Ah, a relaxing Sunday evening in the toy room, watching a cheesy old racing flick on the tube and building a new car! This is where I’m happiest, working on what I love to do. There’s some big news coming, race fans! A recent shipment has finally completed a trifecta I’ve been after for almost as long as I’ve been in this hobby!
It’s been a long, long wait! I’ve been talking about finishing this ever since DC Mk IV opened in February of 2021, because I had a vision that I would not let go of. When I realized how expensive and difficult it was going to be to obtain the vintage pieces I needed to complete it, I could have adjusted my plan: I could have settled for different grandstands, or I could have come up with a different idea entirely of how pit row could look.
Nope. I stuck by my plan and I would not compromise. And so, its take 4 years to collect the 3 original 1960’s Atlas Grandstands of my dreams, and it’s cost me hundreds! So here, we see again that good things come to those who wait:
Yes, there are 3 of them; you see only 2 because one of them is virginal: one of the boxes contains the unbuilt, undisturbed kit still sealed in its original cellophane bag!
I’m almost there, but there is still work to be done! I have to get busy painting all the figures which will fill these stands, and that’s going to be a LOT; my guestimate would be 100 or more. I also have to figure out what kind of substrate to use for the roof, since I don’t believe corrugated cardboard will work because of the edges, and I know flat cardboard won’t work because it won’t be stiff enough. I’m leaning toward a piece of Masonite; that will heavy, but it will look right! I may paint it, as well, probably gray to look like concrete, and it will match the bases of the garages.
So there’s the good news. Unfortunately, there’s also some bad news: I was able to make contact with the proprietor of State Line Customs, the dude I met at the RM Train Show who makes the amazing 3D Printed carnival rides I talked about here. He’s all in to make my additional 1:64 scale pieces, but says he thinks it might be as late as October before I can get them! WOW! That’s a backlog! I guess that’s what happens when you make such awesome stuff! I think he’s a one-man operation so I sympathize, but I’ve paid him up front for everything in hopes of possibly speeding things along a bit. If I have to wait until fall for the carnival to open then so be, it will give me time to prepare the area with landscaping, and I shan’t complain, since as we’re seeing the grandstands…good things come to those who wait!
There’s also a few additional new pieces of the layout, including an older Johnny Lightning model of a gold ’67 Olds Cutlass 442 passing by on the street, a fat dude leaning against the hardware store wall looking sulky, and even more new spectators in the paddock! In deference to my buddy Tony in Arkansas, I also repositioned one particular figure, the bearded dude strolling through the parking lot on his way to the entrance, because Tony told me he thinks this guy looks like him! He’s now prominently displayed, cooly and casually headed for a day at the races!
So, my goal is to have the grandstands ready by the end of the month. I’m out of town for much of June, so I believe it will be July when the roof of the garage and the signage are crafted and everything is finally put together. Yes, of course, there may be more delays…but before the end of the summer, this major element of my diorama will finally be completed! Leaving me to wonder…what’s next?
Well, I’ll think of think of something! There’s always something new and exciting to do at DRAG CITY!
I so glad you finally got your wish with those grand stands and they are an investment piece, really essential to what you are creating! I’ll be really curious about the Masonite and how that works out. Pit Row is looking great and you can feel the action and smell the rubber in the air!