Would you be interested? - The Whistle Post

Sawdust · #1 (**permalink**) 06-06-2009, 02:22 AM

After reading Steve's(Nazgul) post about a NP hotel reminded me of a few prototype projects I have in the planning stage from researches of the actual piece of history that is gone or abandoned.I was thinking with Kevin's approval if this might be a good thing. We have so many pieces of history that we as modelers of all levels could capture & preserve on our layouts. This could be a building, train car, loco anything that connects with the railroad. It should be something that actually existed & documented with research of the item as it once was or still is. This info once posted could help others even if we never got it off the planning table it would be of some use to someone. Steve has a good example & here is one of mine.
YouTube - The Wonderland - Great Smoky Mountains
Elkmont - Ghost Town
Post your feedback to see if you think this would be good or not.

ak-milw · #2 (**permalink**) 06-06-2009, 07:45 PM

Jim,
My whole layout is like that, I had 2 years of research before I cut a board.

I will have to look but I know I have a magazine article or seen it on a DVD but someone did model the old hotel.

TallDude · #3 (**permalink**) 06-06-2009, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sawdust

After reading Steve's(Nazgul) post about a NP hotel reminded me of a few prototype projects I have in the planning stage from researches of the actual piece of history that is gone or abandoned.I was thinking with Kevin's approval if this might be a good thing. We have so many pieces of history that we as modelers of all levels could capture & preserve on our layouts. This could be a building, train car, loco anything that connects with the railroad. It should be something that actually existed & documented with research of the item as it once was or still is. This info once posted could help others even if we never got it off the planning table it would be of some use to someone. Steve has a good example & here is one of mine.
YouTube - The Wonderland - Great Smoky Mountains
Elkmont - Ghost Town
Post your feedback to see if you think this would be good or not.

I think its a good idea for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, as you said, a lot of these structures are disappearing because they are falling apart or the local governments tear them down because they have become an eyesore and they would rather put a city parking lot in its place. I've seen it happen time and time again.

Secondly, these older structures, at one point, usually had incredible detail and make great topics to model on our own layouts.

Thirdly (dang, I said a couple up there), there are probably some people on the forum that don't have that many historic buildings around them, let alone buildings that were used by the railroad or had some attachment to it.

I say go for it!

Sawdust · #4 (**permalink**) 06-27-2009, 11:03 PM

Here is little project on my planning table but first some info. My family are from Eastern Ky. coal mine area not far from Harlan County Ky. in a little almost forgotten coal town of Wallin's Creek Ky. My family like many others tried to escape the coal town many years ago to the North for a better life for them & their soon to be families. They have again, like many others after retirement moved back there of coarse in a lot better shape than when they left. There's not much in the way of work but you can be sure of, the mountains are breath taking & the people are down to earth mountain folks that are full of generosity & will welcome & feed you no matter who you are. This little town of Wallins Creek was a busy town in it's hay day. We took many trips a year there to stay with my Mama. I can remember the L&N hauling coal all day long & you could hear the horn many times a day as it came out of the mountains heading through town. This little building I want to do although abandoned is still in pretty good shape. I was born in 1954 & this is where my Mom took me for my first check up as a new born. The Doctor's name was Dr. Boone. My Mom told me people came from miles by foot, car, hitchhiking & even by horse to get to see the Doc. I will probably build using brick styrene sheets with a metal or tar paper roof. I wouldn't think it had shingles like the pic. I'm trying some methods to place soldier coarses over the windows to duplicate the arch in the pics. Once the window openings are cut I want to shave off the horizontal brick & replace the area with these soldier coarses. If anyone has ever done this let me know how you did it.I will probably use ship lap siding on the gable walls because I can remember a lot of that on houses down there. Here are some pics.

I hope you enjoyed & if you have a plan let us all know about it.

ak-milw · #5 (**permalink**) 06-28-2009, 05:16 PM

Jim,
Looks like the building had more of it coming out of the back where the door on the second story is. Any idea what it looked like?
Also Rusty Stumps has the curved window tops laser cut in wood. I have also seen folks cut them out of sheets and place them one at a time. Another guy to see would be Spyder62, he is starting to laser cut brick sheets and he might make some up for you, and he also visits the forum. Drop him a PM or e-mail.
Oh ya, my wife and her family are from Dorton KY in Pike county.