When Los Angeles first began to succumb...

When Los Angeles first began to succumb to “auto-mania,” as it was termed in the 1920s, merchants tried catching the eyes of motorists with buildings shaped like everything from frogs, dogs and cats to shoes, coffee cups and cameras. A chain of giant chili bowls advertised: “We cook our beans backwards--you only get the hiccups.”

Most have vanished with the exception of the Tail o’ the Pup hot dog stand, the City of Commerce’s Assyrian tire plant and a few others. Now, there’s a new entry--a model train shop in Culver City that resembles a miniature Union Station.

“You have to excite people visually in L.A.,” said Allen Drucker, owner of Allied Model Trains, which is moving south from West Los Angeles. “I wanted something that looked like one of the great old buildings and then I remembered Union Station.”

Drucker’s miniature, scheduled to open next month, will feature Spanish tile, a clock tower, and arched windows as well as a high ceiling and a cashier at a mock ticket counter.

The model-train terminal apparently will also recall Union Station in another respect.

“We’ve noticed,” Drucker said, “that pigeons are starting to roost in the building.”

Speaking of unique structures, Huell Howser’s Video Log show on KCET-TV (Channel 28) reported that the blinking light atop the stylus-shaped Capitol Records building spells out “Hollywood” in Morse Code.

Unlike the case with the community’s famous sign, no one’s been able to alter this “Hollywood” message--so far.

He didn’t intend be involved with something that projected a “violent attitude,” a Paramount businessman said.

So Michael Sy announced that his South Los Angeles County company had halted the nationwide distribution of “Chilly Bang! Bang!,” a pistol-shaped juice container for children. Imported from the Philippines.

Sy, general manager of Mackie International, took the action after two legislators in New York received complaints from consumers and proposed outlawing the product.

You may recall that seventh-grader Jennifer Strona recently entered the exhibit, “Can I Forecast the Weather as Accurately as TV’s Weatherman Fritz Coleman?” at a local science fair.

Well, Coleman won--barely. He came closest to predicting the correct barometric pressure, temperature and air quality on six days, Jennifer was victorious on five days, and they tied on three other occasions.

The KNBC-TV (Channel 4) weatherman congratulated her on her strong performance. Strona added matter-of-factly, “He said he was glad he won instead of me.”

Of course, it should be noted that 12-year-old Jennifer had help--a $25, do-it-yourself meteorological kit.