Hello ALL:

Here are a few more photos (that Murph likely will enjoy !)
Regards - Joe F


(ABOVE) IRT EL MUDC local train passes by over cross street in sidewalk view


(ABOVE) IRT R-17 Local train with IRT Gibbs Hi-V at head of express train

(BELOW) Sidewalk view with B&QT Peter Witt Streetcar under EL with BMT EL Gate car train above

Are you sure that's not a photo you took from ground-level , in real-life yesterday - its that good! Aaawwlawdeee, that is sooooooo authentic. (I am including just one of your photos here so that I do not consume too much space...) In addition to all the many other factors of realism in the scene, there are a number of markers that subtly tell us we are looking at reality - the utility pole wires at random angles; the several small road signs on poles; the awnings are not inordinately stiff; the scene is busy and not necessarily focused upon or controlled by the raillroad feature; shadows; minutiae....aaaawwwwmaaaan, I could go on and on.....wonderous craftwork,indeed.

At one time I was planning an Elevated surface line using the Ridgewood Lutheran Line as a start, you have the surface portion at Metropolitan Ave then surface running with the Fresh Pond train yard with the car barn at Fresh Pond Rd one can model either the period before the Elevated was built running trolleys or one can model this with the Elevated in place. the nice thing is whether you live in easy travel to this area for reference for houses in the area or live elsewhere you can google map this area and use the street scene feature, I did this and actually toured around the whole area as I lived there in the 1960's and visited places that I haven't seen since then ... amazing, and the area
hasn't changed very much, as a portion of the houses that was there when this Elevated was built ( 1914 ish ) are still there, all the stores that I remember are all gone even Nagengast Hardware although some still show it opened, take
photos off the monitor and compare the area you want to model with photos of the area when the trolleys were still there. and the nice thing with Google you can do this to any area in the country you want to model providing the street scene feature is active.
And seeing the detail that Joe has on his layout this could be an ongoing project, I just wish I had the space to build a layout even a small one but having the internet to assist you with a project like this would be challenging to say the least, if I ever get the space this would be the way to go. Karl M

Hello Karl (M) (Ex-NY)

I know you will remember real NY City 1950's scenes like this and enjoy these O SCALE model views ! Third Avenue Railway System streetcars and Surface Transportation System GMC Busses....under the EL !

Regards - Joe F

Joe,as always just outstanding... I love the bus and especially the shot of the bus underneath the el tracks. Keep on making all of us proud to be in this hobby.

watch the closing doors

Oh yea ....er I don't remember the trolleys born a little late darn, but those El's yes I do remember them, great way to travel to say the least. and your representation of that great time is just superbe. and I just am in awe every time I look at those great photos and with your new computer and images it's just the iceing on the cake, thanks for the photos. Karl M