Chattanooga to Tunnel Hill

My good friend Andy Salcius was here a few weeks ago and posted this video he took of the most recent excursion through Georgia on the W&A. A few things to note is that the landscape and structures are period in that they have been extensively researched. Most structures are either scratch built from period photos, illustrations and/or diagrams. The time is summer 1863. Chattanooga was on the verge of being captured by the Union Army of the Cumberland, led by General Rosecrans. Locals were evacuating to points south while Confederate troops and military supplies were be transported both north, from Georgia, and south from Virginia to meet the Yankee incursion. They were to eventually meet the Union army at a place called Chickamauga Creek were the south would experience its only clear victory in the western theater of war.

 

STRUCTURES & SIGNS

With much of the layout completed, I am now focusing more on structure colors and sign designs. As many of you probably know, color is one of the most challenging, and sometimes perplexing, elements to recreate. In addition to cruising model railroad blogs and sites, one source for ideas has been "The Civil War In Color". Here is one taken on PA Avenue during the Grand Army review at the  end of the war.

This one below is a store near Ford's Theater. There are several very cool details to consider. One is adding small signs as on the columns. Another is adding a larger sign such as the one saying "Family Circle". Then there are the drapes and the green balcony railing,  One other consideration is attaching a gas lamp as shown below. Another element is the fogged window panes. Makes it easy to avoid detailing an interior!

Although one could challenge the accuracy of either or any, such is the case in most colorized or even suggested colors in any period photo. However, these provide enough plausibility to copy for my purposes. I also read that most structures of this type had three colors, making for some fun combinations.

My town of Dalton now has my attention as there are several buildings that have been waiting for an identity! Below are two buildings that have made the transition.

For the Cherokee Insurance Banking Co. I decided on these darker colors since this is a formal business structure. To construct the sign, I first  measured the space dimensions on the building. I then perused many font options that I had seen in other photos and came up with Algerian. It took a few tries to get the font size to a correct height. After a few test fits the sign was printed on my computer using typical copy paper. It was then cut to size measured earlier. Next was to cut a piece of Evergreen styrene for the backing. I chose .010. I then framed it with .040x.040 strips which provided a frame for the actual sign. The next to-do's are window treatments, and then the next challenge - what to do for the show windows on the ground floor! One idea is to find a color photo that could give the illusion of an interior that is simply pasted or glued onto the inner side of the window. Another option of course is to add an interior with a light. Hmmm?
Photo below is a paper flat that DC Cebula expanded upon adding a chimney on the right. He then built a slight addition to give it a 3D perspective. One most attractive additions is his detailing of the roof trim. The sign was made in a similar fashion to the Cherokee Insurance Co above. 
Both signs are black lettering on white paper. The frames were painted black with craft paint. I weathered both with Doc O'Brien's powders. For this one I used brown and yellow.

 

Next in line is this Drug Store and barber Shop. I am considering a third color but not sure which. Of course these windows need their treatments and some semblance of an interior. The building to the right is a residence of one of the town doctors. We will add a small front yard and fence, perhaps a flower bed. 

Another source for signs is the movie 'Horse Soldiers'. In particular are the scenes at Newton Station. There are at least a dozen signs shown. Some are painted directly onto the building. Others are on a framed placard and there's one or two hanging. You'll see a few store windows painted with such titles as BAR. I'd guess that there is also eight or so different fonts. I am currently surfing the web to find font sources. However those that come with Windows have provided a decent variety for now. In addition to the Algerian I also use GungsuhChe, Bell MT, Baskerville Old and High Tower Text. 
You can look for other font types on our civil war railroads yahoo site by John Ott. 
Lastly, I have been having TOO much fun making signs now that I have found a few more ideas for working with decals. This brings me to sharing with you a fabulous HOW TO book by Kalmbach by two of the best and well known model railroaders, Dave Frary and Bob Hayden. I Most enthusiastically post the cover here:

INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN KAMMERER

Brian has been a part of this railroad scene since 2003 when he along with DC Cebula and Chris Brannigan came to visit at my home. It was our second time together, the first being Timonium - a neutral location that seemed most reasonable to all especially since we had a relationship only through emails. We of course hit it off and Brian offered to began painting the backdrop. His first foray was painting a 35'x3' canvas. Ever since then he has visited many times and continues to add backdrop scenes as the railroad evolves. April 29, 2013 I captured a few stories on how he began his interest in modeling the American Civil War. Hope you enjoy our interaction.

DALTON'S EVOLUTION

Dalton GA was on the north end of the Western & Atlantic RR, just south of Tunnel Hill. By August of 1863 it had become a bustling city due to the defenses being constructed along the W&A to protect this critical supply line for the Army of Tennessee. The following 'movie' of slides gives you an idea of the development, start to near completion, of this section of the layout. It began in November 2003 as tabletops with basic track plan.Also posted is an interview of Brian Kammerer as he is painting the backdrop section along this area. Friends who have had contributed to this section include DC Cebula, Chris Comport, Andy Salcius, Jimmy Judge and of course, Brian Kammerer.

DALTON CAR SHED

The only reference that I have located to this structure is mentioned by one of the raiders from the GLC, William Pittenger, in Craig Angles book. If you have not seen this reference before, Craig wrote "The Great Locomotive Chase" in 1992. No longer in print, Craig takes time to describe various areas along the chase route. In his book he includes this from Pittenger, "...the large passenger depot which had a shed over all the tracks..." So I went with a similar look to Atlanta. Chattanooga had a similar shed but slightly different construction materials and design. This structure holds the foreground on the North Branch (the layout). I decided to add some details given very visible location.

These two photos show early stages of Dalton and the car shed when I considered foam-core as the material. I decided on plywood after Chris' exasperations using this material for another structure. He is building the Barnsley scene found in the LABELS.

Shed Construction

On the left we're pretty along the way with the walls, roof supports and support columns already assembled. To the right shows the brick work. It is an adhesive paper by Clever. They have a very good website with a wide variety of stone, brick, siding and roof prints. You can purchase just the print  at a very reasonable fee and print any number of copies, or the adhesive backed sheets.

Two more views showing some of the wall supports and the most recent backdrop work from Brian Kammerrer. I invite you to view the new posting of Brian's work creating the backdrop scene as well, completing this and other backdrop scenes in 7 hours! More to come.

Thanks for following our work. Although we began in 2003 and await the arrival of the first sounding locos (still working out the bugs), the enjoyment never ceases.

Brian Does Dalton

May 29 weekend the W&A had a fabulous visit from DC Cebula, Christopher Eldridge and Brian Kammerrer. In this upper view, Brian Kammerrer is sketching a backdrop for the town of Dalton.

He is working on a left over piece of canvas from a prior backdrop.

There have been no pictures of Dalton that I could uncover, even after a visit to the town, local libraries and a couple of local "historians". One source indicated that Dalton was a very up and coming town. A high looking set of structures would have taken a few visits for Brian to complete. We decided to go with a viable version of what was plausible to give the town a larger feel but not fully developed so I pulled photos on Chattanooga and other locations for references. 

Here Brian is beginning to paint in his sketches and bring life to black lined drawings. The third view below is the canvas taped to the backdrop. Along the entire area Brian also connected the ridges from the point of the peninsula, Rocky Face, to the other end where he painted Lookout Mountain.

Dalton's Role

Half way down the line on the W&A between Atlanta and Chattanooga, Dalton was a key location General Joe Johnston chose for the Confederate Army of Tennessee to defend in 1863. It was a small to medium size yard with a Car shed in a similar fashion to Atlanta. There was also a turntable on the north end but in my research to date, no engine house. Most of the information gathered on Dalton was from Craig Angle's book, The Great Locomotive Chase. If you are looking for a thorough journey into the entire story of the chase, not only has Craig researched the Chase but the players and the aftermath. About one half to two thirds of the content is told from the participants of that April 12 day in 1862.