Layout Expansion

I have some cheapie plastic "For Sale" signs that will be used. The main street will be concrete, so the seams will have to be scribed in, and parking lots and side streets will be ashpahlt.

 

Do you have names for all the buildings? I always struggle with that...

Looking very good

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I do have names for all of the businesses, or at least what kind of business it is. I went back to my childhood, which is in this time period and worked from there. Some are businesses that actually existed in this time Period. Montana Motor Supply is one of them, and finally went out of business recently with the numerous chain stores such as NAPA coming in the scene. This business carried parts and supplies for cars, trucks and farm equipment.

Just think what a town might need in that period. On store is a fabric store. Back in that era, many people actually made their own clothes. In Montana, a saloon is a must. There will be a Sears catalog store. In this area we still don't have a Sears retail store. The closest is in Billings, MT, about 150 miles away. There is a Woolworths, which was a big business back then. There is a furniture store and plumbing supply store. A shoe store is another business that will be in town. Another is a real business which I modified to a point, Vanns Radio, TV and Appliance. I did add radio into the name as TVs were just coming on the scene back then. I think we got our first TV set in the late 50's, with two channels. A bank is another business that should be included. There is a barber shop, various small businesses such as an accountant and a law office. A variety store is another that would have been around. In many small towns, you could find a "general store". These would carry most anything from food staples, clothing, hardware supplies and many other every day products we don't think much about today.

I hope these can help you.

 

Business Names For Your Layouts

Don't forget Western Auto, Texaco (The man with the star), A&W (root beer stand), Foster's Freeze, Woolworth's (already mentioned), Family named business's Ie., Whalen's Drugs, Ken's (newspapers, magazines, candy and possibly toys), Dowdy's Bootery, George's Malt Shop, Bob's Meat Market or corner store, Susie's Dress Shop, Wabasha Bait and Tackle shop, Rigettia's Shapghetti, and of course the local Saddle Shop. The Montana City Fire Department, PGE gas and electric, Hazel Hawkins Hospital, Howland's Funeral Home a local Boot Hill (Odd fellow's Cemetery). Then there are trackside wholesale and retail establishments I.e.., the Del Monte Canary, 76 Union Oil Company. Continuing this insanity, Mercer's Auto Repair, and the Ford Dealership, with cars, trucks and tractors just to name a few. Names can be changed to protect the innocent.

You are limited only by your own imagination.:wideeyes:

 

Watching Old Videos

The "Back To The Future", triology would be a interesting series of films to watch. You'll pick up on a bunch of ideas for business's by watching them. Boxcab, you'll find the jingle in "Back To The Future II", with a slightly new twist. I guarantee it will come back to you. Which reminds me don't forget to install a local indoor or outdoor theater.

I've been recovering from surgery so been watching all kinds of worthless videos. Finally pulled out the afore mentioned triology and just ate it up. I think I've viewed every train video and DVD I have including a few from Josta. Now getting back into the I want to get things done on my layout syndrome.

 

I would have liked to have a Texaco station because we did have Texaco in Montana until the early 80's. There are a lot of vehicles and buildings available for oil companies, but of all of what is on the market, Sinclair is the only one that I have seen a decent selection of oil delivery trucks that were in this area of Montana in 1957, so Sinclair it is. Look out for Dino.

 

Finally all of the buildings for the "downtown" area are completed with the exception of signs. My printer ran out of ink. Being that many of the buildings will be facing away from the edge of the layout, a little more work was required to get them looking right.

Here's a shot looking down the main street.

Another overview of the town. I can't wait to get the street and other details started.



Last is the starting of the scrap yard. I am in the process of looking for more "junk" to make the yard look busy.



I'm sure that when the streets and drives are laid down, lawns and trees put in and other details such as street lamps, people and other accessories installed, the town should look lived in.

 

It was Dino the dinosaur. Pretty good for an old guy! :teeth:

 

As in die-no. "Sinclair is the one to buy, nickel is the reason why, only Sinclair gasoline has nickel, nickel, nickel."

 

A little more work has been done.

Now that summer is over, I have some time and work has moved forward some. The yard at Logan has been ballasted and some ground cover has started going down. In the first picture, the rest of the hill in the corner has had ground cover added. Sagebrush trees will be added to the hills when time allows. I will probably make a post on the construction of the trees.



Here some more shots of the yard area with ground cover started. More details will be added.







Here is the yard area before and after some ground cover has been added. Now weeds and other details will be added.





I also finally found some more casting for junk piles in the salvage yard. When the time comes, some hydrocal will be poured and the area brought to a more level state. A small building will be added for a scale house and a scale added, along with other details.



Too cold to do anything outside today. We started off at minus 15. The train room is nice and warm.

 

That is looking very good, can't wait to see the town finished

 

Very nice indeed. Great ace to hide when it's cold outside.


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