Mean Streets: The Warriors & More (Next to Last Buildings)

[Andy in Germany]

Lovely work as ever. I hadn't realised just how big the cinema is when placed next to other buildings.

Also, those films they're showing will certainly help cheer everyone up and put them in a mellow peaceful mood...

working on the elevated and trains and the final building...
 
...back to working on the railroad...

I'm looking forward to what you do with this...

[Pattus Magnus]

Those are great! I haven’t watched the movie, but your terrain certainly seems like it will provide a gritty urban feel.

[mikedemana]

Outstanding looking - you definitely capture the feel of the city. 

I can't wait to see the table all set up...

Mike Demana

[Michi]

COME OUT AND PLAY-AY!!!

These buildings breathe the spirit of the movie! The elevated subway is crucial and I look so much forward to see it finished. Three weeks to go, now swing your hammer, Jane Henry, and get it done! 

[Cat]

Thanks Folks!
 

Three weeks to go, now swing your hammer, Jane Henry, and get it done! 

When I was a little girl, I picked up a knife and a little piece of plastic! 
 
Seriously.  I've had an XActo in my hand since I was about 8 years old and started kitbashing left over pieces from my older brothers' plastic car model kits and making my own creations.
: 3
 
So far on this project, I've gone through a full tube of Weld-On #16 cement (works great on PLA and styrene), and now on to the second.  The elevated is where the real kitbashing and modelling skills come out to play.
 
The trains are an essential part of The Warriors vibe.  The MTA should have gotten credit for Second Unit Lighting on this film — sets the mood so much.
 

[Carpathian]

Great scenes, great researching

I remember our one family visit to NYC, circa 1976 (Pete's Dragon was at Radio City).  The subway fleet did indeed look like something out of Escape From New York.   

As to what happened to it all, some years later, the documentary, Style Wars, is worthwhile viewing, detailing Ed Koch's personal crusade to clean it up, with razor fences and guard dogs among other measures.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Style_Wars

Shockingly clean in 21st century but kind of boring by comparison

[Cat]

The cars are definitely more boring now.  But an interesting thing I've noticed in all the image research for this project is that there's a lot more graffiti thrown up on buildings now that they can't get access to the trains.
 
There's very little on the buildings in the 'Graffiti Era' of train livery, and none at all on the track girders.  The excitement was getting it on the cars where it would be seen by a much wider audience.

[Tom Dulski]

  Is that scratch built?
 I can't wait to see the whole thing come together.

[Cat]

The El is a massive kitbash of 3D printed parts from Corvus.  Elevated track parts + subway platforms printed with scrunched widths to get suitable elevated platform sizes + analog splicing of cross-beams to cover the whole width + analog splicing of legs and stairway parts to get a height suitable to reach hands under.  Safety railing along the track curve is O scale by Plastruct.  Fencing along the platform tops is HO scale by Model Power put on top of a riser of strip styrene.
 
When these are all fully assembled, then I'll scratchbuild a control house that will sling under the tracks and fit between the stairways.
 
While each step of this kitbash is pretty straightforward modelling with simple painting and weathering, it is rather massive at 4' long.  Each phase has taken longer than I hoped.  Final assembly should be proceeding today and tomorrow.