1930s detective office / pool hall with Ford Model T car (heavy 10246 MOD) updated 2/4/24

[Murdoch17]

"It was a Monday, a day like any other day.
I left a small town for the apple in decay.
It was my destiny, It's what I needed to do.
They were telling me, I'm telling you.
I was inside looking outside,
the millions of faces, but still I'm alone.
Waiting, hours of waiting, paying a penance - I was longing for home."

- Foreigner and their song 'Long, long way from home' (or at least a portion of the song)

This seedy, rundown looking building is a heavily modified version of half of the 2015 set 10246 (Detective Office) from the modular building line. I removed the blue barber shop building and cookie-smuggling play features, and added an exterior staircase. I also added a billboard on the opposite wall taken from the Brick Tales pop-up book's cover, plus a new, simpler water tank on the roof. Then, just for the heck of it, I decided to take my de-modularized detective office and modularize it with a removable baseplate. 

Why, you ask? Because I just wanted to make it usable at Gateway LUG shows since we use modular buildings, but at home I don't use modular buildings.

I realized I couldn't put it on a straightaway like the original 10246 set, as there is a billboard I placed on one side that makes this impossible. Thus I put it on a corner... but wait - it's too small for a corner module! So, I decided to build in a wooden fence for the one side where the billboard is, to bring it in line with other modular buildings. I added a gate for access to the pool hall's back door, and placed a tile footing to keep the building removable from the baseplate. Naturally, this made it impossible to put in the connecting pin holes, but they are rarely used anyway so I felt confident it doesn't matter if I left them out.

As you can see, the original medium nougat is changed to sand green, and the dark green awnings are now old printed slopes from the 1990's, the red POOL neon sign is now printed round tiles, among MANY other things that were changed around.

The upper floor features the quite messy detective's office. Papers everywhere, a hat stand, desk fan, quite a few places to store case info and a telephone.

By comparison, the pool hall is pretty sparsely decorated, with a trophy on a stand, darts / dart board, pool cues, and billiard table. Oh yeah, there is a picture on the wall too.

The modular, removable base without the building attached. Be sure to mind the guard dog!

For it's entire production run of fifteen million vehicles, made from 1908 to 1927, the Model T by Ford came in any color you wanted... as long as it was black. This particular Tin Lizzie's body was inspired by Calin's MOC over on Flickr. It's supposed to be based on the 1923 model year and the Detective figure fits in the drivers seat.

The rear of the car with the spare tire. (I just love how Calin used the window frames mounted horizontally for the drivers cabin... it's so ingenious!)

EDIT 2/4/24: I even wrote a small story about my detective, who now has the CMF Noir Detective outfit, but the same IJ hat / hair as before.

"...'It's over Joe! Turn yourself in!' I screamed into the desolate train yard. Of course, no response. He knew what awaited him back at the penitentiary - the electric chair was a sweet release compared to the desolate inhuman solitude of permanent solitary confinement that awaited him.

Suddenly, a movement to my right caught my eye - it was Joe, running away at full speed, bounding over switch handles and jumping rails like a scared jackrabbit in the darkness of the witching hour. I hopped in my Model T to catch up with him at full tilt, almost tearing out my suspension in the process. I grumbled to myself about sending the Feds a bill for car repairs, when I heard a lonesome wail of a steam whistle. 'So THAT'S his game!' I said to no one in particular. 'He's gonna hop a freight!' I headed for the sound, when into my headlights came a sight I'll never forget.

Jailbreak Joe came to a skidding halt, trying to get close enough to the engine to hop on the front deck of the loco as it sped past. Only problem was he hit an oil patch, invisible in the darkness. He went tumbling into the path of the loco, knocking himself out in the process by hitting his head of a rail. I tried to pull him clear while the train went into emergency, whistle shrieking like a banshee all the while.

Simply put, I was too late to save Joe..."

Thoughts, comments, questions, and complaints welcome!

Edited February 5 by Murdoch17

[Murdoch17]

Update:

Sorry for the delay, but the car has been built for a month-and-a-half, while the building has just been ordered today.

Real world pictures coming as soon as possible!

Side note: it cost a little over $76 after Shipping & Handling, with twenty-six of that being shipping, fees, and taxes from four stores. (OUCH!)

Edited March 12, 2023 by Murdoch17

[OccamsRazor]

The building looks great - very old-school city vibe (NYC, Chicago). If it were me, I would throw in some sand green masonry bricks or a few light bley plates here and there to show wear and tear and add to the grittiness of it, but I'm not sure if that's your thing.

 

The car is really nice. How did you shape the rear wheel covering?

 

 

[Murdoch17]

8 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

The building looks great - very old-school city vibe (NYC, Chicago). If it were me, I would throw in some sand green masonry bricks or a few light bley plates here and there to show wear and tear and add to the grittiness of it, but I'm not sure if that's your thing.

 

The car is really nice. How did you shape the rear wheel covering?

 

 

Thanks @OccamsRazor! You're best be as to how I  did the rear wheels on my model is to watch the video instructions that were created for the original Hudson Hornet MOC by @hachiroku in 2017 for his model. It was that model that I stole the technique from. I can't really describe it, as parts are going every which way.

[OccamsRazor]

Ah cool, I see it now - thanks! 

[CDKiii]

This car is really in the mood of 50's.

You manage to get the spirit of this time.

[Murdoch17]

On 3/15/2023 at 2:41 AM, CDKiii said:

This car is really in the mood of 50's.

You manage to get the spirit of this time.

Sorry for the late reply, but thank you @CDKiii: That's what I was going for!

@OccamsRazor the bricks are actually slightly discolored in places - hope this gives off the same effect you were asking about.

To everyone else: All digital pictures replaced with real world photos as of NOW!!

[Murdoch17]

"It was a Monday, a day like any other day.
I left a small town for the apple in decay.
It was my destiny, It's what I needed to do.
They were telling me, I'm telling you.
I was inside looking outside,
the millions of faces, but still I'm alone.
Waiting, hours of waiting, paying a penance - I was longing for home."

- Foreigner and their song 'Long, long way from home' (or at least a portion of the song)

(First post completely redone from square one, with a new Model T and refined style for the building. See first post for updated everything!)

[Yperio_Bricks]

Oh, i like that! Very nice building! I like that you added that little garden and fence. Something you see in every town but is missing in the official sets.

Do you have any pictures from the building next to other modulars (from the LUG shows you mentioned)?

[Murdoch17]

3 hours ago, Yperio_Bricks said:

Oh, i like that! Very nice building! I like that you added that little garden and fence. Something you see in every town but is missing in the official sets.

Do you have any pictures from the building next to other modulars (from the LUG shows you mentioned)?

Thanks @Yperio_Bricks! I haven't got any pictures of it at a show yet, as I just finished it this week. Also, all my other modular buildings (UP house, Edna Mode's Incredible fashion shop, and Emmet's mansion) are also unavailable for comparison shots, as they are at a show since mid-November and will be there until early January.

I will post pictures of this at a show when I have them at one, though!

[Shiva]

Thumbs up :)

[Murdoch17]

On 11/24/2023 at 7:18 PM, Shiva said:

Thumbs up :)

Thanks @Shiva!

I whipped up this picture in case anyone (paging @Yperio_Bricks ) wanted to see how this building stacks up against my other modular buildings. (links are to each building's topic)

L to R:
- Up House MOD
- Emmett's Manor House
- Detective Office MOD (you are here!)
- Edna Mode's Incredible fashion shop
- Art Deco ice cream parlor (no topic yet made)
- Fire Station

All of these are built in real life except the last two: The Fire Station has it's parts collected, but will not be built until it's closer to Christmas. The Art Deco ice cream parlor isn't yet ready to go be ordered - only time will tell if it actually gets built.

Edited November 26, 2023 by Murdoch17

[Yperio_Bricks]

Very nice! I also really like Edna Mode's fashion shop! And since i read the word(s) 'ice cream' i'm looking forward to learn more about that house in the future too

[Murdoch17]

On 11/26/2023 at 3:22 PM, Yperio_Bricks said:

Very nice! I also really like Edna Mode's fashion shop! And since i read the word(s) 'ice cream' i'm looking forward to learn more about that house in the future too

Thanks @Yperio_Bricks! sorry for the late reply!

So wrote another story for my detective, who now has the CMF Noir Detective outfit, but the same IJ hat / hair as before.

'It's over Joe! Turn yourself in!' I screamed into the desolate train yard. Of course, no response. He knew what awaited him back at the penitentiary - the electric chair was a sweet release compared to the desolate inhuman solitude of permanent solitary confinement that awaited him.

Suddenly, a movement to my right caught my eye - it was Joe, running away at full speed, bounding over switch handles and jumping rails like a scared jackrabbit in the darkness of the witching hour. I hopped in my Model T to catch up with him at full tilt, almost tearing out my suspension in the process. I grumbled to myself about sending the Feds a bill for car repairs, when I heard a lonesome wail of a steam whistle. 'So THAT'S his game!' I said to no one in particular. 'He's gonna hop a freight!' I headed for the sound, when into my headlights came a sight I'll never forget.

Jailbreak Joe came to a skidding halt, trying to get close enough to the engine to hop on the front deck of the loco as it sped past. Only problem was he hit an oil patch, invisible in the darkness. He went tumbling into the path of the loco, knocking himself out in the process by hitting his head of a rail. I tried to pull him clear while the train went into emergency, whistle shrieking like a banshee all the while.

Simply put, I was too late to save Joe...

[The Reader]

That building is great. I like how you adopted it and turned it into a modular building while keeping its demodularized feature. And that Tin Lizzy is just awesome. I'll try to build it, too.

[Murdoch17]

1 hour ago, The Reader said:

That building is great. I like how you adopted it and turned it into a modular building while keeping its demodularized feature. And that Tin Lizzy is just awesome. I'll try to build it, too.

Thanks @The Reader!