Welcome to Big Lou's Grill! Big Lou's is on the outskirts of town- right on a branch line- which makes for quite the floor show if you stop by to get a dog. 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.) Big Lou's was FOS Scale Models' first kit way back in 2002! Well there are a few people mulling around Lou's now. So without further ado, lets shrink down to HO size and go exploring! .~MCG
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.
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!
My posters would back date this scene to an earlier era. They are all FSM signs, sanded on both sides lightly.
Lot's of people milling around Lou's today and a cabbie waiting for that inevitable fare.
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.
This shot shows the detail on the stucco bathroom/ storeroom. I strayed from the kit a lot here. Read about it in the Clinic write up.
The clapboard walls have board ends cut in and nail holes added. Light rust streaking down the nail rows looks good on white.
Signs are a cheap way to dress everything up. They are also pretty easy to make once you get the hang of it.
The roof is all paper, but I used 2 different colors to suggest the bumpout was added later. Lots of patches too!
The concrete was painted with craft paints and lots of cracks and patches were added for that big city look.
This is a great example of what a backdrop can do for realism.
Another shot of the back. This shows the piles of junk and old crates that Lou has stored out back.
The stucco method worked great! Just keep it from getting too rough. Fence is board on board and looks great!
I believe I used 3 grades of dirt/rock texture, which adds interest and mimics reality nicely.
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!
Also note the prototypical drainage ditch. If I were walking the tracks that's where I'd be!
There's three different types of construction on the structure: stucco, clapboard, and board on board.
Here's a shot of the back with the drainage ditch/ hobo highway. There are different ground textures applied for variety.
Lou doesn't have to pull the weeds though- they get taken care of by the constant traffic in the lot.
The billboard adds so much! It's looks complicated but the kit made it easy. Yeah FOS!
Check out that wide-body Athearn bluebox. Weathering and detailing are its saving graces.
I would love to shrink down and walk the tracks here. Remembering what drew you to trains in the first place can help with scene construction.
The kit already has a wood fence, so I swapped out the wood rail fence for a Pola metal railing. Variety is the spice of life!
People really bring purpose to a scene. Structures make a place but people bring it to life!
Vehicles are like people to an extent - they can liven up a scene. I wish I had weathered these two though!
If you're modeling the city, don't forget the trash! These are FSM newspapers, but out and lightly stained with ink wash.
