Rainbows in the Lehigh Valley Gorge

[TMo]

Enough sludge production - my parts came in to build the ACME (some Plastruct .080 x .100 strips and some transpartent sheet). 

I'm going to spend a good bit of time on the front face of the supermarket which will be a combination of cardstock and plastic pieces anchored together by a continuous piece of transparent plastic sheet to simulate all of the glass in the front.  To refresh memories, here's the prototype face:

https://web.archive.org/web/202202160311...ain_01.jpg

I first estimated the overall scale of the building, and the spacing of the window panels.  My guess is something on the order of 88' from front corner to front corner with a 10-foot wall height to the roof at the corner and a 10 degree angle of the roofing (the real deal may be slightly bigger, but I'd rather go with smaller based on the space available).  I sketched out the various dimensions (including scaled building in inches) on a piece of paper

   

 and then decided to attack the cardstock portions of the front face first - the brick sections nearest the front corners including doors as the first priority.  I found a 2-story section of brick from the Cream City kit to use as the brick for those sections of the building and used solid doors from that same kit.  Since the shopper doors are transparent, I'll use the ones I just built from the Central Camera kit.  I also need to remember that my front face will be a mirror image of the prototype - the shopper doors will be on the right corner, the solid doors on the other side.  I'll be working on these brick sections and adding the doors which will take some time.

   

[hillyard999]

Todd,
Looking forward to your build.
I love mid century modern!

[TMo]

I am not a fan of mid century modern, but you try to model what was there.

Got the brick corner's finished.  Put a set of solid double doors in courtesy of the Cream City Tool Works (relatively easy), and then doubled up the glass doors and entry of Central Camera (tricky). 

   

Here's a shot of the layers (minus the clear plastic that went behind all of the layers).

   

A lot of cutting, measuring, cajoling and crossing of fingers, but they are done.  I might put the address number on the black space above the entry door.  

   

Next comes a foundation of cinder blocks up to about 3 feet high or so that ties the two brick corners together before I start building the window frames.

[TMo]

I recalculated and arrived at a total width of 76 feet wide and 12 degrees of pitch on the roof - smaller the better if I'm going to shoehorn it into the space available.  Built the cinder block wall that ties the brick corner sections and joined the pieces.  This is going to be a large building...  Got a headache and need a break from the magnifiers.  I will probably get a chance to put the plastic frame together that will serve as a support for the transparent sheet that'll go from peak to foundation tomorrow.

   

[TMo]

Added the larger frame elements to the front facade.  The smaller vertical strips are next followed by some paint touchups and gluing in the glass sheet as well as the signage.

   

[tompm]

Starting to look like an Acme. Great job!

[TMo]

Thanks Tom!  Nice to hear that I'm making something look like something I'm trying to replicate.

The vertical elements of the window frames of the ACME are going in as we speak, but there's some drying time associated with each and I'm looking for a new project that's not structure-related.

I have two GP30's, both Bachmann Spectrum DC units that I converted almost 20 years ago now.  The Penn Central unit I have has evolved over the years, starting out life as a B&O model that got black dipped and then decaled with the alternating red and white PC worm logos.  However, after some exploration, none of those red P units ever made it to Conrail and the decals didn't go on well anyway, and I ended up redoing it all and weathering that unit.  I also never replaced the incandescent bulbs that came with either unit and I've never done a whole lot with the other GP30 - a Reading unit (#5513), which is now pretty famous - it's used for a lot of excursion trains out of the Reading RR museum having been repainted and renovated lovingly back to it's glory days on the RRR.  Turns out 5513 was the very first GP30 to make it off of the production line from EMD.  All good info, but back in 1976 this unit was RR 3613 and was quickly patched to CR 2181.  While most of the CR patches were white letters over black patches, for some reason (probably a RRR employee in the mix) this unit got green patches with white letters.  Later on in its CR days, the front cab patches were redone in black, but none of the others were touched after the first patch and 2181 never got blue paint.

https://conrailphotos.thecrhs.org/photos...h-09-12-77

So, here's the plan.  The Penn Central unit (#2232) is going to get LED lights, and the Reading unit is going to get patched, renumbered as CR 2181, LEDs added and weathered.  Obviously, some time involved and this is something I'll gnaw away at occasionally. The two GP30's are going to consist with my dummified RS2 (after many unsuccessful attempts to remotor it).  Here's a shot of 5513 before any work:


   

[TMo]

First coat of paint got slapped on the window framing after installation of the last piece.  I'll hit it again with an additional coat tomorrow before adding the window glass and signage.

   

[Charlie B]

Here are a couple photos of the 2181 to use for reference.         
Charlie

[TMo]

Perfect! Thanks Charlie!

[TMo]

Progress on multiple fronts.  Signage and window glass have been installed on the front face of the ACME.  There's a covered porch that will have to be built over the automatic doors on the right side at some point, but I'm moving on to side and back faces of the building, which are all going to be cinder block with some doorways.

   

I also tore down the Penn Central GP30 for the purpose of installing LED lighting.  After pondering the options, I elected to completely rid myself of the existing electric board that rode on the halves of the chassis to pick up track voltage and dispensed power to the incandescent lights.  

   

Replaced power pickup by drilling a hole in each side of the chassis and installing two machine screws and nuts with an electric pickup on top (got this idea from Charlie many moons ago and put it into practice).

   

Got humpty dumpty back together and I hope to reweather it later today.

[Charlie B]

Todd, when I have done those split frame Bachmann's I like to isolate the frame too. I cut the clips that transmit the power from the track and soldier wires direct to the trucks and run them up through the center gap directly to the decoder. I isolate the decoder on a thin sheet of styrene. That way I don't have to be concerned about shorts to the frame. 
Charlie

[tompm]

Todd, you are bringing back memories for me. Do you have any photos of the sides or back of the buildings? From what I can remember at least the sides were red brick. I don't remember any doors. There may have been half windows near the roof line. The back wall was concrete blcok with the loading dock a door or two and a couple of windows.

I wish I could get over to the old Acme building in Woodlyn Shopping Center. From what I can remember the side and back have not been altered too much. Last time I was over there was about 10 years ago. There is also one in Swarthmore.

[TMo]

Yeah, Tom, most probably were brick, but I bought a cinder block texture that I hadn't used yet and thought I'd use it on both the sides and the back. Already built the sides, so I'm at the point of no return there. The current White Haven Market front entrance is all cinder block and that was the side of the ACME, so I'm just going with cinder block. This building is definitely on the large side, I'm going to have to play with real estate if I expect to get the sewage treatment plant in.

With the large expanse of windows on the front, I'm also thinking that I may have to go with a full-fledged interior on this one, which is yet another challenge!

Thanks for yet another great tip, Charlie (on the Bachmann frame isolation). I may do just that on the other GP30.

[TMo]

LED replacement went well last night and I thought I'd share yet another method for securing LEDs in the desired spot inside a shell...

Nothing worse than a light that wanders, or one that you can't get the position optimal even after multiple shell removals and repositionings.  I also don't like too much light in the front cab due to spillover from the headlight.  I've previously shared building a ceiling between the cab and the headlight space, and I did that again with each GP30.  Stuffing the headlight up there was too inexact, so I found that gluing in a short piece of Plastruct 1/4" hollow tubing (either to the false ceiling on the shell) really worked well with my 3mm diameter LEDs (both for the front and rear headlights) - you just need to put a little bit of force to slide the LEDs and connected wires into the tubing.  Still left plenty of space between the metal chassis and the top of the shell.


       

I did some touchup painting on the Reading unit and hit all of the intake and exaust grills with black paint on each unit - hope to get some weathering done before I have to leave and help one of my employees move a 1600-lb I-beam into his kitchen (low budget remodel job) - fortunately there are 16 of us.