Omnitangle

Omnitangle: A streetcar track plan arranged in a ladder-like configuration.

Usage: The planning commission thought the grid of streets in the downtown core lent themselves well to an omnitangle track configuration.

Source: Omnitangle is a crude, misinformed portmanteau of omnivagant and rectangle. Arguments could be made for the more Latinly, but anatomically sounding, 'omnirectus', or its relative, the mathematically inclined 'omnirectangulum', but the odd slice of 'tangle' in omnitangle captures the essence of layouts based on these plans usually being on the verge of becoming a tangled mass of spaghetti.  

Omnitangle is a specific form of omnivagancy where the track plan geometry is restricted to a narrow set of ladder-like rectangular forms.

from the electronic files for the 2029 4th edition of The Dictionary of Non-Existent Model Railroad Terms.

The HQ's exterior is done!

I figured I'd get the lead out and at least finish the HQ's exterior before jumping into some new projects.

And it didn't need much, just some steps and a sign.

I didn't have a grand plan for the sign. I just decided to rummage around the scrapbox and see what I could make from what I had. 

I had bought some self-stick foam letters a long time ago and thought they might look good on this project. I picked out the ones I needed and stuck them to some styrene strip as a base. The base was then stuck to a styrene I-beam for attaching the whole thing to the facade. 

The letters are painted with Tamyia copper paint left over from the roof of last year's Weekly Herald project.

I'm thinking of going over the brickwork with some toothpaste to liven up the mortar work. Interior details still need to be added, but for now I'm going to declare this exercise in N to HO scale kitbashing done and move on.

Inside E. L. Moore's Yard Blacksmith Shop

That's all that's left of the interior of E. L. Moore's Yard Blacksmith Shop. This project was described in the October 1965 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman, and it appears to have had a full and highly detailed interior. Most of it was scratch built from odds and ends, but there's a photo caption that notes:

The author's model is completely detailed inside, using castings by Rollins House and Model Engineering Works and others. These castings are essential, as are the drums, pickaxe, and other scrap parts scattered around the building. Don't forget the workmen.

I'll have to look into Rollins House and Model Engineering Works to see what if anything matches items in the article's photo.

Repairing E. L. Moore's Central Warehouse

One of the end doors is missing, but it doesn't impact the look

I recently bought one of the collections of E. L. Moore's models that I saw back in September 2015. His Central Warehouse was one of the first to show up on my doorstep.

It's in good condition, but the chimney and corner leg of the loading dock had come off. No problem. Some carefully applied Weld Bond came to the rescue.

I'm hoping to do some rephotographing of the models so I have some better images for the book than the ones I took back in 2015. And I can now examine them at my leisure to see what I may have overlooked on that whirlwind trip.

Leg and chimney reattached

Maybe the E. L. Moore Carolina Camera episode still exists

I've been thinking about the Carolina Camera episode featuring E. L. Moore that was shot back in the summer of '71. I couldn't find it on the Carolina Camera YouTube channel, and I'm not even sure it aired.

Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across this video at the WBTV website announcing that the show would return to tv, and at times feature some of the old stuff. See that cupboard John Carter is opening, apparently that's recently discovered film of some of the old episodes. Is the E. L. Moore episode in one of those mystery film cans we're looking at? I sent the station an email yesterday explaining my interest and asking if they had the episode in question. Hopefully sometime after the holiday they'll get back to me. Fingers crossed.

[28 July 2021 Update: John Carter, the host and producer of Carolina Camera at WBTV, kindly answered my emails and said they'd get back to me whenever they came up with something. Although, it turns out they have a lot to look through, so it could be awhile. So, the episode might still be out there. My fingers are crossed!]