Landishfeger Steel Products, kitbash by Art Curren, p24 Dec 2020 MR

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I really like Art Curren’s kitbash building “Landishfeger Steel Products” that is featured in the Dec 2020 MR (page 24).

Has there been a writeup that discussed which buildings were used to do the kitbash?

The article refers to a 90 min DVD “Great Structures Vol 2 learn to kit bash” Looking at the cover picture, that may be the Landishfeger building. Is that correct? Is it featured in this DVD?

Thanks for any help!

2

I looked and for whatever reason it seems Art never got around to writing up the Ladishfeger building (a play on words: two big Milwaukee area industries were Ladish and Harnishfeger). Jim Hediger might be the one person who at least could know what source kits Curren used.

Dave Nelson

3

Was there ever a sllide in wall to cover the exposed “interior scenes” - those 2 vertical column extensions on either side look like they would serve as supports for such a wall section.
OK, I get the idea of “cut-away interior scenes”, where the interior is exposed as a sectioned view and the remainder of the building is not modeled, but assumed to go into the aisle or whatever…but here they added weeds at the foundation, giving the appearance that the curtain wails and windows fell in one of those Wisconsin earthquakes and they just cleaned up the rubble with replacing them…

4

Thanks Dave, sent an email to Ask MR, hopefully they can help!

5

IDRick - I really like the Ladishfeger building, too. On pg 26 top left it says that Art used multiple City Classics Smallman Street Warehouse kits & Pikestuff metal wall panels. However, I would like to see pictures of all four sides of the structure. It is not listed in Art’s two books that I have “HO Model Railroad Structures” & “Realistic Plastic Structures for Toy train Layouts”. Maybe Cody or David could provide us some pictures??? Thanks for any help, guys!! FYI: I found more views of the building on Video Plus Episode 9 where Cody is painting it. David P. says there will be more on Episode 10. Later Chips88

6

Hi Folks:

Art sent me a number of letters over the years which I saved. I’ll look through them to see if he said anything about that building. I was in the hospital for a few days and I’m a little too sore to be rooting through things just yet.

Jim S

City Classics

7

Can anyone post a photo, or is that a no-no?

Rich

8

Here’s a link to the City Classics site showing the wharehouse kit parts that Art used.

http://www.cityclassics.biz/smallman.html

I was told I cannot post links or pictures back to the archives.

Early on in the COVID thing, I think they made the archives open to all, not sure if that still exist.

You can view the Dec. MR in the archives.

Mike.

9

But please note, if you see our latest update, we cannot accept any new orders right now until I recover from surgery.

http://www.cityclassics.biz/

Jim S.

10

Okay…I found some photos with construction notes that Art sent me back in 1990. I’ll scan and post them somewhere tomorrow.

Jim

11

Hopefully everything came out okay. Get well, or else!

12

Thanks…it’s a long story that started four years ago.

Jim

13

Okay…Let’s see if this works since I’ve never tried this before.

The first photo shows Art’s model and the basic kit he used to build it. But the gem is picture #2 since it shows the backside and all of Art’s freehand notes about what he used to make it. It doesn’t give every detail, but enough basic information that it shouldn’t be too difficult to figure out what kit parts he used and where he cut them. I can probably answer any questions too.

http://www.cityclassics.biz/Landishfeger1.jpg

http://www.cityclassics.biz/Landishfeger2069.jpg

Jim S

14

You’re welcome. I know about long stories. Had cataract surgery recently and the surgeon, after looking over my medical history, commented that it looked like I was missing a few organs. Told her that I was also missing a piano, a keyboard, and part of a trumpet. After a while we can only try to develop a sense of humor about this stuff.

And thanks for posting the factory notes/sketch.

15

This is priceless stuff, Jim, thank you - I can never have too much from Art Curren, and his wonderful book on kitbashing is unlikely to get revived because just too many of the kits he used are no longer sold. Model Railroader could create a “new” Art Curren article based on the structure they have on the MR&T and these notes, just as they worked with remaining information and drawings to create a couple of “new” John Armstrong articles some years back. And best of all in this case his raw materials are still available.

Is Steve Otte reading this? Put this bee in the editor’s bonnet. An excellent (and relevant, given their Jones Island revision series of videos!) article has just been dropped into your lap whether you know it or not.

Dave Nelson

16

Jim -

I hope you are feeling better. As Dave N. said there can’t be enough of Art Curren’s work as far as this guy is concerned. I appreciate the backside photo and info. Just what I needed. Take care, Kimball[:D]

17

Thanks. I have a lot more sketches and letters that Art sent me over the years. I’ll have to see what else may be worth sharing.

Jim

18

Lets get rid of the need to click:

-Kevin

19

Thanks for posting that, Jim. I passed the links on to Art’s son, Chris, just in case he misses this thread. I don’t suppose that the kits he used come in N-scale, do they?

20

Not from us, but other companies have similar structures in N scale.

Jim