Eshaver

Bruce , this restaurant was where Bruce Springsteen , Robin Thompson and I used to sit and have beers and subs together at . Yes, he moved to Richmond from New Jersey and formed a band known as Child . I had a part time job writing commercials and on the side , i built P A cabinets . The actual building we knew as the Village ceased being the Village in 1995. The booths moved across the street and the building was more or less vacant and the former leesor's children actually bought the building , thus saving it from the Pac man claws of Virginia Commonwealth university which has put in place another BODACIOUS GAUDY structure across the street known as housing . This building along with two other buildings VCU has already turned into dust will be saved , but in 1-24th scale . These models will go to the Valentine History center on the Medical campus of Virginia Commonwealth hopefully for a 2020 exhibit opening . it is my objective to showcase Richmond Virginia's 900- 1000 blocks of Richmond Va in 1968 ...

Carl, I just got a delivery of half scale shingles this afternoon ! In addition , there is a small fence that adorns the second floor . I'll get going on these two projects this evening and hopefully have some fresh photos to share by Sunday afternoon

Here is my "Lone " survivor , a 1961 Ford Ranchero that survived the Hurricane / Flood we had in Richmond Va back in 1972 .

Dealing with old building permits can be a chore , especially when additions were added and no one has the complete sets of drawings . I'm dill on the top second floor of the building trying to re create the molding on the Turret roof here .

Points given for uniqueness .....

David , I agree . Generally speaking , the outside walls were usually three and four courses thick. The wood in these building was usually made using Band saws and as such , a 2 X 4 was indeed , 2inches by 4 inches Years back , I did a lot of maintenance in this building overhauling worn out refrigeration in the basement . I was surprised when I discovered the remnants of Ice cream making machinery still in place . it seems Steve Dikos who took over the business from Paul had no interest in making ice cream . Steve's specialty was Greek food . In the succeeding years , his wife Stella has become a city wide chief in her own right Her son in law , Nick Stavros who bought Joe 's Inn in Richmond Virginia . This place too quickly became an icon . I'm proud to be doing my part to try and preserve this small portion of RVA history because the current administration of Virginia seems to be on a raze and build tangent . They have come in , wiped out countless turn of the century buildings and replaced them with Dryvitt wall attached to metal stud monstrosities without any character at all . The fact that the Dikos children were able to wrench the former restaurant away from the developers who wanted to tear down this building to me are nothing short of miracle workers !

Charles , I'm only speaking what I perceive as the truth .

Your work is nothing short of BRILLIANT!!!!

In the 1920's , 937 W Grace in Richmond Virginia was known as Paul's Sandwiches . . Actually, the building dates back into the 1880's . The origins of a retail sandwich shop go back at least to the 1930's . The Saint Luke's hospital was on an adjacent corner and it's known hospital staff ate there had a beer. Now the hospital was razed in the late 1960's . Still, Pauls which had become the Village Restaurant in the mid 1950's had been owned by Greek immigrant , Steve Dikos . Meanwhile a few of Paul's relatives remained on as occupants living upstairs on the second and third floor . Because of the proximity of the village being a block away from the campus of Richmond professional Institute college , the Village was a natural hangout for students who went there primarily as a result of RPI's extensive art program . This is where the author , yers truly enters the scene ! I began my tour as a freshman Night school student studying print Medea . I was minoring in the School of business as an advertising student and learning the ropes of becoming a advertising writer . Now I was building plastic model cars as you all were . I also had dreams of doing dioramas , but that wouldn't become evident until the 1980's . This is the first of three buildings that lined West Grace street by 1968. The Village was the first . I'll follow with a frontage vignette of a bar known as The Stone lion , formerly Eton's and a scale model of one of the former Toddle House Restaurant's . Together , these will comprise a historical look back into Richmond Virginia's underbelly

That trailer originally came with the MPC Mako Shark. That would have been in 1968. The trailer then showed itself in the Impala kit in 68 and then, the Caprice kit in 1970

I lost my entire collection due to a Hurricane and resulting flood in Richmond Va , 1972 There were two survivors , a 1961 Ford Ranchero and a 1964 Ford Galaxy . Everything in my collection was built from 1986 onward ;

ONLY the WHITE Plastruct is Styreene . The Grey , the White THICK WALL and the Dark Grey is Poly Butyl !

Bruce , I had 400 + BEFORE Hurricane Agnes flooded Richmond Virginia in 1972 . They all washed out to the Atlantic with the exception of two that I still have . I began building again in the late 1980s . I probably have 150-200 again .

When I can show it .....

Snake , I am TOTALLY on board with this concept ! The rest of you folks who responded with Chrysler and Ford cars , well, I applaud ya'all too . GREAT suggestions ..

DECENT, Sam !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Paul , I deal parts for the Real deal still . The main body of the Gearbox is about 3 MM too narrow . I know that won't amount to a heck of a lot to most here , cause they don't know squat about gasoline pumps . I've spent nearly 50 + years dealing with service stations , pumps , their history and scouring the US for parts to rebuild them

Rich, the pumps are models of Tokiem 39-L's . They're made by Gearbox collectables . I found them to be a bit small for 1-25th scale . I continue to make my own

I'm usually looking for specific subjects , in the case of my latest Diorama , an 1894 Queen Anne , the focus was on the building . I posed that place so as to depict Richmond Virginia in 1973. Because of the size of the building . the model cars all be stored within the place in the Attic when the model isn't on display . I have a couple of places where you might see the Powell house in 2019

Ron , Dolla Tree foam core is very inconsistent as to having glue under the paper laminate . Besides , I'm using the heavier half inch , not the common 1/4 as you usually see ....

Goodness , 50% off on Foamcore !!!!!!!! I'm building another 1800's Queen Anne structure from Richmond Virginia . I'll have to use the HALF inch style and at 7.00 a sheet , this product gets used quickly ....

Start with Evergreene .015 sheet styreene. You an then strengthen this by building "Brace work at the top and bottom in the back . Usually, Super glue is the best adhesive to work with in this case . Two part Automobile body filler is helpful , but you may find laminating two, perhaps three pieces of .015 together to make a strong piece as a lot of sanding will make the Bondo "Lift " I do Odd shapes all the time as i make a lot of 1-24th scale gasoline pumps . I also have done oil tanks on model trucks .

Everything about this Vignette shows the RIGHT elements !!!!

MOST interesting !!!!!!

Pat , you're safe , it's a Ford "Big Job " cab . looks to be a 1956 model