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Looking for HO scale McDonalds (Life-Like) (Update Found one)

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Posted by datsun on Sunday, October 13, 2019 10:56 AM

Nice job. How did you create the early Mc Donalds signage witht the 15 cent Hamburger. This wa snever in the Life-like kit. Do you have art work available for this?

 

Dean

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Posted by CSX_road_slug on Friday, March 29, 2013 9:02 PM

joe323
The Voller kit is ok except for the sign and the McCafe part. I understand you can just build the restaurant without McCafe

I just ordered one like this from Walthers thru my LHS.  I model 1970-72, and drive-thru windows were just starting to appear.  Hopefully I didn't go wrong, obviously I'll need to do some kitbashing to make it look more American.  The roof looks quite similar to the 'retro' McD's in Ocean City, MD, in the photo below:

-Ken in Maryland  (B&O modeler, former CSX modeler)

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Posted by AntonioFP45 on Friday, March 29, 2013 5:15 PM

Model railroading is such a good hobby for stirring up childhood memories. Big Smile

This looks so much like the McDonald's that my Dad took us to during the late 60s-early 70s in New York City (Queens / Long Island area).  It was his routine to stop at either that McDonalds or White Castle and treat us to dinner on our way home to the Bronx after visiting my godfather in Queens.  Simple enjoyable pleasures that are now treasured memories.

"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"

 


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Posted by joe323 on Friday, March 29, 2013 3:22 PM
The Voller kit is ok except for the sign and the McCafe part. I understand you can just build the restaurant without McCafe

Joe Staten Island West 

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Posted by Southwest Chief on Friday, March 29, 2013 1:10 PM

A mini update.

Did a little more work to the MCDonald's.  But still lots of detail work to complete as well as cut some plastic (and paint it) for the parking lot.

Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, CO
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Posted by Josta on Friday, November 25, 2011 9:10 PM

My McDonalds looks busier than yours.  Har har.

Seriously though, yours looks really good especially with the cars parked up next to it!  I'm going to have to go back and review my parking lot layout!  Beautiful job, Matt!

John

Brass Hat, Gulf and Pacific Railroad HO/HOn3 (Modelled to represent mid 1960's) Big Bear Lake, CA.  For pictures and videos of the layout please see below:

YouTube Channel:  http://www.youtube.com/user/jostaiii?feature=mhee

Photobucket: http://s584.photobucket.com/albums/ss287/josta1954/

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Posted by Southwest Chief on Friday, November 25, 2011 7:46 PM

Added an old Walthers fluorette for lighting.  Seemed fitting to use an older lighting source with an older kit.  Sorry about the image quality, the camera I used is not the best for indoor or night photography.

Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, CO
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Posted by Josta on Tuesday, November 15, 2011 9:49 AM

Few more, at "nighttime"....

 

 

Brass Hat, Gulf and Pacific Railroad HO/HOn3 (Modelled to represent mid 1960's) Big Bear Lake, CA.  For pictures and videos of the layout please see below:

YouTube Channel:  http://www.youtube.com/user/jostaiii?feature=mhee

Photobucket: http://s584.photobucket.com/albums/ss287/josta1954/

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Posted by Josta on Monday, November 14, 2011 6:48 PM

That is looking awesome, Matt!  And the ceramic sign is just the right size, too!

John

Brass Hat, Gulf and Pacific Railroad HO/HOn3 (Modelled to represent mid 1960's) Big Bear Lake, CA.  For pictures and videos of the layout please see below:

YouTube Channel:  http://www.youtube.com/user/jostaiii?feature=mhee

Photobucket: http://s584.photobucket.com/albums/ss287/josta1954/

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Posted by Southwest Chief on Monday, November 14, 2011 6:37 PM

Got a package in the mail today...a McDonald's sign I got on eBay.  It goes with a ceramic vintage McDonald's.  The sign broke from the base so this one was way cheaper then others you find on eBay.  It was super easy to glue it back too.

 

So here is what the McDonald's looks like now on the layout:

Getting closer to finished, but I still have to cut out some styrene for the parking lot.  Then paint the road and parking lot.  Paint the building base, add lighting, and add the building McDonald's sign.

Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, CO
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Posted by Josta on Monday, November 14, 2011 12:42 PM

Thanks.  This is actually an "inside looking out" photo.  The building is near the edge of the layout and wouldn't photograph well (due to the fascia of the layout showing) so I put the compact digital camera on the tracks facing the building, using manual focus, aperture priority,  and self-timer.  I also used a mirror to be able to see the screen of the camera to compose the picture, and held up a temporary "sky" background to hide the other side of the layout.  Looking at it some more, I should put something on the background (hills?) to give it a bit more depth.  Learning something new every day....

John

Brass Hat, Gulf and Pacific Railroad HO/HOn3 (Modelled to represent mid 1960's) Big Bear Lake, CA.  For pictures and videos of the layout please see below:

YouTube Channel:  http://www.youtube.com/user/jostaiii?feature=mhee

Photobucket: http://s584.photobucket.com/albums/ss287/josta1954/

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Posted by Southwest Chief on Monday, November 14, 2011 11:48 AM

That is great!

Looks perfect for a 60s scene.

Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, CO
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Posted by Josta on Monday, November 14, 2011 9:59 AM

Here's mine in Hannah Vista on my layout:

Brass Hat, Gulf and Pacific Railroad HO/HOn3 (Modelled to represent mid 1960's) Big Bear Lake, CA.  For pictures and videos of the layout please see below:

YouTube Channel:  http://www.youtube.com/user/jostaiii?feature=mhee

Photobucket: http://s584.photobucket.com/albums/ss287/josta1954/

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Posted by Southwest Chief on Friday, November 11, 2011 7:42 PM

Looking forward to some pics John.

I plan to work some more on mine this weekend.  Got some figures too add for the tables as well as some people behind the counter.

Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, CO
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Posted by Josta on Friday, November 11, 2011 3:49 PM

I have the Life-Like McDonald's on my 1960s layout; I got it at a model railroad swap meet in Pomona 20+ years ago; at the time the seller wanted $50 for it.  I inquired why it cost so much, and he told me the story behind the model, so I snatched it up for $40.  I need to take some better pictures of it and will post it here when I get home.

BTW Matt, it's looking good on your layout!

John

 

PS there's one on eBay right now:  http://www.ebay.com/itm/HO-SCALE-MCDONALDS-BUILDING-GREAT-CONDITION-PERFECT-SCALE-TRAINS-/110771143721?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item19ca798429#ht_600wt_1386

Brass Hat, Gulf and Pacific Railroad HO/HOn3 (Modelled to represent mid 1960's) Big Bear Lake, CA.  For pictures and videos of the layout please see below:

YouTube Channel:  http://www.youtube.com/user/jostaiii?feature=mhee

Photobucket: http://s584.photobucket.com/albums/ss287/josta1954/

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Posted by Southwest Chief on Monday, October 31, 2011 7:14 PM

I found one and got to work on it this weekend.  I'm not using all the parts of the kit as I'm going for a mid to late 1950s appearance while the Life-Like kit is more of a 1960s style.

Here are two photos of a test on the layout.  I didn't glue many of the parts yet as I actually may paint some things.

Been waiting for one of these for a long time.  Now I can finally finish up this section of the layout (roads, scenery, etc...)

Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, CO
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Posted by ChadLRyan on Sunday, October 9, 2011 1:46 AM

I always wanted to get one (sometime), but it never looked like any of those I frequented.   So, someday I plan to scratch my own. The arches are not a problem, I'm an RC Aircraft modeler & know how to 'bend' & laminate thin wood or styrene, just pin down a pattern & go with it!   You will impress yourself how easy it was to make those parts.    Draw it, pin it, form it... It's just that easy!

Chad L Ryan
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Posted by azrail on Sunday, October 9, 2011 1:22 AM

Supposedly Life Like brought out their version of McDonald's about the same time that McDonald's brought out its new building design (the mansard roof), which is why McD's took away their permission.

Imex makes a cast resin drive-in in HO scale that could be converted into a 50s era McD's with some paint and a pair of golden arches.

 

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Posted by Southwest Chief on Thursday, October 6, 2011 10:18 PM

scoutII
$250.00 WOW!!!!


Yep, and the bidding at the end was intense even at that price.

Makes one wonder if any of these are actually used on a layout (never seen a photo of one on a layout), or just more of a collecting item to keep and never use.

Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, CO
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Posted by Southwest Chief on Thursday, October 6, 2011 10:17 PM

scoutII
$250.00 WOW!!!!


Yep, and the bidding at the end was intense even at that price.

Makes one wonder if any of these are actually used on a layout (never seen a photo of one on a layout), or just more of a collecting item to keep and never use.

Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, CO
Click Here for my model train photo website

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Posted by scoutII on Thursday, October 6, 2011 8:22 PM




$250.00 WOW!!!!

9/18/11 sold......
HO SCALE McDONALDS LIFE-LIKE "BUILDEMS" BUILDING NEW NIB S359K lifelike model RR
 

HO SCALE McDONALDS LIFE-LIKE "BUILDEMS" BUILDING NEW NIB S359K lifelike model RR

Item condition: New
Ended: Sep 18, 201118:29:31 PDT
Bid history:

Winning bid: US $248.39
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Posted by Geared Steam on Thursday, October 6, 2011 6:11 PM
Dave Frary has one, as mentioned on a Scotty Mason Podcast. You can ask him? Dave@mrscenery.com

"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein

http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/

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Posted by Southwest Chief on Thursday, October 6, 2011 5:06 PM

Markgro

Perhaps the Freezee version might be slightly easier to find.

You could even re-convert it back into a McDonald's by making your own signage and scratchbuilding some new arches.

Given it a lot of thought, as they (Freezee) are easier to find.  But how to make the arches has always confounded me.  I'm good with styrene, but not that good.  And the roof is slightly different as well..no yellow round roof edges.

I figured that I might be luckier finding the McDonalds kit, but so far my luck hasn't worked.  Freezee may be the way to go.

Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, CO
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Posted by Markgro on Thursday, October 6, 2011 4:17 PM

After LifeLike pulled the McDonald's kit from production (due to licensing issues), they retooled it slightly and re-released it as "Freezee Ice Cream Drive In." It is essentially the same building, it just lacks all of the McDonald's signature icons (the name, the golden arches).

Perhaps the Freezee version might be slightly easier to find.

You could even re-convert it back into a McDonald's by making your own signage and scratchbuilding some new arches.

 

 

 

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Posted by rrebell on Thursday, October 6, 2011 3:04 PM

The reason you don't find them is that they never gave permission to use their logo, their received a cease and desist order.

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Posted by Milepost 266.2 on Thursday, October 6, 2011 8:54 AM

gabeusmc

 

 tstage:

 

McDonald's refused to remove the trans-fats and high fructose corn syrup from their Life-Like menus so Walthers (the new owners of Life-Like) had them shut down. Smile, Wink & Grin

Tom

 

 

I like the trans-fat and and high fructose corn syrup, the food tastes better.

Oh yah about the thread. I have no idea.

Fries cooked in beef tallow (basically lard) and real cane sugar in the coke was even better :)

My greatest find at Timonium was a nicely built Life-Like McDonalds.  It was in a box of O scale Plasticville kits on the white elepahnt table.  Got the whole box was $50.  Later sold the Plasticville kits for $40.  

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Posted by Southwest Chief on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 8:52 PM

richg1998

I see some similar ones on ebay right now.

Rich

Similar?  You don't mean the Vollmer kit do you?

Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, CO
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Posted by gabeusmc on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 8:32 PM

tstage

McDonald's refused to remove the trans-fats and high fructose corn syrup from their Life-Like menus so Walthers (the new owners of Life-Like) had them shut down. Smile, Wink & Grin

Tom

I like the trans-fat and and high fructose corn syrup, the food tastes better.

Oh yah about the thread. I have no idea.

"Mess with the best, die like the rest" -U.S. Marine Corp

MINRail (Minessota Rail Transportaion Corp.) - "If they got rid of the weeds what would hold the rails down?"

And yes I am 17.

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Posted by richg1998 on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 8:16 PM

I see some similar ones on ebay right now.

Rich

If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.

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