Junk Yard Diorama

[charlie8575]

On 5/12/2023 at 1:04 PM, Kodiak Island Modeler said:

Technically, this build would go under a separate  section, but because it is part of the diorama, I'll be placing it here.   The wrecker for the junk yard will come from this Ford C-900 kit.

The Ford C-Cab series ran from 1958 to 1991, and I will be representing the latter few years.   I will also present it as a vehicle that served a completely different industry be fore becoming a junkyard wrecker.   The color that I've chosen is gun metal gray.

At this point, I've removed the chrome and painted most chassis parts flat black.   I've also scuffed the tires, some to a degree that they are needing replacement.   There's not much to show yet, but I will update you as progress continues.

 

I need that sign behind the cab for my own desk.

Charlie Larkin

[fairlane1320]

On 3/15/2023 at 2:16 PM, Kodiak Island Modeler said:

I used Plastruct brick for the siding on the walls.   Here I'm displaying the window/door frames in early construction.

Great work!

I'm interested in the brick walls...

Would this be what you are using?.....

https://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/pls/pls91612.htm

[Kodiak Island Modeler]

13 hours ago, fairlane1320 said:

Great work!

I'm interested in the brick walls...

Would this be what you are using?.....

https://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/pls/pls91612.htm

That is it exactly.   You will love it.

[fairlane1320]

On 5/26/2023 at 11:01 PM, Kodiak Island Modeler said:

That is it exactly.   You will love it.

Thank you!  👍

[NYLIBUD]

Wow,this build is wild.And thank you for that great link.Lots of stuff i could use.

Edited June 10, 2023 by NYLIBUD

[Kodiak Island Modeler]

I seem to be a little behind on my updates.   Here are some photos of what I've accomplished so far;

The 'new' wrecker is complete, and I have ramps to both the automotive and personal doors.   I also have several cars weathered/detailed, and set in place.   I've also 'planted' some trees and done some other scenery.   I'm giving the setting as the area behind the garage is the oldest area, and as one works towards the front, new entries will be encountered.

[Kodiak Island Modeler]

The junk yard gets a couple new cars.   The first is a 1957 Ford, and the second is a 1955 Chevrolet.   I'd started working on the Ford first, but while looking for parts, I found the Chevy in pieces in a parts bin.   I roughly tacked it together and weathered it as a forgotten either race car or custom project, now long abandoned.

[John M.]

SWEET diorama Doug. I never could develop the skills that you had to make one from scratch. My only option was to buy a complete diorama from E Bay and I got a small one that's made up of a one car repair shop and a lot for 6 cars.

The time and work that you put in to build yours paid off.

 

[Kodiak Island Modeler]

I see that I need to some updates, but also some catch up.   I'm holding off on anymore cars displayed in the junkyard, as things are changing as I add more to the yard.    Here are some more photos from the inside.

 

The next thing that has transpired, is that this diorama is no longer a sensible 4 feet by 4 feet.   It has now grown another 8 feet longer, giving it a size of 4 feet by 12 feet, as evidenced in the next photo.

The expansion allows me to bring in another subject to add interest.   That being a roadside gas station with a simple garage.

The junkyard will still expand on behind the gas station.

That garage is simply a place holder for now.   I will build a garage to suit the space.   The gas station is a tribute to a station that an uncle of mine managed when I was young.   It was a place where guys hung out and enjoyed the cool cars that came through.

 

Edited August 12, 2023 by Kodiak Island Modeler

[Kodiak Island Modeler]

I took the advice of a YouTube viewer, and added a gravel road at the left side of the diorama.   This is starting to give me a feel of the area that I grew up around in Iowa.

The next photo gives a view of the junkyard addition, and the lane that runs through it.   This is going to be much more interesting than having cars simply lined up.   They will now have a little more 'movement' to their locations.

My staging now is that the subject is at the corner of a two lane highway, and a gavel road.

[Brockc]

This build here is making me want to do one of these but not this extent because this is bigger then my skills can handle

[Kodiak Island Modeler]

The diorama is evolving even more.   I had thought to place a small garage beside the gas station.   That garage turned into a mobile home.   Here are some progress pictures of the construction of the building.

 

I will be adding a small garden, shrubbery, and a couple of trees, as I progress.     The structure represents an early 1950s one bedroom mobile home.   My intention was that it was to be much better maintained, but I got carried away in the weathering process.

[Kodiak Island Modeler]

Two more cars entered the junkyard this weekend.  The first is a 59 Cadillac ambulance with the second being a 1958 Chevrolet Impala.  I still have to blend them into the scene, but I am reasonably pleased with both vehicles.

[PHPaul]

The next thing that has transpired, is that this diorama is no longer a sensible 4 feet by 4 feet.   It has now grown another 8 feet longer, giving it a size of 4 feet by 12 feet, as evidenced in the next photo.

Yeah, that'll happen   I started with 2x2 and am now at 6x4 and would expand more if I had the room.

VERY nice work, I love the section with the cars parked in the bushes and trees growing up through the engine compartment.  Very real, I've nabbed parts off cars and trucks in just such a situation.

[Kodiak Island Modeler]

I have been busy in my absence.

Every junkyard needs dogs to guard it, and this one now has some.   Two are in plain sight.   Three others are back on duty, and they are a little more convincing to trespassers.   More about them later.

I've added another grouping of cars on the opposite side of the lane, and included some scenery with them.   A pile of junk has also been placed between a couple of the cars.

This is now what an overview presents.

The first group has also had scenery added, blending both sections together, as can actually be seen better in the picture above.

[Kodiak Island Modeler]

Here we go with more vehicles and scenery added to the junkyard diorama.

I finally got around to adding some sections of the abandoned railroad spur roadbed.

Two of the guard dogs are already claiming this 1953 Ford pickup.   I had built and weathered it some time ago, so it was a no-brainer to place it on the diorama.

This is another entry in the last few days, in the form of a 1967 Ford service truck.   It was given light weathering.

I wanted to add this rig because I've seen this in real life.    It is one of those things that makes no sense to the casual observer.   Why would somebody park the rig, of probably 10 years old, without even removing the car from the trailer, and why leave a perfectly good 4 wheel drive pickup attached  and abandoned.    Yet this is not an uncommon sight.

In this instance, a 1956 Ford Crown Victoria, has experienced a substantial engine bay fire, probably in the 10th to 15th years of its existence.    At that point, it would have just been an old car and not worth the money to repair.  My backstory is that the junkyard owner was able to get it.  His plans were that he could use parts from cars he had around to rebuild it.   Time passed and the son took over the yard, and has plans to restore the old Ford.....someday...In the meantime it sits and he won't sell it.  We have all run into that situation at one time or another, and it is always some really cool car.

[PHPaul]

VERY nice work!

And I've heard the "No, it's not for sale, I'm going to fix it up some day" story more times than I care to remember.  In at least one instance, it's still sitting there rotting away 20 years later.

[Kodiak Island Modeler]

I've added horticultural element to blend the scenes into real lfe visions.

[Kodiak Island Modeler]

I have several photos, so I will break them up into multiple uploads, so as not to overwhelm you.

[Kodiak Island Modeler]

[Kodiak Island Modeler]

[Kodiak Island Modeler]

I have named the diorama the "Old Highway 92 Salvage Yard" in tribute to a junkyards that my uncle owned in my youth.   This is not a diorama of the actual junkyards, but more a conglomeration of fun places from my history and a remembrance of those that I shared those experiences with.   I'm setting the season to be late August/early September.

[PHPaul]

Really first class work!

[Dan Hay]

Incredible!

[charlie8575]

Superb.

Charlie Larkin