E. L. Moore's Five Window Schoolhouse

All photos courtesy James L. Dixon

I misidentified this one when I first saw it. I was so excited to see the log church that I thought this model was its clapboard sided brother that also appeared in The little church on the hill. No, this model is a schoolhouse.

We've seen another ELM schoolhouse that looks almost the same as this one: the white clapboard sided one that appeared in the lost article, Village School. The biggest difference is the school we saw before had 4 windows on each sidewall, and this one has 5.

The 4 window school dates from 1961, but I'm not sure of the vintage of this 5 window version as it doesn't have a date on the bottom. As the materials and design of both are nearly identical, I'll take a wild guess and say the 4 and 5 window versions were built one after the other, as he was known to have built other duplicates in close succession.

The two models aren't completely identical. As well as the window count, the bell tower and chimney are different in detail, as are a number of other features.

But, both have a blank back wall.

The interiors are very similar, but the 4 window version has more detail and a story to tell. I like that both have pianos.

I see a detail problem here too: there's no sheet music on the piano :-) Let's look at the one in the 4 window version; ah, no sheet music on that one either. What's the world coming to?

The Tonsorial Parlor is missing a detail

No spittoon in there I can see.

A Real Hair Raising Model

I would like to congratulate you and Mrs. [sic] Moore for that article in the Mar. [sic] ’65 RMC on the Tonsorial Parlor. Noting the period, I wonder how E. L. Could have omitted the most important thing in the whole structure: the spittoon, which would add class to the model. Turned out of wood or simulated from jewelry or electrical bits, they are easy to model. Without at least one, the place would be too unsanitary.

L.L. Kamp

Ugh, Ed.

That letter to the editor appeared in the July 1965 of Railroad Model Craftsman. Apparently ELM may have forgotten an important Tonsorial Parlor detail :-)

And yes, the printed letter did refer to ELM as Mrs. And yes, the Tonsorial Parlor story appeared in the April issue, not March. Were these just typesetting mistakes? We’ll never know.

E. L. Moore's Log Church

Model photos courtesy James L. Dixon

When I first saw these pictures I thought it was the log church from the lost 1964 article, The little church on the hill. It turns out it's a duplicate.

In my excitement at seeing this model I overlooked two key points.

First, there was the obvious one: ELM dated it as 1968 on the bottom, but it appears he did it with a pen instead of a wood burning tool, so I wondered if it was post dated.

And second there're the chimneys. In that side-by-side comparison you can see the stonework on the one in the article (the black-and-white image) is quite different (I think the 1968 stonework is better).

Comparing the other images, one can see further differences, but I think the chimney stonework tells the tale, confirming it's a duplicate.

But, even so, it's an excellent model, and I'm glad it has survived in such good condition.

Regardless of being a duplicate, it is of the same charming design as the lost article's log church.

The bell tower's cross is missing, but that's easily replaced.

The walls aren't built up from individual logs, but are sheets of 1/8" balsa with logs carved into them.

Both side walls are more-or-less the same.

Like many ELM projects it has a removable roof and a detailed interior. ELM had this to say in the lost article about the interior layout:

I think, too, I've solved a couple of problems for the incoming pastor. 

First, having to pass right under his nose, the members are more than likely to be on time and, once in, not likely to get up and walk out early. 

Secondly, with a good hot fire in the rear, the sinners will have to sit up front to be reasonably comfortable, and there he can have a good go at them.

I find placing the lectern right beside a window a rather nice touch, it's both spiritual in that sunlight illuminates the words in the bible, and practical as the actual building probably predates electric lighting. Maybe that configuration was standard church architecture, I don't know.

E. L. Moore's Rube's Rhubarb Plant

All model photos courtesy of James L. Dixon

August 8th, 1972

Tony Koester, Editor,

RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN,

1 Arch Street, 

Ramsey, N. J.

Hi ya . . . . 

Here is it, RUBE'S RHUBARB PLANT, with 6 photographs and 4 sheets of drawings . . . . .

On account of the length of it I never have tried to peddle it . . . been holding it thinking some day it might follow in the footsteps of the Molasses Mine if'n you and I ever get together again. Almost ashamed to send it out without rewriting it . . . durned paper has aged. And, of course if ya see fittin' you can edit it down to a shorter length . . . easier for you to do than me. I don't generally rhapsodize but keep my articles short and to the point but now and then I get carried away with my subject.

That CASS: GEARED LOCO HAVEN in the last issue, was really something! Enjoyed it hugely!

Thanks a lot . . . . 

signed E. L. Moore

That's the cover letter that accompanied the manuscript for Rube's Rhubarb Plant, which appeared in the July 1974 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman. The publishing history for this article is unusual for an ELM piece, since as far as his work for RMC was concerned his normal process was to build a model and write the article, then almost immediately send it off to RMC, who usually bought it right away, and then published it a few months later. However, Rube's was actually built in 1970, according to ELM's engraving on the base, sent to RMC 2 years later in 1972, and then was published nearly another 2 years after that in 1974. 

The maw of the beast where the rhubarb logs go in 

As ELM notes, Rube's was a fantasy build in the same vein as his Molasses Mine that he cooked up with Bill Schopp. 

In this project we find out how to build a factory that converts rhubarb 'logs' into Rube's Golden Nectar and Rube's Golden Elixer: some sort of legendary wine or spirits of the gods :-)

Photo from ELM archives

Over on the right you can see an action shot of the rhubarb logs coming in on narrow gauge log cars and getting ready to be stuffed into the maw of the beast!

That sidewall where the logs go in looks a lot like a face to me with two windows for eyes, a door for a nose, and that log intake chute for a mouth. The stuff of nightmares :-)

It turns out the only text RMC cut from the manuscript was this note at the end:

I can bake my own rhubarb pie, albeit they aren't up to Mrs. Rube's; but unfortunately I've still been unable to induce the Tank Family to produce anything comparable to Rube's Golden Nectar.

The Tank Family are those vertical tanks out back that store the 'Golden Nectar.' So, reader be warned, you may build the model, but don't expect it to produce any nectar :-)

It seems to me Rube's is a model with a powerful presence. It's big and looming, packed with external details, not to mention being painted red - none of the usual Moore Green on this one. And the contrast between the red and the brown framing out back is excellent.

Even on this wall, the most nondescript of the four, it too is packed with detail. There isn't a boring side on this model.

A small switching layout with this model as its centrepiece would be quite something to behold.

And here's the Tank Family, where all the Golden Nectar is stored. I'm surprised there isn't an armed guard nearby :-)

[16 March 2022 Update: 

I forgot to post the picture of the one surviving rhubarb 'log'. You can see in the black-and-white scene photo in the post that ELM made a small train load of them. I guess this is the only one to have escaped the clutches of the beast :-) ]

E. L. Moore's Carter Energy Co.

All photos courtesy James L. Dixon

Model railroading is no stranger to political commentary and satire. It's not unusual for such thoughts to be implicitly or explicitly expressed in a few of a model railroad's structures. It's pretty clear which group this model is in :-) 

ELM built Carter Energy in 1979, so given the era, and the energy crisis going on at the time, the Carter in Carter Energy is no doubt the 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter.

I do recall that even here in Canada, $1US dollar for a US gallon, would have been considered an outrageous price. These days though that would be a bargain. The price in Ottawa recently is around $1.50CDN/litre, which translates into around $4.47US/US gallon. Across the border in New York state, the internet tells me the average price is something like $3.75US/US gallon.

Luckily, though ELM didn't own a car, but if he had a wood burning locomotive that needed energy, Carter Energy had a good supply of cord wood on hand.

The walls are sided with two different materials: the front and left side are wood, and the back and right side are his tried-and-true paper metal.

This project is another in the small sub-group that never saw print, so it was quite a surprise to see this model.

The roof has an interesting texture. It appears to be glued on tissue, with a tar-paper like pattern painted on.

A few trees

I've been spending some time working on a few Eastern White Cedar trees - nine to be exact. I was going to do a post on how I built them, but eventually realized that given that this is the first time I've made trees, and there's lots of things that need improvement, I'm going to leave that how-to post until I'm fairly confident about making them. Also, there's nothing special about the method I used as it's fairly common. The difficult part is me getting the hang of it.

Although one thing I will say is that I'm constantly trimming and adjusting the trees as I walk around the layout and look at them from different angles. Even looking at these photos I see lots of little tweaks I need to do once I'm done typing :-)

I think I require maybe 8 to 12 more of these cedars. The ones I've made so far are fairly generic. The next batch needs to have a few made for specific locations. I also want a few paper birches, tall pines, and an oak or two, so I've got to study up on how to make those species.

Christmas greetings from E. L. Moore's Tonsorial Parlor

All photos courtesy James L. Dixon

December 30, 1964

Dear ol’ Santee . . . .

Durn it, I never did care for Christmas cards, but when that hunnert dollar check fell out of one I took a second look at it - - at the Christmas card, that is.

But why did you hafta go and do that? Pay for the one you hadn’t yet used, thereby leaving me with nothing in the pot, thereby causing me to rouse myself into finishing up this barbershop piece I’ve been threatening you with.

AT THE SIGN OF THE STRIPED POLE - - -  and [sic] excellent title for a Sherlock Holmes tale eh wot

And now that this is off my hands I’m like a dog without fleas - - I got nothing to do and all kinds of time to do it in.

Mud in your eye . . . 

signed E. L. Moore

That was the cover letter for E. L. Moore's manuscript, At the Sign of the Striped Pole, which was published in the April 1965 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman under the title, Tonsorial Parlor.

ol' Santee was Hal Carstens, RMC's editor at the time. ELM often had to badger Carstens for payment, as he didn't submit those stories for free, and article payment was often slow in coming.

I'm not sure what the $100US was in payment for, but an online inflation calculator tells me that hunnert is worth around $900US in today's money. Not an inconsiderable amount.

The walls are simply balsa sheets with brick work inscribed. The article notes that the reader could substitute Northeastern sheet brick.

Not much going on along the back wall. There's just a door into the storeroom, painted in a shade of Moore green.

The other side wall is just as nondescript. 

It's inside where things are more interesting. Two chairs, no waiting. 

Notice how he's installed mirrors along both side walls. When I went to the barber as a kid I found the infinite mirror illusion fascinating.

In this view you can see there's even a toilet in there.

Overall I like the design of this little model - I particularly like the proportions and facade - but I think the scribed brickwork on the sides and back detracts from the look. ELM's firehouse used the same method to create brickwork, but it appears a bit finer on that model, even on the sides and back. I suspect on the barbershop he figured the sides and back didn't matter too much, but I think a barber might have a different opinion :-)

E. L. Moore's Clarabel Hotel: A tour de force of interior detailing

All model images courtesy James L. Dixon

July 19, 1972

Denis Dunning, Editor,

RAILROAD MODELER,

7950 Deering Avenue,

Canoga Park, California

Hi there . . . . 

I know your preference for trackside buildings and factories, but I thought I’d give you first crack at THE CLARABEL HOTEL. Makes the break at 2500 words. Of course the furnishings make the hotel come alive but only one paragraph is devoted to them, although a sheet of drawings presents designs for the ambitious. 8 photographs, some of which might be deleted. 3 sheets of elevation drawings.

When I’d finished it my wife reminded me “You’ve forgotten one important item that’s supposed to be in every hotel room.” So I placed a Gideon Bible on every dresser.

So let me know if you’d like to see the article, or no . . . . 

I thank you . . . . 

signed E. L. Moore

P.S. Uncle Peabody’s Machine Shop came out nicely. I’ll see if I canna come up with another trackside shop of sorts. Thought you said you had an article on privies coming out? No see um.

Dunning buys the article

That letter was E. L. Moore's pitch to Denis Dunning, editor of Railroad Modeler magazine, to sell an article about his latest project, The Clarabel Hotel. Dunning bought it, as the letter to the right attests, and it ran in the February 1974 issue.

It's an impressive project, although from the outside there doesn't appear to be much going on. As we'll see, looks are deceiving.

Ok, well, maybe I'm wrong. As I think about this some more the railing and staircase work is quite impressive. Overall, the facade is rather animated, what with the decorative trim, lights, and abundance of figures. Although, there was a sign hanging from the second floor that appears to be missing.

I think that wagon to the left is a hearse from ELM's W. E. Snatchem project.

Back in 2015 I wrote that I thought the shape of the roof gave away that the prototype for this model, at least for the exterior form, was ELM's Charlotte apartment building. This view makes that roof shape quite clear.

Notice that the back wall doesn't have a second floor exit. The only way to get out is from the door to the second floor porch out front. This would no doubt this would be a fire safety problem.

The model is something of a chocolate box design: the roof comes off and reveals two floors of interiors.

The top floor consists of 7 rooms, and a common washroom at the back of the building.

All the beds are neatly made.

The washroom is fully equipped, except maybe for towels.

This room must cost more as it has a radiator. It looks like not all of them do. Although, instead of a chair, this one comes with a lovely crate for seating.

I don't know what he's contemplating.

This room is across the hall from crate-man's room. It has also got a radiator, and chairs too!

The second floor lifts out to reveal the detail on the first. This photo shows the bottom side of the second floor, and how the lighting for the first is wired up.

The layout of the first floor is quite different. Over on the left we see what looks like the manager's room at the top, and a lobby at the bottom. On the right, is a kitchen at the top, and a bar / dining room at the bottom.

Another view of the first floor. The lobby and bar / dining room are positioned at the building's front.

Down in the lower left appears to be a baby carriage. 

The manager's suite looks properly appointed, but maybe could use a second guest chair :-)

A pink kitchen seems odd, but maybe all the white paint got used up on the second floor bathroom.

It's been good to be able to see this model in colour. Up until now all I've seen are black-and-white photos, which clearly have not done it justice.

Before we go, let's watch a movie.

Not coming to a theatre near you: Scenes from a Hotel

The more I studied these interiors, the more it struck me that if the photos were cropped and coloured in just the right way one might think they were mockups for scenes from a movie jointly made by Ingmar Bergman, Jean-Pierre Gorin, and Edward Hopper. The movie consists of a series of linked vignettes, one plays out in each room, where the only common thread is a strategically placed Gideon Bible. I bring you, storyboards from the the non-existent 1973 arthouse classic, Scenes from a Hotel.

fin