blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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 | | 01/27/2008 9:48 PM |
| Brewery Model in Storage:
Today this model, along with most of the others sit in the Uncle Nicolai store which now serves as storage for
the Phase II project, including not only all the models, but the rolling stock as well. The room is full to the ceiling with
items awaiting their new home.
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blackburn49
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| | 01/27/2008 10:00 PM |
| K & L Distributors
K & L is the Alaska supplier of Alaskan Brewery products as well as Budweiser and many others.
A K&L sales office will be included in this model.
This is a Colorado Models product which fits in well with the existing style in Roslyn as Cicely
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blackburn49
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| | 01/27/2008 10:06 PM |
| The Alaskan Brewery Cars:
USA Trains produced two versions of Alaska Brewery cars, of which several will appear on the model. Samples of each are shown
here, along with a Jack Daniels car and a custom K & L Budweiser caboose.
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blackburn49
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| | 01/27/2008 10:56 PM |
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The Brewery Complex plus the K & L yard with its sales office and warehouse (not yet completed)
will take up a considerable amount of space on the western end of the town, but I have
no doubt that it will all fit together well.
I sell many Alaskan Brewing products in the summer, so it was quite something to see that USA Trains had
produced those two cars. It will all look good in the Cicely model.
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blackburn49
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| | 01/27/2008 11:15 PM |
| Like the railroad and the coal mines, city hall and the fire station, the Roslyn Brewery never made its appearance
on the NX series, but here is its actual location.
If you're ever in Roslyn . . .
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blackburn49
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| | 01/27/2008 11:23 PM |
| Maurice Minnifield, the Big Man in Cicely:
Maurice's expansive log home will become an integral part of the model as well, although this feature may not be ready until late into the tourist season. The real one sits high on the east hill overlooking Roslyn. It is just uphill from the small two-story house that was designated as
Ed Chigliak's apartment.
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 01/27/2008 11:34 PM |
| Ed's Apartment
Bet you never saw this.
Ed & Maurice: Below is Maurice's Place. To the immediate left was Ed's apartment (bottom)
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flatracker
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Dunlap, TN
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| | 01/28/2008 6:47 AM |
| I sure do enjoy reading and seeing all the information you have dug up on Cicely and NX. I agree it was one of the best series I have seen and sure wish it had gone on longer. I don't know what exactly it was about it, but it sure was extremely enjoyable to me. The characters were so believable, it really added a lot of realism to the whole thing.
Your research is extraordinary, and I know quite time consuming. I, for one, really appreciate what you have done and shared with the rest of us, and hope it continues.
I wanted to buy the series, but read the comments about it, and it seems for some reason, the original musical sound track was removed and replaced with a lot less satisfactory one. If you have the series, what do you think of it, and did that really have that much of an impact on watching it? If not, I'll get it.
Please keep up the good work!!
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Bob Martin | |
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blackburn49
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| | 01/28/2008 8:51 PM |
| Posted By flatracker on 01/28/2008 6:47 AM I sure do enjoy reading and seeing all the information you have dug up on Cicely and NX. I agree it was one of the best series I have seen and sure wish it had gone on longer. I don't know what exactly it was about it, but it sure was extremely enjoyable to me. The characters were so believable, it really added a lot of realism to the whole thing.
Your research is extraordinary, and I know quite time consuming. I, for one, really appreciate what you have done and shared with the rest of us, and hope it continues.
I wanted to buy the series, but read the comments about it, and it seems for some reason, the original musical sound track was removed and replaced with a lot less satisfactory one. If you have the series, what do you think of it, and did that really have that much of an impact on watching it? If not, I'll get it.
Please keep up the good work!!
The series, so far as I have viewed it, is excellent. I am into the fourth season right now, but with little time to just sit down and watch these episodes. From what I've seen, I'd go ahead and order them. Great stuff!
There will be more to follow, including my own tour of Roslyn and a little of Cle Elum as well.
Thank you so much for the comment.
--Ron in Alaska | |
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 01/29/2008 7:41 AM |
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Northwestern Improvement Company Building
One of the most fascinating structures for me in this project is the Northwestern Improvement Co. building--NWIC--the one which housed the radio studio for KBHR and the office of Minnifield Communications. They weren't real, of course--just props. But they're still there in place now eleven years since the last episode of NX was filmed.
There are few good shots of this building which appear on the series, so the massiveness of it is not apparent. You can see from the NX plans that this is a fairly substantial structure.
NWIC was actually the company store for NP Railway's coal company that was based in Roslyn and Cle Elum. It is actually two large brick structures back to back. You can see just part of it in these plans, but the dimensions of the massive structure (for such a small town) are on the plans.
This is one of those structures that I chose to include in my Cicely model, but it would have to be a compressed version. It was also apparent that I would need to make a person visit to the town because this was one of those buildings where there were simply not enough photos available on line to get a good sense of the nature of the structure.
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 01/29/2008 8:05 AM |
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Chris in the Morning:
Chris Stevens was the voice of Cicely. Often the show would begin and end with words from Chris coming out of the KBHR studio. He was an absolutely fascinating character in a series that was full of interesting ones. It was those characters which really made the NX series.
NX was really about the town of Cicely as seen through its very eclectic group of town-folk who, while very different, somehow always found a way to live with each other and make their town work.
In this way, the writers of NX were able to capture an element of backwoods Alaska that is very real. Those of us here in Alaska who watched the series found that we could identify with many of these characters because in real life we knew them.
There is probably only one Chris Stevens, though. You probably won't find another one of him even here in Alaska. Yet he was a very believable character.
He was central to many of the story lines--as if he was the narrator of the series. He filled in the necessary blanks and gave the show a real sense of a truly wonderul place somewhere deep within frontier Alaska with a strong, almost magical, mystical quality to it.
Chris was often the town peacemaker--capable of bringing together feuding parties and find unique resolutions to long-standing personal conflicts. More than that, he was almost like the conscience of the town.
Although he loved a good physical fight--the Chris Stevens character was a natural scrapper--Chris had evolved into a very deep, reflective person steeped in some very deep highly esoteric philosophy.
Part of the story line reveals Chris as an ex-con from West Virginia who came to Alaska to start life anew. Somewhere along the way he became a preacher based on an advertisement he found in a magazine. Several of the episodes utilize him as the one who conducts the marriage ceremonies and the funerals in ways that are remarkably touching.
The memorable music which is an integral part of NX comes right out of the KBHR studio. Some of that music, in the context of the storyline, became enormously compelling and highly emotional--as if we were all looking at a wonderful past to which we strongly wished to return but realized that this was not possible.
In the end Chris leaves us wondering if he will ever find what he is seeking. He is obviously looking for something, but we never quite find out what that is. It sure made for a great series.
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 01/29/2008 8:11 AM |
| KBHR in the NWIC Building:
It is still there just like it was nearly a dozen years ago. One can peer through the windows and imagine seeing Chris Stevens inside working on another broadcast.
A new owner of the NWIC has begun renovating the inside of the building. It is now in doubt as to how much longer this last remaining nearly complete NX prop will remain in place.
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blackburn49
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| | 01/29/2008 8:25 AM |
| Minnifield Communications: Maurice's Office
Maurice, Chris Steven's boss, had his office right next door to the studio. It is still there--at least, for the moment.
Some very excellent stories evolved around these locations which were actually shot in Roslyn--not in the Redmond studio.
It would not be Cicely were I to leave this part of it out. Chris in the Morning and KBHR radio will live on
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blackburn49
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| | 01/29/2008 9:11 AM |
| NWIC Bldg, pt 2
When approaching Roslyn from Hwy 903, the NWIC building is on the right nearly opposite the Brick Tavern, which is seen here on the left. Behind the Brick is the barbershop which actually appears in at least two of the episodes. The real barber at the time was used for one of the scenes.
Here you see a view of the SW corner of the NWIC. It is two brickk structures back-to-back that are tied together.
My version will have the same face but will not be nearly as deep. The back section will not be included and is unnecessary to the Cicely model in any case since it was never seen.
This picture is clicable to a larger size
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 01/29/2008 9:21 AM |
| NWIC / KBHR Radio from the satellite view:
When I first pulled up some satellite shots, it was readily apparent how large this structure really was.
I really wanted to take a good look at this building first hand. The size alone made it a fascinating building. Why so large?
this picture is clickable to a larger size
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 01/29/2008 9:59 AM |
| The Annual Running of the Bulls:
This is an event right out of NX, but it has now become a Roslyn tradition. Here you see the runners
approaching the NWIC building.
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blackburn49
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| | 01/29/2008 10:15 AM |
| Dr. Joel Fleishman: The "fish out of water" theme:
Rob Morrow portrays Dr. Joel Fleischman, the quintessential "fish-out-of water." Joel is an inveterate New Yorker who has been transplanted to the remote Alaskan town of Cicely. Immediately welcomed by the oddball locals of Cicely, the reluctant Joel struggles to operate in the sparse, make-shift medical office set up for him, and has trouble accepting what passes for "normal" behavior in this eccentric little town. Morrow brings a disarming warmth to Joel's griping as he copes with his perpetual relocation angst, and was nominated for Outstanding actor in a Drama Series for the 1991-1992 season.
from Moosechick's Notes on Northern Exposure
Dr Joel's office was just down the block from the Brick. It is a well-worn wood-frame building that is now a gift shop, as you see from this photo. This building will be included in the model.
A delegation of local Indians meeting with Dr. Joel in his office.
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 01/29/2008 10:51 AM |
| The Great Northern whistle stop:
The original railroad for the Phase II line was the Great Northern. Although it eventually was evident that the GN was not near the prototype filming location town of Roslyn, I am including it, using a kit depot. Even my K & L caboose is a GN, so that railroad necessarily becomes part of the overall scheme.
There will be at least one other depot, and possibly two or three others on the Phase II line. The Milwaukee Road depot will be essentially a scale model of one that still exists in Cle Elum--about five miles from Roslyn. In 2008, both the GN and the Milwaukee Road will be operational on the Phase II line. Both depots will be placed along the south-facing side of the model.
most images can be clicked to view a larger size
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 02/07/2008 1:59 PM |
| Meanwhile, back in Uncle Nics (the storage for the Phase II NX Cicely project):
This is a Colorado model structures kit that will fill in some of the business district of the Cicely model. I especially needed the fire engine house and there it is. Adjacent it is the local police station and then a video shop on the far left. Click for a larger image.
Several of the models are kit structures. I have already provided a list of the prototypes which will be built from scratch. Among these are the Cle Elum Milwaukee Road depot, Dr. Joel's office, all the false front structures across from Dr. Joel's office, the NWIC building which housed KBHR Radio and Roslyn's Cafe. Much more on that to come.
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 02/07/2008 3:08 PM |
| This morning, fearing that the extreme cold might cause the river to begin overflowing and then backing up, resulting in flooding (as has happened under these circumstances in the past) I put on my arctic gear and headed down to the Klutina. I followed moose tracks to the middle of the rive. The ice is solid and there is no immediate danger there.
I took this shot looking east of Mt Wrangell from the perspective of minus 55F. The picture can be enlarged by clicking.
A few minutes after I returned to the house the temperatures began a dramatic rise. It jumped from approximately minus 55 to minus 15--a forty degree difference in a matter of minutes. Incredible.
This came about as a result of southerly winds which are blasting through Thompson Pass (the road pass to Valdez) at 85 mph--which is probably not even drivable considering the whiteouts and drifting that has to be accompanying those high winds. In any case, the winds have reached here, but it is a mild wind. What a break for all of us here in the valley.
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