Large Scale Central

1:20.3 Southern Passenger Car for the Little River Railroad

Modeling
#61

Tom Grabenstein said:
By the way what type of doctor are you? Doc Tom

Last time I was asked that, I replied “Exemplary!”

Doc Phil in Sth Oz

#62

At one time I used to be able to get 24 x 36 sheets of ABS from Plastruct (the were Engineering Model Associates back then). They were small enough to ship UPS.

Bob C.

#63

I always liked this shot of a passenger train heading over a bridge in the Little River Gorge. Taken in the early 20th century it is a good representation of the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains and Baldwin steam locomotives.

So, with a little more work done on the scratch built 1:20.3 model of the combine passenger car I was able to set up this photo trying to recreate the image of LRRR#110 moving a passenger train in the gorge in the 1920’s.

Here are some more full color shots of the model’s construction to this point.

Thanks for looking.

Doc Tom

#64

As always nice shot’s Doc!

#65

Doc Tom,

Your Gorge picture is really good. I’ve always really enjoyed your approach to recreating the “Little River” pictures on your layout.

And just my $0.02 worth on “Doc” Watson, if you ever have a chance to see “Doc’s” work on his 1:20 combine with the complete interior, you’ll see why he is thought of as the “Doctor of 1:20.3 modeling”. It is well documented and well deserved title. We’ve got a couple of others around here that should be getting their credentials, also.

#66

That’s a good looking combine, Tom.

#67

The combine turned out great. I agree with Ric in how cool it is that you recreate the old prototype photo scenes.

#68

Thanks Guys. I do enjoy the proto-research (if such a word?) that goes in to building a model RR. I am very very lucky that the Little River RR had some pretty darn good photos from the turn of the century.

I am going up to Little River RR country in the Great Smoky mountains this week. My wife and I will hike the Little River trail which follows the old roadbed above Elkmont.

Let’s call it “field research” and a chance at more inspiration for the RR in the back yard.

Doc Tom

#69

Is that part of the old store foundation in the background across the center in that shot ?

#70

Dave, N.B., Marconi said:

Is that part of the old store foundation in the background across the center in that shot ?

No, the store is completely gone as it was all wood construction. I have found rail and spikes while walking along the old roadbed.

Tom

#71

Very nice!

#72

Love the way you do your photos with the real thing and then your RR. Love it.

#73

Shawn (napkin builder) Viggiano said:

Love the way you do your photos with the real thing and then your RR. Love it.

Thanks Shawn. The historical research is a big part of the fun for me. I am noticing that Black and White pictures of models really do fool the brain in to thinking it is 1910-1920 and also hide some distractions in the backyard. For example I am always trying to hide the neighbor’s fences with plants or tight shots of the models etc. So I guess photography is a big part of this great hobby of modelling choo choos.

I love your “natural backdrops” of the real rolling mountains of Appalachia…they always look great in your photos and movies.

Doc Tom

#74

Doc have you found the coal dump at Elkmont? Have we had this conversation before? Enjoy the mountain.

#75

Ric Golding said:

Doc have you found the coal dump at Elkmont? Have we had this conversation before? Enjoy the mountain.

Hi Ric,

No, I can’t say that I have. But you can bet I will be nosing around the Elkmont camp ground looking for it with this lead of yours. What info do you have about it??

Thanks Doc Tom

#76

“No, I can’t say that I have. But you can bet I will be nosing around the Elkmont camp ground looking for it with this lead of yours. What info do you have about it??”

As you come up the hill to the furthest you can climb by vehicle and where the post are marking the end of vehicular traffic, on your driver’s side, or opposite where the building set, there is evidence of the coal dump rise in the hillside. Trees grow on the little artificial rise, only about 4 feet above the normal track or ground level. Dig around in the soil there and you’ll find evidence of coal. Certainly not a normal mineral in the area and it marks where a siding was located for the store, Might be something to model.

This was re-discovery for me, nothing original. Written up somewhere and I was able to trace out the evidence of the location. Found it probably about 10 years ago. It was a great find for me. Jan just gave me one of those strange look and a statement of , “yep looks like coal”.

She tolerates a lot.

It may be written up in some of the park literature. I find the National Park Service to be very dumb when it come to the railroading in the area. But I think they could give you an accurate count on the number of squirrels.

#77

The shot of the 1.20.3 car along with the standard Bachmann does not come up in the early part of the thread. Can you repost them? I’d like to see just how much difference in size there is. Thanks.

#78

Mickey Kelley said:
The shot of the 1.20.3 car along with the standard Bachmann does not come up in the early part of the thread. Can you repost them? I’d like to see just how much difference in size there is. Thanks.

It’s my own version, but here’s a shot of a Bachmann car on top of the floor of a 1:20 passenger car that I did.

#79

There are other photos around like that - google found this one (which I’m sure I saved somewhere but nowhere obvious!) Accucraft J&S car with a Bachmann J&S car:

#80

Pete Thornton said:

There are other photos around like that - google found this one (which I’m sure I saved somewhere but nowhere obvious!) Accucraft J&S car with a Bachmann J&S car:

Pete, that is one of my photos AND the smaller car is LGB.