Deuce's Bike shop arrived today and it is the most impressive of the entire lot so far. I had posted that I was not completely happy with Boyd's Billiards, so I think it only fair, plus, I really like this one. It's the best Woodland Scenics built up so far, by far (I have all three of the prior series).
It arrived in perfect shape. The building and its brick weathering is the best I've seen in any commercial product: VERY realistic look to the slightly different color of bricks. The roof is incredible in detail with nice seams between the individual tin panels and good weathering. The doors and window frames, just masterfully done. IMo Boyd's Billiards is not in the same league with this masterpiece
All of the many detailed little add-ons are a lot of fun: Pepsi vending machine, tool boxes, junk parts, old tires, rusty barrels, etc., etc., etc., the best may be a very realistic looking bin with kerosene or some dirty black liquid in which dirty parts are being soaked. Nice! The "junkyard dog" is painted like a Doberman but a bit too hefty to be one - but not quite hefty enough to be a Rottweiler - maybe he's a crossbreed. The three bikes, one with a sidecar, could stand to be painted to look a bit more realistic, but I like them as is quite a lot, and each is different enough from the others - one looks more Indian than Harley. And the fence a very realistic old, worn, peeling-paint fence.
It's not perfect: the cracks in the concrete pad for the front drive and storage yard are way too wide, too numerous, and heavy-handed . The various placards and posters on the walls and fence are painted on: in the real world they would be signs attached, etc. The wires holding the rooftop sign straight are looser than they would be in the real world - picky stuff.
And that's all no problem, after taking the picture I pulled the bikes and everything off the model. I'll be painting the entire concrete slab with white glue/water mixture and putting down a medium gray ballast to simulate gravel (seems more realistic). And covering the painted posters and signs with new ones, color printer made and attached. Then the Pepsi machine, the junk, plus a lot more (the storage yard could stand to be about three times as cluttered, and have some weeds growing up out from among the older junk).
And I will change the signs: I have seen this building before: an automotive (not bike) garage I recall passing about once a month in the early '50s, when I was maybe five or six and went out on weekend drives with my family. I don't remember the name, but I remember it had a yellow sign and what that sign looked like - rectangle with a short name like "Sam's": I'm going to change this building to just what I remember - cars instead of bikes, gravel drive and yard, etc. Some sort of race car (sedan, rough, with a big number on the side) out front. (I will use the bikes at my Harley shop - already on my layout). I will cut one of the panes out of a window or two as if it is open and pose a few figures around it, etc.
Otherwise, I will change very little - not touch the building or roof, or fence, etc. The building itself is a masterpiece.
