I know there are some guys who model exactly 4:13PM August 9, 1954, and will even have the tiny newspapers in the scene showing the date. And all details exact. But I enjoy the other end. So Tony Koester, go in the other room for a moment...
I hope many of you remember Walthers' Piker and Oscar passenger cars. One three axle truck with a tiny short Pullman or coach car atop. I always wanted them. I think they are really cool, myself. And while it was 60 years ago now, I could swear I had an old wooden era shorty coach, maybe with drawbars, but if I recall, maybe 40 foot tops. So cartoon charicature sort of stuff, tongue in cheek, but realisticly done.
I lacked, and still lack, the skills, but I always wanted to build a locomotive. It would be a single four wheel truck with a GP7 cab and short hood on top. I suppose it would be OK to make one with a six wheel truck and an SD7 cab. Where inside it an engine might go, who cares? I recall back in that era "featherbedding" was in the news a lot. That was born of the RR unions wanting to preserve jobs, and the railroads claiming that meant unnecessary crew people. Not taking sides here. But my warped sensibility envisioned one of these things as a extra cab for the extra crew members. But I also thought it would be cute pulling a few single truck cars - passenger or freight.
Does anyone else get ideas like that, or do I need therapy? I know some avoid joke scenes on their layouts, claiming once seen, they get old on you. But I like them. Even semi-jokes, like a burning building, with a movie crew filming. Or a T-rex chasing people down the street, and a film crew to the side. With maybe a "real" Trex about to eat the film crew. Ah, maybe that is a bit much. But today there are so many possibilities. I know there are layouts out there with real movies playing on drive-in screens. "Say, isn't that The Graduate on that tiny screen?" "Why yes, but WAIT, this railroad is supposed to be 1964!!!"
I believe you should do what ever, however, to get the enjoyment you seek.
It's a hobby,aint no rules.
''Whimsical'' ? I use a pretty wide brush for prototypical modeling, but it has to be believeable. But I stop befor I hit whimsical. I know its a pretend RR in a pretend town, but ''I'' need it to look real.
You should try to build thouse locos,worst thing that can happen is you end up tossing it
EnzoampsI know there are some guys who model exactly 4:13PM August 9, 1954
.
Those people are completely nuts.
Resonable level-headed people model exactly 2:00 PM on Tuesday, August 3rd, 1954.
You would have to be out of your mind to model a Monday!
-Kevin
Living the dream.
What you are describing was available for hi-rail - it's called a "Beep". Close anyway.
You could probably make one easily using a self contained power truck.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I have often thought about a power truck since, but when I had the idea, Athearn was using rubber band drive locos.
That''s a great Star Trek boxcar!
York1 John
On a recent section I built at the club I did a office building with Dewey Cheatham and Howe attorneys, Monet, Gruber and Steele Accountants and Marvin Acme Novelty Company- (With a stack of portable holes barely visible in the window) The building is far enough back that a lot of people miss it. I also put the Grumobile from Despicable Me (Kinda hidden by a truck) near a bank with an armored car- now to come up with some minions........
I think as far as I am going to go is have various businesses to somehow tie to family members, even though it's not the correct area that I am modeling. Such as, when they first came out with it, I got the Walt's Cafe kit for my Uncle who never turned down a good meal. I've often joked about it, but I am pretty sure I will have a laaw firm on my layout. Just not Deqey, Cheatham, and Howe. No, mine will be Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, and Howe. Might have to have a Peart & Squire Music Store, too.
The family ones, only family will get. Some of the others - I know some people will get it.
rrinkerI think as far as I am going to go is have various businesses to somehow tie to family members
Mike
SeeYou190 . -Kevin .
As a die hard Star Trek fan I have to know, where did you get that car? Or did you make it yourself? Either way that is really cool. I have decal paper for inkjet printers, so I might just have to make one.
Many visitors to my layout are not into trains. To get them more interested in the layout, I have LOTS of funny business names on my structures. It is very common that once one of these visitors spots a funny business name, they continue to look for others. Most people completely miss my Binford Tools store, though!
I also lettered a couple of Accurail Data Only boxcars for the Anahiem, Azusa and Cucamonga. However, I find that the train people like these cars more than the others.
Hornblower
Whimsical did you say?
http://www.greatminionrailway.co.uk/aboutgmr.htm
I saw this at a Model Railway Exhibition yesterday. Watched by many of the younger visitors - and me - aged 68 and a bit
Trevor
Years ago I made a Cheeps (think cheap) Lumber & Home Improvenments Center for a club I was a member of.. I used two Pikestuffs warehouses.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
My younger daughter is a lawyer and has kept her own name so I have a lawyers office with her and my son in laws name with "Partners in Crime" as the slogan in a row of low relief backdrop buildings on a British themed exhibiton layout I built. It is alongside the "Swinging Arms Hotel" and the "Miracle Furniture Shop" (if it stays together, its a Miracle)
Cheers from Australia
One thing I do whimsically is make a few of the waybills on the layout "interesting".
For example, we have a load of turbo encabulators billed to Venture Industries in Colorado Springs.[1]
Another is a load of brake components from Bruford Drum in Wakeman, Ohio bound for Anderson Auto Parts in Kansas City.[2]
And there are a couple of odd creations being shipped in boxcars from Cunning Artificers in Ankh-Morpork to various places.[3]
Then there is the haggis refrigerator car.
And a series of gag billboards.
[1] The subject of an old engineering joke being shipped to the home base of the Venture Brothers of late-night cartoon fame. As a recipient for unusual shipments, Venture Industries has a truly mind-boggling number of possibilities.
[2] A prog rock gag.
[3] Oblig. Sir Terry Pratchett ref., though I ended up placing Ankh-Morpork in New Jersey for routing purposes.
-Fritz Milhaupt, Publications Editor, Pere Marquette Historical Society, Inc.http://www.pmhistsoc.org
I recall that the original Caboose Hobbies in Denver had a modest display layout under plexiglass. Under close inspection, you might notice a chimp walking across a rooftop and leaving tracks from spilled red paint, while another was walking through wet cement, and so on. If you continued looking, you'd find the zoo van they escaped from after an accident popped open the rear doors. Subtle, clever and plausible!
Jim
I can recall a few from my young engineering apprenticeship days;
Tartan Paint Company
Long-Waite Auto-repairs
EMT Gas Bottle Dealers
Biabroom Hardware Store
"It's the South Shore Line, Jim - but not as we know it".
" I always wanted to build a locomotive. It would be a single four wheel truck with a GP7 cab and short hood on top. I suppose it would be OK to make one with a six wheel truck and an SD7 cab. "
I saw a prototype for this. Larry's Truck and Electric was scrapping some SD EMD's at Lordstown, Ohio. One unit was cut off right behind the cab leaving the cab and low nose sitting on a three axle truck.
Mark Vinski
fmilhaupt One thing I do whimsically is make a few of the waybills on the layout "interesting". For example, we have a load of turbo encabulators billed to Venture Industries in Colorado Springs.[1] Another is a load of brake components from Bruford Drum in Wakeman, Ohio bound for Anderson Auto Parts in Kansas City.[2] And there are a couple of odd creations being shipped in boxcars from Cunning Artificers in Ankh-Morpork to various places.[3] Then there is the haggis refrigerator car. And a series of gag billboards. [1] The subject of an old engineering joke being shipped to the home base of the Venture Brothers of late-night cartoon fame. As a recipient for unusual shipments, Venture Industries has a truly mind-boggling number of possibilities. [2] A prog rock gag. [3] Oblig. Sir Terry Pratchett ref., though I ended up placing Ankh-Morpork in New Jersey for routing purposes.
Just change the routing for that load of brakes to Squire, WV (it's a real place) and you've got them all. Or two alternate locations - there are several towns in the US named Howe.
hornblower Many visitors to my layout are not into trains. To get them more interested in the layout, I have LOTS of funny business names on my structures. It is very common that once one of these visitors spots a funny business name, they continue to look for others. Most people completely miss my Binford Tools store, though! I also lettered a couple of Accurail Data Only boxcars for the Anahiem, Azusa and Cucamonga. However, I find that the train people like these cars more than the others.
Really they missed that from Home Improvement, man I sometimes miss that show.
I'm planning on adding Scooby-Doo characters in various locations, but not showing the van. Adding an advertisement for The Vicki Vale Show from Batman Arkham games.
It's the only ones I thought of for now.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
SeeYou190 Enzoamps I know there are some guys who model exactly 4:13PM August 9, 1954 . Those people are completely nuts. . Resonable level-headed people model exactly 2:00 PM on Tuesday, August 3rd, 1954. . You would have to be out of your mind to model a Monday! . . -Kevin .
Enzoamps I know there are some guys who model exactly 4:13PM August 9, 1954
That was so funny I couldn't stop laughing.
A. Bused Used Cars
Ketchum & Cheetham
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
York1That''s a great Star Trek boxcar!
Thank you John, it is quite whimsical, and one of my favorites.
Wolf359As a die hard Star Trek fan I have to know, where did you get that car?
I made it myself. The lettering is just alphabet decals. The silouette of the Enterprise is silver stripes and a silver circle cut to fit. The lightning bolt is from a Soviet WW2 aircraft decal set, and the Die Martian Die chalk graffiti is from a decal set for the game All Quiet On The Martian Front.
The boxcar itself is a Tichy kit.
If you look REAL CLOSE, the little data on the left says "Kadee #5 Couplers", and on the right it says "RP25 Wheels".
angelob6660That was so funny I couldn't stop laughing.
Thank you for the comment. Glad you got a laugh out of this one.
Since all my equipment is fictitious, I guess it is all whimsey. I think this is funny, but the joke is a bit obscure. Maybe only English Majors will get it.
This one is more obtuse, made from a decal set from the 1960s that was in the collection of Whit Towers.
SeeYou190 York1 That''s a great Star Trek boxcar! . Thank you John, it is quite whimsical, and one of my favorites. . Wolf359 As a die hard Star Trek fan I have to know, where did you get that car? . I made it myself. The lettering is just alphabet decals. The silouette of the Enterprise is silver stripes and a silver circle cut to fit. The lightning bolt is from a Soviet WW2 aircraft decal set, and the Die Martian Die chalk graffiti is from a decal set for the game All Quiet On The Martian Front. . The boxcar itself is a Tichy kit. . If you look REAL CLOSE, the little data on the left says "Kadee #5 Couplers", and on the right it says "RP25 Wheels". . angelob6660 That was so funny I couldn't stop laughing. . Thank you for the comment. Glad you got a laugh out of this one. . Since all my equipment is fictitious, I guess it is all whimsey. I think this is funny, but the joke is a bit obscure. Maybe only English Majors will get it. . . This one is more obtuse, made from a decal set from the 1960s that was in the collection of Whit Towers. . . -Kevin .
York1 That''s a great Star Trek boxcar!
Wolf359 As a die hard Star Trek fan I have to know, where did you get that car?
angelob6660 That was so funny I couldn't stop laughing.
You're very talented and have a good imagination. I like the Fumble and Grumble car, I thought that was funny. I've only done one fictitious car so far, but I don't know if you could call it whimsical or not. It's a 50' plug-door boxcar with a road name I made up called the "SaberTooth Western", with the slogon "The Big Cat Route" and a sabertoothed tiger logo that I made up in Microsoft Paint. I wish I had a picture of it I could post, but I only have a film camera and I don't have a cellphone. I'm in the stone-age!
Almost forgot on the building with Marvin Acme, and the Dewey Cheatham and Howe Attorneys is also the doctor's offices of Pulaski, Bashir, Crusher and McCoy with space for appointments always avalible. (The Pulaski throws everyone off and most people don't get it)
drgwcsthe doctor's offices of Pulaski, Bashir, Crusher and McCoy with space for appointments always avalible. (The Pulaski throws everyone off and most people don't get it)
I would have guessed fewer people would know Bashir. I know a lot more people that are fanarics about Next-Gen than DS-9.
I am DS-9 to the core. Right after TOS of course!
A few years ago I wanted to add some more meat reefers to my fleet. About that time the 30th anniversary of Ferris Bueller's Day Off was coming up, so I printed a one-off set of decals for one of them.
I had a lot of fun coming up with a plausible-looking logo.
I love what you can do pretty easily with Accurail data-only cars...
In had an Abe Froman Sausage Co. bumper sticker on my Ford F-150 for years.
I think I bought it at Spencer's in the late 1980s.
There's some great stuff here. The local train shop with a couple pun business names. Dewey Cheetum and Howe is one, though I think that was a stock item.
A friend of mine has a great homebrew industry "Jade Fog Industries". Sort of a parody of a malevolent chemical conglomerate.
He made me a couple tank trucks and hoppers for that company and I've got a chemical plant background that will eventually have signs for that company.
https://chicagovalleyrailroad.blogspot.com/2018/11/custom-corner-jade-fog-industries.html
Visit the Chicago Valley Railroad for Chicago Trainspotting and Budget Model Railroading.
Among other thing's that were / soon will be again , on my layout, I have a 1934 Ford tow truck lettered for
Ed's 23 Hour Towing ( he's gotta sleep sometime...)
I also still have one of the old cardstock reffer's from the NMRA .
" Oh my gosh, It's Frothinslosh ! " That pale, stale ale with the foam on the bottom.
Rust...... It's a good thing !