M Graff Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Hi all, I felt that it has become a lot of changes to my model world . So much so that it required a new layout thread . It all started with my Middletown, Kensington & Eastern RR that I built for the 2010 challenge. A layout that would depict a fictional New England in 1943. Thanks to a move to larger premises etc. I started to build on it, and add on to it a little, but felt that it did not really work ... : ( My good friend and museum owner Peter Haventon offered then to aquire the layout to have at his transportation museum! What also changed my focus is that I happened to buy a pair of D&RGW narrow gauge " Mudhens " in HOn3 . That " blunder " made me go back to my roots of inspiration; John Allen and Malcolm Furlow! My first real layout was a Colorado mining railroad built after Furlows style and mindset. It was trafficked with what was available at the time, a Rivarossi Heisler and a number of low side gondolas. My book about John Allen's Gorre & Daphetid RR ( Gory and defeated ) that I got when I turned 12 was totally worn out when I was 18, so I bought another one! Now I had an idea! Could I not move my fictional railroad halfway across the continent to Colorado? I have way too many locomotives and cars with custom company painting to decal and reapint to the new name ..... So if the MK & E could become the Minturn, Kings divide & eastern RR instead? Minturn is located within the D & RGW's narrow gauge network. So if my fictitious railroad connects to the narrow gauge in Minturn and then broke new ground to the north east via Kings Peak and then on to Idaho springs and Denver? Oh, yes! Then I can have narrow gauge, standard gauge and dual gauge. I will still use a bit more poetic license and do a port! But it will become a river port! So now I have the dilemma of taking down the framework I 've worked with..... But they are easy to modify to my new idea. The new track plan is basically a copy of the G & D! However with some modifications to suit the space given. What was given as well was that there will be mountains from floor to ceiling! What makes this a fun plan is that you have to run around all the loops to run one lap! And it will be easy to have overview from the middle of the room. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Wintle Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Looks like fun. I like the "... she'll be comin' 'round the mountain ..." bit. Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVSNE Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Wow, that certainly is a lot of track. You've definitely captured the "spirit" of the G&D...although having lived on the Front Range I'm having trouble equating the "mighty" Platte River with "river port!" nav 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted April 14, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 14, 2014 I think the real Minturn was famous for the pall of smoke that hung over the town from all the pusher engines serviced there. You can be forgiven for skipping that detail! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 What size is the room? I was wondering what your minimum radius is going to be. Andy 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M Graff Posted April 14, 2014 Author Share Posted April 14, 2014 Thanks for the input. :-) The room is 650 x 450 centimeters. The minimum radius will be 65 centimeters and the minimum mainline radius 70 centimeters. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 (edited) Looks like fun. I like the "... she'll be comin' 'round the mountain ..." bit. Adrian I'm not sure I remember what John Allen did, but I'd have difficulty looking at mountains to the floor and sea-going waterways at waist height. Andy Edited April 14, 2014 by Andy Reichert Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M Graff Posted April 14, 2014 Author Share Posted April 14, 2014 (edited) Ahh, but it isn't sea going! :-) It is going to be a river/lake port mostly for timber transport..... And the mountains will be on the bottom part, so you will look at the parts separately. And it is no worse than multiple layer layouts. ;-) Edited April 14, 2014 by M Graff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Reichert Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Ahh, but it isn't sea going! :-) It is going to be a river/lake port mostly for timber transport..... And the mountains will be on the bottom part, so you will look at the parts separately. And it is no worse than multiple layer layouts. ;-) Just checking, in case you hadn't thought of it. . . . Andy 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M Graff Posted October 14, 2014 Author Share Posted October 14, 2014 (edited) Latest update on my layout: The Minturn station. Almost finished... Just some weathering left to do. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/638/entry-14948-part-41-the-minturn-stn/ Edited October 14, 2014 by M Graff 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 That's fantastic! I love your layout plan, so much potential! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M Graff Posted December 10, 2014 Author Share Posted December 10, 2014 Hi all, this is the latest build for my new layout: CM's Leadville house! It was a real joy to build, and the mfg delivered the missing parts very swiftly (thanks!). I think it is a really good looking house that I wouldn't mind living in in 1:1 scale! My wife asked when we should start building it.... I have put real glass in all the windows, as I do on all my builds now. That will show the interiors really good when I have installed the lights in it. I will also build a small shed/garage in the same style. Thanks for watching! 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave1905 Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 The river port is for the 2 weeks each spring when the river has more than 2 ft of water in it. If you want lumber carrying steamboats you have to back date to before the 1880's and be east of Yankton on the the Missouri or south of Minneapolis on the Mississipi or east of Van Buren on the Arkansas. That's why they built railroads, because the rivers weren't navigable. 8-) If you are ever in the Omaha area, up at Desoto Bend there is a museum dedicated to a Missouri River steamboat that sank back in the late 1800's, the Bertrand, was burried in silt and recovered back in the 1960's. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M Graff Posted December 10, 2014 Author Share Posted December 10, 2014 As this is a homage to J. Allens G&D, I will take some liberties with the port. ;-) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold McRuss Posted January 12, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 12, 2015 Hello, great to see the new trackplan as a reminiscence of John Allens G&D. I hope to start construction of a second level in my railway room. In the lower level is my Garve and Ullapool Railway and on the second one I plan to built a G&D inspired branchline. Markus Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M Graff Posted May 2, 2015 Author Share Posted May 2, 2015 The roster for the narrow gauge is increasing. :-) I bought a lot of HOn3 material from a friend. It included a complete shelf layout that I will incorporate into my project. I have to install sound in two of the K-27:s and in one of the C-19:s. The brass locomotives are running extremely well. Just as good as the Blackstones. To be continued... ;-) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M Graff Posted December 31, 2015 Author Share Posted December 31, 2015 Some pics of finished builds for the layout: Alamosa: Drug store: Boiler house Hotel People: 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M Graff Posted April 5, 2018 Author Share Posted April 5, 2018 Lots of time has passed.... The train room is almost finished. So.... Let there be light! First LED strip in place in the train room. There'll be double rows, the other angled 20 degrees to the wall. Fill lighting will be with LED spotlights. Can be okay in the end. The switched power supplies I use are from Mean well, 12 V and 18 Amps. They are adjustable between 11.4 V and 12.2 V. The LED strips are rated at 12 Watt per metre and are 5 metres in length. 4800 K in temperature. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M Graff Posted April 6, 2018 Author Share Posted April 6, 2018 Installed the second LED strip today. The light level will probably be okay when I can install the outer LED strips as well. I have to build the valance first, so it'll be in the right places. My plan is to have the valance about 2-3" outside of the layouts edge. The LED strips has a 40° light angle and will be mounted 20° inward so it will light straight down at the front, and towards the backdrop. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M Graff Posted April 9, 2018 Author Share Posted April 9, 2018 Started the backdrop painting. One wall is sky painted with clouds. The backdrop is 60' long and 4'6" tall. I use regular wall paints. I will wait a bit to paint the landscape until after I've started the benchwork. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold McRuss Posted April 11, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 11, 2018 Your sky backdrop looks good. Markus 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Legroom Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 Wow! This is some seriously good modelling. Can't wait to see your progress. Max 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMO Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 Very good work! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatlander Posted May 14, 2018 Share Posted May 14, 2018 You have a great start to what I know will be an awesome layout. Is the drug store a lit or a scratchbuild? Mark from California Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted May 14, 2018 Share Posted May 14, 2018 Michael, to say I'm looking forward to seeing this layout come to fruition is a massive understatement. Your structure and locomotive builds are incredible. To see them on a layout - especially one with a trackplan as well thought out as yours - is going to be a real treat. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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