The Riverland Lines

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

Art Deco: http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/photos/arts ... sbdeco.htm, most famous exponents being the Chrysler Building in NYC, Hoover Dam and a whole lot of US civic and government buildings of the era. Many cinemas and theatres were done in this style, lots of decorations and soft pastel colours. Really pretty IMO but difficult to model.
Modernism and other "modern" styles: http://places.designobserver.com/featur ... ury/13968/ or
http://www.narrowlarry.com/page3.html or
http://architecture.about.com/od/usa/p/palmsprings.htm
Concrete, glass and steel, angular and with strong vertical/horizontal divisions, easy to model, except for the glass, because you'd then need to model the interior.

There is tons of material available on the 'net, in your local library. You can even take your camera and venture out into the city nearest to you.
Mind you, many of the civic buildings from that era are in serious danger now. Even their ruins pose a certain charm re. architectural archeology in the post industrial society.

Drifting off, but architecture is a hobby of mine.

[jpetersjr]

I have to say I've visited some cities before and I've never seen any of that Art decor, actually there aren't any of those here in Mobile.

And the way those modernism buildings are I'd never be able to model something like that, in fact it would probably crash Crafter.

[PapaXpress]

... in fact it would probably crash Crafter.

Not a true statement.

[arizonachris]

MrBob, this route is really looking great! Seems like JP has found another home for his work as well.

[Chacal]

Thanks for the pictures.
Those art deco buildings are beautiful.
They are quickly disappearing. I once stayed at a beautiful small hotel in Miami Beach that is gone now.
There are a few left in downtown L.A. too.

[jpetersjr]

Not a true statement.

With the junk computer I have it would at the moment, I'll be getting a new computer this year that will work a lot better, minus the problems I'm having with this one.

Actually sometimes I can hardly get a simple model done because of computer problems.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

I have to say I've visited some cities before and I've never seen any of that Art decor, actually there aren't any of those here in Mobile.

And the way those modernism buildings are I'd never be able to model something like that, in fact it would probably crash Crafter.

Ah, I see. Deep South, then you should expect lots of "colonial" architecture. If you are really interested, ask an arts school or architectural firm what's about town.
This is also helpful on places of historic interest: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_R ... ric_Places and the examples and links from there.

Here is what Google found: https://www.google.com/search?q=mobile+alabama+architecture+usa&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:nl:official&client=firefox-a#psj=1&q=mobile+alabama+architecture+usa&rls=org.mozilla:nl:official&start=20 Don't know if you will get the same pictures though.
That building with the sfinxes in front is Art Deco, I believe it is a Masonic Temple.

Here is the Mobile Museum, too modern for the 60's you'll want to model.

More Mobile, public library, traditional civic style, not modern, not ancient:


But this is neither a lesson on architecture, nor a modeling tutorial.

Anyway, if you look around and above you at the facades, you'll find lots of interesting buildings and motives for modeling. Or use Google Streetview to wander around from your desktop.

So you'd do some research yourself and find the places and buildings you fancy to model for this project and which are in your capacity given time and computer power.

[jpetersjr]

I actually plan on building the temple and the library, soon hopefully I'll be able to get down there to get more pictures. The temple is actually where a friend of mine holds his HO scale train layout club.

As well, the one in the middle is too new, it's from way after the 60's, this route is set in the 60's so we have to stick to the 60's or even better, before.

[_o_OOOO_oo-Kanawha]

Good. Most streets apart from Cityhall Plaza, Market Square or Highstreet were very traditional in their architecture and haven't changed that much since the early 1900's in style. Only wood was replaced by masonry over time.

And the theatre where you play the organ? How is that? Many theatres and cinemas were built to please the public both from the outside and inside. They were always made to stand out so as to attract clientele, and were often on the forefront of new trends in architecture. Some goes for local radio station studios, and with wealthy citizens who wanted to make an impression.

So good luck with your research and modeling. You've already come quite far and have supplied us with lots of useful assets.

PS: that UFO shaped diner you did was very avant garde for the period. Definite streamline/rocketry/atomic style of the 50's. So it doesn't have to be large buildings at all that stand out and give character to the scene.

[jpetersjr]

Will build a theater when I can figure out how to turn a sound into a child object and then place it on the building.

And the diner, that was one of the most common shapes for a vintage drive in restaurant.

[jpetersjr]

Modeling a big city's downtown area is difficult for it requires lots of different buildings, banks, stores, shops, appartments, cinemas, cafes and diners, garages, parks, monuments, and what else more to make it look convincing and 'American'. Not to mention vehicles, taxis, buses and people, pedestrians, playing children, policemen, a marching band etc. etc.
Will the trolley run through uptown also, with nice Victorian homes with large gardens for the affluent?

The Sixties, right? That was when the mass movement to suburbia already had started? So there should already be derelict blocks in the downtown parts "across the railroad tracks"?

You have your work cut out for yourself, JPetersJr. Various other small assets of a general nature should be available from Railworks community sites from all over the world.


And as for buses, I do know that there was a bus available somewhere, but I don't remember where, the person with the desert route.
Some small UKTS routes with a British theme look real nice.

Of course, I find modeling big city buildings a lot easier then some though, and I already have a lot available, such as hotels, banks, apartments, warehouses, city buildings and others.

Also though, I'll be doing a lot more, so far I've only just scratched the surface. I'm also going to be doing some factories, and of course more vehicles from the 60's.

[dejoh]

Speaking of "The Riverside Lines", which is the subject of this thread. Do you have a map available? Is there freight operations?
Looking forward to this route as well as many here.

[jpetersjr]

Speaking of "The Riverside Lines", which is the subject of this thread. Do you have a map available? Is there freight operations?
Looking forward to this route as well as many here.

Not sure if he has a map of it just yet, but it will come with a ton of new freeware scenery models for the community, such as the already seen Immes Building.

I actually got the title wrong from the ancient photo I have of the real thing. It should have been Innes Building, but I painted it as Immes Building since to me on the photo it looked like it said Immes, so I just left it as Immes Building.

Here's my reference to it.

innes-building-1948-expansion.jpg

Of course, the photo was taken back in 1948, the real building probably isn't even there anymore, most likely it was torn down as time progressed on.

[jpetersjr]

I decided to rebuild everything and include a loop, so it's also possible to use PCC cars on the route. (since their the only decent material to drive with at the moment...)


Cheers,
Bob

Well, there's always GreatNorthernor's freeware doodlebug, which is a diesel.

Doodlebug_MW_final1top.jpg

http://www.golden-age-rails.com/packslegacy/doodlebug.html

[mrbob19]

Well, there's always GreatNorthernor's freeware doodlebug, which is a diesel.
http://www.golden-age-rails.com/packslegacy/doodlebug.html

Yes, there is.. but as you said it is a Diesel, I like to ride my route with electric units.

@dejoh: I have a track map that i made about New Holland somewhere at my laptop. I made it when i was a bit bored at vacation... I'll look it up tomorrow (don't have enough time to do it now)

I would have shown the growth of New Holland now, if RW didn't give me a 'Something Bad Happened' message while i was placing a building Not much work lost, just a couple of houseblocks and a park, that's all....

And thanks for the replies everybody. I hope to show more progress soon!

Cheers,
Bob