The October meeting saw eight models entered in the Bring’n’Brag contest, the largest number for a monthly contest in many years. The following members submitted entries: Keith DeVault, Mike Hohn, Frank Benders, Grier Kuehn, Alden McBee, Neal Schorr, Rick Montgomery, and one unknown member submitted an entry For Display Only. The winning entries this month were as follows:

1st Place went to Alden McBee for his model of the D Tower in Grafton WV. The HO scale model was scratch built but not quite yet finished. The prototype tower was built in 1911 and torn down in December of 2017. He used blue prints from the B&O historical Society along with plans that were published in Model Railroader Magazine to construct his model.

In the photo of Alden's D Tower next to the prototype photo of that corner of the building, the view highlights the aftercooler he scratch-built to represent the equipment used “for cooling the air for the electropneumatic switch machines.” Alden also informed us at the meeting that he just found out that Leopard Architectural Models now offers a 3D printed versions of this tower.

2nd Place went to Mike Hohn for his HO scale model of the Anderson, PA Depot. The structure was scratch built from a photograph of the actual building.

3rd Place went to Grier Kuehn for his HO scale model of a Pizza Shop. It started out as a City Classics company house kit. Scratch built additions were enclosed stairs and brick storefront. Added details were the asphalt shingles, block foundation, steps, gutters, downspouts, window dressing, vents, electric service, dumpster and signage. The interior included lights, floor, background walls, counter, and figures.

Frank Benders brought an HO scale structure, a “Hay & Grain” store, a nice little mom & pop grocery with some interior details suggested in the windows, a barrel and bag of feed out front, and lightly weathered clapboard siding.

Keith DeVault submitted his HO scale rendition of the Western Maryland Railroad’s Blaine Station, as it appeared in its third incarnation.

Rick Montgomery created Casa de Roma, an Italian restaurant, using an HO scale DPM Model, which he painted and detailed, installing LED lighting, roof and interior details, restaurant accessories from Noch, and a bunch of little people enjoying their pasta, zuppe, and pesce.

Neal Schorr kit-bashed the Espy Farm Supply in Spruce Creek from an old Ertl S scale structure that he modified significantly, including adding a concrete foundation to raise the height, replacing the molded man-door with an O scale door, and scratch-building a new garage door to achieve O scale proportions. He then added only limited detail and light weathering to reflect the relative youth and plain exterior of the prototype, a photo of which he also presented.

A modeler who chose to remain Anonymous submitted a fascinating 11-story tall building, the Ashmore Hotel. This structure appears to be complete, with window glazing and window treatments. The rooftop included details such as asphalt, vents, the elevator machine room, and a ladder attached to the inset penthouse floor exterior walls, for access to the rooftop billboard advertising the “wise choice” of Owl Cigars. The rear of the building sported a roll-up garage door, a man door, and some faded posters and weathered block; and the storefront windows on ground level remind one of something you might have seen in an urban downtown area in the 1920s or 1930s, the decorative copper on its façade now corroded.

This page is copied from the Keystone Flyer, Bring‘n’Brag article by Tracy Boyd/Richard Terek.