I just stepped away from my main curio where I have most of my favorite lights on display. Currently, the top shelf is occupied by CH-2, Tybee, Ponce de Leon, Hilton Head, and Eddystone. When I was fortunate enough to acquire CH-2, Ponce, and Tybee, I was in awe about how large and tall they seemed compared to other HL releases. Let's face it, they really stand out in size but also in their simplicity.

Eddystone is a horse of a different color. Although it is as tall as the others it looks considerably smaller. Eddystone is about as ornate as a light could be. It has so much to offer above and beyond the "towering towers" of the past. Yet I like the "towering towers" even more.

Does anyone else hope that maybe some day Harbour Lights will again produce a few more "towering towers"?

Bob

You have my vote for more "towering towers". I would also like to see the lighthouses get larger again. Examples such as Point Comfort, Cape Neddick, Nauset, etc...

Don't forget 'zilla, Bob. Is Ponce still the tallest?

Like so many topics we had a discussion on this a while back. Check Art's thesis on tall towers in What lights will sell? Which lights won\'t? Why?

Me, I'm hoping for another batch of thumbnails in Baltimore. :-)

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/im



[This message has been edited by JTimothyA (edited 02-12-2001).]

I agree Bob. Old Point Comfort was a step in the right direction. Every LE doesn't need to be 9" tall but it would be nice if one or two a year could be the size of Ponce of CH. There aren't many lighthouses that I don't like but when you come up to the big boys, they are so impressive. Absecon NJ or Boon Island Maine would be my picks.

Quote from Art>
Equation for success:

Low edition size + pleasing architecture + tall tower + populated area + resort + recognizable + right size + firsts + detail - whimsy + stonework + high cliffs + moderate landscaping + red = winner.< End quote.

I notice from Art`s formula that the"Stone" has very little chance of making a sales dent.But to those who own one that is a good thing.

terry



[This message has been edited by tarbaby (edited 02-11-2001).]

I vote for a tall tower also.

I second the suggestion for Absecon. It would go well with the other "towering lights" from NJ.

Dennis

Size does matter.

The day Old Point Comfort was released was a happy day for me. I'd also love to see more tall towers, done tall. A properly proportioned, 9" tall Absecon would be a great place to start. The old Cleveland Lightstation (c.a. 1885) would be even better.

In size, 'Zilla doesn't really cut mustard (whatever that means) because although tall, it lacks mass. I believe that we perceive size volumetrically more than by mere height. That's why the pieces that Sean refers to, "Point Comfort, Cape Neddick, Nauset, etc...", are winners in the size department along with the tall ones mentioned by Bob. That's also why Eddystone seems out of place in that group -- lots of open space "lightens" the model visually and literally. Not knocking either 'Zilla or Eddystone (I love Eddystone), they are just not "big" in the same sense as the others mentioned.

Terry, interesting that you dredged up that formula and compared Eddystone to it. That was penned in the days before "timed editions" -- I wonder how that strategy's going to play out. Kind of a wildcard, not knowing in advance what the edition size (not accidentally the formula's first criterion) will be.

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-Art

Will we ever see Thacher Island? That would/could be two tall towers.
http://www.thacherisland.org/ http://www.lighthouse.cc/thacher/index.html



[This message has been edited by mombo (edited 02-13-2001).]

You've got my vote, Bob. Personally I don't have a problem paying alittle extra for the larger foremat.

Count my vote for taller towers .
It would be nice to see a few
larger ones each year such as OPC etc.

Neither Nauset nor Neddick take the 'towering towers' title, imo - though they appear somewhat larger around. To increase their size as models by say 15-20% would mean pretty darn big models - especially in the size of the base. It may be easier for HL to fudge on the proportions of other buildings with a tall tower, than with a wide tower. This may come in part from our sense when looking down on the model.

I suspect larger models would mean fewer out buildings, or just towers alone - something HL was more prone to in earlier pieces. Their trend seems towards more outbuildings and knicknacks to differentiate LEs from Glows. Although certain models such as screwpiles might lend themselves

For sheer mass alone I've always liked Montauk - it certainly has a heft to it. Take a look at it and imagine a model like East Quoddy done to the scale of Montauk.

Although its a skeletal structure, 'zilla is still a *big* model whose overall proportions I also like.

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/im

[This message has been edited by JTimothyA (edited 02-12-2001).]

I added to the subject Tim. I did not mean that I want all lighthouses to increase in size. Some towers would be huge. Navesink might look like a GLOW. LOL. What I am saying is that I like the scale of Point Comfort, Nauset and Neddick. Other recent additions you could add to this list are Hague Point and St. Marks. I would rather see this size of lighthouse done in this scale (whatever that may be) when they can be. Lighthouses such as Bass Harbor might have been more exciting if they were a little larger. I would provide more examples but my collection is still packed and I can't seem to pull another out of memory so Bass Harbor is my only example for now.

[This message has been edited by SThompson (edited 02-12-2001).]

>>I like the scale of Point Comfort, Nauset and Neddick. <<

Yes - I agree. HL has improved the casting skill so much they can pack more detail into a smaller scale, but sometimes a larger scale would be nice. It would help differentiate from the Glows - I'd almost rather see that difference than other ways. Hillsboro may have been a shot at the larger scale, it stands out among recent models in that regard. Its higher price was probably due more to the metal work than anything else.

Bet you'll be glad when you get unpacked. :-)
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/im

When I recieved my Ponce and put it in the curio with the others,it really DID stand out..Sometimes simple is better and it has gotten responces more than any other except for the Eddystone
Kevin

Maybe we could get Harbour Lights to add a Shinnecock Lh to our collection. This light was a sister light of Fire Island. 160 feet high, it was destoyed in 1948 by the Coast Guard.

http://scroope.net/longislandlighthouses/shinnecockbay.htm
Shinnecock October 1948 - two months before it was knocked down - without lightkeepers buildings.

[This message has been edited by rscroope (edited 04-18-2001).]

I'm with Sean--more tall lights. Hillsboro really stands tall in our cabinet, especially next to the Florida LE's. I like Tim's idea:
THUMBNAILS FOR BALTIMORE!!!!

Always keepin' the flame, Rich

Mind like a steel sieve!! In my last post I forgot to relate a comment by the head guy. We heard Bill Younger speak at the San Gabriel Valley Collector's Club in Feb. He described Eddystone as his personal "Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang". An apt description, don't you think?

Still Keepin' the Flame, Rich

I especilly like to the tall ones. Hope we have many more!!

Hello Bob Scroope, great old picture of the Long Island light. Fire Island still remains a personal favorite. There are many to recognize, but in addition to the pleasing scale of Nauset, there is also SE Block.

Bob,

You are right. I also long for the taller, simpler lights.

Rusty

Sorry but I'm not w/any of you...I miss the days of Whaleback, Marblehead, Edgartown, and North Head...nice and simple and only $50-60...Cape St. George has just proved that you don't need to be big to be great.

Hi Rock, ...I still love those "towering towers", but you did mention two of my favorite smaller lights, Whaleback and Edgartown.

Currently my Edgartown is stored in my basement but my Whaleback has been on display since the day I got it. It is #2222. I purchased it on the secondary market from "ART94", who was a member of the old AOL Board. I don't know if he's still around.

Bob

Hi Bob, I love tall towers too, and won't turn one down that really catches my eye, but my faves seem to be the smaller standouts that don't take up a lot of room; for example, SE Block Island LE, and Cape St. George. And I would've bought the new West Quoddy if it had been a limited edition...I don't have room in my collection for you-know-whats (don't make me say it!)...and why don't you display your Edgartown?

[This message has been edited by Rock (edited 04-13-2001).]

Maybe we could get Harbour Lights to add a Shinnecock Lh to our collection. This light was a sister light of Fire Island. 160 feet high, it was destoyed in 1948 by the Coast Guard. http://scroope.net/longislandlighthouses/shinnecockbay.htm
Shinnecock October 1948 - two months before it was knocked down - without lightkeepers buildings.

Hey Bob, ...Exactly where was the Shinnecock Light located in relation to the current USCG Station? I spent a couple of days last summer at Oakland's Marina. The wife and I did a lot of exploring with our Zodiac while we were there. The inlet was quite a trip to navigate with the tides rushing through.

The day after we left was the day a boat blew up at the gas dock. I'm glad we weren't there for that. The restaurant at the marina was super if you ever get a chance to dine there. I can't say the same for "Fat Lucy's" next door. Kind of a rough crowd hanging there. They were pleasant but just a little different.

Bob

Hi Bob M. Since my dad hasn't answered yet (oops!...like I gave him enough time...it has was only an hour), I'll answer the question of where Shinnecock Light was located exactly. It was located on the northwestern portion of what is now the present coast guard grounds at Ponquogue Point. As a matter of fact, there is presently a very tall skeletal light tower in just about the location of the former lighthouse. I have some pictures on my webpage that might give you a better idea...and if they don't now, I'll be putting more up soon. The old coast guard buildings are still there, just to the north of the newer, larger ones that are located closer to the bridge. I also have a map marking out the former lighthouse location that you can get to from the following link. http://www.scroope.net/lighthousing/shinnecock2001March31.htm
So, you visited Oaklands?...I see you spent a lot of your time on the other side of the bridge. I agree...good restaurant. I never actually went into Fat Lucy's. Nice beaches on the ocean there...a little too busy in the summer though...I pretty much stay out of that area after the 4th of July.


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KRISTIN ERIN SCROOPE
kristin@scroope.net
http://www.scroope.net/lighthouses/lhlist.htm

[This message has been edited by kscroope (edited 04-22-2001).]

Hi Kristin, ...We thought Oakland's Restaurant was fantastic. We spent three days at the Marina and enjoyed exploring with the Zodiac, up and down the bay. It was also great to be able to walk around a 100 yards to the ocean beach.

Other stops on that trip were Sag Harbor, West Neck Harbor on Shelter Island, Greenport, and Montauk.

The Shinnecock Canal was a real rush. Unfortunately, we caught the current against us right after they opened the locks. I had to power up to around 3600 rpms just to make headway speed through the locks. That rpm would normally put me around 26-27 knots. It was quite an experience.

Bob

Speaking of Towering Towers - and wish lists: as a general "miniaturist" (I also love model trains, planes, and doll houses)and as a "newbie" (there's that word again.! ) I often wish I knew what the exact (or even approximate) SCALE of any given HL model is. Is there any constant, even in a particular "set" or "line" (e.g.; LE, Society, GLOW). Anybody help? Are there data anywhere that I have missed?

No real scale among the various pieces...

... if so, then either Sunken Rock would be about 1" high or Cape Hatteras would be 36" high (just an estimate).

But one thing you might be able to guesstimate with is the height of the entrance door. Of course they are not all 6'8". Some may be 10' tall or more.

I suspected as much, John - Thanks! I have on occasion thought of calculating a rough scale estimate for the pieces I have, by locating specification data for the prototype.
Maybe when I retire... I'm not sure anyone else but me is curious/interested in that kind of information. Sometimes I'm too much of an wonk....

Not at all Dave. We have another forum member who examines his under a high powered magnifying glass and plucks off paint brush bristles!

I'm more the blow the dust off once in a while type.

Wonk, maybe that's one step beyond wacko?

Here's a link to a page I put up that has pictures of the Shinnecock Lighthouse falling during its demolition with pictures of what those same areas look like now. http://www.scroope.net/lighthousing/shinnecockthenandnow.htm

Another answer to the question above... May give a better idea of the former lighthouse location. I posted a 1940 aerial photo of Ponquogue Point (Hampton Bays) showing the Shinnecock Bay lighthouse (no longer standing), the boat house (still there), and the Coast Guard Station house as it was just being built (if you look closely in the picture, there are no windows or doors). http://www.scroope.net/longislandlighthouses/shinnecockbay1940aerial.htm