Flashback at the magazine rack

I dropped by the hobby store yesterday to buy some track to finish the new street car layout. Over at the magazine rack I experienced some deja vu. That's the July issue of RMC on the left, and Carsten's old Traction Handbook on the right. It's rare to see anything, anywhere about street car modelling, so I bought it. The trolley barn article covered how to build it of course and also had some discussion on trolley track. Hopefully we'll see more street car oriented articles in the future.

By boxcar to the Painted Land

Painted Land: In Search of the Group of Seven (trailer) from WhitePinePictures on Vimeo.

Later last night I watched Painted Land: In Search of the Group of Seven on TVO. As well as the beauty of northern Ontario, and the fascinating story of tracking down the painting sites of the Group of Seven, two other things caught my attention: the railway, the Algoma Central, was key to providing them access to the Ontario north country, and the landscapes and adventure reminded me of E. L. Moore's EVRR (look closely at the lakes, cabins, life in a boxcar with a group of friends - shades of Spumoni Club Coach - and access only by train). The movie is available at TVO's website.

A recreation of the boxcar - used in the Painted Land - the Group of Seven lived in during an extended painting expedition in Northern Ontario. Image sourced from the Painted Land website.

Solder-itis and street track installation

I'm starting to think avoidance of soldering is a recognized medical condition. Instead of soldering some leads on the EVRR blocks, I decided to install some track on the new street car layout. I started with the easiest part, the two strips along the main drag, and then went on to the loop around the housing block on the west end. I think once all the track is installed on this thing - and there isn't much - I'll pick up the soldering iron and hold a solder-palooza on both layouts. Hopefully Debra won't have to call an ambulance :-)

Was The Novelty Factory based on St. Luke's Church?

Paul Zimmerman contacted me to tell me about a wedding at St. Luke's Church, in Smithfield, Virginia, where he was the organist. He noted that the church bears a striking resemblance to E. L. Moore's Novelty Factory that appeared in the July 1970 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman. That model on the left is a plaster replica of St. Luke's sold in the church's gift store. It measures a little under N-scale.

The similarities are striking. Mr. Moore did have some family connections in Virginia, and he was well read, so maybe the basic shape of the church influenced his model. I can't say for sure, but it's interesting to ponder.

I read through E. L. Moore manuscript for the project and found this introductory passage that was deleted from the published story (if you're following along at home, it was meant to appear after the second paragraph in the article).

Have you ever been eaten with envy at the sight of some far out gimmick some other fellow flashes at a party, and which gets the center of attention? It's probably a drip from the fertile brain of Uncle Wilbur. Like, maybe: See-thru Keyholes with adjustable eye rests and a broad field of vision. Flea collars for cats are commonplace enough, but not until you've seen Uncle Wilbur's cat collar for fleas have you see the latest. Just slip one on your favorite flea and a cat will shun it as it would Saturday night's sin.

Then there's a finely detailed Crematory with a smoke stack, a perfect mantel ornament. Say you decide to stop smoking so you insert your last lighted cigaret, then present the thing to your loved one. In a space on one side is inscribed some of Uncle Wilbur's posey:

FINE ASHES SINCE 1899

Here lies my final ashes, darling,

But I pray thee not to weep,

Tomorrow there'll be, I'm sure

Your ashes for you to sweep.

It's a bit of a repetition of the theme in the second paragraph, and a bit on the weird side for a mainstream publication, so I can see why it was edited out. But, there it is for completeness :-)

From the Hanger

Vince and I took his time machine out for a spin. He just got an alternative universe module installed and was keen to show it off. It worked great! When we got back I found this page stuffed between the seat cushions.