Weekend Update 9/25/11

[sizemore]

Lee/David,
Thanks guys!
The S.

[rogergperkins]

In retirement, it is difficult to distinquish where the week end starts and ends.
A late contribution.

[up1950s]

In retirement, it is difficult to distinquish where the week end starts and ends.
A late contribution.

Nice , Roger .
That scene somewhat reminds me of that railcam at Fostoria, OH , but looking in the opposite direction . If one wanted they could set up a hidden camera on their layout to mimic that or another scene and feed it to a monitor on their control panel or mini outdoor movie screen set up as a railfan spot or rear of railfan bar back yard screen . The screen could be a 1.5" LCD thingy .

[rogergperkins]

 
I just noticed that I had not placed all the vehicles back on the street when I took the photo of the grade crossing with autumn grasses.  This scene is my attempt to model a grade crossing in Beecher City, IL on the B&O branch line.  The structure is one of my first attempts at scratch building; it my family's general store.  Building was built about 1880 and from 1932 to 1977 it was owned by my family. 

The period for the photo is in the 1940's.

[up1950s]

I just noticed that I had not placed all the vehicles back on the street when I took the photo of the grade crossing with autumn grasses.  This scene is my attempt to model a grade crossing in Beecher City, IL on the B&O branch line.  The structure is one of my first attempts at scratch building; it my family's general store.  Building was built about 1880 and from 1932 to 1977 it was owned by my family. 

The period for the photo is in the 1940's.

That's cool , you must have many memories there .

[rogergperkins]

@Richie = UP1950, My family lived above the general store until mid-1941.  The proximity of the store to the B&O depot may account for why I feel I have had creosote and cinders in my blood forever.  I have a copy of the 1880 estimate of materials and cost to build the general store for its original owner.  More recently than when I built this model, I used that information to build a second model, but it did not look long enough.  Yes, I have lots of memories.  My photo is not sufficiently clear to show the "bread box" in front of the store where the bakery delivered bread early in the morning and then locked it in for my Dad to take into the store.  The top was a great place to sit and watch trains.



Yours truly in the early 1940's. 

[Blazeman]

Rog: Thanks for ID'ing yourself in the photo. It had to be you or Sinatra with the hat. Hats are so cool.

[rogergperkins]

 
@Blazeman,  I have my Mother*, God rest her, to thank for the hat and outfit.
* 1920-2002

[pnolan48]

Wonderful stuff, Roger, thank you!

I've made a few models of the homes I've lived in, and they do bring back lots of memories!

[Dave Schneider]

Thanks for sharing the story and photos Roger. Very nice, and I do love the hat. Way classier than the things my mom made me wear in the early 70s.

Best wishes, Dave

[rogergperkins]

The advice given to writers is "write what you know."  I follow that advice in my attempts to model railroading.  Attempting to capture the essences of my hometown in the 1940's and early 1950's is one of the many enjoyable aspects of the hobby. 

The depot,  general store, and grade crossing are only memories; they were torn down or taken up in that order.   The tracks of that B&O branchline were removed, and now the right of way is a faint image on satellite photos and in the minds of those of us who walked along them.