Two Building Builds!

 I've Been a Busy Boy!

Busy with Blog Posts, Recording YouTube Process Videos and Building out the Layout.

The Backesto Block building (pictured left) is being chronicled here on this blog, while the Watts Building (far right) is being featured in videos over on the Dan D. Sparks YouTube channel.

San Diego & Southeastern #107 rolls into a bustling downtown San Diego scene.

The full scene set up. Cobbling together what I had on hand, I was able to create a pretty nice scene. This shot was taken from the tripod at the front of the layout.

On the left is the Backesto Block, scratch-built using 3D printed parts. In the center is my Bank of Santa Monica model, originally built years ago as a kitbash of Walthers Merchant Row II—it fit the space perfectly, so back into service it went. On the right is the Walthers Ashmore Hotel, finished to resemble the Watts Building in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter.

Autos come from a variety of manufacturers.

SD&SE #107 is a Suydam PE 414 model, backdated to its original San Diego appearance.

A Little Whimsy. And for fun, there’s a couple dashing across the boulevard—actually a dancing pair of figures from Preiser!

So yes… lots of entertainment coming from ol’ Dan D Sparks.

Yes sir~ lots of entertainment!

Dandy

Jessop's Street Clock ~ Detailing

 Let's See How Close I Can Make This Look Like The Prototype Before I Paint It.

There's no need for this to be a precise model of the Jessop's clock. I would have scratch built it if I wanted that.

 This project is meant to be 'quick and dirty'.  I'll be happy with a 'reasonable facsimile'.

The birds showed up in the mail (Preiser HO Scale # 10169 - Birds (Pigeons, Seagulls, Crows and Birds of prey)) and I quickly found one that would fit the bill (beak?) and it looks great! So we are off to a very good start here! 

On the prototype the bird is on a sort of pedestal. I should be able to fashion one rather easily with styrene.

Using the telescopic abilities of Evergreen Styrene tubes, a ring was cut from a 3/16 tube and fit around a 1/8 tube and glued in place.  For ease of handling, it was then filed to the '1/4 dome' shape while still attached to the length of tube before being cut to size.

And then centered and glued to the clock.  Because of the delicacy of the parts, I'll be holding off gluing the bird on until after painting.

And that's it. I don't think there is anything more I can do before painting.  Other details (such as those arched 'Jessop's' plaques) are best put on afterwards.

Now its time to prep for painting.  Since I'm unable to disassemble this model, how the heck am I going to mask off those round clock faces for painting?!?.

Yes sir!

Round masks!

Dandy.

Jessop's Street Clock

Modeling San Diego's Historic 1907 Street Clock

by Modifying a Brawa Station Clock

Well here is a project from out of the blue.  A chance listing on eBay caught my imagination and might prove to be a good project to get things rolling again with this blog and layout.

Okay? So lets roll!

Jessop's Clock is a large outdoor pendulum clock originally located on 5th Street in San Diego.  It was commissioned in 1905 by one of the city's noted jewelers, Joseph Jessop.

In 1984 it was moved to the new Horton Plaza Shopping Center where it stood until 2012 when it was dismantled and put into storage.  

The clock is scheduled to be restored and reassembled for it's permanent installation in the San Diego History Center in the Casa de Balboa building in Balboa Park for the exhibits opening in 2028. 

Neat ol' clock.  It never occurred to me to model it, until...

...one of these Brawa "Standard Clock for the Station Forecourt" (Normaluhr für Bahnhofsvorplatz) popped up for sale.  It sure does have a family resemblance to the Jessop's clock!  Since the price couldn't be beat (especially since they seems to be out of production now) I purchased it.

While trying to determine if this model could be disassembled for painting I discovered that it is made of brass. Or at least the post is. With some plastic parts. The base is all that I was able to remove. So painting will be tricky.

I don't know what kind of bird this is (maybe a Quail?), but I got to find something similar in H.O. scale to make this work.

So I ordered Preiser HO Scale # 10169 - Birds (Pigeons, Seagulls, Crows and Birds of prey).  I would think one of these would work!

It's a good looking clock. And if I can pull off the transformation it should be a handsome addition to the streets of the layout. 

Yes sir!  A handsome addition!

Dandy.

For Justice and Glory!

 Anybody Remember the Keystone Cops?

I thought it would be funny to model them.

The Keystone Cops (often spelled "Keystone Kops") are fictional, humorously incompetent policemen featured in silent film slapstick comedies produced by Mack Sennett for his Keystone Film Company between 1912 and 1917  -  Wikipedia

After the demise of Jordan Highway Miniatures vehicles I started looking around for other period models. This Model T Ford is a 3d print from Robert Sprague 3D Designs on Shapeways. It's not as fine of a model as Jordan but I wanted to see what I could do with it.

Tru-color paint was used for the black.  But the Floquil metallic paint used on the radiator and other details turned out too glittery for my taste. It works fine on tiny details like the hubcaps, but the broad expanse of the radiator and even the marker lamps is too much. A brass colored paint would look a lot better for this.  As is typical of 3D prints the model has some visible strata from the printing process and some details are oversized to meet the 1mm minimum thickness.  

But truth be told- I'm trying to get G scale results with HO scale models with this ultra close-up photography I'm doing. But really the model looks just fine when observing the scene when standing next to the layout.

So it is what it is.  When it comes time to populate my layout with automobiles I'll reassess this model to see if I'll use it or not.  And then I called the Model T project finished for now.

Then, while researching something unrelated, I came across this production still from a Keystone Cops flick.  "Hm! I wonder if I could model that" I wondered to myself . "Well... I do have that Model T model and covering it with cops would hide most of it defects" I replied to myself. "Ah- but what about all those cops" I countered, "nobody manufactures HO scale cops like that". Darn! I was right. I was defeated. Until I came across this:  

 

Preiser Unpainted Firemen. The uniforms are really similar and they even have those helmets like the Keystone Cops! Well what do you know?  Everything fell into place. This is a feasible project after all. Well I gotta do it now!

Trying out different figures to see where and how many I can fit.

The 12 selected figures were primed with Tru-Color grey primer.  Then they were painted with FolkArt craft paint. Not as nice as model paint but effective. The buttons and badges were painted with the same Floquil Brass glitter paint as the automobile. 

The Walrus Moustaches are a must!  Now its time to see how many of these guys I can fit in the auto.

I really didn't expect to fit them all in- but they all fit in! Well technically the 12th one isn't IN the car but is running to catch up.

Here is the photo set-up. My phone that I'm taking the pictures with doesn't fit under the overhead wires. So it is laying on a cardboard tube cut to length to keep the phone just above the wires. Under the camera lens is a First Surface Mirror set a 45 degree angle aimed at the scene. A flashlight is illuminating the "sky".

And voila! The completed scene.

I might revisit this at a later date. Add some billy clubs to their hands. I'll see if I can introduce the appearance of speed. Maybe turn those front tires so its making a hard turn and introduce some lean to the suspension. I'll take a look at those Artitech Model T's when they become available again.

But for now I'm satisfied. I think this photo is hilarious.

Yes sir- hilarious!

"Good job Dandy"

"Awe thanks Dandy"

Dandy

Street Congestification

 Oh! Traffic Around this Town is getting Nuts!

Left to right: Hauler: Velociped, Berkshire Valley: Buggy,  Artitech: Ford T Runabout,  LMB Old Time Trolley. with Preiser and A.C.Stadden figures.

I'm finally getting some nice photos on the layout.

Yes sir! Finally!

Dandy

Boards a-Buckin'

 Constructing a Berkshire Valley Buckboard Kit

The demise of Jordan Highway Miniatures caught me completely be surprise. I needed those horse drawn vehicles and early vehicles to populate the busy streets of my multi-era layout! But it seems Berkshire Valley Models has stepped up to fill some of that void left by Jordan. So I thought I would give them a go by starting with their buckboard kit.

The Berkshire Valley Buckboard dodging trollies.

Their kits are laser cut wood with tiny parts. Bust out the Opti visor, this is going to require a steady hand!

Before construction started, I painted all the parts with a thin wash and dry brushing of craft acrylics (Folk Art and Americana). After construction a lot of touch up painting was required as well.

I also ordered and painted up one of Berkshire Valley's Harnessed Horses. A Preiser figure was added as the final touch.

Not bad!

Yes sir! 

Not bad at all!

Dandy