Hi, my name is Rob and I'm fairly new to discussion forums, so I hope you will forgive my newbie mistakes. I have a friend that wants me to build some structures for his basement HO line. He has no real preference as to era other than a mix of early diesels and late worn steam locos. I have three FSM kits that I am considering building for him. They are Cartwrights Machine shop, Jamestown Water stop, and Starkeys coal yard. Granted, with artistic license I can model anything, but if any one is familiar with these kits and their eras would they work well together? I guess I have a stubborn picture in my head about this so I'm reaching out for ideas that you may have run across. The locomotive types are (without buying something else) an SW1200, RS2, 0-4-0 steam switcher, and a Shay logging loco. Fantasy type thing, but any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.
With structures, the only thing you really need to worry about is whether the structures are from an era later than what you are modeling (such as a modern Taco Bell building on a transition era layout). Anything from the era you are modeling or older is appropriate, especially with structures. Too many modelers forget that people tend to hold on to things for a long time. Thus, a layout set in the 1950's should obviously include many 1950's vehicles, but also several 1940's vehicles, a few 1930's vehicles, and even one or two 1920's or even older vehicles. A building from the 1890's directly adjacent to a new 1950's era building would not be unprototypical. Just make sure that the 1890's era building looks a bit weather worn while the new building should look new. A interesting scene could include a construction crew performing restoration work on the older building. A better way to indicate the layout era is to use billboard art that includes a date or a specific product commonly known to have been produced during a certain year (i.e. a billboard showing a '57 Chevy Bel Air). Political campaign art is also useful to set the era. If you want realism on your layout, use your imagination to help you model the prototype. Don't just model your imagination.
Hornblower
First off, you should do what you like – fun is the prime directive. I have designed a number of layouts for clients who decided to include FSM kits, even though many of the structures were too “old-timey” and quaint for the rest of the layout.
It may be controversial to say so, but I think most FSM kits built as intended would be anachronisms for the transition era. While older structures might still be around (as pointed out above), they wouldn’t still look so cluttered and quaint in a later era (if ever). Since you have a fantasy theme in mind, it’s a less-serious issue, of course. Sharkey’s Coal is probably the most appropriate of these three for transition era.
It may also be controversial to say so, but at the ridiculous (to me) prices unbuilt FSM kits seem to bring on the resale market (many purchased by collectors with no intention to build them), I’d be tempted to sell the FSM kits and purchase more appropriate kits for the era.
But these are personal opinions only and may not represent general thoughts on the topic.
Byron
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
I have seen buildings with pre-WWI build dates directly across a rather wide thoroughfare from modern franchise fast food joints and a strip mall. When new they would have been served by 2-6-0s and 2-8-0s. Across the street modeled? Present-day diesels fresh off the erecting floor - but the century-old grain elevators (now supplemented by corrugated steel grain tanks) are still in service.
Since your friend is firmly anchored in the mid-20th century any of the structures you named (and a whole bunch more, described in contemporary MR 'scratchbuild-it-yourself' articles) would be appropriate in small rural towns where there's less incentive to demolish the old in favor of the latest and greatest. At that point, the major consideration is to provide adequate clearance for rolling stock on the adjacent track(s).
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with at least one 500 year old structure)