Building Murphy's Gym
After looking over the advice given to me by several people, I’ve formed some tentative plans on how to build Murphy’s Gym, unless something else comes along that’s better.
My working plans are to use JC Nickles as the gym building—or at least the façade.
http://woodlandscenics.woodlandscenics.com/show/Item/11700/page/1
I very likely will scratch-build the sides and back; the façade looks good, but the windows on the sides look a bit too heavy. I’ll also be able to change the depth of the structure. I’m thinking that, for fine furniture, the loading dock might actually have room inside the building for one car.
As for why the building is a gym:
The furniture factory had a store just across the track from the factory—a showroom for merchandise, and a place where buyers (both commercial and individual) could come, look at the wares, and decide what to buy. Purchases could then be sent off by rail right from the back dock, or, more likely, from the factory across the tracks.
As business grew, the demand was outgrowing the showroom, but there wasn’t much room to expand the building. They continued struggling with the limited space for a while, until a fire damaged the structure and inventory. Business was booming, and a larger showroom downtown seemed to be the way to go. At the same time, the company didn’t want to sell the place; it could be useful later.
A few trolley stops down the line, Murphy’s Boxing Gym needed new space. The gym was a bit small for the number of people, and, with the business boom of the time, the seedy area it inhabited was becoming nicer—with corresponding rent increases. The landlord raised the rent, knowing that someone else would take the spot if the Murphy’s moved out—completely over looking the simple fact that having a large number of boxers passing through at all hours encouraged the criminal element to go elsewhere. THAT was a fact that the owners if the furniture factory didn’t overlook. (The fact that the owner was a big boxing fan also helped—as did the fact that the gym was owned by a close friend.)
The upper floor wasn’t completely rebuilt. Instead, a balcony ran around the building at the level of the old second floor. This allowed spectators for (unofficial) fights to be comfortable accommodated. (Possibly part of the second floor will remain as a loft with some punching bags, or closed off as the owner’s apartment.)
So far as anyone knows, Murphy’s is the only rail-served boxing gym—possibly even running into the back door of the gym. (Since the building is still owned by the furniture company, it’s still on the railroad’s dispatch list…)
The basement was divided between storage, and a section contained punching bags, weight equipment, and other such workout gear.
The plate glass windows were a big advantage, as people could watch the fighters train, and some would be inspired to wander in and give it a try. Shades could be drawn when there was a paying event inside, or other reasons for privacy.
Plastered on the outside are posters advertising upcoming fights, and some of the gym’s finest fighters—in the windows, also, fight posters call attention to the mayhem inside.
Since the place is a tribute to my own boxing coach and others I know in the fight game, I am deliberately adding the anachronism of women boxers, both working out inside and on some of the posters. It wouldn’t be a piece of home without it.
Tomorrow morn, I’m going to order the J.C. Nickels building, as well as some Tichy or Grandt Line doors and windows. I have one punching bag and an adequate ring already, and the parts to make a second (better) ring.
Posts won’t be frequent, as the project is more or less a back burner one, but progress will be happening.
