The October 22, 2016 weekend featured a swap meet sponsored by my local hobby shop, Trainmaster Models located in Buford GA. I met my good buddy Engineer Ed there and we had a good time looking for bargains and later having lunch. It was a very nice afternoon. Let's take a look at some of the purchases that I made.
A box of goodies from the Swap meet includes these five buildings, 10 pieces of code 83 24" curves and 6 pieces of code 83 flex track.
Walthers NYC Baggage Dormitory and a PRR X50B Express Reefer and a camera shy Athearn BB GM&O 40' Boxcar round out the swap meet purchases.
The NYC Baggage Dormitory has been numbered 8975 to match the prototype.
The Model Power Spotless Dry Cleaners has been built. The Empire City Civic Association rejected the garish green front so I sprayed the model with flat brown.
During my review of the contents of the box I missed the fact that the rear wall was missing. Whether or not the seller knew I'm not sure but this may explain the $2.00 price tag. But not to worry. Junk Mail to the rescue. I saved a bunch of the glossy cards that routinely arrive with credit card offers. I think they add these so most people cannot just simply shred them without opening the envelope. Anyway, I glued two together, traced the front wall onto the cards and cut them out. I them spray painted them with rattle can gray primer.
I added the back porch, windows and doors. and it should work out just fine.
The newly built "Cathy's Flowers" structure sits between two similar Model Power building kits on the ever improving east side of Empire City. A card stock driveway separates the Model Power buildings from the IHC townhouse on the right
A view from the rear shows the new building with the evergreen tree in the rear yard. I added additional trees made from the last of my sedum plant stock to compliment the scene.
Looking thru the new trees towards the new building
A couple of more sedum trees were added behind the IHC townhouse and in front of the DPM townhouses next to the firehouse
Some backyard detail
View of the east side. Four Woodland Scenics trees have been placed behind the fire house and IHC town homes
New trees in front of the DPM town homes with a couple of teenagers playing football.
Another structure from the box of goodies was this building built and labeled Standard Electric by a prior owner. I don't normally buy used pre-built buildings but this and the others that I purchased were very well built and would require little if any corrective work. So for $3.00 I made my move
I later saw this building in the October Walthers Catalog and it is an exact match to the Standard Electric building shown above except for the billboard. Walthers has this as a newly released machine shop. Catalog price $24.95
https://www.walthers.com/products/layout/structures/machine-shop-kit
For the record the Standard Electric structure was made by Pola and released by TYCO
And if it looks familiar to you from previous N.Y.C.T.L. photos
It is. I purchased this kit from a hobby shop in
Connecticut back in 1991. The difference is the structure base on the pickle factory has loading docks.
It currently resides on the west side of Empire City and is known as Neubaum's Coffee and Tea Importers.
Sign Painters hard at work
That's it for now. The remaining buildings are on the layout and I will showcase them in a separate entry when those areas are looking a little better.
Thanks for reading!
One guy to track down on the web is an artist or architect or rock musician or something like that named Peter Feigenbaum, wo started out as a high school student weathering kit buildings for his model railroad. He used a lot of the Tyco, etc buildings, boarded up windows, added new signs, etc and came up with a really good effect. He seems to have taken is earlier sites down -- maybe now is too hip to be connected with model trains -- a shame. But a start is at http://artoutthere.blogspot.com/2012/05/peter-feigenbaum.html Also do a google search on Peter Feigenbaum images.
ReplyDeleteHi John, I'm very familiar with Feigenbaum's work. Great modeling and very realistic. I thought about going this route but after 20 plus years in law enforcement working neighborhoods exactly like this I opted out of the urban decay scenario. Too many many unpleasant memories messing up my train hobby!
DeleteNice haul John! Good save on the missing rear wall. The mail can be a great resource for modeling materials: cardstock., ads from circulars for billboards, corrugated cardboard packaging for retaining walls, etc. New additions look very nice!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ralph! It's only junk until you need it! thanks for the compliments.
DeleteGreetings Sir John! Nice additions to the neighborhood. You definitely have the artistic / creative juices in full swing. I think Empire City should dedicate a street or park to your efforts. Kudos my friend!
ReplyDeleteThank you 1:1 Sir Neal! A park for the 1/87th scale gang to gather sounds like an excellent suggestion my friend! I like the idea and will need to see if I can find any available "green space"
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