AshNoir & Chill

 A Short Video Featuring the Recently Completed Watts Building and the Grand Union Intersection

My photo of the completed model with a little help with the atmosphere from PixVerse ai.

The Video series chronicling the modifying of the Walthers Ashmore Hotel Kit to resemble San Diego's Watts building has wrapped up over on the Dan D. Sparks YouTube Channel. And for a 'Grand Finale' I made a Noirish 1 minute video featuring the building in its new location on the layout next to the Grand Union Intersection.

Above is the 1 minute 'sensationalized' YouTube version of the video. 

But for those of you who enjoyed the 3 minute finale in Part 10 of the series, here it is as a stand alone video exclusively on this blog (though I reserve the right to make it public in the future). This is the slower, all noir version:

The electrical arching in this video was unintentional. I didn't notice it until I was editing the video. I'm not sure what happened there. Something must have gotten on the contact wire. But I liked it so much that I added the appropriate 'zzzap!' sound effect for it.

I hope you enjoy!

Yes sir! 

"Zzzap!"

Dandy

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