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A little off the sides, Floyd: The Halls of Handsome Barbershop by Menards
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One of the great untold secrets of life is that the relationship between a man and his barber may be just slightly less important than that of his doctor, lawyer, or boss. In the barber chair jokes are told, stories shared, and secrets exposed. Lets face it; the barbershop is an important citadel of manhood that is often overlooked on O gauge railroads. Menards, however, corrects that shortfall with The Halls of Handsome barbershop.
The basics: This building tells a great story with a tight 7-½" by 6" footprint. It packs in color, character, texture, and memory evoking details in a very small area. The building is a heavier ceramic-like material mounted on a sturdy base. There are five people (plus Jack) on the sidewalk. One sits on a bench while a tyke rides the space ways in a coin-op rocket ride.
The building has interior and exterior illumination. Lighting requires a 4.5 volt power supply sold separately (Menards SKU nos. 279-4061/4361, 4062/4362, or 4050). Power may be applied through either a rear tabletop plug in, or from below the building with a pigtail connector.
Why you need this: Rarely do you find a layout structure that tells a story all its own. Starting from your first haircut (no doubt in a booster chair and crying) and running beyond the time your barber says, "Turning a little gray I see." Getting a trim is part of your life.
Most tonsorial parlors are often small businesses with one or two regular barbers, and maybe a guy or two extra working Saturdays. They are a citadel of outdated magazines, well-thumbed comic books, and chatter about the neighborhood.
The House of Handsome is owned by The Clark Brothers and they are proud of their little shop. Situated on a corner, and it has brick construction and gets foot traffic from two directions. The front has Halls of Handsome in raised black lettering. Just below here are two large windows with "Clark Bros." printed on the glass. Peek inside and you’ll see an image of a five-chair shop!
One of the Clark bros. is standing out front in a white jacket, no doubt signaling an open chair at the moment. One man is passing by, and a lady seems to be waiting for her little boy’s red, silver, and yellow rocket ride to stop. Jack is nearby sitting next to a gent reposing on a bench.
The corner of the building has an oval overhang emblazoned "Barber" in raised lettering. Supporting the overhang is a tall barber red, white, and blue barber pole. The shop entry is just beneath it.
The building’s left side has a single cast-in six-pane window, while the right side has a cast-in three-pane window. An air conditioner mounted just below it. The roof has roof tile detailing a chimney and an exhaust stack. The rear of the building has brick detailing and a tabletop plug-in.
The Halls of Handsome tells a great story and is perfect for a small plot of land on your layout.
