N Scale Western Pacific below Seals Stadium

[@oshtoolman]

I remember the Hamm's Beer glass!!!! Your layout brings back lots of childhood memories.

[@johnpetrovitz935]

Great! Glad we can share the ‘old days’, eh? That sign was simply the best!!!!! (Of course, we’re all revealing our ages with all these memories, eh???) Thanks for looking in and I’m very glad you enjoyed it!

[@JavierMartinPerez]

John you brought back some great memories for me with your layout - grew up on 23rd St and Guerrero Amy my cousin lived on 16th st - still remember the aroma coming from the Hamms brewery and my recollection of the Whitefront store sitting on the corner property where Seals stadium stood. This is around 1968.

[@johnpetrovitz935]

Yes! Those were great times, eh Javier? My dad grew up down at 24th and Lucky. Thanks for looking in! (If I could only come up with a way to recreate all the great smells in town - like the bakeries, huh?)

[@troystaten5633]

Very nice, love seeing these little scenes of yesterday

[@johnpetrovitz935]

Thanks Troy. Really too bad we couldn’t go back in time for a bit, eh? Thanks for looking in!

[@2H80vids]

Great use of space, getting so many large buildings into such a cramped area.😁👍

[@johnpetrovitz935]

Indeed! … If there was ever a town that ‘squished’ so much into ‘so little’ it was (and is) SF! Modeling this town really allows one to ‘fit’ a lot into ‘a little’ !! Thanks for looking in!

[@2H80vids]

@@johnpetrovitz935 With limited space available, many modellers turn to smaller buildings and features' stuff that's easy to fit in the space. I love the way you seem to have done the exact opposite on this layout, with so many huge structures. North American layouts do tend to use larger buildings than we do, here in the UK but, even by those transatlantic standards, your buildings seem to be huge. Because I don't see them very often, I think these larger buildings look more realistic, much less "train-set-ish". I suppose, modelling an actual place, especially a city, means you have to do this but so many great layouts will still use generic buildings to represent a cityscape. 😁👍

[@johnpetrovitz935]

@@2H80vids I really appreciate your comment. It is so true… space constraints so often ‘dictate’ what we can do! My cousin, who ‘got me into’ n scale (way back in the 60’s!) models to a ‘smaller dimension’ - keeping his structures in size with his scenery (and they are marvelous). But taking advantage of the scenery ‘ratio’ that N affords, I’ve always gone ‘big’. One does have to take care though, as it is very easy to present scenes that only King Kong would fit in with!! Scale measurements and sizes do have to be considered very carefully! But a very big part of my reason to share is to perhaps inspire and encourage others to ‘push their limits’ a bit. At any rate… I do so appreciate your thoughts and kind words! And I thank you for spending some of your time with me!!!!! I do so enjoy the fantastic layouts from the UK!!!!!!!!! The are so well done!!!!!!!!

[@bigsparky65]

Excellent history, fantastic narration. Fantastic layout

[@johnpetrovitz935]

Hi Jeff! Thanks for looking in again. Glad you enjoyed it. Appreciate your kind words!

[@g.w.7893]

Very well done John. I was able to snag one of your custom built structures and am eagerly awaiting more to become available. Your attention to detail is awesome. Bravo sir.

[@johnpetrovitz935]

I’m very glad you did! You may have gotten one of the very few I’ve put up for sale. It hasn’t been too often I’ve done so - but since the layout is ‘full to capacity’, I may be doing some more to ‘pass along’. I do enjoy building structures! … the best part of the hobby! Thanks for looking in and Thank you for the kind words!

[@glideking]

Well done. You have captured the feel of the place as it was!

[@johnpetrovitz935]

Thanks! That’s the best compliment one can get. Trying to reproduce that element is the goal for sure! Thanks again for looking in!

[@Longshadowsmodeltrees]

Looks great John, blends in real nice. Bob

[@johnpetrovitz935]

Thanks Bob. I didn’t reveal’ it but… (Talking about ‘blending in’) That balloon track that I’ve got… it goes into a closet and comes out under home plate! So… the track that you can see in the video below the stadium is just one of two! The other comes out from between the rocks just to the right of the outfield light standard. You really can’t see it when you look directly at the stadium. … I ‘lucked out’ Thanks for looking in and the nice words. Appreciate it!

[@joegioffre6383]

Great video John. I really enjoyed the narration on this one. Unfortunately, I am too young to remember seal stadium but your video brings back memories of my time as a fellow ditch digger in SF.

[@johnpetrovitz935]

Hey Joe! Yeah… I know you got into a lot of that ‘green rock’ too!!!!! You know how cold Candlestick was… At the time (1959), it was believed that Candlestick would have better weather!!! Can you believe it???????

[@joegioffre6383]

I don’t see how they came up with the idea of Candlestick being better. Plenty of great memories for me in that stadium including the foul weather.

[@spencerk5720]

Loved the amount of history you provided us at the beginning of the video about the stadium. That being said, that is some of the best Serpentine I have seen modeled... Great job

[@johnpetrovitz935]

Thank you! You know… Serpentine is one of those ‘rarities’ in the geologic world… A little too much green and it all goes to pot!!!

[@seanpacificrailroad3700]

Hi John great video like always I really enjoyed it! It’s pretty amazing how time changes and how railroads don’t operate in areas anymore. Here where I live is the same way because there’s still remnants of Western Pacific and Sacramento Northern tracks that exist but go to nowhere but once did 😀

[@johnpetrovitz935]

So true… and so sad, eh? Wouldn’t it be neat to jump in a time machine? Well, I guess that’s why we do what we do, huh? Thanks again for looking in!

[@hiddencanyonnscalerailway6927]

That was WONDERFUL! I love the history you provide. It really ties the stadium in with the layout! NOW, your next project is......wait for it...............you gotta get the Hamms sign to fill and overflow! This can be done with an Arduino, like my signals. You can make it work! Email me photos of your Hamms sign from different angle, and measurements if you like and I will put aside ALL my projects to make it happen, or at least see if it will....time for some bling on the layout!

[@johnpetrovitz935]

Hey Ben! If I know anything… I know YOU would be able to do it!!!!!!!!!!! Yes… We’ll have to ‘compare notes’! Hope all is well up your way! And hey… Have that fire train ready!!!!!

[@vincenthuying98]

Very interesting vid on the history of the Seal stadium and its surroundings. Love how you’ve incorporated the baseball legacy of the Mission Reds, Seals and Giants. Your depiction of the Seals stadium on the layout looks awesome. Understandably, its facade is the main eye catcher. Think you made an excellent version of the art deco details. Curious to see how you will further incorporate the stadium into the backdrop. Especially when lit, I suppose it will create an atmosphere which will add to the depth of the entire scene.

[@johnpetrovitz935]

Thank you, Vincent. You aptly point out my next ‘dilemma’. As I was ‘planning’ this ‘addition’, I was (and am) really ‘stymied’ on how to ‘meld’ the scene into the backdrop. I thought I might add detail to the backdrop behind the stadium. I may yet try - but while adding some trees that were in “Franklin Square” park, just across the street would be fairly easy, I would need to paint in the other lights and their standards as well. I am continuing to dwell on that. But - you have come up with a very interesting possibility! Namely, lighting it up! Thanks for the suggestion! I just might be able to do something with that! Thank you for your comments and for looking in. (Now I’ve just gotta figure out if I could pay the electric bill !!!)

[@gfhandel]

John, I’m sure you are aware that the WP shared ATSF trackage along 16th Street to serve their SF customers after the Potrero Hill tunnel burned down and was closed. Thanks for the video I’m remembering my youth attending Seals games and touring the Hostess Bskery in the mid 50s. George

[@johnpetrovitz935]

Hi George! Yes… lucky for WP that the Santa Fe was able to route ‘em around the east side! And all three of them (WP, SP and AT&SF) could be seen on 16th st. Must have been some interesting trackage rights agreements, eh? Thanks again for looking in!

[@gfhandel]

@@johnpetrovitz935 How Lucky we were to be able to see Tiger stripes. Zebra Stripes, along with the Silver and Orange Alcos. Do you remember the Burgermeister Brewery about a block down from Hostess on Bryant, must have been served by SP?

[@johnpetrovitz935]

@@gfhandel I don’t know for sure… but I believe your right. SP’s ‘original’ line out of town was right there. So I would agree. Boy, if only we could ‘go back’ and see all that action, eh? My dad used to walk over the SP bridge over Dolores. Would have been cool to see that! So many good ol’ memories!

[@ATSFVentaSpurNscaler]

John, your layout reigns spectacular! The level of detail that you designed into it really lives up to historical accuracy. I like how your backdrop incorporates fog banks rolling over the hills. It really captures the feeling of mid-20th-century San Francisco during its industrial heyday. You mentioned how you worked for the gas company. Was that for PG&E? Thanks for sharing this amazing video. -from Tom Pilling

[@johnpetrovitz935]

Thanks, Tom. Yes… Fog is an ‘essential’ when modeling this town! Part of the character of these environs. In July, you can ‘freeze to death’ out in the Sunset district and then drive over the hill into the Mission and hit 79-80 degrees! Perhaps I should experiment with some dry ice, eh? And.yes… I enjoyed working for PG&E in The City for four and s half decades! (That was a lot of holes dug! ) Kinda crazy, I guess… but I loved it. Thanks for looking in and your kind words!

[@edtoomuchfun957]

I am very impressed with the architecture for your Baker & Hamilton - you may have answered this on a different thread - what Kit did you use for those walls??

[@johnpetrovitz935]

Hi Ed! Thanks for looking in. I bashed the Walthers “Northern Light and Power” building. (Took several kits!) (I actually put up a video on the Baker and Hamilton building - you might wish to check out.) Basically, I cut the upper windows from the lower and ‘reversed’ them. That ‘arrangement’ pretty well duplicates the real building. Thanks again for looking in! Hope you enjoyed it!

[@edtoomuchfun957]

Appreciate it! Ill definitely will check that out, thank you!@@johnpetrovitz935

[@edtoomuchfun957]

Thank you! Love your work. Hope for any future kitbashes youll post a how to video.@@johnpetrovitz935

[@johnpetrovitz935]

Yes… My grandson keeps telling me to do so as well! I’ll have to see what I can come up with and try one. Thanks again for looking in!@@edtoomuchfun957

[@brtree74]

Awesome video John. I really enjoyed the video. Stunningly beautiful recreation of this historical part of San Francisco. I loved the historical account of the stadium, surrounding buildings and geology, and also the famous teams and individuals associated with the stadium. Fabulous n-scale railfanning of this amazing area on the layout. A question for you regarding the present day in San Francisco, as I was thinking about it while watching your video. I have been to San Francisco on a few occasions and I don’t recall seeing any freight trains in San Francisco. The Western Pacific and Southern Pacific historically had trackage into the city area. Today, have most of the freight railroads been routed east of the bay to the Oakland area? Do BNSF or U.P. still have any freight operations west into the city and wharf areas? I know CalTrain and the BART still have passenger trackage near the airport heading into the city. All the best John and thanks for another very enjoyable and interesting watch. Brad.

[@johnpetrovitz935]

Hi Brad! No… unfortunately there is very little freight action in town anymore. There is one lumber yard on the very south end of town that still gets 1-2 cars every other week; a few tank cars (also on the south end of town; and the “dirty dirt” trains (open/tarp covered gondola/hoppers) taken off the (‘new’) San Francisco Belt, also on the south end of town… and that’s about it. The UP runs a local out of South San Francisco up into town to service these - but again - that’s about the extent of freight on the north peninsula. Sadly… no more Bayshore Yard! Only the UP operates up and down the main… of course-staying out of the way of CalTrain commutes!

[@johnpetrovitz935]

They are currently (no pun) electrifying the tracks on the peninsula for CalTrain (and maybe?) high speed trains into the city - but not done yet! UP will continue to operate on the lines. Thanks for looking in again! Hope all is good there! Looking forward to another Dennis Weaver episode!!!!

[@Richard-sc7yq]

The City of San Francisco actually wanted Giants owner Horace Stoneham to accept Seals Stadium as the Giants permanent home. Although the city agreed to build a new stadium for the Giants if they relocated from New York City to San Francisco, it offered to add a second tier of seating to Seals Stadium if Stoneham would accept the stadium as the Giants' permanent home field. Stoneham however wanted the 10,000 parking spaces that were promised to him with the new facility to be constructed at Candlestick Point and thus rejected the city's offer of an expanded Seals Stadium. It would have been interesting to see what an expanded, double-decked Seals Stadium would have looked like. It's possible that the highest point of the exterior facade of the second tier would have been higher than all of the surrounding buildings.

[@johnpetrovitz935]

That is very interesting! I don’t know much about all the wheeling-dealing that took place back then but it must have been very interesting. I wonder just what a second-decked Seals Stadium would have looked like. It surely would have changed ‘the atmosphere’ of the place!!!! Thanks very much for sharing that. I always enjoy hearing new info that folks share with us! Really cool and… Very interesting! And thank you for looking in! Hope you enjoyed it.

[@dkaustin98]

John, I'm always amazed with your layout. You have a masterpiece in N scale. I am curious how long your layout in its current configuration has existed?

[@johnpetrovitz935]

Thanks so much. I started building it way back in ‘98. I’d say 99% of the track was laid back then. I can only think of three ‘additions’ or adjustments. (But then… my memory ain’t too good anymore!) The scenery obviously took some years.

[@johnpetrovitz935]

I have changed out various structures from time to time. It really is true that a layout is never really finished! Thanks again for looking in!