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A few shots taken at night in downtown Lionelville

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Posted by Frank53 on Saturday, April 7, 2007 1:38 PM

 fifedog wrote:
...so we're talking Cover shot FEB '08...?

yes, of the AMA Journal of Psychiatry.

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Posted by fifedog on Saturday, April 7, 2007 6:41 AM
...so we're talking Cover shot FEB '08...?
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Posted by Frank53 on Saturday, April 7, 2007 3:51 AM
 brwebster wrote:

I think the 9 days has passed...did you make your deadline?. 

Bruce Webster

Thank you for all the kind comments, they are greatly appreciated.

Doug: The backdrops are glued right to teh cinder block using elmers white glue. In hindsight, I would have glued these to a 1/8" bainbridge board, however, when I started the layout I did not fully take into consideration how tight I was running to the tracks. I could have used an extra 3/4" of clearance. One lesson learned. Rather than re-space everything out from teh wall, I went right to the conder block, which, for teh most part, is working fine.

Bruce: The good news is, my sister's pending visit really got me moving on a lot of projects that were lanquishing. The bad news being I spoke to here from Atlanta a few days ago, and it seems my neice was unable to get more than a day off from work, so they will not be visiting for Easter after all. She drove from Pennsylvania to Atlanta and from there the two of them were going to drive here - which is about ten hours.

After having devoted all this effort to the project towards this particular end, I'm bummed.

On the other hand, if she didn't threaten to actually come and see this project I wouldn't be as far along as I am.

So the next folly she is undertaking is coming to Florida in September for a seminar in Orlando - which is about 100 miles from me. That generally adds about 150 or so days to the schedule - so in round numbers, I'll call it the 300 day countdown. I'm sure she'll find some lame excuse not to visit then, at which point I will revert the countdown from days to years.

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Posted by Anonymous on Friday, April 6, 2007 12:21 PM

Stunning and Brilliant scenery workmanship, Frank!  It's the type of realism I'm striving for as well.

BTW...I think the 9 days has passed...did you make your deadline?. 

Bruce Webster

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Posted by insfil on Friday, April 6, 2007 11:09 AM

Hi Frank, I just saw the photos of your layout, all I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!! You certainly have the touch that makes for great train layouts, keep those photos coming!!

Phil

insfil "Once I built a railroad, made it run, made it race against time..."
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Posted by cnw1995 on Friday, March 30, 2007 8:59 AM
Frank, you mentioned gluing the backdrops directly to the wall - can you share what you used to do that? Right on the drywall?

Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.

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Posted by Jumijo on Friday, March 30, 2007 5:44 AM

 

 

Frank . . . touche.  Bow [bow]

Jim 

Modeling the Baltimore waterfront in HO scale

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Posted by MartyE on Thursday, March 29, 2007 9:46 PM
Frank as usual you do not disappoint.  I agree that the telephone poles look excellent.  More would be in order.  I just acn't wait to see the finished layout.  It would be worthy of any magazine.

Trying to update my avatar since 2020 Laugh

MartyE and Kodi the Husky Dog! ( 3/31/90-9/28/04 ) www.MartyE.com My O Gauge Web Page and Home of Kodiak Junction!

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Posted by Frank53 on Thursday, March 29, 2007 9:00 PM

Scott:

As I mentioned in another thread, I am a pushover for stories about Dad's trains. My 726, 2026, #60 Trolley and the NYC F3s were the trains we had under our Chritmas tree and they are prized possessions.

The 681, 224, various rolling stock and many accessories belonged to a neighbor of my Dad. WHen the husband died and teh wife moved to California, she gave him all the trains.

Over the course of the last year, I have acquired items I liked the look of. The Santa Fe set I bought from a guy in the hobby shop who came in with five boxes of stuff to sell, but the shop wasn't buying at the time, so he sold it to me - all of his trains from when he was a kid, for a few hundred bucks. Why anoyone would do that is just beyond me. 

Interestingly, I had no real interest in the Santa Fe, as I am sticking to Northeastern roadnames. I offered to sell it to a fellow on one of the forums for an insanely low price -- as in super low, dirt cheap, practically nothing -- and incredibly he passed on it. After living with it for a few weeks, I decided to keep it after all. Wouldn't you know the guy came back and wanted to buy it? Needless to say, he's been kicking himself ever since.

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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 29, 2007 8:40 PM

Frank,

As always your layout amazes me.  The thing that makes your layout even better for me is that you seem to have all of the same Lionel sets from the 1950's that I inherited from my father.  I have the 726RR, the New York Central F3 AA set, the Santa Fe F3 ABA set, and the 221 set.  Seeing these trains running on your layout motivates me to keep working on my layout so I can run the trains on it.  Keep up the great work.

Scott 

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Posted by Frank53 on Thursday, March 29, 2007 3:45 PM

Kurt:

 

The backdrops are glued directly to teh wall - printed on heavy weight glossy stock. The buildings in front of the backdrops are mounted to 1/4" foamcore. In the corners are two halves of Ameritowne buildings to form the two sides of the street coming out from the corner.

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Posted by kpolak on Thursday, March 29, 2007 1:03 PM

Sorry...I meant the walls of the buildings.  I saw the retaining wall thread.

In your last set of photos it looked like white chipboard.  If so are you reinforcing it to make it stable?  You have some pretty tall buildings.

Thanks,

Kurt

PS a popular online auction site has been flooded with NH Box cars, and pretty good prices.

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Posted by Frank53 on Thursday, March 29, 2007 8:09 AM
 kpolak wrote:

What are you using to build your scratch-built walls?

Kurt

thanks for all the nice comments. Kevin - "wickedly" - that gave me a chuckle - thanks.

The walls are built from quarter inch square wood I picked up at Home Depot. In my layout progress thread, it's shown how they are built step by step on page six - here is a link:

http://www.modeltrainjournal.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1954&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=75

Here is another topic that has more photos on the wall building:

Wall Building Thread

 

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Posted by kpolak on Thursday, March 29, 2007 7:55 AM

Beautiful work Frank!

What are you using to build your scratch-built walls?

Kurt

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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 29, 2007 4:13 AM
Frank, as always your layout is beautiful, I love seeing the progress that you're making.  I just hope someday that my empty table looks that good. Wink [;)]
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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, March 29, 2007 2:22 AM

 lionroar88 wrote:
 fifedog wrote:
CTT picture requirement.


300 megapixels!?!?!?  Holy Cow!  I have a 8.1 megapixel Canon Digital Rebel EOSxt, I was only aware that they go up to 15 megapixels... I think you meant 3 - 4 megapixels....???

Brent
i actually know of a 500 megapixel thats going cheap....$15k

 

 

...lol 

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Posted by AKKevinT on Thursday, March 29, 2007 1:56 AM
Frank- Your layout is excellent! So simple yet so wickedly great– an example that many of us will strive to copy! You are the man!

Kevin T.
Alaska Railroad & PostWar Lionel A fine combination!
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Posted by fifedog on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 12:32 PM
Duhhh, my bad.  I meant Hi-res 300-360 d.p.i...Dunce [D)]
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 12:09 PM
 fifedog wrote:
CTT picture requirement.


300 megapixels!?!?!?  Holy Cow!  I have a 8.1 megapixel Canon Digital Rebel EOSxt, I was only aware that they go up to 15 megapixels... I think you meant 3 - 4 megapixels....???

Brent
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Posted by fifedog on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 12:02 PM
CTT picture requirement.
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Posted by Frank53 on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 10:32 AM

You folks are too kind, and I appreciate the kind comments.

John: What will I do with my time? Well, at this point, if I finish this top level, I'll be about 25-30% done. I have the main level - about 100 sq ft - and the lower levels yet to tackle. I figure I have 18 months to go before it's done. My sister is also coming back in Spetember, so I will have a whole new goal set for that visit thats about 200 days.

Buckeye: To quote our friend Chuck, they can have my tubular track when they pry it from my cold dead hand.

Jim: I really appreciate your comments and enthusaism for the layout, however, I think the only time you will see me and the layout featured in any magazine is perhaps the AMA Journal  - something along the lines of "Model Railroad Building Drives Man To Drink" (film at 11) 

Fife: Not sure I know what "300-360 megap's" is.

Thanks for the encouragement - back to work for me.

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Posted by johnandjulie13 on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 10:02 AM

Frank:

Outstanding work!  However, I am concerned about you.  Assuming you meet your deadline, 10 days from now, what will you do with your time?Whistling [:-^]

Regards,

John O

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Posted by Buckeye Riveter on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 8:38 AM

Looking good! Thumbs Up [tup]

Now if we could get rid of that tubular track that you don't like. Laugh [(-D]

Celebrating 18 years on the CTT Forum. Smile, Wink & Grin

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Posted by cnw1995 on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 8:32 AM
Do you notice how Frank angles his buildings and flats to give the illusion of depth? I'm re-reading a 1946 Model Builder where the esteemed Mr. Ellison shows how he does this on his Delta Lines.

Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.

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Posted by fifedog on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 7:05 AM
You ARE cronicling your progress with 300-360 megap's, right FRANK...?Wink [;)]
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Posted by Jumijo on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 5:45 AM

Frank,

Your layout is amazing. It really is. And the reason I say that is because I know all the hard work and effort you've put into it. Many of the buildings are scratchbuilt, but are so well done, most people would assume they are made from kits. The scenery is first rate as well. You really do have a talent for this type of art, Frank. Your layout is one of my favorites to visit through photographs and movies. And I'm serious when I say that some day, you and your layout are going to be in a magazine!

Jim 

Modeling the Baltimore waterfront in HO scale

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Posted by alexweiihman on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 5:29 AM
Great job, if my layout could only be as nice as yoursSmile [:)]
K-Line The Difference is in the Details
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Posted by mitchelr on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 5:16 AM

All I can say is WOW!.  Your eye for detail and the progress you have made are astonishing.  Keep up the great work Frank.

Mitch

 

PS  By the time of your post, I gather that you never sleepSmile,Wink, & Grin [swg].

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A few shots taken at night in downtown Lionelville
Posted by Frank53 on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 2:37 AM

Only nine days to go on my deadline - as the lights go on in downtown LionelVille:

 

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