WOW thanks everyone! It was fun to build but I did have a bit of trouble with the instructions. I had to study the picture and read over the instruction and play with the parts until I understood what they wanted me to do. I almost messed up the billboard but I caught my mistake in time. I'm very happy with the way it turned out. I want to give it a light weathering. I 'll practice on a scrap piece first. I'm already thinking of my next project, a gas station. Any recommendations ?
After seeing your fine work I think the JL Innovative Designs Storm Lake Mobil kit would fit your town perfectly. I can remember buying gas from a similar station for 25 cents a gallon many long years ago. You can see it at http://www.jlinnovative.com/Catalog...I1248B20&WCU=LhJQJlTC3OwSWhQUcK1XC7j2GdpXAOXx
George, that's a nice kit! It's a bit deep but if I change that front part a little it will fit. I saw something interesting from FOS It's called 'Bikini car wash' It's a wash and gas station and I really like it but it's expensive.
Candy, a friend created pigeons from clay or wax or something similar, then painted them. Don't worry about their feet, pigeons squat on billboards, buildings, and statues...in both senses of the word. Which brings up weathering the remnants of squatting pigeons..face it, all urban structures have it. :tb-mad:
Preiser and BTS make pigeons in HO. They're very small. Since I have water, I use seagulls which are more visible. But, I did put a pigeon on this statue. Two pigeons, actually. The second one is sitting on the horse's head. My trainroom has a couple of other pigeons, but unfortunately they are lost in the carpet. I told you they were small.
According to the completely made-up history of Moose Bay, this is a statue of John Buford Brad, an obscure hero of the Civil War. John Brad's family was in the sheep business. After arranging to join the Quartermaster Corps, which he thought would be a safe place, he saw an opportunity to enrich his family, and channeled contracts from the Army of the Republic to buy food for the military. In particular, he had the Army buy a large quantity of Haggis, which arrived in unrefrigerated railroad cars at a battlefield, where the Union and Confederate forces had dug in and faced each other across a no-man's land of shell craters and burned trees. It was Christmas time. The Union forces eagerly opened the rail cars and discovered the Haggis. They were overcome by the spirit of the season, or perhaps the odor, and decided that in a grand gesture of humanity, they should give the Haggis to their starving foes across the line. The Rebels sent it back. News of this debacle reached Washington, and John Buford Brad, then a Captain, was called to the War Office to explain his actions. When the whole story came out, the senior officers were so disgusted with the blatant corruption that they ordered him to turn in his uniform, right then and there. As he disrobed, they saw the long, bright-red underwear which was a by-product of his family's sheep business. Immediately, they realized that he was on to something. Instead of a trip to prison, John Brad was promoted to Major and put in charge of procurement of underwear, the famous "Union Suit," or, as they came to be known, "Long Johns."
I swear on a stack of Model Railroader magazines that every word is made up, a total fabrication. Not only was there never a "John Buford Brad," there was never even a Civil War. I made it all up. I bet you can't find one person that was actually there. It was all an elaborate ruse to push the Walt Disney movie, "The Great Locomotive Chase."
Yup. That scam was even used long before with "The General" with Buster Keaton.arghh: Did I tell you about the time I test-drove a nuclear-powered locomotive? They called it the "Atomic Alco"...
Don't pick on the dumb girl :crying: and there's nothing civil about war. Was that a good movie?........Don't answer that...I'll believe anything
Wow. I've read some interesting "histories" folks made up, to create background for their empires, but this one has to be the most imaginative yet. Boxcab E50