My winter project - Oakley Street Chicago

[tom.boyd.125]

Bob,
Will follow along as I still can hear the roar of the L trains after driving under that location many times between '66 and '85 with the telco company truck.
Tommy

[bparrish]

Got some bench time over the last two days.

Below is the rough Ritter Pharmacy.  The windows are a mix of Tichy and Grandt Line along with some plastruct stuff.

Below that is the starting layout for the Otter Haertel building. That is the first of the structures visible in the original photo on the far left.

see ya
Bob

[S&S RR]

Bob


It looks great! The plan is coming together.

[PRR Modeler]

Very nice modeling.

[bparrish]

OK..........

I'm  back at it.  Over the holidays when the grand kids are here they take over my office and so I don't get much computer time.  I lurk over my phone but not time to do the sorts of stuff that can put up photos and such.

All the doors and windows will come back out for painting and final fitting.

Above was the layout for the Otto Haertel Stove building.  Below is the standing structure and is only roughed in.  I found a better source photo and had to go back and make a few changes on the windows of the rear store room.

I have found newspaper ads for this company so it is probably the easiest to know what went on there.



Next is the Whitney Confectionery store at 918 W Lake Street.  It will be the east most building on the north side of Lake street and is completely unseen in the photo. I'm building it from the data on the Sanborn insurance maps and period styles.  I need this to make the overall diorama look correct.

This building will sit up higher on a placed stone foundation and the steps will be completed.  I know the data about the business here from the city directory.



The least complete at this time is the Henry Kline Saloon which is seen in the source photo on the far right.  I actually know quite a bit about this saloon so it isn't too tough



I'm adding back the source photo again so easy comparisons can be made.

Tell me how I'm doing...

see ya
Bob

[Janbouli]

You're doing great Bob, now that's been said , you can carry on 

[bparrish]

So here is a photo from the street level perspective as it stands now.



Right after that.............. this is turning into the monster that devoured Cleveland ! !

I keep having to set things back to get enough space on the bench.  This might be getting away from me.




Then again......... it's all for the cause.

see ya
Bob

[S&S RR]

Bob


So, how big does a workbench have to be to be big enough?  I keep adding extensions to my main bench.

[bparrish]

John...

I've never built anything that is so taking over.

Either way...  this is a really fun project.

Thanx
Bob

[PRR Modeler]

Gorgeous modeling Bob.

[S&S RR]

John...

I've never built anything that is so taking over.

Either way...  this is a really fun project.

Thanx
Bob

I'm glad your having fun with it.  I will be following along.  It really looks great so far.

[Polux]

Wow!!!
I love this project and the way you've been working.

Magnificent so far.

[bparrish]

Here is the layout for the last building.

Of what I can tell from the Sanborn maps, it was the earliest at this intersection.  It is not at all in the photo so I have to go off of the maps and what I got from the city directory and advertising.

It is a classic Chicago balloon frame.  Windows are directly above one another as the studs went from the mud sill all the way to the cornice. 

At the far right you can see a diagonal line where an outside add on stairway to the second floor will be.  This was actually over the original property line and in the 1916 Sanborn, this was corrected as there was no such extension when this corner was cleared and rebuilt as brick.  It is possible that the original property  owner held both lots and no one noticed or cared.  I'm not going back to Cook County and looking at original plats.

In the original photo, the building on the far left has a belt line at the second floor level.  That is how they framed not long after. Much the same as today where you build a deck and then go up again.

I'm still having too much fun with this.

see ya
Bob

[PRR Modeler]

Looks great.

[Janbouli]

Maybe I missed it in the thread , but where are the cornice's and the vestibule windows from?