Working on the Colorado O Scale Modelers city of Longview on the Longmont Terminal & Northern Branchline layout

The road surface is excellent, Erik.  

Thanks Max! 

This made my morning Eric....such beautiful work. Thanks for posting!

Revenue generator for our layout!

Parking meters?  Seriously?....You never stop impressing, what details...I could look at these photos for hours and still miss stuff.

Now I have gone nuts   15 cent hamburger anyone? 

I started modifying an MTH McDonalds awhile back and decided it was a nice fit. Out of the box the MTH is beautiful thing that needs a thorough rebuild. Lighting is a challenge I would like to incorporate our friends at Miller Engineering someday. Until then we can dream.  

Americana in one exhibit 

http://www.trafficsign.us/yellowstop.html

The first STOP sign appeared in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. There were a variety of colors used for STOP signs until the late 1920s, when the background color was standardized on yellow for maximum day and night visibility. Remember that this was a number of years before the invention of glass-bead retroreflectorization for sign faces, so a red sign looked very dark at night.

By 1954, signmakers were able to use durable fade-resistant red coatings for sign faces, so the background color of the STOP sign was changed to the red color you see today. This change also served to distinguish the regulatory STOP sign from yellow warning signs, and also made the color consistent with that of red traffic signal indications, which for decades had used red to signal "stop".

I thought the signs turned to red much later than 1954. I guess it took a while for them to all get replaced.

Not sure where that post came from but here is an example of the Yellow Stop Sign pre-dating mid-50's on the High Plains Route.  Strange coincidence but I had the exact opposite and somebody telling me "Yellow was bogus and never was"..

I could either way, I prefer the yellow but from what I was told Longmont, CO just as an example went red stop signs in 1956-1957; so in keeping with authenticity on a local level I'm going with red. 

Industrial Models posted:

This made my morning Eric....such beautiful work. Thanks for posting!

Gosh missed this IM! Thank you!

So now I'm thinking........(never a good thing)......

How big is a scale coin for the meters? They look like they work so someone needs to put some change in.....'s all I'm sayin'.....

Does that horse ride work too?

Slap in some people. Add some french fries and burgers. We're there!!

Inspiring as always. Draws you right into the scene.

N&W Class J posted:

Parking meters?  Seriously?....You never stop impressing, what details...I could look at these photos for hours and still miss stuff.

Right on buddy! 

A 1950's era McDonald's... ?!

An unusual thing to model in our transition era modeling 1940's-late 1950's. I want to do it! It will set this exhibit apart from other modular railroads at our local venues for one thing.  

So yeah-- need to do some fairly major surgery on the MTH McDonald's yet. I didn't keep a lot of notes on the process of improving the model other than some major bullet points. 

*stainless trim on the windows, MTH is all one color a gray. Carefully mask and respray. 

*respray the roof a flat dead gray and weather it replacing the semi-gloss black provided on the MTH. 

*respray the roof equipment stainless or aluminum silver and weather them.

*still needed on my project repaint the doors and windows on the back of the structure to white. My research shows white in leu of the red. Maybe it's right? Leave it? Can't decide...

*throw out that miserable frosted window casting. MEH! And replace with clear from Evergreen. Cut out the order Windows so the kids can take that 15 cent burger order. 

*interior requires a complete styrene build up. My research yielded a lot of photo reference and written info into the subject. A continuous counter was around the entire glassed in area. A wall with a serving window was to the rear for access to the kitchen. I needed to measure carefully and cut from styrene all the walls and a ceiling. I left the rear wall like in the photos showing white likely a porcelain coated surface. That much is not clear. This far back inside the model most will not see it anyway. A sign and order menu must be fabricated I plan to use photoshop and color laser a print and glue it on a styrene form. Cash registers from Berkshire Valley some kids in white uniforms and hats and I think we're in business. 

*the base is where I need to head next for the installation into the exhibit. I was going to cut out the cast form from MTH and decided to use styrene at the same thickness as the dreaded cast grove for the toy-like base. It's cast with a grove and tounge design for ease of assembly. This is the only drawback I can find in the original model. I will update as I move along with this part of the installation of McDonald's. 

This will be a conversation piece for a long time. 

Here are some snap shots of the model in progress and some prototype images .

Chilly December morning in Longview 

1957? 

Is that my grandfather's Ford?

The McDonald's is still in progress but I believe it will work well. 

Amazing what daylight and the ability to capture it correctly on camera can do. It absolutely looks real Erik. I'm sure if we look close enough we can find a few "gotchas", but at first glance (or any casual viewer) it's the early 1950's captured on an early morning photo. The buildings in the shadows and in the glaring sunlight just look stunning and the cars look very real. Nice capture!

Butch

Erik C Lindgren posted:

1957? 

Is that my grandfather's Ford?

The McDonald's is still in progress but I believe it will work well. 

Ok, I have to admit you got me with this one....  Nicely done Erik! 

Thank you gentlemen  

Someone needs to clean the streets in Longview. Look at the filth along the curb of Railroad Avenue! Ugh!

up148 posted:

Amazing what daylight and the ability to capture it correctly on camera can do. It absolutely looks real Erik. I'm sure if we look close enough we can find a few "gotchas", but at first glance (or any casual viewer) it's the early 1950's captured on an early morning photo. The buildings in the shadows and in the glaring sunlight just look stunning and the cars look very real. Nice capture!

 

Butch

Butch, I am humbled by your reply. You are among the most discerning and accomplished collectors and buyers in the world. Lee Turner pieces to just name a few and I am very grateful you take the time to reply with such respect for my projects. Thank you

    Thanks for the compliment, but I'm Just another modeler, collector and rivet counter like many of us on this forum.  You are the artist Erik and it shows.  I've learned a lot from your contributions and hope you continue for a long time. 

Butch

Glad you enjoy the images Butch  

I just love this 1930's era Standard Oil service station kit from Berkshire Valley. I have built 4 now since 1998. Just finished up this one last Spring in hopes to you use in Longview. But you watch when I finish up another 1940's Sinclair station she will get switched out.

That is a Model Company 1/48 Model T truck. They are kits from New Zealand and are fantastic. 

Fabulous Kiel Line utility pole kits! I've been hoarding them.

You can build this kit in a number of ways; I chose for Longview the "later" all blue and white scheme. I think I might build one and make it the main building for a OK used car lot. Not sure just yet. 

The flashing highway signals look great. Who made them?

Those lights are by Tomar. I will be adding fully functional gates in the near future. 

Still working on my Berkshire 1930's service station installation. Painted up another oil canister display rack. Sign coming up. Artista figures are my favorite. Caboose Hobbies always has them when I stop in. 

Continued modifications to the 1950's McDonald's.  Bump stops for autos, base foundation cut to precisely fit the cast grove and slot system originally used by MTH.

Fairly ideal start  

Artista figures ready for paper aprons  

Neat conversations piece for the town  

Detailing will be fun 

Artista figures will do nicely  

Couple of Berkshire Valley cash registers some boxes and some cleverly placed paint and this will work  

Print and stick!

This thread was not brought to us by McDonald's.

interesting project nonetheless thanks to MTH's fantastic structure. 

A little progress 

Your progress is looking great. There is a lot of nice stuff to digest here.

Thank you Chris. Planning on some more outdoor shots today. I'm starting to burn out.. Been going full steam for 2 weeks. The big show is this weekend in Denver so we should make a splash, if not at least we have a pretty complete layout to operate. 

Chris it's a real honor to have you reply. Your modeling is nothing short of world class amazement. 

You've done a great job with the McDonald's, Erik. We have that one and the animated one on the club layout and I like this one the best. The fact that my first job was at one of these may have had something to do with it, too.

I have not been active on this thread, but I've been enjoying it quite a bit. It surprises me how the  quality of your modeling is not diminished by the quantity of your output. Where do you find the energy? Excellent through and through.

Thank you Santiago