Scratchbuilding the old west

smoolie671 Sep 16, 2014

  1. Curn

    Curn TrainBoard Member

    751
    497
    31
    It looks like the 1885 Hill Valley Courthouse that was under construction in Back to the Future III
     
  2. Mike VE2TRV

    Mike VE2TRV TrainBoard Member

    4,870
    12,450
    92
    Fictional location... from a movie, I guess. A western, for sure.

    To put it out for guessing which building, it would need to be a popular western. That would narrow down the possibilities a bit. I'd have a hard time guessing though... when I watch a western, it's not for the architecture, it's for the gunfights and the trains...;)
     
  3. smoolie671

    smoolie671 TrainBoard Member

    15
    0
    4
    Curn got it right! It is the Hill Valley Courthouse from BTTF III. I'm building the entire town. I may throw in a few other references from some other westerns as well.
     
  4. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member

    2,626
    5,747
    69
    Thanks for posting your efforts, thats some creative modeling skills there. You have given me a couple ideas too.
    Thanks for posting.
     
  5. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

    67,560
    22,735
    653
    Ah. Well, I was on the right "track" so to speak, with my guessing court house. Good grief. Haven't seen that movie in ages. Maybe too long.
     
  6. Eagle2

    Eagle2 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

    5,727
    479
    82
    That's a neat, if unusual, source of inspiration.
     
  7. Kenneth L. Anthony

    Kenneth L. Anthony TrainBoard Member

    2,749
    524
    52
    I'm butting into a question about another model. I tackled the "fluted column" issue a different way.
    I made fluted columns for a classic style bank building using a plastic material made for holding lightweight screen in do-it-yourself modular window screens. The material comes coiled up. I placed a brass rod through it to stiffen it.
    [​IMG]
     
  8. smoolie671

    smoolie671 TrainBoard Member

    15
    0
    4
    Oh! Now why didn't I think of that?
    I have actually scoured the internet looking for proper HO scale fluted columns.
    Nothing ever came up that had the fluting. I was very surprised with how well the printed method looks like real fluting. I would bet good money if someone could do some proper castings of columns, they whould make a tidy sum off us modelers.
     
  9. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

    67,560
    22,735
    653
    Interesting idea. I have some in the garage. Probably a few other folks so as well.
     
  10. Shortround

    Shortround TrainBoard Member

    4,333
    5,041
    93
    Time for one of those 3D printing machines.
     
  11. Curn

    Curn TrainBoard Member

    751
    497
    31
    The actual movie set was built along the Sierra Railroad in the red hills. It burned down in a wild fire in 1996. I rode by it a few times while it was still there. It was a neat little town. The only other movies that were filmed on it were Bad Girls (1994) and maybe a sort station scene from Unforgiven (1992), and a few made for TV westerns that I haven't seen. Will you also have some of the Sierra rolling stock and locomotive to go with your town?

    Approximate location of the set: 37.865893, -120.503764. You can see some of town outline and main street from the Satellite map.
    https://www.google.com/maps/place/3....5036849,232m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0

    And where that gravel road passes the tracks is the approximate location of Sam Druckers General Store and the Hooterville depot from Green Acers / Petticoat Junction. Those building were only used for exterior shots.

    Clara's school house was on the other side of the tracks, closer to that stream, but it also was burnt to a crisp.
     
  12. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

    67,560
    22,735
    653
    I know "The Shadow Riders" was filmed on the Sierra RR. I even have a set of train orders from that event. (1982)
     
  13. smoolie671

    smoolie671 TrainBoard Member

    15
    0
    4
    Curn, yes, I'm trying to keep an eye out for a good used 4-6-0 than I can use or possibly convert to represent Siera number 3, Or I should say 131. Any one willing to part with one for a reasonable price?
     
  14. bzja

    bzja TrainBoard Member

    18
    1
    9
    In Keeping with the Back to the Future theme of the post. I've bee modeling the Rogers 4-6-0 as the 131 and a Hot Wheels BTTF Delorean. Unfortunately the Hot Wheels car is oversized. So I purchased a Shapeways 1/87 BTTF Delorian which I plan to add metal wheels to add weight. The problem is the 1/87 car looks WAY too small ! Pictures to follow.
     
  15. RailMix

    RailMix TrainBoard Member

    1,527
    3,829
    60
    The DeLorean is probably not too small, but it is well known that the Rogers ten wheeler is a certain percentage oversize, which may cause some visual problems. The hot wheels DeLorean is probably 1/64 scale. With all the collector vehicles available, sometimes I wish I modeled in S scale.
     
  16. Shortround

    Shortround TrainBoard Member

    4,333
    5,041
    93
    Very nice modeling. The building has to be from the far west. The Southwest was Latin American before the Europeans took over. That building looks more Eastern US.
     
  17. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

    5,677
    580
    82
    Is that first state bank from model railroader mag about 1974?
     
  18. Kenneth L. Anthony

    Kenneth L. Anthony TrainBoard Member

    2,749
    524
    52
    I believe I got some ideas from that MR story. but mostly designed model around using doors and windows from Heljan/Concor Danish RR station, the fluted columns, Plastruct spindle parapet, etc. I have also built a Western false-front movie set street but I work in N.
    AllStreet.jpg
     
    gjslsffan and dalebaker like this.
  19. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member

    2,626
    5,747
    69
    Now that is cool! Great modeling. They would also work for backdrop building as well, all you need are some Preiser movie figures to finish this scene.
    Copied from the Preiser web site.
    [​IMG]
     
  20. Kevin Anderson

    Kevin Anderson TrainBoard Member

    2,726
    4,177
    77
    Cool! I don’t have time to do the scratch build thing so I picked up a bunch of laser kits. I like what you e done.
     

Share This Page