TAML One-A-Days: Sunday, March 31, 2024, T-18: Evergreen Scale Styrene Sidewalk Sheet 1" x1" Custom Run

The fourth run of our entry product into shadowbox building models is in the works. StreetScape Series 4 was prompted by a six piece set order and Series 3 has only a few pieces remaining. So we're off to the races to produce six new variations of the models. Look for some new developments, including 3-D printed detail parts!

One of the developments is two new rectangular window sash and frame configurations. Here's the current lineup of our StreetScape series of rectangular windows. They are 2" tall and 7/8" wide. The windows are designed to be installed behind an opening and are sized up 1/8” all around to allow for gluing surface and appropriate reveal of the sash and frame through the opening. When used in accordance with the intended design, the resultant window opening is 5/8” x 1-3/4”. There are two pieces that peal and stick together, and may then be painted. Peal the release paper off the back, stick on your glazing of choice and knife around the window. Eazy Peazy! Or raise the bar- paint the two pieces different colors and then stick them together for a clean two-toned window. The three over three and mission style windows are new for the StreetScape Series 4 that is in production. Find them here and take advantage of the 25% ARS Springfield sales code that is on the homepage: https://www.toddarchitecturalmodels.com/shop-2

I very much like the extra depth on the building flat, above; this gives it excellent dimensional perspective when viewing from the sides.

CityScape Building CS-08, being called Downtown Building #1, is starting production for the TCA York April 2024 show. The building has a 9" x 9" footprint and stands 25-1/4" tall at 10 stories. The bottom and top floors are recessed about 1/2" in from the main elevation. As with all our buildings each floor will be individually lit with 12V DC LED's. All four sides look the same. There will also be two shadowbox versions in the first run, one with three window column as shown on the prototype and the other with three window columns for a width of 15". Shadowboxes also have individual floors and ceilings

The first run will consist of:

9" x 9" Building: $1,600.00; three models, two are reserved

Three Window Column Shadowbox: $400.00; three models, one is reserved

Five Window Column Shadowbox: $675.00; two models

Models not preordered in time for completion to have available at York in April will be fitted out with Roscolux Grey windows. You may specify clear, translucent or Roscolux Grey glazing up to February 15, 2024. Additional models will not be added to the run due to time constraints for April TCA York completion. Please contact the shop directly by eMail if you would like to discuss an order.

https://www.toddarchitecturalm...e-right-building-lit

Here is one of the "other" sides of the Corrigan Station building in Kansas City, the right side if you are viewing the building from Walnut Street (the laser scored backdrop elevation on the left in the picture). It is a pretty basic elevation and the model has been tricked out with an air duct and utility shack. People have asked me for the "backside" of a warehouse building in shadowbox format and this is our first offering. This 10-story shadowbox is built/ready to ship and there is another in a build box so you can specify glazing color. Please email the shop to express interest. Another run of pieces with other heights can be scheduled for after April TCA York if there is interest.

Historically speaking, Corrigan Station was designed as a 5-story building and then built out at 10 stories after the spec builders secured the United States Postal Service as a tenant for the basement a first floor. We can build the height to order between 5- and 10-stories.

Introducing Roscolux Grey 97 as a slightly lighter glazing tinting to Roscolux Grey 98. First used on SPFLD-1 Springfield Birthplace of Basketball shadowbox built out at six stories instead of the prototypical four stories. One of these models is currently available and furnished as shown.

Free stuff Saturday: We have four packages of baker's dozen love seat kits. The kits are laser scored and cut Taskboard. All you need to assemble them with is a hobby blade, some Tacky Glue and perhaps the paint color of your choice. I am offering one kit per person, only to those who have not received a free offering from us in the past. Please email your request to toddmodel@mac.com.

My Facebook feed put some historical pictures of the Baldwin Locomotive Works in front of me yesterday and I proceeded to go down that rabbit hole for several hours. One of the buildings is very similar in elevation to our WH-03 Paterson Silk Mill project and with some basic modifications we can produce 6-story elevations of the building at the corner of 16th Street and Spring Garden Street. I would like to get more documenting information about the building's elevation, details and colors. If you have such information or know where I can have access to it, please reach out to me via email.

NOTE:  photo deleted due to copyright.

April TCA York will be a 10-year milestone for our attendance at the show. Here's a look back on where we started. The Union Pacific Trackside Warehouse project began as a 2-story shadowbox. At the first York show I exhibited at a customer asked if it could be made taller. We now offer heights up to six stories. The O Scale model is designed as a 12" section that can be replicated multiple times. The longest piece to date is 8 feet and many custom configurations have been produced. A canopy has been added as a model option as had an additional depth loading dock.

Order a custom length soon for April 2024 TCA York pickup. Order one this week for delivery to Lewisburg, PA on the weekend of March 9 & 10 , 2024. I'll be attuned the EIWA Wrestling Tournament at Bucknell.

We're going to take a run at one of the Baldwin Locomotive Works buildings. It is somewhat similar to the WH-03 Patterson Silk Mill project that we have developed at a number of different heights, lengths and configurations (shadowboxes and buildings).

This is the particular building of the complex that we are going to model. The pilaster and cornice details will set it apart from the Paterson Silk Mill. The lites of the upper sash appear to follow the curvature of the header versus going straight across.

NOTE:  photo deleted due to copyright.

The location is Spring Garden Street and 16th Street. The old Philadelphia Mint is in the foreground. We are looking for additional information about the building:

1. What activity was done inside this particular building?

2. Did the building have a know address and name?

3. Is there a color or colorized picture of it?

4. Is there a non-grainy close-up street side picture that shows the detail of the first floor window or freight door combination, and the window header details?

5. Are there original design drawing for it? We assume that as-built/documentation drawings were not made before it was torn down because the architectural preservation movement did not exist on the late 1940's.

Here is a 6-story version of the WH-03 Paterson Silk Mill project constructed as a 3-window column deep building:

Thank you in advance for your insight!

That BLW was a large facility. Here is a photo of one of the other buildings showing the windows up closer.

https://libwww.freelibrary.org/digital/item/11418

And some other info.

https://www.philageohistory.or...m/HGSv9.0756-757-758

https://www.shorpy.com/Baldwin...e_Works_Philadelphia

https://www.philadelphiabuildi...ge_gallery.cfm/47611

Joe-

Thank you for the links. We had already seen the first one and we just spent a couple of hours talking about how to make windows another way.....

I have a Lehigh University Architecture student doing a senior level internship with me. You will meet him at York on either Friday or Saturday in April. He has been tasked with the research effort to ferret out some of the details  that I speak of. We have pretty much decided that the basic warehouse window that we use for the Paterson Silk Mill project is the same as the BLW warehouse, except the panes of the upper sashes of the BLW are arched to match the masonry opening.

The first link w/picture that Joe posted (thanks Joe!) is an outstanding building with the crossover-connecting part. I also love the arched windows t/o the building. I know this area in its modern state (1990s) as I used to ride my bike to Temple University from S. Philly.

FWIW: Baldwin moved to Eddystone, PA a long time ago; I only know this because I used to work for Exelon (formerly PECO) at their huge Eddystone generating station. I am pretty sure the Baldwin Tower as it became known is still there - it's an impressive building in its own right.

Today we're adding 12DC strip LED's to a SPFLD-1 Birthplace of Basketball shadowbox. This is is one of three that was created at a custom height of 6-stories. The shadowbox was designed with three lighting compartments per floor. The inner/parting walls were designed with knock-outs in the Taskboard to facilitate leading wires. In this case, each floor is individually lit rather than the three compartments. The third 6-story shadowbox is available with Roscolux 98 glazing. Lighting may be added for an additional charge.

Because the tinting is Roscolux 98, you will be able to see inside the shadowbox when the floors are lit. We don't want to see the wire truss coming down the inner wall so the shadowbox was designed to accept a standard Evergreen square styrene tube. The tube was slotted at each floor to allow each floor's power wire and the ground wire truss to be pulled through. The tubing is acting as a wire chase and none are the wiser to all of the wires when seeing inside.

We use a different colored wire for each floor's power and it is standardized. That way you know which floor you are connecting when you are under the table. You can always bundle all of the wires as one a light all floors at once.

Materials Used:

12V DC LED Strip Lights

https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...le?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Suitcase Connectors to power cut LED Strip

https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...le?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Precut Shrink Tubing to wrap wire ends

https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...le?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Colored Wire

https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...le?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...le?ie=UTF8&psc=1

A dot of CA and Elmers is applied to the topside of each plastic suitcase connector to glue it in place. Mini paper clamps are used to hold them in place until the glue sets up (water-based Elmers is a catalyst for CA).

Never say never, and don't close the door totally after it was already partially open. As mentioned above about the Baldwin Locomotive Works building, we are now considering offering the project in kit form in O and HO Scales. With TCA preparation work looming and existing orders to complete, we are slowly exploring the possibilities that the building has to offer.

NOTE:  photo deleted due to copyright.

If offered as an O Scale kit, what format would you like it to be in:

1" deep shadowbox, _____ overall length in inches.

1 window column deep shadowbox, _____ overall length in inches.

2 window column deep shadowbox, _____ overall length in inches.

_____ window column deep building, ____ overall length in inches.

Note that if the "right side" elevation is made at O Scale it is about 54" long. Also note that this is an L-shaped building. We do not know the actual depth yet.

PLEASE COPY AND PASTE YOUR REPSONSE IN AN EMAIL TO TODDMODEL@MAC.COM

If we determine that there is enough interest, the target release date of the O Scale kit would be October 2024 TCA York.

@Todds Architectural Models posted:

….an additional depth loading dock.

Nice.  There are way too few building fronts available with a loading dock and large doors.  A little deeper one then pictured would be great.  What is the distance required between the wall and center rail of the track for the ones you have now?

@CAPPilot posted:

Nice.  There are way too few building fronts available with a loading dock and large doors.  A little deeper one then pictured would be great.  What is the distance required between the wall and center rail of the track for the ones you have now?

Ron;

I have a wall of Doug’s shadowboxes - here is one that was a one-off a couple of years ago, but is based on the leftmost building in the pic above.

The dock sits app. 2 1/4” proud of the back wall.

I use Fastrack, and have no problems running any engine or rolling stock with the center rail app. 4 7/8” from the back wall (including a BigBoy and 21” passenger cars).

Hope this helps.

The York-1 D.F. Stauffer Biscuit Co. project revisited. Done in consort with the York County History Society and supported by the Stauffer family. Could not have done it without black & white historic documenting photography. Thank you to all who supported the original 4-story shadowboxes and buildings that have the three-step laser cut/masked lettering.

Ron-

Thank you for the question. Paul has the best visual reply for a regular 1" deep shadowbox that I have seen to date. To add to the overall reply, we have started making shadowboxes with one and two window columns of depth. The top of the thread has a two window column piece that was run recently. There is one available as shown.  If you have the real estate on your layout, they add a bit more realism. You can also stagger the buildings vertically to create a warehouse complex. This can be done with just about all of our models now and will be built into the designs of new projects as we move forward. As an example, here is a 3-piece set that was made for a customer.

I look forward the receiving the 2-window depth McELain building. Here's the 1-window depth version that I integrated into my industrial complex. The 2-window depth version will go on the left side of this complex. The distance from the 2-track mainline to the wall is only 4.5", and with engine overhangs I only have 4.25" to work with, and am interested in backgrounds, as I want to complete the rest of the mainline ~ about 8 linear feet total.

A Sunday Sale is set for 25% off all laser cut letter sets. Visit https://www.toddarchitecturalmodels.com/shop-1 to check out all of the variety of 1/4" to 1" high letters an use code SUNDAYSALE25%OFF to get 25% off.

Prototype study for a modified elevation offering based upon the WH-03 Silk Mill Project: This study incorporates 6" x 12" block instead of brick for the elevation material. It also incorporates raster engraved joint lines and minute square cuts at the edges where each joint line wraps. The joint lines are a little wider than vector scored lines and the side edges now look very realistic. The study incorporates changing the top row of lites in the upper sash to follow the arch of the masonry opening, much like what will be seen on the Baldwin Locomotive Works project. There will also be a keystone header applied at the top of each masonry opening.

New window! The window that we will wind up using for the Baldwin Locomotive Works project as been set up in a retail pack. As with all of our windows, each pack will produce ten windows. Assembly is peal and stick, then paint, then peal and stick on your glazing.

https://www.toddarchitecturalm...bl-hung-arched-lites

Hot Wheels!

Missing from the website has been one of our original shadowbox models, the Union Pacific Trackside Warehouse. We are producing a run of the 3-story variation that consists of nine 12" long sections. The model can be ordered in increments from one to six sections, or overall length of 12" to 72". Order for pickup at York and there will not be a shipping charge. Find the listing here: https://www.toddarchitecturalm...2-to-72-long-o-scale

Something new, at least for me. I have a senior Lehigh University architecture and product design student doing an internship here at the shop this semester. Kosta brings a genuine interest in architectural modelmaking, hobby railroading and railroad history to the shop twice a week. He has undertaken the research for our intended release of a Baldwin Locomotive Works building that was mentioned earlier in the thread. We have talked in depth about using 3D printing technology in associated with laser scored and cut building parts. He is currently developing 3D models of cornice details of buildings that have been photographed in Bethlehem and York, PA as well as some selections resulting from internet searches. Out intention is to make them compatible with our StreetScape series of buildings and to offer them on retail cards. It looks like our process for this will be to 3D print master parts, create rubber molds and then cast them. StreetScape Series 4 will feature these new cornice details and we'll probably put them on the few remaining pieces from Series 3.

If you have a particular cornice in mind that you would like to see made up, please email a picture or two to toddmodel@mac.com. We will your submission into consideration.

Here's a first draft featuring a cornice from Bethlehem, PA.

@Apples55 posted:

Ron;

I have a wall of Doug’s shadowboxes - here is one that was a one-off a couple of years ago, but is based on the leftmost building in the pic above.

The dock sits app. 2 1/4” proud of the back wall.

I use Fastrack, and have no problems running any engine or rolling stock with the center rail app. 4 7/8” from the back wall (including a BigBoy and 21” passenger cars).

Hope this helps.

Paul, Thank you. That is the best response I have received in a long time.

Ready to run a prototype piece of the WH-03 Paterson Silk Mill project with large block instead of brick, complete with joints that wrap all edges and cutouts. 20-1/2" tall at six stories.

WH-03 Paterson Silk Mill Run 14, Set 1 with Roscolux Grey 97 glazing. This model may be purchased for pickup in the Orange Hall at TCA York in April.

Here's a first view of S4-3, the third building of StreetScape Series 4. It is hard to grasp that the StreetScape series of shadowboxes was introduced 10 years ago this coming October TCA York. Can anyone share pictures of the little 2-story shadowboxes that I handed out at the April OGR York meeting ten years ago?  Look for updates on all six versions as we get ready for TCA York in April.

The balance of StreetScape Series 4 elevation pieces were cut today. There will be ten copies of six different elevations. An 11th copy is kept as a sample and record. Two of the elevations have been changed from the first three releases. As in the past, there will be totally new paint schemes for Series 4 and there are two new window styles. Four of the elevations are shown below. The fifth is in primer and the sixth is shown above.

The byproduct of laser cutting elevations is the dropouts for the windows and doors. I have 1,000's of laser cut letters at this point- see the assortment at TCA York and pick the letters that you need for paint, peal and stick. Here we have a lot of several hundred .060"/1/16" thick acrylic plastic pieces in clear or white. The top surface is lightly sanded and the backs all have high performance 3M 467MP adhesive transfer tape.

The lot is available for $10 plus USPS shipping to your location. First reply to toddmodel@mac.com will get the entire lot.

We made a sample of window glazing options for consideration on our Union Pacific Trackside Warehouse shadowboxes. We have added Roscolux Grey 97 as a slightly less tinted option to Roscolux Grey 98. In the unlit condition a bit of ambient light is transmitted to the interior and some interesting shadows from the window mullions are realized.

The pictures show (left to right) clear, clear with partial diffusing, Roscolux 97 with partial diffusing and Roscolux 98 with partial diffusing. The partial diffusing on top floor is created by masking out the middle lites and spraying Krylon Interior Frosting Spray. The partial diffusing on the middle floor is created by masking the entire back with white paper masking and then removing the masking from the middle lites. Lastly the pictures show varying voltage applied to 12V DC LED's.

Our Shadowbox of the Week is a 6/2 window column configuration of the WH-03 Paterson Silk Mill project made at four stories and glazed with Roscolux Grey 97. Ready to ship- visit the website and see the Shadowbox of the Week box.

I took a weekend trip to Lewisburg, PA to take in the EIWA wrestling championships at Bucknell University and do a little site-seeing. I got some inspiration from a couple of buildings in Lewisburg and Milton. Here's a progress shot of a new window for one of the upcoming StreetScape shadowboxes. Look for a finished window that has a burgundy panel of raised quadrafoils and cream colored window frames.

Paint burgundy, mask, paint cream, unmask, peal trim layer and apply to sash layer.

New StreetScape Series 4 means a couple more new windows. These have been carded and may be purchased in lots of 10  from the website. Look for Laser Cut Windows and Doors under the Shop pulldown menu. Use coupon code WINDOWS15%OFF at checkout to say on all window and door kits.

Flashback Friday.