Freelance 2017-3
#1
My Conrail dedication does not rest and I need to run some "true blue" engines. The geography of Freelance 2017-2 inspired by the Bronx is fine but the time needs to be changed into the 1980s (I prefer the plain blue scheme without the quality scheme, quality should be in the product and not on the outside ;-). )

Following the usual "Bronx 1980s" standards should that result in a scenery of burned and devastated buildings.
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Wikipedia writes
"the South Bronx was considered one of the most blighted urban areas in the country, with a loss of 60% of the population and 40% of housing units"
But that means there must be some documentation of 60% of the structures still in place!
I found this side <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=222552">http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=222552</a><!-- m --> concentrating on the the other aspects of the Bronx. It shows very interesting street views and structures like this
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It has a lot in common with the area in central Hamburg where I grow up. The mix of buildings and waste land due to destruction is quite similar.

I will certainly need some help from older New Yorkers and ask one or more questions over the time.

My topic for today is swapping street and rail cars. That is the easy beginning.
Reinhard
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#2
Step one is new equipment on rails and streets.

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Reinhard
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#3
I am curious to see you you " blight " your layout. If you need some inspiration, check out the movie " the taking of Pelem 123". The original from 1970 something, not the remake. It's the New York that I remember from my youth, in all its blight and grit.
 My other car is a locomotive, ARHS restoration crew  
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#4
e-paw Wrote:I am curious to see you you " blight " your layout. If you need some inspiration, check out the movie " the taking of Pelem 123". The original from 1970 something, not the remake. It's the New York that I remember from my youth, in all its blight and grit.
I can't find the movie for viewing. Only short previews and the plot are available to me.
But you may very well help me.
The "standard" photos of the Bronx 1970 and 1980 show totally burned down buildings and great planes of debris.
I scanned the streets of the Bronx with Streetview while searching for store advertising. During that search did I find many rows of old but obviously not burned down buildings. That matches my memory from my visits in the Bronx, Harlem and Brooklyn in the 80s. I saw a lot of destruction but I found also the majority of the buildings functioning. It was very similar to Hamburg in the late 50s and early 60s. The series of photos in Skyscraper matches my memory quite well.
Is that correct?

I do intentionally not focus on social problems, crime rate and any racial issues. That is far beyond our common hobby. Only the optical appearance is of significance for my layout.

Hamburg in my memory as a kid <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.benjidog.co.uk/recollections/images/ImagesStanMayes/Empire%20Baltic%204.jpg">http://www.benjidog.co.uk/recollections ... ic%204.jpg</a><!-- m -->
Reinhard
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#5
The container yard is not applicable for the new theme and got removed and the street is restored. I do not want to destroy, burn down or seriously hamper the quite expensive city buildings. They will be updated with details and weathering to match the new theme.
The new free area is a good place for one or more abandoned buildings. A nice opportunity for scratch building (core is paper laminated foam and wallpapered with printed brick sheets). The closed windows are cut out too, concrete painted and pressed back in position.
It is a start but it needs more work.

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Reinhard
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#6
Added a third finger to the building, widened the sidewalk, made the corner property wasteland and added some details to set the stage of this block.
I am still not satisfied with the building. But I found some parts of fire escapes in the basement. I think they make big difference.

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Reinhard
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#7
Used the platforms and stairs of two packs I had in the cabinet. the missing stairs are no big problem for this scenery.
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And some more details
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Reinhard
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#8
e-paw Wrote:I am curious to see you you " blight " your layout. If you need some inspiration, check out the movie " the taking of Pelem 123". The original from 1970 something, not the remake. It's the New York that I remember from my youth, in all its blight and grit.

This a quite interesting reading but I have serious doubts how to represent it on a layout
https://www.quora.com/What-was-it-like-t...-the-1980s
Reinhard
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#9
Across from the three finger building is wasteland and low profile industry. The blue front side is usually not visible and gets therefor no further details. The shrubs and building cover a gap of a removable section and can not be worked into the ground.

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Reinhard
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#10
Reinhard, Your work is outstanding. Cheers
Charlie
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#11
Charlie, thanks for the nice comment.

When I looked at this photo <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.columbia.edu/imaging/diap/jfif01/.mosaic/nyc00424.jpg">http://www.columbia.edu/imaging/diap/jf ... c00424.jpg</a><!-- m --> and thought about the components of City Classics did I see some parallels. Two side walls connected with a recessed rear wall would look similar to the side view of a prototype building. I had just to skip the recession of the center due to space problem and to tone it down for some kind of 3D effect. The result is another option for the center background and it looks like a big city than the 9 little row houses.

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Added a street between the two backdrop flats and adjusted the people on the street to "1980 level".

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Reinhard
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#12
Used a Lunde Mc Adam Building to do another butterfly building. I have some more space and this time is the center actually recessed and the sides are made from the front side of the kit.
It is a great money saver for background buildings. A 4" wide front is good for a 14" wide butterfly.
This is the space of the former parking garage.

The building from yesterday got shrunk by one story (1.st floor with doors etc.). It was to dominating as a flat background structure with respect to the neighbor 3D buildings.

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Reinhard
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#13
The large building in perfect condition in the center is replaced by two ordinary buildings and two one level sheds. That is a better base to model some moderate decay. Next topic are the details in that area.

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Reinhard
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#14
Worked at the details of the first building.

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Reinhard
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#15
Next day, next building Smile
I am also working at the gravel spot next to the building.

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Reinhard
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