Canton, Highlandtown and Fells Point - Compact layout

[Ed Kapuscinski]

The Capt James is so iconic. I have a friend who said he's seen the real life "Co-Op" from The Wire meeting there.

[wm3798]

I might be able to squeeze Capt. James in on this triangular lot in the corner.  Was going to do more row houses, but this seems like the best spot for our iconic boat restaurant.

I guess I should extend the street running along the right side, shouldn't I...  I guess that will have to be Aliceanna Street!

Lee

[Ed Kapuscinski]

There's always some new project... but the Capt James has to happen now.

[davefoxx]

...and it shouldn't be that difficult, except for perhaps the N scale nautical fittings.  Styrene sheet and strip will be all you need for the majority of the structure.  Paint will be the highlight to bring it together.  I'll follow this with much interest.

DFF

[DeltaBravo]

...and it shouldn't be that difficult, except for perhaps the N scale nautical fittings.  Styrene sheet and strip will be all you need for the majority of the structure.  Paint will be the highlight to bring it together.  I'll follow this with much interest.

DFF

Try BlueJacket Ship Krafters fittings  http://www.bluejacketinc.com/fittings/index.htm

[wm3798]

If and when it does get built, there will be enough of a suggestion of those details to make the building immediately recognizable.

Right now I'm ironing out the kinks in the track work so I can run a stupid 10 car train.  The whole thing might be in the trash bin later this afternoon...

Lee

[John]

To help out a bit

[MichaelWinicki]

To help out a bit

It's the place to go if you want to get crabs huh?

[wazzou]

Yeah, but do they serve hard shells?

[wm3798]

Nice...  I better get this paying work off my desk so I can get started laying that out!

Well, I got my 10 car train running (grain hoppers, @RockGp40 !!) but only in one direction.  Apparently I'll just have to bring eastbound traffic in in two sections...

Lee

[chicken45]

It's the place to go if you want to get crabs huh?

Or Pulaski Highway!

[DeltaBravo]

Or Pulaski Highway!

Maybe not hardshells.

[seusscaboose]

eeeek

I drove past the seedy side of Rt 40 every day for 4 years on the way to work...

so shady

[jpec]

I used to feel the same way after Essex on my way to Martin to pick up clients.

eeeek

I drove past the seedy side of Rt 40 every day for 4 years on the way to work...

so shady

[Caveman]

Have you built something like Captain Jack's before? The building looks cartoonish in real life; how do you keep it from looking cartoonish on a layout?

I've never seen Captain Jack's but I often plan my travels to take me past roadside oddities, for example, places I might find on Roadside America (http://www.roadsideamerica.com). I love seeing the world's largest water-skiing pink elephant wearing a bikini and sunglasses (https://www.flickr.com/photos/caveman_92223/7087874575) or a "shell" gas station (https://www.flickr.com/photos/caveman_92223/3899194952) or a water tower shaped like the world's largest bottle of ketchup (https://www.flickr.com/photos/caveman_92223/3947710770). I could probably take an O scale mailbox, plop it down on my N scale layout, and have a pretty good representation of the world's largest mailbox, but it would look silly—the "prototype" does, which is it's attraction to me.

Will weathering the building make it look more real and less cartoonish? How do you plan on dealing with that? Or will it be something special for people that have seen Captain Jack's and you don't worry about other people think?

— Chuck

P.S. You guys that model snow places might enjoy the world's largest snowplow, Union Pacific #900081, 367,400 pounds (166,650 kilograms) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/caveman_92223/3967600060).