Industrial Challenge: Beer's Auto Electric Service - Johnstown PA

[dougnelson]

I have been wanting to model this - one of my favorite buildings in downtown Johnstown.  Its urban and its sort of industrial - the auto-electrical industry.  Each trip to Johnstown you see another set of buildings demolished - see the furniture store down the street in the aerial photo - partially demolished.  I do not think that Beer's is in business anymore, so who knows how long this building will be there.

It sits in a really cool part of downtown Johnstown - very close to the former PRR freight house and the B&O (now CSX) branch that leads to the interchange with the Conemaugh & Black Lick.

[dougnelson]

This model will be done primarily as a photo-building.  A technique I learned from Vic Roseman articles.  In Photoshop, I rectify (make square/orthagonal) sections of the building walls.  Wall images can also be cleaned up of extraneous things like the car.  For one side wall that could not be photographed, I reversed the opposite wall and removed windows and doors as desired.  These are then scaled and printed on paper.  I then laminate on illustration board or something similar.  Windows, doors are cut out (sharp!! exacto #11) then pasted on the back side of the walls creating the three dimensional characteristics of the real building.  Note that photography for these buidings is best done on a cloudy day to avoid the problem of shadows.









And the final wall sections ready for printing:

[Chris333]

This is crying to become a Railwire TM "kit".

[DKS]

Awesome find, and it should be a very cool building. But I kind of think doing a photo-model will be a disservice to what looks for all the world like life-size first-gen N Scale brick walls...

[Mark W]

I love the irregular architecture!  I also agree with David.  If the mortar was more flush with the brick face, photo-model would be fine.  But this is like the epitome of brick walls scaled for N! 
Ya gotta go for it if you can!

[tom mann]

Awesome find, and it should be a very cool building. But I kind of think doing a photo-model will be a disservice to what looks for all the world like life-size first-gen N Scale brick walls...

I am thinking that Peteski will see this and complain about the gaps between the bricks!

[Cajonpassfan]

Could it be that these bricks are not bricks?
The lintels and headers have bricksize bricks, cause they are....
Cool little building...
Otto K.

[Dave Schneider]

A very cool building. I too will join the chorus of why do this in paper? I spent a fair bit of time and money experimenting with paper models. People like Lance Mindheim have done great things with paper but in my experience can lack the texture and depth when mixed with other non-paper structures. Looking forward to seeing your progress.

Best wishes,
Dave

[mu26aeh]

I don't think going the paper/printed route is an issue in N scale.  I had people say the same thing about using DigCom Designs trailers vs plastic and most visitors to my layout don't even notice the difference.

Can't wait to see what you come up with

[dougnelson]

This might be a good one for laser etched/cut wood or acrylic. Anyone do custom laser work?

[tom mann]

If anyone can laser a kit based on Doug’s drawings I bet we could sell some kits here. It’s a perfect compliment to DPM-only towns.

[Chris333]

Damn there is nothing square on that building.

[DKS]

This might be a good one for laser etched/cut wood or acrylic. Anyone do custom laser work?

Yes.

[thomasjmdavis]

Awesome find, and it should be a very cool building. But I kind of think doing a photo-model will be a disservice to what looks for all the world like life-size first-gen N Scale brick walls...

Comparing the face "brick" to the cinder/concrete block of the filled in garage door, it does have a "Heljan" circa 1969 look and size.

Damn there is nothing square on that building.

Perfect for an illustration board building....Build it, weather it, then leave it in the garage for about 2 days in the spring when it is really humid, then let it dry out and seal it with a couple coats of flat acrylic spray. 


Great building for a model.  To be fair to the rest of us, on the printout drawing, you should either photoshop in "copyright Doug Nelson, all rights reserved" on every wall, or "permission to copy" in the white space or save us the bother of printing it out and just take pre-orders.

[Philip H]

I’d be in for a laser cut kit. Odd little shops like this dot south Louisiana, particularly in poorer areas.