Erie Railroad Mahoning division HCD

[Chris333]

That CMW truck needs the radiator surround filled in, smaller headlamps, and the front track is too narrow.

I've got a few 40's trucks that I have shrunk down, I just need to finish them:


I've also got a '38 Ford truck that is waiting to be shrunk down from HO.

Waiting with drool on the keyboard! 
Already have a bunch of Rasputens vehicles I just need to get around to painting them. (finding the right colors)

[Chris333]

Been pretty slow here, been sick 

Was hoping to put up a bunch of billboards, but now that I get to that point I see there really isn't much room for them. I figured around this bend would work.

[peteski]

Billboard looks good but it is awfully close to the edge of the road.  Maybe instead of making it free-standing you should just hang it on the stone wall (and remove the trellis)?

BTW, I have artwork for Mayflower and Allied movers (Loren Perry from Gold Medal Models graciously gave me copy of his artwork) so someday I'll print the decals for the Ultimate N Scale resin cast moving van bodies. Just another one of my many do-do projects. . .

[Rich_S]

Billboard looks good but it is awfully close to the edge of the road.  Maybe instead of making it free-standing you should just hang it on the stone wall (and remove the trellis)?

Pete, In the Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Cleveland area in the time period Chris is modeling, billboards this close to the road were very common. I say leave the billboard where it's at, it reminds me of billboards I've seen growing up in the Pittsburgh area. 

[Chris333]

The billboard is glued to the stone wall so no more room to spare.

[davefoxx]

I was going to suggest moving the billboard to the left a little, which would not only get it away from the edge of the road but also allow you to lower it ever so slightly to make it more visible under the bridge.  But, since it is under the bridge, I'm sure that its proximity to the edge of the road is not that apparent from normal viewing angles.  I think it looks fine.  So, leave it alone, especially now that we know it's glued down!

Oh, and I'm sure the drivers on your layout are thankful that the Chevrolet ad has the big arrow pointed in the direction of the bend.  Otherwise, if it had pointed to the left, there could have been an effect similar to this trick:



DFF

[OldEastRR]

When you say you've got no place to put billboards I assume you mean not without getting in the way of operations, which makes sense. For your time period I'd venture a guess that on a real railroad that whole length along the edge of the station parking lot above would be a solid line of billboards, concrete slab to concrete slab. There because everybody getting off the train, everybody getting on, everybody on a train waiting for people to get on or off, everybody on every train passing by, everybody picking up or dropping off someone at the station, plus all the drivers going past on the street would see them --- lots of eyes on them, making it a very desirable spot for advertisers. A slightly less prime spot is on the far left, between the telephone pole and that black base thingie and shed. Perpendicular to highway and close to it so both car drivers and train passengers can see it. Probably would be back to back ones there but the rear one would be useless for your purposes, tho you might decide to have one anyway, for looks.
You know how nowadays the TV shows are crammed with ads, you can't get any page on the web that doesn't have advertising on it, and radio is mostly ads with a few non-ad activities mixed in? Well back then there was no TV, radios were only in your home or your car, and nobody walking around had earbuds and IPhones. Just as obnoxious and everpresent as advertising is now, it was then -- billboards no exception. And large posters plastered up in high-traffic areas on any vertical surface big enough for them.  You look back at pictures of the '20s and whole sides of multistoried buildings are entirely covered with billboards. And double-stacked rows near major train station platforms.
Not suggesting you need to do this, just a passing observation that may be helpful to others.

[sirenwerks]

I'd disagree.  Advertising was just coming into its own at that point and wasn't nearly as pushy as the wall-to-wall you lay out.  Train platforms then tended to have eye-level posters that were sparsely laid out, much less offensive to the eye as seen in this pic of a CTA platform on the Loop.

[OldEastRR]

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Hard to find pictures of walls of billboards -- nobody back then thought they were photogenic and anybody taking pics of things or people probably didn't want an angle that had a solid backdrop of ads. But I know I've seen pictures of billboard "walls" facing RR stations and tracks.

[wcfn100]

What about the roof top?




I do like the billboard where you have it, but I guess it's not what I'd expect to see there.   


Jason

[sirenwerks]

(Attachment Link)

Hard to find pictures of walls of billboards -- nobody back then thought they were photogenic and anybody taking pics of things or people probably didn't want an angle that had a solid backdrop of ads. But I know I've seen pictures of billboard "walls" facing RR stations and tracks.

First, dude, that's Canada.  Second, through the end of WWII, the poster was king.  Yea, you'll find instances like yours (especially unpoliced vacant lot fencing), but stations were more visually docile environments.

[Chris333]

The 1920's photos would looks better to me if I was going Sellios.

There is some room behind the station, but I already have a large sign up on a building there. Plus I just don't want to block off the view to all the tracks back there. Current views.

[Chris333]

What about the roof top?




I do like the billboard where you have it, but I guess it's not what I'd expect to see there.   


Jason

I still have no idea what that building "is" yet 

[peteski]

I still have no idea what that building "is" yet 

Advertising billboards are "building agnostic".  It could be a bakery with a car dealership billboard. 

With that garage door, it might be some sort of custom truck body manufacturer.

[narrowminded]

I still have no idea what that building "is" yet 

An auto electric shop.  With generators, Bendix drive starters, and adjustable points in voltage regulators auto electric shops existed and had a decent volume in a specialty field.  Turning armatures, undercutting "mica", and even rebuilding batteries if you go back enough.  And being clean work they weren't afraid to work under glass. A garage door to get vehicles in and out and showroom windows showing off their neat, clean shop.  I think of just such a shop in Castle Shannon PA growing up as well as the one my father worked at in high school in Troy NY.  They were of that style.  Delco, Willard Batteries, Autolite, and such signs in the windows or visible on interior walls... 

Or a Harley or Indian dealer.