Layout Progress Update 09/24/07

[galt904]

Getting technical here, but I believe in the 50's it would be a Massey Harris plant, not Massey Ferguson. You have an awesome start on your layout. I love seeing in progress photos, especially with bits of buildings laying around to mark the location of future completed buildings.

 

[doctorwayne]

Even back then, companies were being swallowed up or merged with other ones. Hard to keep track of who was who. Or whom?

Val, unless it's been torn down within the last year or two, the Cockshutt factory in Brantford is an industrial complex just begging to be modelled.

Wayne

 

[spitfire]

Chad, technical is good and you're quite right. The merger of Massey-Harris with Ferguson occurred in 1953. I'm modelling '54 - '56, so I think there could very well be a mixture of older and newer signs. I already have a Massey Harris sign on the clerestory roof building, and another building in progress is based on the prototype below which shows a faded painted-on Massey Harris. I thought perhaps I might also have a billboard on one of the roofs with the newer Massey Ferguson.

Wayne, I guess you know that Cockshutt and M-H were neighbours until Massey merged with Harris and moved to Toronto. I bet that would be an awesome sight if it's still there. Sadly, all of M-H/M-F has been torn down here and replaced by ugly row-housing.

Val

 

[Biased turkey]

Very good work Spitfire, there are plenty switching opportunities on that layout and you try to recreate a part of history. I remember back in Belgium around the fifties that most of the tractors on the farms were from Massey Harris.
Please tell us more about the structures, are they modulars from Walthers or DPM ?

 

[spitfire]

Thanks BT! The structures are Walthers Allied Rail Rebuilders (with the clerestory roof), Walthers Machine Shop (the one with the chimney). The large curtain wall building is made from City Classics Smallman St Warehouse parts. The large grain elevator in the rear was made by Robin (Matthyro). The low narrow building is made from Walthers modular parts, and I'm going to be using more of these to fill out the rest of the complex. Finally, the cream coloured building is made from DPM modulars, but I have to confess I would not use them again. The fit is not as good as the Walthers modulars, and seems out of scale (too large).

cheers
Val

 

[N Gauger]

Geeze!! Nice stuff val I'll be waiting for updates like everyone else Looks great!!!

 

[galt904]

Ok, I went back and took a closer look at the Massey Harris sign in the pictures. I admire it when people get their history right on their layouts. You have an awesome start to your layout, keep it up!

 

[spitfire]

Progress Report 09/24/07

Over the last few days I've been able to lay the track in the yard, wire it, test it, and today I spray painted the rails.

I'm happy to report that my long flat-cars run perfectly though the yard ladder. On my old layout I had used Peco set-track turnouts in the yard and this was causing major problems. Flatcars derailing as well as my BLI switcher. Happily, the use of Peco mediums has solved that problem this time around.

Here's a couple of photos. Most of the work I've done over the last few days is under the layout. Lots of soldering and wiring!

Still getting that fish-eye lens effect in close-ups as you can see from the second photo. Trust me, the track is straight!

Val

 

[Biased turkey]

You progress at a very fast pace Spitfire.
By the way, thanks for the info about the structures. I only built 1 structure from DPM. Imho DPM structures look good but my major complain is that DPM structures have no separate doors and windows, everything is molded in 1 piece and that makes DPM structures more difficult to paint.

 

[doctorwayne]

Jacques, the DPM modular buildings have separate doors and windows. I used a lot of packages of wall sections when building National Grocers.

Wayne