D&RGW narrow gauge: Back to scenics.

[JZ]

I had considered adding some NBW* mouldings, but having to order from the States and the fact that I need around 1000 and the cheapest postage I can find is in excess of £20, plus VAT and the Post Office handling charge of £8, means I think I will keep my sanity intact.

 

*NBW = Nut, bolt, washer.

[JZ]

Timber trestle. Still to affix the track, then the fire barrel platforms can be completed. Then it can be wafted over with the airbrush and maybe a few rust stains from the non-existent NBWs.

[JZ]

Cleared another area of Gurney Slade yesterday. This will be where Ava City will go. Installed the first Rocky Mountain backscene.

 

To get some sort of idea of what I am trying to achieve, Lucyville is set in an area of similar scenery to Durango .

These were taken on my walk up to Blackstone Models/Soundtraxx.

Ava City is set in an area similar to Silverton. About 45 miles north and 2500 feet higher.

Surrounded by peaks of 12-14,000 feet.

Tarmac roads in Lucyville and dirt in Ava City.

Edited April 20, 2020 by JZ

[JZ]

Shortly after my last post, I received another Micro-Trains reefer. This is a White Pass & Yukon one. Quite how it found it's way 2500 miles from home, I'm not sure. Came up on eBay, I put a low bid in and won. Reasonable postage from Canada and it was under the minimum for paying VAT.

Only mod I've made is to remove the Micro-Trains couplers and fit Kadee #705.

[pH]

26 minutes ago, JZ said:

This is a White Pass & Yukon one. Quite how it found it's way 2500 miles from home, I'm not sure.

 

Well, railroad equipment, including locomotives, went from southwestern Colorado to the White Pass and Yukon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silverton_Northern_Railroad

 

For locos, see the bottom of this page: http://www.drgw.net/info/SilvertonNorthern

 

And there is at least one example of loans from the far north to a southern US railroad, though standard gauge: http://mktrr.com/blog/files/ed003290493b0ef932de83a3d81b303f-45.html

 

So, borrowed equipment to handle a temporary surge in traffic?

[JZ]

18 hours ago, pH said:

 

Well, railroad equipment, including locomotives, went from southwestern Colorado to the White Pass and Yukon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silverton_Northern_Railroad

 

For locos, see the bottom of this page: http://www.drgw.net/info/SilvertonNorthern

 

And there is at least one example of loans from the far north to a southern US railroad, though standard gauge: http://mktrr.com/blog/files/ed003290493b0ef932de83a3d81b303f-45.html

 

So, borrowed equipment to handle a temporary surge in traffic?

The story of the 7 K-28s that were purchased by the US Army and went to the WP&Y is still a sore point among D&RGW narrow gaugers. They were never really suitable for Alaskan winters, so they scrapped them after just over 3 years. Fortunately the three that stayed behind are all preserved on the Durango & Silverton. 473 has been converted to oil firing, 476 was rebuilt and is operational and 478 resides in the D&SNG Museum awaiting overhaul.

Would really like one of these, but with the prices so high for decent brass versions, I'll think I can wait for the Blackstone model, if it ever sees the light of day.

 

 

[JZ]

On standby at home today, so I thought I would get on and finish my 6300 series flatcar. This is a laser cut wooden kit  from Narrow Gauge Colorado and it goes together well, despite the fact there are no instructions other than a couple of photo's of the finished kit and a few of the prototype. I've fitted it with Grandt Line trucks and Kadee #705 couplers.

Edited April 23, 2020 by JZ
missing info

[JZ]

Weekend project. From a Classic Miniatures kit. You get 3 sheets of scribed wood, strip wood, transfers, plastic windows and some doors, a sheet of drawings and an instruction sheet. So almost scratch built.

The original, in Gilpin County, CO.

I've taken a few liberties, such as replacing the felt roof with corrugated tin, the lean-to extensions are laid out differently. The original was believed to have been painted red, whereas I've used wood stain and the windows are painted black to match the stamp mill that will be connected by tramway.

I've had a look at Busch Feldbahn for some hoppers, but may just stick to using some old 009 MiniTrains tippers I have.

Edited March 6, 2021 by JZ

[JZ]

Rotary snowplow arrived today. A Durango Press model of the D&RGW OM.

This is OY at Chama last year, but it is very similar to OM. Both are standard gauge on 3ft gauge wheelsets with extended axles. They were built like this and on the D&RGW from new.

 

 

On another note, does anyone else have problems uploading photo's? I have another to upload, it will be on the next post. All are 1.5MB, yet it tells me I have exceded the max size to upload.

[JZ]

Close up of the business end.

[JZ]

Just found a photo of OM in action back in 1972.

[laurenceb]

You would not want to fall into that

[JZ]

Here some of OY in action this year. It's had a repaint since my visit at the end of May.

 

[JZ]

Bit more work done on the goldmine today.

Next job is to make a pithead structure for the inside.

[JZ]

To gowith the goldmine, I put this truck dump together today. A Banta Models kit, mostly stripwood with a few laser-cut parts. It looks a little darker in real life, though it will probably get a thin wash to make it more like the building in the second picture.

Edited May 1, 2020 by JZ

[JZ]

So. Did some work on the wooden trestle today. Fire barrels and fence added to the platforms, Track was fixed down. I still need some code 55 or 40 rail for the guard rails, but I'm not paying £12 for p+p, so it can wait until exhibitions restart.

Then I took it out to the shed for this shot.

 Other than that, I got another 3' of track down and did some plastering of scenery in the townscape area. Another day off, then back to work on Sunday, but with two weeks leave at the end of May and plans of a holiday this year thwarted, it should see some serious effort done on the layout.

Edited May 1, 2020 by JZ

[JZ]

Mainly painting and waiting for it to dry today, but I did put this little cameo together late this afternoon. Back in the seventies, The Rockford Files was popular on TV and I for one used to watch regularly. Now, one thing I had wanted on the layout was a trailer home. It was only after I had painted it that I realised that it was similar in colour to Jim Rockford's. So, being set 15 years earlier than the series, meant I couldn't have his gold Pontiac Firebird, so a Gold Pontiac Bonneville will suffice. In due course, a Chevy pick-up will substitute for his Dad's GMC Sierra. Obviously it ain't next to Malibu Beach, but hey ho.

The module the gas station is on will have a cinder block wall around it and some form of fence/ barrier between the trailer and the railway.

[JZ]

To fill in the space where the blue building is in the last photo, I built this Diner/fast food take away.  Blair Line laser cut wood kit. Still a bit of touching up around the signs once the glue is dry.

Cars from Oxford Diecast and Classic Metalworks, Figures are Woodland Scenics and Preiser.

[JZ]

Putting together another laser cut kit today. This one is from Kibri, their US Hotel. Compared to other kits I have done, this is somewhat over-engineered in typical German fashion. It has a MDF shell, to which the siding panels are added. All of this the normal thickness of the American and Austrian kits I have built. It's pre-coloured and printed, which does make life a bit easier. I'll get a picture of the finished kit up later, but for now, the box lid.

So far it is going together nicely.

Also included are a set of suitable American themed posters, but strangely also includes two LNER posters for the Western Highlands (bottom left).

[JZ]

So, here it is. A most enjoyable build. It's only a shame that, at present, this is the only suitable building in their collection.

I bought it direct from a shop in Germany. Including p+p, it was cheaper than the best price from any UK retailer. It will probably find it's way into Ava City, as I already have a Motel kit for this town.

 

Anyway, a couple of street views.

I was hoping my concrete/cinder blocks would arrive today to put a wall around this, maybe tomorrow.

 

One thing lacking, is the Stars & Stripes everywhere. Now, on my first visit to the US in 2014, I spent my time in 'Tornado Alley' and the American flag was very prominent apart from S Dakota (other than Mt Rushmore). On my next visit, we went West and North from Denver and it was seen much less so. Last year I can't remember seeing that much, most of my time was spent in Colorado. I am a member of a Colorado Southern group on Facebook, run by a chap called Jim Curran. He has posted hundreds of pictures of southern Colorado between 1960 and 1975 and the US flag is only noticeable by it's absence.  My guess is, that the gung-ho nationalism was something that started sometime after the end of the Vietnam war. I would like to avoid politics in this, but really trying to create a snapshot of America.

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by JZ

[JZ]

Still waiting for my cinder/concrete block walling to arrive, these delays caused by Covid are tedious, but expected I suppose, with post from some areas getting through quickly and others taking days. Never mind, it will get here eventually.

So in the meantime, I've added oil stains and tyre marks to the gas station forecourt. I've also marked off panels in the concrete and a few cracks.

In an ideal world I would have made it another 4 to 6 inches longer, but, as we all know and do, compression is the name of the game in railway modelling.

They tell me it's a bank holiday tomorrow, but in 12 years on the railway, I've forgotten what one is. Just another day for us. But it does mean my concrete blocks won't be here until Saturday at the earliest.

 

I like the contrast of the concrete over the tarmac surface of the roadway, so I'll be doing the same for the car sale and fast food joint over the road. Will probably separate from the roadway with a shallow rainwater gully. That's for tomorrow though. 

Edited May 7, 2020 by JZ

[JZ]

Two packs of concrete/cinder blocks (Wills SSMP230) arrived yesterday. It doesn't go very far when you have two thicknesses, so I'll have to wait for the next two packs to arrive to do the wall behind Wallschlager Motors and Dari-King. I had thought about having a wall around the dairy building, but have now decided to have a wooden fence (Ratio 437)

I did think about a canopy over the pumps, but after doing a little research, I discovered that it wasn't that common until the late 1960s.

Other than that, I did a bit of placing of bits and bobs, which highlighted the fact that I need to sort the lighting out. This side of the shed was fiddle yards on previous layouts, so never worried too much about it. I have the light fittings, but no timber for the battens to mount them. Just have to wait for my local timber yard to reopen. Also need to do a bit of maintenance to the shed itself. The front has shown some warping of the cladding as it faces the prevailing elements and sun for the most time. The rest of the shed is fine, if due for it's two yearly treatment.

Trollope's Furniture Works is in tribute to the late Jack Trollope (Shortliner) and it's one of two kits I purchased from his estate.

The roadway could also do with a few cracks and repairs

[JZ]

Many, many, years ago, I purchased a couple of Cooper Craft Bedford MLs. I only assembled one and the other was put away.

While looking for suitable trucks for this layout, I came across this in my research, a GMC, possibly AC from 1940ish.

Not dissimilar and from the General Motors family. Anyway, I dug out the unbuilt kit the other day and now know why I didn't get around to building it. It is a swine to get the cab together. I reckon the moulds must have been made from Plasticine. With much filing and filling, I am getting there. Will add some chrome to the grill and it should suffice for the moment.

[TrevorP1]

Good luck with the Bedford/GMC. My cab is still in the bits box and I used the chassis for a boat trailer on a previous layout!

 

[JZ]

 

3 hours ago, TrevorP1 said:

Good luck with the Bedford/GMC. My cab is still in the bits box and I used the chassis for a boat trailer on a previous layout!

 

On the subject of Bedfords, I was rather taken by this one sitting forlornly in a field in Shooters Hill, NSW, 18 months back.