All
I’m finishing up a module the features a dirt country road crossing the tracks. I’ve been looking for a prototype picture of an isolated stand alone bar (not in a city scene) to add some interest to the scene. While the scene is set in the midwest, inspiration can come from any corner of the country. Anyone have some pics of this type of establishment?
Thanks
Rick Keil
Rick, I don’t have any photos for you but a couple of thoughts. The JL Innovative Biker Bar might work. http://www.jlinnovative.com/Catalog.ASP?WCI=DisplayProduct&WCE=%2043513&WCU=kca0RbLN44Rx1XaUdGiY3pKVsym8YVOl failing that, how about more of a country store type feel such as http://www.jlinnovative.com/Catalog.ASP?WCI=DisplayProduct&WCE=%2047607&WCU=kca0RbLN44Rx1XaUdGiY3pKVsym8YVOl the country store is a great little kit with lots of character.
No photos here, either (I checked Old Tucson, but the available views were uninformative.)
My initial idea was to take a stand-alone general store with a wide covered porch and replace its standard door with twin swinging doors. Nothing says, “Saloon!” like those swinging doors…
Don’t forget to add a BIG outhouse. And possibly a siding for the Budweiser reefer…
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Some possibilities.
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/152-145
Here’s a few more!
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-2824
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3620
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3527
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3600
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3601
[:)]
Another candidate might be DPM’s kit 101, Kelly’s Saloon:
http://cs.trains.com/forums/131/1466481/ShowPost.aspx#1466481
and the upstairs could be for the owner/operator, or “Rooms for Rent”, depending on the bar’s reputation…(ahem…) [oops][:I]
Jim in Cape Girardeau
Not sure what would suit your tastes but if you go to google.com, then select images and then type country bar or country tavern in the search line you will get a gazillion photos to page through.
Here is a real-life 19th century-built bar.
Mark
Here’s a picture of a structure I took eight days ago near Railroad Flat, California that could function as a bar, and more.
Here is a picture of the same structure in the early 1900’s. Those barrels are gasoline for fueling vehicles, not beer, unfortunately. Fewer handrails back then.
Mark
Sorry…I have NO links or even a photo, other than the Kodak moment in my head, but I do have a vision:
One of the “establishments” slated for my pike is the Side-Track Tavern which will be patterned after the Tolstoi Hotel in Tolstoi, Manitoba, Canada.
I am sorry to say that it is now closed (after being run by Elsie Kolodzinski for 68 years), but it did offer some great home cooking and a cold brew for many a year.
I’m going to use the Grandt Line #5900 “Second Class Saloon” kit as a base for my tavern…
It would be a great “roadhouse” along any track, in most any era, in most any town in North America…Maybe elsewhere too!
In my neck of the woods, the kind of bar I am seeing here in the question is little more than a cinder block bunker. there’s a door, usually, flanked by a pair of block glass windows. Sometimes theres brick on one or more sides. There also is usually a back door.
Another adventure once took me to a place in Pensacola FL named Georgia’s Laugh-Inn. An easily modeled structure, it consisted of vinyl siding stapled to two by fours in create a 30x30 box. The door was a massive metal affair that appeared to have been salvaged from a ship. The door was located on one of the corners, so it was a five sided object. There were no windows to speak of. Inside were an array of picnic tables. Restrooms were provided, in the form of a pair of yard barns either constructed inside the facility or were placed then the establishment was erected around it. The bar was made of plywood sheets on top of sawhorses, with vinyl countertop material hanging from the front. My friend and I seated ourselves at what appeared to be the bar, and were quickly served two bottles of Bud each (that we did not order) from a red Igloo cooler.
I hope the beer was ice-cold and cheap. There doesn’t appear there was any good physical ambiance at that beer shack. Still, the service sounds great. Real men drink Bud, so I hope you accepted the offered beer rather than give insult.
Mark
tcf511
I did the Google search initially, unfortunately the terms country bar or country tavern did turn up a gazillion images, most of them inside of country and western bars (nothing wrong there as I like C&W but hard to model inside out!). I also tried Roadhouse, county, stateline bar and even drinking beer next to the railroad with little success. A couple of the posts after yours show some promise. I do thank everyone for looking and offering suggestions, just gotta make a decision on what to do.
Thanks
Rick
Depending on era having a guy in bibs running for the tracks from said bar with a brown bag would be appropriate. Or you can have a set if in the now days waving towards the tracks at their brothers who are working lol.
My experience of bars out in the country are that they are simple affairs. Ome are friendly some are not. But I dont think I have ever seen a place like described above lol.Thts a tale for the gandkids there!
You’re welcome! [tup]
Mark
Out here in Northern California in the Sierra Foothills, especially on some of the State highways, the stand-alone bar was a kind of ‘institution’ between towns for the locals. I instituted one across the river from Sierra City on my Yuba River Sub, a combination bar-restaurant-and–um–“Establishment” called Ma’s Place, pretty popular with loggers, miners and railroad men especially on the weekends. The original is an old AHM building, I don’t know if it’s still available, but it might be through either Walthers or IHC.
Here’s a pic of it. Officer Mezger has just pulled over a high-school kid who was thinking of frequenting the place. Happens to be the Mayor’s son. That’s “Ma” leaning on the porch.
Hope this might help.
Tom [:)]
I did happen across this today in my search. I especially like the Groceries and Bar sign! Get you snacks and have a beer while they fill the car and check the oil.
Rick
It’s not the midwest, but perhaps a scene like this would be appropriate nearby?
pcarrell
It’s funny you posted a pic like this. We were working on modules last night and this subject came up. We are leaning towards the business to be a chicken restaurant/bar. Southeast Kansas is famous for its chicken outlets, almost all having women’s names tacked on after chicken (Chicken Annies) as that’s who owns/runs the place. I had the pleasure to eat in one last year and it was fantastic. The idea was to have an abandoned, rusting vehicle behind the establishment in some overgrowth.
Rick
Mark:
Unfortunately there’s no picture to look at. Have Firefox 3 (the new one) and all it shows is a red box. Click on the red box to show a larger picture and all it shows once again is a red box.