  This not only more closely matches the prototype but unifies the storefront windows visually.

What follows is a sequence of images showing the step-by-step process of how I modified some N scale windows to fit the tall narrow entry windows, the new doors modified, and the assembly as a whole.

3x4 window cut down to 2x3

Side frame trimmed

Side frame reapplied

Original mullion removed, cut down window installed from behind,
 and a new mullion installed using styrene strip

Same process applied to central double door transom

Doors and side panels installed with kit-supplied entry ceiling

 

Ensminger Veranda Part 2

 ...in which our blogger attempts to bend styrene sheet and glue dissimilar materials together.

Having successfully beveled the posts of the ornate arched trellis castings from Scale Structures Limited, and finished the fancy brickwork on the facade, it was time to assemble this veranda.  First, I needed to determine exactly how and where this veranda would fit on the structure.  I had a pretty good idea that the whole thing would fit between the brick pillars on the wall.  After gluing the castings together and offering them up to the wall, this proved to be the case - exactly so.  

The castings assembled, using a straight edge and spacer for alignment.

Next it was on to the deck.  Rather conveniently the kit has a line of brick protruding from the base of the upper wall that would act as a good ledger.  A quick measurement of the available vertical space between this brick and the storefront below gave me what I needed to begin constructing the deck.  

In true kitmingling fashion I used material from one of donor kits; in this case, the scribed wood floor from the SS Ltd Gazebo.  I measured the assembled castings and cut the sheet to fit.  I pulled some scale lumber from my supplies and created a framework on approximately two foot centers, attaching it to the scribed sheet with wood glue.

Once the glue had set, I attached the deck to the lattice using gel superglue.  I find this works best when gluing wood to metal, especially when there may be a gap to fill.  The gel doesn't absorb into the wood as quickly as a lower viscosity glue, allowing it time to bond to both surfaces despite their different porosity.

Next, the roof.  The prototype is standing seam metal, and I happen to have some styrene "metal" roofing.  But the prototype is also gracefully curved and my styrene is thick.  After a little research I decided to try the hot water method for softening the styrene.  This worked well enough after some grunting and coaxing.  

The other challenge I faced with this roof was creating the ornate rafter tails.  Yes, Tichy makes some, but I don't have them and didn't want to order any and potentially stall the project while I wait for them to arrive.  I decided to try "rolling my own" so to speak by taping scale 2x4s together and gently shaping a profile on one end using files and sanding sticks.  I'm pleased with the results though I'm not sure how visible this will be once the veranda is painted.  It may just be one small detail that adds to the overall ornate feel. 

I measured and marked the underside of the roof and glued the styrene rafters to it using Tamiya extra thin styrene cement.  I love this stuff for bonding styrene to itself.  It goes tacky almost immediately on application and bonds quickly.  This let me apply each rafter at the front edge the go back and gently bend the rafters to the curve of the roof.  The fast acting glue made this a quick and painless process.

To finish the roof I cut and wedges to fit in each end between the curved roof and the top of the arched lattice parts.  On the prototype this is lattice, however, since my ornate posts include lattice already, I decided to use the same v-groove siding as the wooden extension, but running vertically.  I glue the standing seams into the provided grooves on the styrene roof panel and after some trimming and sanding the roof was complete.

I used the same gel superglue to attach the roof to the posts, double checking the alignment to the wall.  Once the veranda is attached I'll add a strip of material as flashing, though I'm pleased to say there's no real gap to hide in this case.  I'll be repeating the same steps on the side porch roof, but first, I need to do something about the storefront doors.  That'll be the subject of the next post.

The completed veranda set in place (image rotated).

 

Photo Studio Walls and First Colors

In the post "Scratch That" I talked about my choice to scratchbuild the wood extension to the Ensminger Building, the actual photo studio or gallery used by the Ensminger Brothers.  Before getting into the modeling progress, here's a brief word on these men whose name I've been bandying about in recent posts.  This page covers their early history and roots in Iowa:

http://www.pioneerphotographers.com/files/Iowa/Ensminger.html 

More relevant to the structure I'm modeling, is this information from the Orange County Regional History Center:

"The Ensminger brothers were two of the most prominent 19th-century photographers in Central Florida. They moved from Iowa to Florida in time to photograph American troops stationed in Tampa in preparation for the Spanish-American War. In 1884 or 1895, Jefferson Clay Ensminger moved to Sanford, where he opened a photography studio with his brother on the west side of North Park Avenue, just a few blocks from the St. Johns River. J.C. Ensminger was known to be friends with Henry Sanford as well as the official photographer of Henry Plant’s Railway System." 

Now back to the model making.

I used V-groove styrene siding to make the walls.  This was a bit fiddly as I hadn't planned for the corner posts in my measurements and had to allow for it or trim off the ends.  That was made more challenging by the odd dimensions of the pitched roof section.  I carefully built up the wall with the large windows before taping the glass itself (cast into the window frame...grr...) in order to prime.  Once the walls were assembled I did just that, giving it all two thin coats of gray.

After the first light coat of primer.

I also managed to paint the brick structure at my local gaming store's paint night.  I usually bring Star Wars Legion minis, but from time to time I raise some eyebrows (in a good way) by bringing something in HO scale.  For the common brick I used a blend of Georgia Clay and a red color, lightening first with tan and then orange for the successive highlight colors.  For the facing brick on the facade I used a Brown Iron Oxide, darkened with a dark chocolate brown for variation.  Here's the result:

The mortar will come later in the process, closer to final assembly.  I spent last night getting the doors sorted.  I've also made great progress on the veranda and side porch which will be featured in an upcoming post.  Thanks for following along.  Happy Modeling!

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.

Ensminger Preparations

As of the writing of this post I've got a short window in the winter weather for priming the Shifter over the next few days.  I do my priming work in the garage - search the blog for that keyword for more information on that space and its shortcomings.  It looks to be cold again after our current warm snap so I'm not sure when I'll get to actually paint it after allowing time for the primer to fully cure.  It could be a while.

With that in mind I've begun preparing for the next project.  Behold the "Ensminger Building" (my name for it based on the sign on the fence):

Sanford, Florida has been a gold mine of inspirational photos for modeling central Florida in the 1920s.  While perusing old photos online this structure caught my fancy and wouldn't let go.  I knew someday I'd have to model it.  To that end I contacted the Sanford Historical Society to see if more views of the building were available.  I was delighted to see this image arrive in my inbox:

  

Open in a new tab for a much larger image.  Photo courtesy of the Sanford Historical Society.

I've always maintained that no matter how neat a structure kit might be, that is, a structure created simply from the imagination of a kit designer, there's almost always a more interesting prototype structure waiting to be miniaturized.  Of course someone had to design the prototype but they're not thinking of how it might work on a train layout, rather how it would function in the real world where it will really be built and inhabited.  I think we lose something when we rely solely on our imaginations to create a structure kit instead of following a suitable prototype.

That said, I'm not recreating the town of Sanford in miniature, nor building a replica for a museum, so I won't be building a strictly accurate reproduction in miniature.  I could invest the time learning CAD and having those ornate porch railings laser cut no doubt at great expense, or creating the brick walls in 3D and resin printing them (I don't own a resin printer but have friends that do, so it isn't a far off notion).  However, while I might enjoy that process, that's not the direction I'm going to take on this building.  Inspired by a recent trip to the California State Railroad Museum, specifically standing in the presence of Malcolm Furlow's San Juan Central, I'm going to kitbash it.

I've got three donor kits for the cause: a Walthers Lee's Grocery kit, an SS Ltd Gazebo and a Life Like General Store.  These should allow me to get reasonably close to the prototype but more importantly will capture, I hope, the character of the place.  Features of the core core structure, such as the storefront and the tall arch-top windows, are interesting, but those elements are overshadowed by the signs, porches, ornate brick cornice and the photo studio tacked on the back.  

I measured the spot where the structure will sit, displacing the fire station that I had planned to put there.  It will fit - just - but that's even better.  I like the look of urban scenes in which the tracks seem a little too close to the structures, creating narrow passageways, alleys, etc.  See the image below for the tracing I made as a template.

I also took into account the porch extending over the sidewalk.  In my research into historic Florida buildings I found many such structures.  These verandahs were one way to manage the heat, providing shade for the structure itself and a place for its occupants to sit and catch a breeze.  However, it is a feature I see seldom modeled.  (That could be due to porches and verandahs falling out of favor as the air conditioner and changes in architectural style made them unnecessary or undesirable.  Not many modelers accurately model the 1920s.  However, they should be more prevalent on late 1800s or turn-of-the-century era layouts)  Another case of reality being more interesting than common kit stock.  Here's the ornate casting from the SS Ltd gazebo laying on the resin sidewalk casting; a perfect fit.

Meant to be.

I won't get into the details beyond this overview until I begin the project in earnest.  The other reason I'm choosing to kitbash and come close enough is time.  I don't want to take forever and a day to make the perfect structure, rather, I'll be happy with a unique structure that captures the flavor and character I'm looking for and is done in a reasonable amount of time.  

More to come as it happens.  Thanks for reading.