Walthers Motor Hotel


Really looking great. Your set up would look right at home next to the highway scene I built over the last two years. That motel points out my problem with some of the newer offerings out there now. Their full scale dimensions just take up too much space. Plus they dwarf the older buildings. I have the Walter's Culver's drive in and the Mobious Mel's drive in and they take up a lot of real estate. I also purchased Walter's corn bin and it looked silly being bigger than my old Revel barn so I haven't used it. To me, a model railroad needs to give the illusion of a place, not be an exact scale model.
I also love your collection of classic cars.
 
Not a whole lot of forward progress, but starting on some of the smaller details. Added some fencing (Bar Mills Insta-Fence, Atlas 3 rail fence, Central Valley, etc) between busnesses and the track and on the back side of the Motel/ Restaurant parking lot. I added "Stop" signs (JL Innovation), non working traffic lights (Walthers Scene Master) which had to be modified for a 45 degree intersection. I also added a diving board to the pool (pirated from a Bachmann swimming pool), and where I thought they might be appropriate, I added Pikestuff tire stops in parking lots. Added some ground cover and ballast to the track. Did I mention how badly I suck at ballasting track?

Still waiting on parts before building the corner gas station.
 

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I like the set-up very much! The buildings are wonderful; the colors are well thought out. That round restaurant brings back fond memories, as there was one on highway 16 here; wasn't a drive-in, though. Well done, indeed.
 
Okay, so its not part of the motel itself, but the car dealership lot is part of the same diorama. I had searched for convincing ways to do strings of brightly multi colored penants around the parimeter of the lot, but wasn't convinced I could capture the look right. Years ago, I had built the Blair Line A to Z Used Car lot kit and installed it on my layout (first three photos). I loved the kit, and decided to buy another kit and build the wood signage around the lot. Later, I will find another use for the "office" structure that comes with the kit, and the billboard will actually be used on the layout on the back side of the layout's existing billboard making it a two sided unit. The wood structure works nicely around the diorama car lot. But, the crossing gate for the tracks is on back order, and clearance could be a problem when it arrives. Meanwhile I'm happy with the results, so far.
Backordered signs and details for the gas station, poolside swimmers on reclining lounge chairs, metal grates to go around trees planted in openings in the pavement, and the crossing gate with crossbucks are all details I'm waiting on to complete the diorama.
 

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Not a whole lot of progress today, but I did drill holes for the trees. I can at least remove the cumbersome tree bases now and at the same time know exactly where the trees will be planted. Many of the holes were drilled right in pavement or sidewalks. I have the metal grates on order that surround the base of the tree trunks to allow the tree access to rain water when planted along city sidewalks. Like so many other things I've ordered for this diorama, those too are back ordered from Walthers.

Dang!! You are getting it done!
 
Not a whole lot of forward progress, but starting on some of the smaller details. Added some fencing (Bar Mills Insta-Fence, Atlas 3 rail fence, Central Valley, etc) between busnesses and the track and on the back side of the Motel/ Restaurant parking lot. I added "Stop" signs (JL Innovation), non working traffic lights (Walthers Scene Master) which had to be modified for a 45 degree intersection. I also added a diving board to the pool (pirated from a Bachmann swimming pool), and where I thought they might be appropriate, I added Pikestuff tire stops in parking lots. Added some ground cover and ballast to the track. Did I mention how badly I suck at ballasting track?

Still waiting on parts before building the corner gas station.

Is that a 49 Cadillac in the 1st picture? 😍
 
Thanks. You'll also see it in the background of the 8th picture. Meanwhile a buddy of mine should be bringing his 1:1 version home from long term body shop prison very soon.

I knew where there was one that was dismantled and in primer after the body work had been completed, but he wanted a bit much for it with as much work as it still needed. I've stumbled across a couple of vans in recent years, but not interested in chopping one up to make a truck out of it.
I guess I'm picky as I want one in as close to original condition as possible.
 
Is that a 49 Cadillac in the 1st picture? 😍
Yes. Its by NEO. NEO no longer makes cars in 1/87 scale. They made small production runs in 3 or 4 colors a few years ago. I only managed to get the silver one.
If anyone else ends up making it, it would probably be BoS (Best of Show). BoS makes other Cadillacs in 1/87 scale and currently makes the 49 fastback coupe in several other scales. When I first looked at the car I thought it was BoS, but the higher level of detail made me investigate further to find it was NEO. There are no markings on the chassis.

Meanwhile, when I looked at this photo, I realized the side trim was bent on the door. I did manage to bend it back, but I'll be more careful handling it in the future.
 

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Yes. Its by NEO. NEO no longer makes cars in 1/87 scale. They made small production runs in 3 or 4 colors a few years ago. I only managed to get the silver one.
If anyone else ends up making it, it would probably be BoS (Best of Show). BoS makes other Cadillacs in 1/87 scale and currently makes the 49 fastback coupe in several other scales. When I first looked at the car I thought it was BoS, but the higher level of detail made me investigate further to find it was NEO. There are no markings on the chassis.

Meanwhile, when I looked at this photo, I realized the side trim was bent on the door. I did manage to bend it back, but I'll be more careful handling it in the future.


Man that is so nice! That is my all time favorite car ever!! If you see anyone reproducing them, please let me know. I'll definitely keep a look out as well. Everything is looking good, Mr. Jim!
 
Man that is so nice! That is my all time favorite car ever!! If you see anyone reproducing them, please let me know. I'll definitely keep a look out as well. Everything is looking good, Mr. Jim!

Now that they are no longer available, they are about twice the price they were new. So its a matter of how badly you want one.

 
Now that they are no longer available, they are about twice the price they were new. So its a matter of how badly you want one.


WOAH!!! I can't need it that bad. Those are nice, though! Beautifully detailed. I had no idea the price 😳
 
This thread started about the Walthers Motor Hotel, but I clearly expanded it to extend to the entire diorama the motel is part of. While waiting for some back ordered final detail parts and figures for the motel, I've decided to start on the corner gas station. I had decided to make it a late 50's-1960's era Phillips 66 gas station. The Walthers "Winners Circle Petro" service station seemed to be an appropriate starting point. Visually, the most unique feature many of the Phillips 66 stations of that era had in common was the triangular shaped canopy angled steeply over a pump island and supported at the far end with a tall post up through a large opening in the canopy, and the Phillips 66 sign at the very top of the post.
I had an unused railroad yard light in my parts box that had the right look for the post (looked very similar to the posts appearing in photos of the vintage Phillips 66 stations), and I cut the triangular shaped canopy out of a thick piece of Evergreen styrene I had lying around. I glued sandpaper to the roof sections of the building and to the top of the canopy.
Here, I'm test fitting it together before gluing anything. The post fits into a hole drilled in the base. I cheated on the red stripes on the building walls, the edge of the curbs and the edge of the canopy. I didn't paint the red. They are self adhesive decals from the Highways and Byways HO scale parking lot markings set that I used elsewhere on the diorama. There are few opportunities to mark the pavement in red, and the leftover stickers were the correct width for this application.
The JT Innovation Phillips 66 signs and details were still on back order from Walthers, with no due date indicated, so I started searching elsewhere yesterday for a source for Phillips 66 decals for a sign. Found some that look like they will be the right size from Dave's Decals and Models on line. Placed that order last night and cancelled the backordered signs and details from Walthers. I still need to shop for interior details for the service station, but the roof will be removeable, so I can always add those details later.
 

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Glue still drying. Kind of like how the gas station turned out. Still waiting on decals for the signs.
 

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