Winter Challenge 2024/2025 - Flat Iron Corner Building - Tom Langford.

[jbvb]

Well executed!

[ACL1504]

A more careful framing, with a train in the picture, probably using some focus stacking, would produce a champion, NMRA Calendar photo.
dave

Dave,
I'm not a current member of the NMRA. I was some 50+ years ago, but they turned me off with all the politics in their judging.
I've been a very happy GDI since, 1973. Will never join again.
Tom

I can certainly understand that!  I'm still no fan of the Achievement Program.  But I will say that NMRA is at least better run from a business sense than it was 20 years ago.  And I get more from the NMRA Mag than from MR these days. 
For me, "calendar shot" is intended as a very high compliment, a photo that really captures the sense of modeling in a dramatic way. 
dave

Dave,

Thank you for the compliment of the scene. I got side tracked on the NMRA.

My issue was with the Sunshine Region of the NMRA, not the National folks. I should have been more clear in my response.

My good friend Jim Miller, now passed, was a Sunshine NMRA member for 45+ years. It was the click of the local members that wouldn't or couldn't leave politics alone. Not national politics, just their personal beliefs and everyone should do and believe as they did. Even Jim thought about dropping out due to a few of the local members.

It may be completely different now, but I'm happy being an Gosh Darn Independent.

By the way, Jim told me that the National NMRA was so frustrated with the attitude of the local Sunshine Region that they said they would never have a National NMRA here, Central Florida, again after the 2017 mess.

Tom

[ACL1504]

Well executed!

James,

Thank you very much.

Tom 

[PennsyJ1]

Beautiful work as always Tom. Love the lighting job.

Bill

[ACL1504]

Bill and Kris,

Hey, great to see you my friend. Thank you for the kind compliment on the build.

Stay warm up there as well.

Tom 

[Jerry]

Let there be light!!

Just a beautiful build and the lightning makes it even better.

Jerry

[elwoodblues]

Tom,

I bet your really satisfied with this build, if not you should be.  It is an excellent build.  With all the details you added the scene really pops and tells a great story.  The night scene looks even better.

Looking forward to your next build.

[ACL1504]

Let there be light!!

Just a beautiful build and the lightning makes it even better.

Jerry

Jerry,

Your compliment is very much appreciated, thank you.

Tom 

[ACL1504]

Tom,

I bet your really satisfied with this build, if not you should be.  It is an excellent build.  With all the details you added the scene really pops and tells a great story.  The night scene looks even better.

Looking forward to your next build.

Ron,

Yes, I'm very satisfied and pleased with how it turned out. Getting the walls fit and glued at the proper angle was a bit of a challenge but here too, I'm very  happy with the results.

Thanks for the kind compliment on the build and the lighting.

Tom 

[Jim Donovan]

Tom;

Just had time to sit back, have a diet pop, relax and learn from a master builder. Amazing workmanship, well thought out and straight forward building techniques well explained. I really love learning from what you share. Great building, great scene, Dave is right, Calendar cover material. Thank you for joining the winter challenge.

Jim

[ACL1504]

Tom;

Just had time to sit back, have a diet pop, relax and learn from a master builder. Amazing workmanship, well thought out and straight forward building techniques well explained. I really love learning from what you share. Great building, great scene, Dave is right, Calendar cover material. Thank you for joining the winter challenge.

Jim

Jim,

Thank you and Craig for sponsoring the Winter Challenge of 2025. Thank you also for the very generous and heart felt compliment on my scratch build.

This hobby is all about having fun and sharing our ideas on how and why we build as we do. I feel I still have room for improvement and challenging myself to build "out of the box" helps me achieve that end.

Your support on the build is very much appreciated.

Tom

[Ensign]

Tom, I'm sorry that I seem to be the last to congratulate you on this wonderful build that you presented here.
I was following your build on RR Lines, but after that shut down I just stopped following your build.
After years of doing builds on RR Lines and then having all of that work & photos just erased in the blink of an eye.
I sort of lost faith in any model railroad forums!
However I just posted something here for the first time, and you were the first person to reply to it.
So seeing your name reminded me of your project, so I searched for your build to see if it was here and I was very happy to find it!
I like you, love taking photos to document a build. So I really appreciate the work that you put into this build.
Your scratchbuilt Riffraff Cafe came out looking just wonderful!
I look forward to following your work once again.

Greg

[ACL1504]

Greg,

Again welcome to the Modeler's Forum. Your structures are fantastic.

Thank you for the very kind and generous compliment on my build. I've been on The Modeler's Forum from almost the beginning. We went through two servers crashes and I too, almost said, "Enough of this S**t". Then Jimmy D. announced he was shutting down the Modeler's Forum and I went to RR Lines for the past two years. I even made $$ contributions to keep it going. However, Joe felt that he could no longer keep going at it and I understood completely.

Jim Donavan is a good friend and he took over from Jimmy and is now in charge/owns this forum. As Jim said, "We aren't going to stop as there is to much modeling information still here." I will add that Jimmy told Jim that most of the builds were lost. Donavan got with Craig (Keep it Rusty) and between the two we are back in business bigger and better and even recovered what was said to be lost.

I did a lot on RR Lines with my layout thread and need to seriously get it going here again as there is lots to show and share.

I appreciate you reaching out and again, I thank you for the comments and support on the Flat Iron. It sure was a fun build.

Tom

[GPdemayo]

Welcome to another Greg on the forum and glad to see Bill Cutler's post and hope all is well for them up in Carolina.....  

[ACL1504]

Welcome to another Greg on the forum and glad to see Bill Cutler's post and hope all is well for them up in Carolina.....  

Greg,

Thanks for checking in. All is well with Bill and Kris in Carolina. They said to tell everyone "Hello".

Tom