The Black Gold Asphalt plant, which is a stand-in for Providence’s much larger Narraganset Improvement Company on Allens Avenue opposite the harbor here seen in front of the abandoned Pawtuxet Municipal Gas Works and across the street from a small gas station and Loui’s Diner (named after the restaurant with that way of spelling its name on Brook Street near Brown University).

The scene on the left shows the asphalt company with the abandoned, rusting gasometer behind as men are working on installing chain-link fence around the property. After visiting the Narraganset Improvement Company, I decided to scratchbuild their office, which appears at the left in the first photo and at the right in the next. I also added that concrete tank or platform since Narraganset Improvement had one there, after which I added various tanks.

The first photograph shows a policeman, whose car is at left, directing traffic around the work area.

Views of the office and of a truck beneath the chutes.

Left: a view of two of the tanks from the Walthers kit not easily visible in the other photographs. Right: The foreman tries to explain to the boss why the fence is taking so long to install.


Miniature Worlds