I'm probably the only person you know who was thrilled to receive an empty cigar box as a birthday present. But, there's some method to my madness.
[Inside the Enskale & Hoentee RR's control panel, from part 2 of the The Enskale & Hoentee RR construction series that appeared in the November 1968 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman. I'm not going to put a power pack in the box - mine's too large - but just use it to house the track control panel]
I have no idea what sort of set up E. L. Moore used to control his Elizabeth Valley RR, but I do know what he used on his Enskale & Hoentee RR: the control panel was a cigar box. I thought I'd do the same with this little layout, hence the generous gift. And as you can see, it's not just any cigar box, it's the same brand as the one E. L. Moore used. The wonders of eBay never cease to amaze me :-) Nor do the wonders of Google search. On a completely unrelated note, my brain dropped a song fragment into my consciousness a few days ago and I couldn't place it, but with the wonders of Google, I typed that chunk of lyrics into Google and this appeared - must have been triggered by all that thinking about portraits and costumes.
What a great find! I appreciate this sort of authenticity-as-homage.
ReplyDeleteAll praise should go to my eagle-eyed wife who found this on eBay. I've been buying toggle switches and a proper soldering iron, so I'm already to start wiring up the layout.
Deletetoo funny. it truly was a simpler time. these youngsters don't understand that 'modeling' is not buying $100 resin & etch kits, but rather about imagination and creativity. now, all the cigar boxes have "smoking is hazardous " labels plastered all over the nice graphics.
ReplyDeletethat wife? definitely a "keeper".
Agreed on all points :-)
DeleteI like George Iliffe's Stokes introduction to his book Buildings in Miniature: "This book is intended for those modellers, the individualists, who want to go out and sketch or photograph their own buildings, and yet are not quite sure which would be the best way to start building them. My method of building requires no expensive tools or materials...." No kits. No expensive stuff. Just a recounting of his techniques and experience. I like that.