Firstly, and most importantly, I’m very proud and honored to be sponsored by some of my favorite companies in the hobby. I couldn’t be more pleased to call FOS Scale Models, BEST Trains, KC’s Workshop and Monument Hobbies official friends! Nothing’s changing around these parts, it just means there’s going to be even more content! There’s lots planned for the near future, so I’ll be coming back with more details soon. Links to these guys can be found at the bottom of the blog.
In-between bigger builds I like to make some smaller structures. It’s a great way to manage output flow and get results quick (a much needed tonic sometimes!) This time, I made FOUR!
Apart from the elevated gate tower, all of these structures are scratchbuilt and are based on designs found on the F&SM — yes, all of these structures are for my tribute! I know, I know… this thing is growing out of control. But I love it. Let’s dive in.
JAGODA’S PAINT CO. INC:
Poor guy. He only wanted to return some paint, now he’s made a mess of his afternoon and the front steps!
This build took two evenings to complete. It’s a very simple build, with a low-pitch roof. The concrete foundation is pink foam coated with AK Interactive’s “Concrete”. I lightly sand it when dry for variation and then wash the whole thing in A&I. The lattice panels are from Tichy, and the details are from a variety of sources, including some 3D printed chimneys, lamp shade and paint pot.
TRACKSIDE SHED:
Couldn’t be more of a simple little structure. Four walls and a roof. The door is an FSM casting, the chimney and lamp shade were 3D printed and the roof shingles are Northeastern Scale Lumber’s “Fish Scales”. Nothing much more to say on this one!
OFFICE BUILDING:
This is the office from Bailey’s Produce Co, but can also be seen outside the Emporium Seafood on the F&SM. Thus, I needed to build one, too! I used some scans of the office building to scratch build this one. The walls got a multi-layered stain of various Hunterline colors and A&I. The doors are FSM castings (well, molds of), the windows from Tichy and the chimney from FOS. The concrete base was done the exact same way I did the base for Jagoda’s. All the windows received my quick shade method.
FLETCHER ROAD ELEVATED GATE TOWER:
This is an Atlas kit. Cost me $5. This is what the box contents looked like:
The secret to these cheap plastic kits is making them look like wood. That can be achieved with using razor saw teeth to make a wood grain effect in the plastic and a decent paint job thereafter. As you can see from these photos, my grain effect isn’t perfect, but I think it helps sell the illusion of wood more-so than swathes of flat plastic.
Following an F&SM design, I discarded the plastic four-faced roof and created a standard pitch roof by just adding two small triangles of clapboard on either side of the tower (can be seen in the photos above as the white clapboards immediately under the roof). I used the rolled type shingles (love these) and added rafter tails. Before I sealed everything, I added a small desk, window shades and a uniformed Preiser (his full-story below). The tower was carefully aged and later the plastic base will be hidden into the ground work.
The work to the controversial elevated gate tower on Fletcher and Kellogg was completed today. The unusual decision to add a tower to a spur-line crossing was granted four weeks ago in light of the increasing amount of incidents at the busy intersection.
In recent years, the growing industry at Rocky Point Harbor has driven an equal amount of foot traffic to the area, oft creating a bustling atmosphere that has seen dramatic increases in ambient volume levels. So dramatic, in fact, it has proven fatal on several occasions. One eye-witness told us, “Between the delivery of anchovies, the singing sailors at the Tavern and Bob’s excitement over his wife’s latest garment, I hadn’t even noticed the locomotive that was a mere six feet away. I was a lucky one of a tragic many”
Upon the Tribune’s visit to the newly erected tower, we found it manned by watchman Ronald R Ronwell. A proud man who has always desired a career with the railroad, but until now had never found the opportunity. So proud of his new role that Mr Ronwell wears a self-funded uniform, despite the relaxed dressed code for gate watchmen. As he stoked his coal furnace, he told us, “My duty is to protect the citizens, patrons, employees and visitors of the harbor and its infamous, man-eating crossing. My uniform reminds me of that responsibility, even if it does ride up in places I don’t want it when I scale the ladder each morning and night”
We here at the tribune are happy to have Mr Ronwell watching over us, even if he does need a new tailor.
LONGFELLOW TRIBUNE, May 4 1938
by on April 18, 2021
