Frank Ellison's Delta Lines new site

There is a Frank Ellison book on E bay for 15.00 bucks.

Frank Ellison on Model Railroads.

Too bad the Yahoo groups simply did not migrate to Groups IO like a lot of other Yahoo Groups. 

Both my wife and I deleted our Facebook accounts. 

GNNPNUT

gnnpnut posted:

Both my wife and I deleted our Facebook accounts.

Sign up with an anonymous screen name to participate in these groups. How about "Stan Madigan"...

Very interesting. May I ask what is that factory with the "saw tooth"sky lights across the tracks from ham Berger meat Packers? Does it have a name?

I hope Mr. Brennan will seriously consider releasing this building as a kit!

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

...that factory with the "saw tooth"sky lights across the tracks from ham Berger meat Packers? Does it have a name?

"Donaldson Canning Company" is that building in the background beyond "Hamm & Berger Meat Packers".

Hello all ...  yes Donaldson Canning ....at some point in it's life the saw tooth roof has been reversed .....perhaps it came loose and was re-glued ...without referring to the photo ......down the road I'll see if it can be reversed without damage .  

Cheers Carey

I think l see a Tootsietoy truck. Even a worse choice, slim pickin's, of model vehicles then.  With stock pens on sidings and no small packing houses known to me, l can't scratch one for a destination for stock cars.  Wonder if Ellison researched his structures' prototypes and found a small meat packer?  If so, would like to see a kit.

Amazing the amount of track and switches were all hand laid in these layouts including the outside 3rd rail, the grades appear to be quite steep.

Enjoyable thread.

As a young lad, I discovered Frank's "Delta Lines" in the Bantam Book "Model Railroading". I was particularly smitten by his meat packing plant w/stock pen, however all of his structures were "wow" material to me at the time. (Still are.) So convincing was the little Bantam book at convincing me how "anybody can do this"... I set out to build one or two of Frank's structures using "card stock".  (I think I recall substituting poster board?)

My results weren't quite as effective as Mr. Ellison's.

Andre

As many people here know; I have recreated most of the original Delta Lines Layout here in NJ.  I'm afraid that after hobbyists like myself pass, there will be little to no model train scratch building work done.

I plan to release as many of Ellison's structures as practical in my Frank Ellison Tribute Series. Hap Hazard is in the final stage of production. I should be boxing up kits starting next week. I will have them available at York. These are all limited editions--let me know if you want to be added to the list.

CAREY  - THANKS for opening your house this year to a visit. For me, it was the best part of the O-gauge Show. Seeing all your original Frank Ellison Delta Lines buildings and the Minton Cronkhite MSI buildings was fantastic.

As you know, I have a few of those MSI  towers and buildings as well.

Alan N.

This is a good thread......I appreciate the pics. I agree, the Delta Lines Facebook page is an excellent resource for Ellison fans.

Peter

Dennis LaGrua posted:

As many people here know; I have recreated most of the original Delta Lines Layout here in NJ.  I'm afraid that after hobbyists like myself pass, there will be little to no model train scratch building work done.

Dennis,

  I probably have seen pictures before of your layout, but not recently. Can you post pictures on here when you have time? I am not on Facebook and have no interest in joining at this point.

Tom 

Recently on Da bay, a bunch of Frank Ellisons building lookalikes were sold from an O scale layout. Can anyone tell me if this structure was a copy of any structure on the Delta Lines?

Hello ...the building is a copy of Frank Ellison's   Richmond Packing from Raymondale ...below pictures of the original Ellison building .

Cheers Carey 

Hello all ..here is a link to Ellison's article about the Packing house 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2165325890396667/

Attached please find other Structures copied from the Infamous "Delta Lines" and sold two weeks ago on Da' Bay...

A subtile twist to Oblong Box Co....

NOte: See through freight car loading dock is missing along with the office Extension.

NOt sure if this is a Delta Lines structure... looks a bit English but nicely done though!

Warrehouse #1.. again not sure if its a Delta Lines Structure but looks like it.

I wonder what this building was on the Delta Lines....

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

Very interesting. May I ask what is that factory with the "saw tooth"sky lights across the tracks from ham Berger meat Packers? Does it have a name?

I hope Mr. Brennan will seriously consider releasing this building as a kit!

That is on my list!

These building are amazing when you consider that there was NO Brick Paper used.

Now I can use my laser cutter to score bricks. Think what Ellison could have done with a laser cutter!!

DennisB posted:

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

Very interesting. May I ask what is that factory with the "saw tooth"sky lights across the tracks from ham Berger meat Packers? Does it have a name?

I hope Mr. Brennan will seriously consider releasing this building as a kit!

That is on my list!

 

I will be looking forward to it!

Hello all...the saw tooth building is the "Donaldson Canning Co." .......When Ellison  was writing the articles ...the models were fresh and sometimes not yet finished as it would live on the layout ...  notice the saw tooth is backwards from the photo ... some time since the photo was taken    the little office building on the end, some smoke stacks  have gone roaming ..and the roof reversed in a storm over the 70 + years ....  in time I will do my best to return the Canning Co. back to as it was ...

Original article can be found in Model Builder October 1942 ...was probably reissued/ re-worked  for Toy Trains in the 50's  

Cheers Carey 

Great stuff here!

Peter

Very great indeed. I'll have to see if I can find his book somewhere on Amazon(if possible). I actually have to order a few things anyway. Awesome stuff, and good ideas.

Well, I looked on Amazon, no dice for books. EBay has only stuff that featured his stuff or some other things. Real difficult to get anything. I wonder why they haven't re-run his book, maybe the rights to it or the publishing company is no more?

Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:

Well, I looked on Amazon, no dice for books. EBay has only stuff that featured his stuff or some other things. Real difficult to get anything. I wonder why they haven't re-run his book, maybe the rights to it or the publishing company is no more?

If you're talking about Frank Ellison on Model Railroading I recently bought a pristine hardcover copy on the Bay of e. Cheap too, at $22.72 (at auction-I was ready to pay $35). If you watch a copy comes up every now and again. Not always available but given sometime you can buy a copy.

Lew

Great thread, Carey. I am a long time Delta Lines fan. Some one mentioned that it would be amazing to see what Frank would do with a laser cutter, but Frank was a master at creating illusions with less. He was a theatrical designer. I'm not sure he would have needed or wanted more technology.

May I ask about the painted backdrop in your photos? Is that original Delta Lines? It has the forced perspective and style of painting that I would associate with Ellison and the period.

This is a wonderful website which has again brought to life the amazing creative ability of one of the most influential pioneers of our hobby. I have just finished building Dennis Brennan's Hap Hazard structure. It was one of the most challenging and worthwhile challenges ever and has resulted in a really swell building. Have now started on the next structure which was actually the first one Dennis released-Oblong Box Company. Dennis has always been available to call and ask for help as I fumbled through several aspects of the building. Isn't it amazing that about 70 years after Frank created his work of art, it lives once again thanks to Dennis. Have Fun. Larry Sokol

Does anyone have a layout track plan for MrEllison’s Delta lines layout? Of everything I have seen and heard about it appears to be fantastic. 

Thank you Gregg

@GLH posted:

Does anyone have a layout track plan for MrEllison’s Delta lines layout?

Check HERE.