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

Setting the bar too high?

Okay, last automobile post for a while, then onto railroading. This is Ricko Rickos 1930-1938 Mercedes-Benz Typ770W07. I posed it in front of one of my San Diego 400 cars (which I’ll blog about later). Seeing the photo enlarged on my computer (click photo above to enlarge), I was shocked to see how the auto has far finer detail than the trolley itself! Notice the Mercedes logo (hood ornament) on the radiator cap. I didn’t even see it until I saw it in the photo- it’s so tiny! These are some dang nicely detailed auto models. There is no way I can match these standards! Yessir – no way!

Motorcars on Parade

I really gotta get to work on the layout so I can get some progress photos for you! In the mean time, here is another auto for ya. This is Ricko Rickos 1934 Cadillac V16 Aerodynamic Coupe. Yessir- Aerodynamic!

Happy New Year!

Welp, reading my last blog entry I find it interesting that I was making a big deal of the car models being “up to my standards”, when in fact the car models are probably setting the standards for my layout. And I just might be hard pressed to live up to these standards! I wouldn’t be surprised. Anyhowdy, here is another for ya. It’s a 1931Lincoln Model K. “K” for Kewl! If I keep to these standards, the layout should turn out pretty darn nice. Yessir, darn nice!

Up To Standards!

Merry Christmas all! I hope Santa was good to you. I must have been a good boy because that jolly ol’ elf brought me some of these automobile models by Ricko Ricko. These 1/87th “accurate scale model for adult collector” are superb! I am just thrilled by these. They are finely crafted and detailed and are definitely up to my railroads standards. The one pictured above is the 1935 “Horsh 851 Pullman”. And the $15.98 price tag is worth it to me especially since they are ready to go right out of the box. No assembly required (It’s a Christmas miracle)! These autos sharing the road with the streetcars are going to make for some wonderful traffic. Yessir, wonderful traffic!