From: Alan Lambert Well put, Depends on the area's watertable as to where basements are. That and type of soil, ( clay) that we (Texas ) have to deal with. Thanks, Alan
________________________________ From: Carey Probst <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Monday, March 12, 2012 12:05 PM Subject: Re: {S-Scale List}old structures/new structures A lot of Florida is the same way. Has a lot to do with the high water tables. Clearwater's high point being about 6 ft above sea level. In NY where I used to live basements were common and my well was 340 feet deep. Carey Carey Probst Member, M.I.T. Educational Council S Scale, Sn3 and S High Rail/AF A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. On 3/12/2012 11:38 AM, Alan Lambert wrote: > From: Alan Lambert > Lone Star Flyer club > Arlington, Texas > Bob, > I can relate to the lack of basements in models. It must be a Texas > thang. You know we don't have basements In Fort Worth or the whole > state for that matter. One thing I really miss. I guess that is where > scratch building comes in. Add our own basement. Come up to our lo.cal > train shows sometime At Plano we were on the local CH. 11 news from > unloading til we had the layout up and running. Plugging this years > show's. > Thanks , > Alan > *From:* Bob Werre <[email protected]> > *To:* [email protected] > *Sent:* Monday, March 12, 2012 10:21 AM > *Subject:* Re: {S-Scale List}old structures/new structures > > Friends, > > I also have been somewhat overwhelmed with the quality and quantity of > structure kits in our favorite scale. Back when I started my layout > it was pretty much FinesKinds, Mini-structures, and Leigh Valley. And > like everybody at the time, I inherited the basic Mini-structures > single story station and I built the Leigh branchline station. It > didn't take me too long before discovering that everybody else had > those same structures. But over the years we've added so many neat > buildings. I enjoy building structures so if you add up all the false > fronts on my layout I bet I'm in the 150-200 range. So I have a 1:1 > ratio between cars and structures (that was for Jim King). I probably > have a dozen car kits to build and only two structure kits waiting in > line. > > I'll agree with Jim here, and say simple buildings will work in most > situations. I too have one Bar Mills buildings...love it, but one > goes a long way. I often stop along roads less traveled, stop in > small towns and photograph all the neat and varied buildings on > mainstreet. I did that when coming back from Bob Jackson's layout in > Illinosis, I did it in Fort Worth near the stockyards, covered some > neat buildings with Bill Click a few years back in some East Texas > villages. I photographed some basic buildings near my hometown in > South Dakota that garnered an award with a local graphics society. I > look at all the detail that you can add to a kit from Plasticville on > up, to make it look like it's been there a long time. > > However, one thing most kits/final buildings seem to lack is > provisions for a basement. Many areas have basements and I've only > seen one, the Monon Shop provided one on his Bob's Barbershop kit. > I'm talking about a raised building with small windows near ground > level and around the perminter. Often there was an outside stairway > leading down to the basement level. That stairway usually had a pipe > safety railing and the local guys would sit on that railings--a great > place to add character! > > One thing I wish for is a windmill. I've seen an etched brass version > in HO while I have two of the earlier Woodland's scenic's soft metal > versions. Even though windmills differ vastly in height these don't > even match the smallest I've seen, so they only work really far in the > distance for S. A windmill would work for any isolated water tank > until the late steam era, and many farms still have and use them > today. I feel one would have to do a tremendous amount of work to > solder one together and I need 2-3 on my layout...so that remains on > my wish list! > > Bob Werre >> Guys: >> >> At the risk of growing the thread, my random, non-critical thoughts >> on others' thoughts: >> >> The elephant in the room that seems to be so often overlooked, is >> that we are very small numerically speaking, with widely varying >> architectural needs and wants While a lot of guys on this list >> complain about how little is available in structure kits, I marvel at >> how much there actually is. If you were to add up all the S scale >> offerings, past and present from various structure manufacturers, >> I'm sure it would number into the hundreds. >> >> Personally, I enjoy scratch building specific (to my needs) >> structures, but I do buy the odd kit if I think I can make it fit the >> scene I want to create. When considering a kit, I prefer simple, >> typical structures. >> >> I love the look of Bar Mills structures but but too many on my layout >> would make it look like a theme park. I have purchased their "One >> Kit" because it's a clever concept I can probably use in the future >> without have to scare up a lot of scratch building materials >> >> >> Back to the typical, I will be ordering Altoona's branch line water >> tank. It's close enough to what I need. Typical sells, At least to me. >> >> As for those who can't find a structure kit specific to their needs, >> try scratch building. The fact that you're willing to tackle a kit >> at least means you have no" tool allergies" >> >> My two cents >> >> Cheers' >> Jim Martin. >> >> > > > >
