Don't mind the modern vehicles, there's a bit of a time warp going on here....  same goes for that engine. (what can I say, I model a later era.) Well there are a few people mulling around Lou's now.  So without further ado, lets shrink down to HO size and go exploring!!

Overview #1 Here's the "floorplan."  Quite a few different surface textures in a small space!	Another aerial shot from a different view.  Roof weathering is always important since the roof will been seen first (usually).	Here's a shot of the back with the drainage ditch/ hobo highway.  There are different ground textures applied for variety.	Another shot of the back. This shows the piles of junk and old crates that Lou has stored out back.

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A full shot of the diorama from the back.  (Excuse the quick photo editing- I thought it looked better than plywood.) This is a great example of what a backdrop can do for realism.	The billboard!  I changed this from the kit and used an old Fine Scale Miniatures sign.  It took a long time to put together, but it looks great- just ask the Ritz kid!	I really liked this shot.  Big Lou's could easily be a small grill on the outskirts of some big city.   You know the place- where there's always people walking around, where newspapers are all over the streets....	The garbage corral.  Looks like garbage day is just around the corner! The little niche by the back shed is the perfect place for Lou to store his junk- out of sight- out of mind.

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Okay, here's a shot of the base.  The grey painted plywood was the original base. When I added to the length of the diorama I added another piece.  It is VERY sturdy!	A nice overview of the front.  There are a few people milling around.  The street has seen better days, but at least the city got around to adding a few patches this year.	With a few small changes the diorama can fit about any era. Change the billboard and a sign or two and add some modern cars and you have the 90's.  Take the cars away and you have a much earlier era.	Have I gotten carried away?!  What can I say, I liked this picture too!

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Here's a close up.  Lou takes time to shoot the breeze with a customer.  The guy wanted change for the phone, but Lou made him buy a Coke first.  What a guy!	This shot shows the detail on the stucco bathroom/storeroom.  I strayed from the kit a lot here.  Read about it in the QA section.	The parking lot shows some signs of neglect.  Lou doesn't have to pull the weeds though- they get taken care of by the constant traffic in the lot.	Any SP fans out there?  You can see the addition to the base here.  Also note the prototypical drainage ditch.  If I were walking the tracks that's where I'd be!

			Be sure the check out the Big Lou's Backstory: Click here for Q+A, photo info, and building tips and info.
Natural sunlight makes everything better!  In this case you get a nice shadow from the billboard.	The old wooden fence has seen its better days.  Garbage is collecting on the posts and a few boards are missing.	So, that's Big Lous!  As much as I hate to part with it, it is going on eBay- so if you're interested here's the link.