blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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 | | 10/12/2008 2:58 PM |
| Posted By blackburn49 on 10/04/2008 12:27 PM Looks like winter might be here to stay. The day following the snow storm that brought in an accumulation of a foot in some parts of the valley, much of the snow remains on the ground. As of this morning the tracks are still iced-in. That is well ahead of conditions in recent years. By the middle of October any snow remaining on the ground stays there until spring (barring one of those rare warm spells called a "Chinook--none in the last two winters). In a few days I will insulate the two openings in the bar which enable the trains to leave the building, thus officially ending the garden railway season. As to the gardens--everything remaining out there has been crushed to the ground from the heavy snowfall.
Compare the above picture taken a few days ago with the lower one taken today. That's the Chinook effect. It is currently in the high 40s.
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ThinkerT
Alaska
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| | 10/13/2008 2:07 PM |
| | Time to run a train or three before the snow is down for the duration. | | | |
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 10/18/2008 5:48 PM |
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The Cicely model layout awaits winter: No more trains are expected through, although it is always possible that
ALCANEX Consolidated could make one extra run if pre-winter conditions permit. Here we have views of the latest
addition to the model, the three Roslyn prototype buildings I refer to as the "Village Pizza group:"
The Roslyn prototype on Pennsylvania Avenue:
As is the case with the Roslyn prototype, residences line the street behind these business structures.
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Torby
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North Chicago 'burbs.
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| | 10/19/2008 7:34 AM |
| | With so much indoors, will you be railroading in the winter this year? | |
 "If Christianity was something we were making up, of course we could make it easier. But it is not. We cannot compete, in simplicity with people who are inventing religions. How could we? We are dealing with Fact. Of course anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about."-- C. S. Lewis | |
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 10/19/2008 11:15 AM |
| Posted By Torby on 10/19/2008 7:34 AM
With so much indoors, will you be railroading in the winter this year?
Almost all of the track is outdoor except for the loop inside the bar. Last winter I did not run trains on any of the track. I have not decided whether that will be the case this year.
The model town pictured here is seventy feet from the bar in an unheated area. It will remain closed at least until April unless I run one special last train (conditions permitting).
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 10/19/2008 12:10 PM |
| The Cicely layout is not the last model town I will ever construct, but it will probably be the most detailed. I spent many years collecting
appropriately-scaled cars, trucks, RVs and other pieces that will eventually fill this model. This one even includes a rare LGB hot air balloon and three planes in flight, all of them seen in the shot below.
View looking west along the main drag of Cicely:
Included here are two very rare 1:24 scale Airstream trailers complete with Ford pickups that have trailer hitches designed to match up to the trailers.
At the end of the street are three structures that fall into the category of "whimsical." We will take a closer look at those.
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 10/19/2008 1:41 PM |
| The Whimsical Buildings:
I have the Roadkill Cafe, Betty Boop's Salon and Clifton's Butcher Shop:
All three are on the north end of the main drag (still unnamed street in the Cicely, Alaska model). Like most of my posts, clicking onto the picture will bring you a much-larger image. I do wish more MLS posters would employ this method so that the images could be examined in greater detail.
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 10/19/2008 2:14 PM |
| Detail photos of the whimsical structures: The butcher shop came with the art-deco-style figure. Some of the other buildings, including the two gas stations, also utilize an art-deco figure reminiscent of the 1930-early 60s era.
Each of these has just enough realism built in to justify fitting them into the model. Yet at the same time the television series on which the model is based was itself highly whimsical. Thus, grouping a few of these together, as well as my use of the circus (never seen one of those in Alaska except at one of the two state fair grounds) animals and other props seems to fit in well. | |
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 10/19/2008 2:34 PM |
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Even the LGB balloon adds a whimsical element to the layout although these hot-air balloons can still be seen from time to time over the countryside. 
This prop is very heavy, unlike the real thing. It was quite expensive to s hip this to Alaska--but well worth it.
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 10/19/2008 3:08 PM |
| The circus grounds occupy a small area to the south of the brewery: The grounds are dominated by the ferris wheel, but more features are planned even though the area is relatively small.
Over the last year I have also put together a circus train consist, including the engine--the Bachmann one. Now I just need to find a place for it!
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 10/19/2008 6:25 PM |
| View looking west, showing several of the other art deco advertising pieces, notably Esso Man and Union Oil Man. One of the other
featured advertising pieces is the Wells Fargo stage coach on the roof of the local WF Bank. This kind of advertising utilizing over-sized deco-style figures began disappearing in the
1970s and is now largely absent today. Fortunately, there are the model railroads like this one, among many, many others, which help to keep memories of that era alive.
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kormsen
in the middle of the westparaguayan semi desert
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| | 10/19/2008 8:03 PM |
| Ron,
could you give more info about the fronts of your pzza-buildings?
material? tecnic?
thanks | |
 construction site - keep off! | |
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Torby
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North Chicago 'burbs.
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| | 10/20/2008 9:13 AM |
| | I think your kewpie is going to get cold :D | |
"If Christianity was something we were making up, of course we could make it easier. But it is not. We cannot compete, in simplicity with people who are inventing religions. How could we? We are dealing with Fact. Of course anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about."-- C. S. Lewis | |
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 10/20/2008 7:01 PM |
| Posted By kormsen on 10/19/2008 8:03 PM
Ron,
could you give more info about the fronts of your pzza-buildings?
material? technique?
thanks
The siding on the front consists of roughly 3/8-wide strips of balsa wood glued onto a 1/4 inch plywood base.
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 10/21/2008 9:33 PM |
| Posted By blackburn49 on 10/20/2008 7:01 PM Posted By kormsen on 10/19/2008 8:03 PM
Ron,
could you give more info about the fronts of your pzza-buildings?
material? technique?
thanks
The siding on the front consists of roughly 3/8-wide strips of balsa wood glued onto a 1/4 inch plywood base.
Since you're the only person to even make one comment on this latest addition to my Cicely layout, I should add that I did not build this one, although I did the design work on it based on the prototype photos. From this point forward I will build any future structures for this model. I hope to be able to resume construction of my own scale model buildings sometime this winter, conditions permitting. The last time I built any of my own model structures was five years ago. This was largely due to lack of conducive facilities. Remember, it is winter here the majority of the year, so the facilities have to be well heated, which means well-built. Even my latest "shop" quickly morphed into my office. I ended up moving all those tools once again to yet another location.
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Torby
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North Chicago 'burbs.
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| | 10/22/2008 7:06 AM |
| Comments?
Just too boggled to think of anything intelligent to say. | |
"If Christianity was something we were making up, of course we could make it easier. But it is not. We cannot compete, in simplicity with people who are inventing religions. How could we? We are dealing with Fact. Of course anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about."-- C. S. Lewis | |
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kormsen
in the middle of the westparaguayan semi desert
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| | 10/22/2008 12:02 PM |
| Remember, it is winter here the majority of the year, so the facilities have to be well heated, which means well-built. Even my latest "shop" quickly morphed into my office. I ended up moving all those tools once again to yet another location.
i understand that problem perfectly. every room, i outfit with an air condition, will soon be occupied by wife and daughters.
about "not commenting": i think, the forum is too big. there are just too many good things shown dayly.
to comment on them all costs time, that not all have.
korm | |
construction site - keep off! | |
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John J
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| | 10/22/2008 6:05 PM |
| I was Struck mute in aww  My fingers were incapable of typeing.  | |
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 10/25/2008 9:29 AM |
| Too late now. After one more winter snow storm, it is minus 12 F this morning. I plugged in the truck head bolt heater for the first time this season. Fortunately both track tunnels leading outside the bar are closed and insulated already. Wherever the remaining rolling stock was left, it will probably now remain for the duration. I will go out there from time to time to take a picture, but that is about it. | |
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 10/25/2008 11:52 AM |
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Sub-zero sunrise at Copper Center, this morning at daybreak, minus 12, looking east toward the Wrangell Range.
This shot taken through one of the windows in my new study (the one originally intended to be my workshop). Mt. Drum on the left is approximately 25 miles to the east from here. Click for larger image.
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