The Currency Exchange Corner⏐Visual Storytelling in N Scale
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- Опубликовано: 3 окт 2024
- A look at the evolution of Chicago Crossing's currency exchange building from a simple model to the beginning of a diorama. We'll also look at examples of what is and isn't really a diorama (yet) on the CCMR layout.
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From one N Scaler to another, your videos are truly inspirational. Thank you so much for sharing them 🙏.
Hey thank you, and likewise, it's been a pleasure to watch your layout!
Very nice detail work. I love your philosophy on telling a story. Subscribed! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for supporting the channel!
I just found your channel today and am happily binging videos. Excellent work, I am inspired! As a fellow life-long modeller, I've also grown up reading Shep Paine and see his lessons being put on display here. One of his mantras that I recall often when working on models is to show your subject "doing it's thing," and your visual storytelling makes me think he'd be giving you a gold star for this effort.
Hi Michael, thanks for stopping by and glad you've enjoyed the channel! I love the point you make re: Shep Paine. Shep's dioramas were masterclasses in making simple, compelling stories. You always knew what was happening in those scenes, whether told as a direct or implied action. Something for all of us to live up to if we want to make our scenes truly immersive.
This is an excellent video, Eric! You did a very clear and straightforward explanation of detailing an area to give a diorama-style story. My railroad has a small MOW garage that is crying out for such a treatment. There's already a good junk pile behind it, but the sides of the building are calling for some "outdoor parts storage." Thank you very much for providing some more inspiration that can improve my layout. Cheers from Wisconsin!
Thanks Andrew - that's actually a component of industrial modeling I've not yet tackled, particularly for places like Finkl - what the 'outdoor storage' contains, how it's arranged, and how much to include to let the viewer get the point :). Good luck on the garage, seems like it's an awesome scene!!
This is probably the best Chicago themed layout i've ever saw. Very nice! Keep up the great work!😉
Hey thanks Warren - really appreciate it and will keep plugging away 😁
Wow! You did it again! A n scale garbage can tipped over, and n scale garbage! Really like your approach to this layout, and attention to the details! Very very nice! Always enjoy your videos, I just gave up the big ho layout, last year for a 2 ft around 3 walls point to point, just a switching layout, no duck under, more room,, well I had trouble pulling the trigger on the idea, but finally did it, finally got a track plan in like, had track down but did a lot of moving sidings and spurs, figured I ‘d downsize, but now! I got a lot of work to do! You keep setting the bar!! And you’re doing it in n scale!! Beautiful job. Sorry bout the rambling!!
Thanks Thomas, appreciate all your support and that's really exciting to be moving forward on a new layout journey. Thank you for sharing, it's never a ramble and always fun to read. I've been wrestling with that a bit myself - how much more to give to this layout versus likewise moving to a 3-sided shelf, which would lend itself actually much better to my modeling ambitions and Chicago-specific subject matter.
Eric, thanks for the new video of my favorite layout. As a former banker, I had to chuckle when you call that a currency exchange. (I envision the residents exchanging Swiss Francs from their recent vacation). The Money Order sign is spot on. Many lower income folks don't have bank accounts. They cash their paychecks at this kind of place and pay bills with money orders. They also use exploitive Payday Loans.
At Finkle Steel, I noted there is no evidence of people. No signs on buildings, litter, maybe a coke machine, etc. Not a criticism. Your illuminated signs look great.
Hey thanks Chris, really appreciate you supporting the channel. Yeah your point is noted, probably nobody is stocking Euros at these spots 😂. But also to your point, the role they play in neighborhoods that are either deserts for proper banks, or for individuals who may not have accounts, is significant for better or worse. You also rightly picked up on another part of why Finkl doesn't really have the qualities of an engaging scene (and you can safely call it a criticism, I welcome constructive critique and advice as a mechanism to advance in the hobby). Having a scene look 'lived in' is a key element to a viewer being able to relate to it!
Hi Eric, the architecture of the building made me think it had once been a proper bank that closed leaving the area without banking services so the check cashing place moved in.
@@nicholasquinn2864 thanks for the idea Nicholas! Just down the street from this building is a very solid stone structure that looks particularly bank-ish (missing only the sort of Roman columns you'd see on a lot of old banks). My impression was originally to put a shoe store there, but still thinking about what to really do. The point you bring up is a really good one - lots of buildings end up being re-used in ways not originally intended, particularly as neighborhoods change over time. Having some clues as to the previous use(s) of a building (faded signs, stone carved dates/owner information, cornerstones) is a great add!
Figures. Set up a bunch of figures on that sidewalk area and they will tell the story for you. On my layout it would be a cast of sketchy characters. I think that would provide that shadowbox or diorama effect you mentioned. The trash and newspaper boxes are awesome; hard to believe it's N scale. Amazing job!
Thanks for the ideas Michael, really appreciate it. I've been debating what living stuff might go in that spot, and going back to read some of my old Sheperd Paine books on composing dioramas. For certain a small gaggle of seagulls will be fighting over the trash (common sight in Chicago). I agree that a group of folks sort of hanging around the building would make a lot of sense. On the other hand, having nobody there could be just as compelling a narrative as a group of people, and that ambiguity may offer some options for viewer participation in crafting the story - the space is 'lived in' but by whom is left a bit open-ended.
Hello Eric, Nice job on the scene! I admire your efforts, especially in N scale. Some details are difficult to scale down, but it seems as though you have achieved the visual effects to make it believable. The end of the street by the currency exchange would look cool with some guard rail/barricade, a dumpster and a stripped down car. Thanks, Terry
Thanks for the ideas Terry. Scaling really is an issue with the type of small scratchbuilds you see here. Formally speaking, these illuminated signs are 'thicker' than normal due to limitations imposed by materials, action of the LEDs and 'buildability.' The black painted borders of the signs sort of hide that fact, by making them unobtrusive. This is actually the biggest challenge with N-scale for me (thus far), the issue of whether something is actually buildable in 'true' scale. I haven't investigated whether 3D printing the parts would ameliorate the issue. Maybe!!
Awesome! Love this scene. Really love the pile of garbage and scattered papers. Been trying to figure out how to accomplish something similar myself.
Making garbage was a surprisingly fun process, no expectations going in, garbage coming out :)
would love to see how you did the lighting for those building signs.
great vid..........thank you!
😀
Much appreciated! That video is absolutely on the agenda as I'm making a couple more signs for other buildings. Both the currency exchange signs and the Old Style beer sign I made for the neighborhood tavern are sort of beta test objects that turned out to work pretty well, but would probably stand some refining. My goal is to offer the 'refined' version so folks don't have to bear with the sausage-making that preceded it :)
2:13 - Not since John Armstrong made a model of Hopper's "Night Hawks" for his Canandaigua Southern have I seen a more convincing nocturnal urban scene on a model railroad. The fact that this is N Scale makes it even more remarkable.
That is truly high praise. John Armstrong was a giant in this community. I am humbled.
A lot of my train friends say " you can't put as much detail in N Scale" or the other BS statement " you can't do much with a small size layout" All I can say is details make a layout and the more you add the more professional it looks. I have a larger size layout in N scale and I envy you , you can spend your hobby time to fine tune your layout , me still working on scenery. I wonder if Boomer has checked your channel?? To me he is the God Father of scratch building plus more. very cool!
I agree Will - the problem solving element changes in N scale and there are some demands on either dexterity or building approach that are different, but I feel pretty satisfied that one can achieve much of the same degree of detail or 'realism' in N as HO or other scales. I loved what I saw of your layout on Jimmy's new year show and it was cool to think I knew who the winner was! Not sure if Boomer has been over this way or not, but I sure enjoy dropping by his channel on a regular basis and it absolutely helps me elevate my work in N.
That was really interesting. For me it is the range of signs and posters that has given so much life to the diorama. The tiny newspaper boxes and dustbins are amazing. I think I may have to invest in a small 3D printer to be able to produce similar items. Thanks for your insight.
Thanks Mel - maybe sort of ironically, I've been hesitant to get my own 3D printer, mainly on the expense vs. quality grounds. I'd hate to get one that doesn't provide the resolution and overall quality of printing I need. In that sense, a small one (or a cheap one) might have diminishing returns versus what the models coming off of it look like. From that same standpoint, I've been stuck trying to figure out how much more 'stuff' I'll need for this or subsequent layouts, and whether it justifies the printer :)
@@ChicagoCrossingRR I have always thought along the same lines but looking at small items like bins and pallets and lineside electrical boxes maybe the quality is not vital due to size and a little sandpaper goes a long way. If I do get around to it I will give you some feedback.
@@melkitson thanks Mel! looking forward to that. The other thing I've started thinking about is laser cutting. Some of my favorite detail stuff is made of wood, even if it represents metal, concrete, etc.
Concerning N scale and 3-D printing. I quickly discovered that the only printer that really works for n scale is a resin based printer. I’ve relied on an Elegoo small scale resin printer for producing miscellaneous items on my layout. These things are a bit of a double edged sword. Yes they produce wonderfully detailed items, but along with that comes the mess, the fumes and the learning curve of designing in 3D CAD. I’ve used Tinkercad with some success, but there are others. They are certainly an investment but not as costly as they once were.
@@brooklyngraham1151 Thank you for your input. I've felt the same way about resin as being more optimal, but as you point out it'd be a terrible issue in a rather small basement of a 1908 era house. I've more or less just decided to leave the 3D prints to the expert designers on Shapeways and other sites, knowing that I'm unlikely to make a better trash bin than they, even after significant time and equipment investments that in my case might be put to better use elsewhere 🙂. However I am damned thankful for all the folks who are dedicated 3D printers because they make my life much better as a modeler.
Beginner my behind!😅 Being that I still live in Chicago and worked every neighborhood while working forCity for 38 years, I can't tell you how often I have seen buildings similar to this. I love how your layout captures the essence of Chicago "hoods" in such a small space. Keep up the great work!
Thank you Steven! I'm still sort of early in it believe it or not. Maybe 'beginner' isn't the right turn of phrase, perhaps 'slightly seasoned' fits better 😅. In any case, I'm happy to hear this stuff offers a sense of familiarity. It's great to have a lot of Chicago friends on the platform to test out ideas and models with!
An homage to lin would be so cool. He was great & made the morning drive much more bearable. It's great to be alive😉. I've got some 0402 LEDs but haven't tried attaching the #36 wire yet, they're so small, they make your pizza slice seem huge😂😂
Sure is! Yeah that tiny gauge wire can be a real challenge, I was under the layout with a soldering iron for about a month wrangling all those nearly invisible wires from streetlights and the like!
😮 under the table soldering is never fun, I prefer terminal blocks...I'm talking about attaching the motor winding type wire to the diode itself😂😂
@@yamo1226 Yeah I've got a bunch of terminal blocks in there, just some wires needed more length to reach into the busses so the iron had to come out. Have fun, if all goes well I think you win the title of nano soldering expert 😁
Hi Eric, I’m Tim, and we live in the Portland Metro Area of Oregon. I have family in Chicago and Michigan so we get back periodically. I was back in Chi Town in October for a week and was going to hit a couple of train stores but time got away from me. It was my nephews wedding so family trumped trains. I have to say I have been very impressed with what you’ve done. My layout is in an entire room on the lower level and I have the benchwork done but for two years I have been trying to get a track plan going and just can’t get it done. Next weekend we have the big train show in WA state about a 30 min drive from my home and I’m going to talk with some of the guys there to see if they can either provide help or make suggestions. See, I have O, HO, N and Z gauge equipment that I’d love to use but it’s not feasible. Although I have 21 rooms in my home and only two of us here I only have one room dedicated to the hobby besides my “train workroom/model studio. My thought is I’d like to do O gauge on the layout and maybe pop some HO in there. Anyway, my reason for telling you this is to see if you have any advice. You are far more talanted on this that I am. If not I get it but just a thought to ask you. By the way my brother in law lives in Glencoe and he and his wife own two Spavia Day Spas there in the city. Just to give you a reference point one is in Lincoln Park and the new one is in Greektown. I’ve enjoyed your videos. Keep em coming. Later and thanks for any advice in advance.
Tim
Are you planning an 2-rail or 3-rail O scale layout?
I’m old school. LOL. I have all three rail. I tried attaching a pic of the room with the layout in it but I don’t see a way to attach a pic on here. Sorry. My son and I have tried a couple of options and yet it always seems to become the same thing. I know that track laying is essential to a smooth running train. By the way I thought the train rolling around during the video was spectacular.
Hey Tim, thanks for the kind words and for sharing your thoughts and connection to Chicago! I suppose the biggest question is what you really want to do with your layout and trains. Do you want to enjoy watching them run, is the primary interest in scenery or weathering/detailing your models? I've always loved the O scale stuff just by virtue of the size and detail inherent in the models, they really are stars of the show. Stuff like superdetailed scenery may not be as important when the trains are so prominent. Part of thinking about the purpose of the layout is it helps to focus how you spend your time and money on it. A big layout demands a different level of attention and time if the goal is high detail levels, etc. It's doable, but it can be a yearslong process and some folks burn out before ever finishing the track (eBay is often littered with half-finished layouts I notice, and they aren't necessarily because someone moved or died). It's why my layout is small - CCMR is the culmination of close to 8 years of work based on how much time I have versus my career and family obligations. Anything bigger and I likely would've burned out or you'd be watching videos about a mostly incomplete layout.
3-rail is just fine. I model in 2 and 3-rail. @@timstrainroom8007
@@ChicagoCrossingRR thanks for the reply. My two main things are a nice and usable track plan. I like the two tracks for running and definitely sides for storage. I have so many buildings and other scenery I have built or bought and want on the layout. One issue is I also installed Glen Snyder Shelving that comes just to the top of the layout on the two long sides so that was not well thought out but I like the displays. I play on working around that existing issue. So a track plan and scenery is my primary interest. Being retired I can devote time to the layout that most probably can’t do.
Nice presentation and explanation. You are very creative which instantly moves you up on the model railroader skill level dial. I agree with the notion that a layout should have purpose and as you pointed out, it should tell a story. It's nice when you can tell your story visually and the viewer knows exactly what you are trying to say. With that being said, I also believe it's quite acceptable to add just enough in a scene to allow the viewer to create or form their own opinions. Sometimes less is more. Though your steel mill area could use a few more details, I already have a few thoughts in my mind about it based on what you already have in place. It's nice to have people say, "I like the scene where the guy is running away from the bank" and also when they say, "This scene reminds of or makes me think of". It might be safe to say that a nice mixture of the two concepts will make for an interesting layout.
Thanks for the thoughtful discussion! You hit upon another 'right' answer for visual storytelling - I imagine from an art standpoint you could analogize it as realism vs. impressionism - both are visual genres that when done well are inspiring and immersive, while offering distinct benefits for the viewer in terms of their intellectual and visceral relationship with the work. The 'bank robbery' image you mention is a really good illustration of where one might tell a story but not leave enough room for individual interpretation to where they could insert their own life experience into the scene. That's sort of why I've been sparing with figurines or any of the sort of 'pre-composed' scenes with people, as it's maybe too self-evident. I like the idea of the viewer seeing a place that's 'lived in' and clearly impacted by the presence of people, but without such a concrete narrative surrounding what the inhabitants are actually up to. In many ways I find the most satisfying response to the work on the layout is when folks who have lived in Chicago say, "I remember that place!" even though from a fully realistic standpoint the places on the layout are a sort of compressed historical fiction.
Thank you for the great video!
You're welcome Rick!
Wow Eric! You’ve raised the bar again! I aspire to become a beginner like you one day!
Great insights in this video that will make me think about my layout and how to kick it up a notch. Thank you.
As I think you may know, I grew up in Hegewisch and spent a lot of time in the area known as the East Side. Your currency exchange nails another memory for a deep southeastsider like me.
Scott
Hah, thanks Scott, I experiment with a lot of stuff and have good hands, but have yet to gain a lot of wisdom or true mastery that just comes with time and experience in the hobby :). One of the HO Chicago modelers on this platform also hails from Hegewisch as it turns out - lots of representation from that part of the city! I know and love the neighborhood, used to take the South Shore down there just to explore somewhere different than where I was living and working. Glad to hear the models evoke memories for others who lived there. They definitely do for me!
@@ChicagoCrossingRR Always amazes me what small world it is!
@@kahunatiki6498 that's for sure, especially for a single Chicago neighborhood!
It's all in the details...& that's what gives your layout a sense of place and being "alive". Where else are you gonna see a Skilling poster? Although some may argue that an XRT diamond is just as iconic🤭😎. Are those surface mount LEDs that you used for the check sign?
Thanks Steve, yeah the XRT poster I made will likely end up on one of the buildings on 'California Ave.' - my tiny tribute to the late great Lin Brehmer, who got me through early morning commutes for years. I do like the more original 'diamond' logo from the 80s, so might even redesign the ad. The LEDs are some tiny nanos that I bought off of eBay for a song. They're fantastic, very tiny and quite bright. I use a microdrill to put a hole into the back of the sign and then secure the LED inside with a bit of CA glue. I used resistors to dim down the LEDs so it looks like the bulbs illuminating the sign are either old or a couple are out.
Loved the video. Now I know what you were referring to when you said you were working on garbage overflowing dumpsters, lol. Great perspective on detail levels and concentration of diorama quality scenes as opposed to less attention grabbing areas. As about half of my layout is rural it gives me the benefit of knowing which areas need more detail. Still, I have scenes that have received far more attention than others, even in the country. I have a coal mine that looks as though it might jump off the layout all on its own, but the surrounding area is a bit drab and uninteresting. Where to draw the line? Still working on that. Looking forward to your next instalment. Do you have a Patreon? Just wondering.
Thank you!! You bring up a great question. I like layouts with pastures and rural stretches because they can be detailed without being overwhelming. I always like the British rail modelers for this, because they do such great justice to the countryside and achieve a lot of balance there. I feel like there's nothing wrong at all with a few stretches of simple rural territory where the trains can just be the star of the show on their own merit, particularly on a larger layout. Something like a coal mine makes sense to have a lot of detail, but ultimately we're modeling rail transport, so no harm in having areas where the trains capture the spotlight! I don't have a Patreon - maybe I should consider it!
I agree that the scenes on your layout need to tell a story to have a sense of place as to why they are there - a bit harder I think for some areas that might be seen as just simple rail served businesses. I’m trying to develop a story for instance for my harbour scene with my railcar float.
Nice - I think of Boomer's layout when I think of car floats and such, a nice example of detailing those and offering some clues. One possibility is that the condition and location of the float offers some story (or what else is on the site), and in another case, maybe it really is just a utilitarian component of the layout and works great just as it is!
Great layout. Can you please finish out the ba kdro? That would make a great video.
Hi Robert, you're referring to the backdrop on the layout? Will make a good video, it's something of a lower priority so may be some time before I tackle it.
Another idea. For the steel mill identity, what about a large steel scaffold roof sign with big letters? Upper row spells out the name of the company, and the next level in lower case has the location, "Chicago IL Foundry" or something like that. I have a small scrapyard named "Stanford & Son".
For sure. I’ll be scratchbuilding the main structure for Finkl to make it more faithful to the original. It was notable in that it had “A. Finkl & Sons Co.” and the company logo emblazoned on the front corrugated panels. Not unlike your suggestion. Plastruct makes some really nice letters that are perfectly scaled 😁
@@ChicagoCrossingRR Sounds cool, look forward to seeing it. I need to look up the Plastruct letters. I had ordered some for a sign I am making but the order was cancelled by the supplier for some unclear reason.
@@mloik1 that's a bummer. I was impressed by the range of sizes they have - perfect for the type of application you mentioned. I love those old-style scaffold signs on top of buildings or on chimneys. In Chicago, the old Campbell's factory had CAMPBELLS spelled in that sort of fashion down the upper half of the main chimney.
If you're a beginner, what the hell does that make the rest of us?😂
Hah, I'll let everyone decide for themselves! In this hobby I'm a good experimentalist and shoot for high quality, but I don't yet have a lot of depth of experience or wisdom that simply comes with time and practice. So I'm pretty early still in the story arc that culminates in the level of mastery of the art you'd see with someone like Shep Paine, Boomer, Bill Denton, and the rest of the great modelers out there 😄.
No Chicago Police squad cars?!?
Not yet! I suspect though that I can modify a 3D-printed crown vic and just print out the decals. It's a simple enough livery. If I'm feeling extra ambitious (and can find the right basic parts) it'll have an illuminated Mars lightbar.