A Little Work ON not IN the Cotton Factory

The cotton factory is essentially the Middlesex Manufacturing Company kit by Atlas -- nice, shiny plastic.  Over the years, the walls have even shown a little buckling.  Nevertheless, the desire to get rid of the sheen encouraged some weathering and what might be called more detailing; maybe better just to call it "messing".

First, some linen acrylic paint was used to highlight the brick mortar in places.  After wetting a small spot on the wall with water + a drop of Dawn, some diluted linen paint was daubed on the wall.  Just like some YouTube videos illustrated, the water helped the paint spread into the mortar "cracks" and helped keep the wall from being so uniformly colored.

Following this procedure, the whole exterior surface save the windows and doors was "painted".  Then some charcoal, brown, off-white, and reddish-yellow chalk was dusted on the walls.  The thought was to add deeper color below the six or eight smokestacks/exhausts.  Hmm, the thought didn't occur to darken the smokestacks, themselves!!?!  Oh, well.  To hold the chalk dust in place, the whole assembly was sprayed with matte finish.

Next, Tichy fire escapes with vertical ladders were installed.  Before gluing together, the parts were spray-painted with satin black followed by a little Testors rust here and there.  

That seemed to work OK.  So, with a little CA glue, the fire escapes were installed.  With all the handling, one railing from the stairway had to be re-glued along with several windows.  A couple of figures dropped off, but will be reapplied when the factory is placed back on the layout.

So, the sheen is certainly gone.

The next thoughts are toward some amount of interior scenery -- maybe install a couple of pictures of looms and spinning frames on a floor or two.  Also, the buckling of the walls may get some attention if a good straightening process is discovered.  Maybe a centrifugal dust collector here and there. . . 

And, what about lighting on a floor or two?  Just saw a video about fiber optics.  Maybe that could be used.  Christmas present list?!

More Church Landscaping +

Continuing to add "growth" around the church, also had to recover some of the gravel road in front of the "mill village".

Some static grass had gotten onto the gravel and I made the mistake of misting the grass with heavy hold hair spray.  Worked pretty well for grassy slope AND for gravel.  Took the opportunity to give the road a little better definition by placing a card along side of the road when I added more gravel.  Helped a bit.

Added a store-bought tree along the cut by the track (another will be added a little further down the line).  Also used some lichen to "weed it up" a bit.  Also, a few flowering weed "pods" to add "color".

Next were a few bushes to help define the parking lot.  With the vehicles added, seems to be making good progress.

After that, more lichen/moss/weeds along the lower edge of the slope trying for the unkempt look.  Close enough.  Sprayed some more hairspray along slope along with a dusting of fine turf, probably burnt grass or earth tone.  Put a little "forest debris" down where I wanted to plant two, fairly large deciduous trees.  Then glued the trees in place.  I think these were store-bought "armatures" with foam added for foliage.  Note second, smaller store-bought tree also installed just to far side of yard junk.

Since the forest debris bag was out, I removed the doe and fawn to allow sprinkling of debris under the small forest behind the mill hill.  Almost too well covered with trees to get to all of the forest floor!  Added a few twigs and such under the canopy and also along the edge of the sloping hill in front of the village.

This might be about it for the mill village, church, forest until ground goop is applied along the blacktop and rail line. . . .

Approaching the Church

The Rural Church was worked with -- along with it's "foundation" -- to level it a little and incorporate it into the mill hill.  Much work left to be done, including parking area, walkway, plantings, etc.

The parking lot again represents the "prototype" although there is room for only FOUR cars.  That was measured off by putting four cars on the hill across the road from the houses and outlined with Sharpie.  Also, roughed in a walkway outline.

Mixed up another cup of 50/50% white glue and water and brushed the solution over the outlined area.  Tried to find some fine, gray gravel and threw in a little fine, black gravel in hopes of getting a little variety but that didn't help too much.  After the glue and gravel were down, used a water-alcohol mix to wet the gravel then added more glue with a bulb-type syringe.  Got a little carried away and had to mop up some glue!

Added some filtered real dirt in same manner for walkway, 

along with a couple of lengths of hedge and two cedar trees at the front corners of the church.  Used a scratch awl to punch the holes to plant the trees and got the holes a little too close to the church.  Maybe they'll work.

Seemed to be on a roll, so chose to develop an unkempt field at the entry to the mill village.  Used some earth tone-ish fine ground foam for bottom layer (with glue painted on as before followed by alcohol-water spray then syringe of more glue).  While the glue was wet, used some 1.5 mm static grass with homemade dispenser for most of the field followed by 2 mm static grass as the blacktop and dirt road were approached.  Threw in some wild flowers and some bushes plus one store-bought tree just for effect at the near corner.

Tried a little #4 hold hair spray and burnt grass fine foam sprinkled from above in hopes of adding some "highlights" to the tree and bushes, but about the only thing that happened was hair spray got on the road and other spots to glue static grass and foam to the dirt road.  Oh well. . . .

Maybe some greener "grass" around the church and some shrubs soon.

The Social Conundrum

So, my Granddaughters pointed out that the racial mix of the Blacktop Crossing may not be a good reflection of the population in Rock Hill during the early 1950's.  I guess I would have to agree and, in fact, felt a bit guilty when it was pointed out.

Frankly, I only knew of one African-American on the layout:  the cotton wagon driver.

At first I was pleased that I had included an African-American, but then I reflected on the somewhat menial position of the wagon driver.  However, that role might certainly be reflective of the times.  And, I'm pretty sure I had a choice in that guy's complexion.

In any case, I felt a need to include more African-Americans, so another logger (pulp-wooder in this case) was added to the layout.

Granted, he's in the distance and the slightly out-of-focus and even maybe imaginary unicorn is in the way.  But this role is again reflective of the situation of the era.  In fact, one of my favorite picture is this one:

It brings back many memories of my youth -- the pine woods, pulpwooding as a business, the almost derelict "bobtail" trucks used by the pulpwooders. . . and the hardworking crews that logged many Southern pulp and paper mills.

So, I went against my Granddaughters' advice and repainted a figure to be African-American and put him at the pulpwood yard.

The skin color may be a bit on the dark side, but in placing this figure, lo and behold, I found another African-American on the site!

Not that many African-American figures are available, so I may have maxed out.  I thought about a textile mill worker, but my understanding is that no African-Americans were working in the mills in 1956.  Maybe a downtown figure might be available. . . . 

Little Touches II + Church Foundation

After completing the painting of the junk castings, the next step was to locate the painted as purchased and the painted after purchase junk.  The Granddaughters helped with this.

Of course, the Greaser's house got a good share of the junk -- another chassis, a pile of junk with rim and tire, some trash, an overflowing garbage can, and even an engine (looks like a flathead Ford) block in the truck bed.

Also in place are two other garbage cans -- one with top in place at the retirees house and one with top askew at the young family's house.

Other pieces placed about include what looks like a malfunctioning AC unit plus unnamed junk near the smokestack of the boiler house

Some building articles at Ebenezer Grill where Loyd is apparently doing some remodeling and a few bags of flour for pancakes, maybe

Some bags of seed or fertilizer or something being hauled into the company store on a wheelbarrow

Several barrels and boxes to be placed on the team track loading/unloading dock when more scenicking is completed

A few smaller cans of material that is thought to be hazardous waste (according to the Granddaughters) at the corner of the Armory Quonset hut

A few boxes and a barrel near the cotton gin and unicorn.  What, unicorn, maybe the junk and creature are both apparitions. . . .

Gotta look close or you'll miss the can near the front of the company store.  Maybe other various and sundry junk elsewhere to find

Also worked with the Rural Church a little.  Added some color to the Sculptamold land, trimmed some of the church foundation to follow the lay of the land, added a lower step from same stone as the foundations, and placed the church somewhat permanently.  Still need some bushes, a tree or two, grass, parking area, sidewalk/path, and church members -- after the paint dries in a few days.

Little Touches I

Great road trip Labor Day weekend to Fleetwood, NC, and Roanoke, VA, with BIL and nephew to see VA Transportation Museum, O. Winston Link Museum, two model train shops, and the NC Creeper (the part of the Norfolk and Western that went into NC down to Todd for the timber/lumber there).

Items at the shops (model train, that is) spurred efforts to add a few detail touches for the Blacktop Crossing.

Found some PAINTED assorted junk (Woodland Scenics).  Had tried to paint a few castings on hand earlier, but found it very tedious.  Today, one of the granddaughters was kind enough to get a good start on the unpainted castings while staying in Rock Hill to escape Dorian in Charleston.

DIL took time to encourage Granddaughter and created two front windows for the small rural church.  Also cut out the foundation but hesitated to install it.  I was out in the Miata allowing older daughter to practice stick shifting!   Windows look great:

In the meantime, it became apparent that the location for the Rural Church was a little bit out of plumb.  Will use the foundation to help with that some (just cutting a few stones here and there), but figured that would not correct the whole problem.  Added a bit of Sculptamold over cork in hopes of improving the orientation.  Continued adding "earth" a little bit down the mill hill to provide parking for church service.  Hope to paint it first thing tomorrow with possibility of granddaughters returning.  Maybe we can place the church and start a little scenicking around the area.

Back to Fleetwood, my BIL had HO scale train from the '80's that he was going to pass along to his son.  I was offered any rail cars I needed.  Didn't feel I should run off with too many, so picked up a gondola with a pre-1950 build date.  Swapped out horn for Kadee couplers and added just a little weathering when I got back home.

Before leaving for the road trip, I had painted a small chimney for the crossing tower with flat black and rust Testor's paint.  Stuck the chimney in place today; even let a little "soot spill" down the roof.  Now maybe I need to do that with the team track shack and the woodyard shack. . . .

Hoping to have Little Touches II after tomorrow.  Let's see where the assorted junk and recently painted junk ends up.

Not Exactly Blacktop Crossing

Historic Rock Hill has "fallen into" an N scale model of the city in 1953 -- July 17th or maybe it was July 24.  In any case, it was a Wednesday afternoon.  The modeler didn't want a lot of people on the streets to model.  For those too young to know, in 1953 banks and most businesses closed on Wednesday afternoon.  The banks, supposedly to balance the books midweek; but most bankers seemed to like to play golf Wednesday afternoon. . . .

Anyway, the model if a fairly accurate representation of downtown Rock Hill, much more so than Blacktop Crossing.  It's a layout that's about 5 feet by 13 feet.  I helped move it from the former owner and modeler to Historic Rock Hill's White Home for display beginning in November.

We installed a polycarbonate protective screen around the front of the layout.

Took it off of the tables and constructed gusseted supports so the wiring underneath was accessible.

And added a skirt to cover the supports.

Currently working on cleaning the tracks and loco wheels, finding out which switch works which turnout, and determining the wiring for the three DC transformers.

Great layout!

Crossing Tower

Started fabrication of a crossing tower while visiting SIL in Lakeland, FL:

Was not pleased with the look of the "white side" of the stairway/deck support pieces so used Word to rotate the image and printed on copy paper to avoid thickness. That helped.  And allowed the crossing tower to be finished.  Then decided that cardstock supports were too flimsy.  Cut plastic "6X6" to fit and added a little color.

That seemed to help the situation.

Granddaughter had helped with 6X6's and chose placement on layout.  Not permanent at this time since the section needs more scenicking:

Confirmed that Rock Hill had crossing tower -- Sanborn Insurance maps and picture document "Watchman Ho" on White and Black Streets but have only found photo for Main Street!

Room for the Rural Church

Since the Clever Bros Rural Church was a bit larger than I had anticipated, a little extra "earth" was needed to make room.

Used pink foam insulation to get some earth going:

Just glued it down with white glue and tried to contour a bit mostly with a welding wire brush.

Found some Sculptamold in Charleston while visiting with The Wife for a granddaughter's ballet and stopped into an art store.  Everybody seems to rave about it.  Tried to used same dark brown paint as used with "ground goop" but color turned out a bit lighter.

No problem; needs to be covered with ground foam and/or static grass, anyway.  Added some "local" boulders just because I could. . . .

More room for church, now, but still looks a bit large!

Have not added the Clever Bros foundation, yet.  With the cardstock foundation or maybe one of "local" boulders, the church will be leveled up somewhat.  Will have to call that progress!

Fauna of Blacktop Crossing

Well, not only do we get suggestions from the grandchildren, but even the children, too!

Recently, the trail camera caught a new resident of our "prototype" neighborhood:

So, now the child (who is the mother of three) decides that the Blacktop Crossing should also have a new arrival.  Sorry about the size of the spots; they seemed a bit large so a few more small spots were added using a straight pin for application of white paint.

Scenery still needs some work on the forest floor, but the fawn will be available when completed.