Photos of my latest Ellison recreation

[FJ and G]

dlagrua,

Interestingly, I'm finding that you are not the only one who models Ellison creations. In the June03 MR mag, there is a 3-page article on a scratchbuilt trackside building that was modeled, based on a b&w photo from a 1950(?) Model Railroad book filled with Ellison creations.

dav

[Anonymous]

The name John Allen invokes memories of a fine model builder in his own right. I lean towards Ellison having the best layout of all time due to his scenic and artistic ability. John Allen on the other hand was a very very fine modeler who's detail was always excellent.
It's sad but the historic layouts done by Ellison and Allen, that are so much a part of model railroading history were lost. A few Ellison structures were saved but I guess that we can only enjoy John Allens work from old Model Railroader magazine articles. Is there anyone on this forum whos done a John Allen structure???

[Anonymous]

Yes, FJ&G, the Great One was single......did I hear you gulp? Odd-d

[FJ and G]

odd-d

I was thinking the same thing. I wonder if the layout had been insured? I believe Allan was a bachelor.

[Anonymous]

Diagura
Superb work. Very impressive - Thanks for sharing.

Keep the pictures of them coming.
Pete NoVA

[Anonymous]

There were some who thought it was rather eerie that Allen's pike would be destroyed by fire so soon after his passing. I guess this might be a good topic for a dark and stormy night.........Odd-d

[FJ and G]

dlagrua,

Thanks for the interesting explanation; esp. about the tube bender and wood flower pots. Who would have thought?!

-------------------------

I think it is pretty cool that you are imitating Ellison. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, or something to that effect goes the saying.

When I was a kid, my hero was John Allan. I still like what he's done but now I also enjoy seeing people's layouts in all of the model train mags as well as occasionally visiting some.

Everyone knows that Allan's layout was destroyed in a fire a few days after he expired. I've always wondered why someone doesn't try to recreate what he's done. His use of mirrors and the well painted sky and a few other techniques made the layout appear to go on forever.

The only other layouts that have been as dramatic as his are Malcolm Furlow's. He and Allan were in a class of their own.

dav

[Anonymous]

Great job ! Very nice detail I find pating the challenge

[Anonymous]

Dlagrua----You are very modest when you say you could never be as good a modeller as Ellison yet you give the lie to that when you have done such a meticulous job of recreating those structures from Ellison. How did you get the measurements for those structures? Did you just eyeball them? Don't hide your light under a bushel....you ARE every bit as good a modeller as Ellison, but I still think it would be a challenge to build something that looks like something Ellison could have built. Odd-d

Odd-d Thanks again but believe me I couldn't shine the shoes of the great master. He was THAT good. From those that knew Ellison , he was also reported to be a very nice individual that enjoyed sharing his knowledge and hobby.
Today we have the benefit of gel pens, latex (water based) paints, chartpack tapes, Plastruct sheets, plastic items, dry transfer lettering, hydrocal, styrofoam, computers and many items unavailable when Ellison did much of his work. I admit to being a fair modeler as I know how to use a ruler, cut straight lines and follow instructions. Frank Ellison was not only a modeler but a prolific writer, creative scenic designer, and a true fine artist. He once painted a stone arch bridge that looked so three dimensional that everyone that saw it, thought that it was assembled from hundreds of small stones. Yet that beautiful stone arch bridge was created with "pen and India ink" ( a fountain pen no less) on a flat piece of cardboard!!! I will post a picture of it later after I scan it. That's the magic of Frank Ellisons work- illusion.
I get my ideas from old issues of Lionels Model Builder magazine. ( it was published by Lionel from 1937 to 1949) . Frank wrote an article on just about every structure that he built on his Delta Lines . He also wrote for Kalmbach (Model Railroader to the late 50's). In those articles many of the scale dimensions were given but some of the dimensions were omitted or incorrect and need to be derived from eye proportioning and scaling. Ellison would state the walls are 36 ft. long by 24 ft deep. Using O scale of 1/4" to the foot the walls measure 9" x 6".
I might add that my structures are not exact replicas of Ellsions work. I do change little things a bit here and there to suit my taste.
As for original modeling in the Ellison style ; if I ever see a structure that looks like it fits my layout, then I'll get to work. My layout is planned to represent railroading in the golden age of steam ( 1930's and 1940's) so my structures tend to look like what would be seen along the railroad tracks during that period.

[Anonymous]

Incredible Excellant job![:p]

[Anonymous]

Diagrua----You are very modest when you say you could never be as good a modeller as Ellison yet you give the lie to that when you have done such a meticulous job of recreating those structures from Ellison. How did you get the measurements for those structures? Did you just eyeball them? Don't hide your light under a bushel....you ARE every bit as good a modeller as Ellison, but I still think it would be a challenge to build something that looks like something Ellison could have built. Odd-d

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Odd-d

WOW!! You seem to have mastered Ellison's style. Style is important. While I admire Ellison, I'm not Ellison, I am Odd-d and I have to have my own style. Style is what makes a pike a complete whole. I would be interested in seeing you build something original in Ellison's style. My free unbidden advice for the day is to not let yourself be trapped in the past, Ellison's past. If Ellison were still active today he would have built many more models since he built those. There are many great structure modellers all of them having their own recognizable style. E. L. Moore, Jack Work, Lloyd Geibner are a few that come to mind. Their work was just as good as Ellison's but each had a style of his own.

I remember a story about how George Gershwin, the famous composer, admired Maurice Ravel, another great composer, so much that he visited him for a while to understudy him. He must have been pretty obsequious because finally Ravel asked him if he would rather be a first rate Gershwin or a second rate Ravel. So Try to develop a style of your own....your work will be better. Odd-d

Odd-d. Thank you for your comments and compliments. Ellisons style is not hard to follow. He scratch built and documented most everything that he built.
. You ask a valid question: why copy Ellisons work and not develop my own style? I do not believe that I could do any better and feel good about bringing back to life a great lost layout. I want to recreate part of a great layout which enjoys a significant part of model railroading history. Sure there are great modelers around that have built structures with far greater detail. There are some beautiful layouts like those of Herm Botzow and Frank Miller which employ some Ellison structures and scenery. Miller's Cascade Valley lines really comes close to capturing the feel that Ellison had. Some of Botzows structures take Ellisons detail to the next level. His Pittsburg Union station is incredible. However, I have never seen photos of another layout which used so many artistic tricks to create the depth, movement and illusion as Ellison did on Delta Lines.
As for living life in the past. I view what I am doing as similar to what people do when they choose a home. Some people as myself like the 18th century look and build a home styled from those in the 1700's and furnish it with period furniture. Lionel, Williams and MTH have reissued many old reproduction pieces. Plasticville is back too.
Getting back to Ellison, I could never be a great modeler like him, so I just follow his lead. However, I can assure you that my D Lines layout won't be an exact duplicate of Ellisons. There will be some new ideas plus a few added things like some Lionel and Atlas accessories.

CNW asks: Could you explain how you painted on the artists board to get that wonderful effect?
ans: Planking is drawn on artboard with a fine point indelible marker 1/4" to the foot. in this case the planks are 1 ft (1/4" wide) and 8 scale feet long (2") Each "Plank" is then individually painted with varying intensities of Burnt Umber and Van *** Brown paint. The result is a 3 D effect on weathered planks.

FJ&G asks:
That's pretty awesome. Is Raymondale the maker of kits? Can you give us some details, e.g., brick paper, roof construction material, window construction, and esp. how the tank was built on top of the roof.

Again, good stuff.

dav

Dave:
Raymondale was the town name where the originals came from . I do use commercial brick and roofing paper from Fred Dole (WSR products) on some structures hand paint on others. Some windows are cut from poster board and glued from inside, others are cut from clear vinyl sheets with the detail derived from 1/64", 1/32" and 1/16" Chartpack or Letraset graphics art tape and also glued on the interior walls. The blower on the roof of the woodworking plant was assembled and turned down from two wood flower pots found at Michaels in the wood noveties section. The pipe is a 1/4" diameter piece of solid aluminum bent with a tube bender . The base mounts on a 1/4" wood dowel.

[FJ and G]

I see that more superb photos have been added here. Wow!

[Anonymous]

ANOTHER outstanding construction, my friend!
That was some quick turn-around time from when you got the plans to the final product. I know you're anxious to see MY version of the Oblong Box Co, but I can assure you that it PALES in comparison to the efforts you bring forth!

Fred, is Dennis motivating you? How are YOU doing with Raymondale?

Dennis, have you considered writing notes as you progress with the construction? How about pictures? Sure would make for an interesting article!

Odd-d, I must say that I'd be a happy 'second-rate' DLAGRUA at this point! Not all of us have the imagination, confidence and/or ability that has been shown to 'create' our own structures. Ellison was able to create an 'environment' for his structures, and even described how to 'group' businesses in a coherent fashion to suit use by a railroad. That's something I would never have even considered, and one of the reasons why I agree with Dennis that Frank Ellison is/was an admirable mentor.

Personally, I've just photographed the Windsor Wax Co. in Hoboken, NJ. It's run down, been closed for more than a decade, but there's a shovel in the vacant lot nearby; I fear the building's days are numbered. It has character, a footprint that would lend itself to a model pike, and is reminiscient of buildings similar to Dennis'. While it will probably be a long while before I begin work, I feel it's worth preserving, at least in model form.

So, what about this, Ellison devotees? Who else has reconstructed bits and pieces of the Delta Lines? Are there enough of us to form a loosely knit group to exchange ideas, plans and information?

And again, Dennis ~ AWESOME work! Keep it up! You know I can help you!

[Anonymous]

Fred Dole bought some of the Raymondale buildings at auction. He is also reconstructing the town.

OGR run 126, December 1992 has color photos of some of the original buildings.

[Anonymous]

WOW!! Your buildings make mine look cheap and chintzy. You and Norm Charbonneau sure have a gift. BTW how many kits dit it take to build REA? You seem to have mastered Ellison's style. Style is important. While I admire Ellison, I'm not Ellison, I am Odd-d and I have to have my own style. Style is what makes a pike a complete whole. I would be interested in seeing you build something original in Ellison's style. My free unbidden advice for the day is to not let yourself be trapped in the past, Ellison's past. If Ellison were still active today he would have built many more models since he built those. There are many great structure modellers all of them having their own recognizable style. E. L. Moore, Jack Work, Lloyd Geibner are a few that come to mind. Their work was just as good as Ellison's but each had a style of his own.

I remember a story about how George Gershwin, the famous composer, admired Maurice Ravel, another great composer, so much that he visited him for a while to understudy him. He must have been pretty obsequious because finally Ravel asked him if he would rather be a first rate Gershwin or a second rate Ravel. So Try to develop a style of your own....your work will be better. Odd-d

[Anonymous]

and the BrassWorks.

[Anonymous]

and here is El Ropo Cigars

[Anonymous]

And here is the station

[Anonymous]

Whew. Lot's of questions to answer but I've always said that the real fun is sharing the hobby with everyone. For those who do not know Frank Ellsion, he was IMO the master model railroad modeler of all time. His creative genius, eye for proportion and depth and great artistic ability was put to good use when he built the Delta Lines in his large home in New Orleans. He started construction in the late 30's and continued building Delta Lines into the late 50's. The layout was so well put together that it looked like a real railroad. Just about everything was scratchbuilt and there was something like 50 structures on a 34 x 36' layout. Frank even made his ties and laid his own track. As the 60's came around Frank had lost his wife, moved into an apartment and was in his 70's. He sold the layout to a Dr. Sam Sach of Boston who intended to set it up again. . Sadly the layout was lost in a moving van accident in the rain on it's way to Boston. The roof was torn off and everything got soaked.
Fortunately Mr. Ellsion was a man who loved to share his knowledge and wrote over 130 articles in Model Builder, Toy Trains, Model Railroader and Railroad Model Craftsman magazines. I have chosen to recreate many of Ellisons structures for my own layout- the 3D Lines. As for Raymondale, it was a town on Ellisons layout named after his son Raymond. Frank had something like 7 children and named all of the towns after family members. So on request here are a few more of the structures recreated from those at Raymondale. I just wi***hat I had the ability to paint backdrops as well as Frank Ellsion did, but I'm learning.

[Anonymous]

Nice work!

I can apprectiate the effort that you are undertaking having spent a good part of the past 6 months scratch building structures.

[cnw1995]

Could you explain how you painted on the artists board to get that wonderful effect?

[FJ and G]

dlagrua,

That's pretty awesome. Is Raymondale the maker of kits? Can you give us some details, e.g., brick paper, roof construction material, window construction, and esp. how the tank was built on top of the roof.

Again, good stuff.

dav

[Phil1361]

Wow! Excellent job!

Please show more of your pictures of other structures and if you don't mind could you tell me how it was done?

By the way what is the footprint of your Chic Scale Manufacturing Co.?
Thanks.

[ChiefEagles]

Great job. Keep them coming.

[Anonymous]

Whew. Now that I am finally able to post pictures here (thanks to PhotoIsland) I will try to share more of my scratch building work with all. In the case of the old Raymondale woodworking factory pictures posted here; it was a particulaly hard structure to model. It required building the factory , office/shipping building, block and tackle crane, blower and lumber shed. All of the weathered wood planks are actually just painted on flat artists illustration board. Using the great master Ellisons technique they seem to appear as real wood planks. The result was satisfactory and we now move on to creaate the Richmond Packing Company building. If any forum members have not seen my other structures and wi***o do so, just post here and I'll put those pictures up. I do this work in the admiration, inspiration and memory of the greatest O scale model railroad builder of all time- the late Frank Ellison of New Orleans, my teacher and mentor.

[Anonymous]

Excellent work! Frank Ellison's Delta Lines was a real inspiration to me lo those many years ago, nice to see someone reminding me of those days

[Anonymous]

After completing five other structures from Raymondale my latest build has been of the Chic(k) Sale Manufacturing Co. With much thanks to the great master for his teaching. Do we have any other Ellison fans on this forum? Here we go and I hope that I've gotten the bru***echnique down ( creating depth and realism) that Ellison used so cleverly on his incomparable Delta Lines.




and lastly