D&RGW narrow gauge: Back to scenics.

[JZ]

With the continuing lousy weather stopping me from working out in the shed, I have been occupying myself with other things.

First up we have a couple of LaBelle Woodworking kits.

Still to fit the brake wheel.

Silverton, Gladstone & Northerly gondola. This too has to have the brake wheel fitted.

 

A few more Blackstone Models cars have arrived.

And

another East Broad Top 3 bay hopper. When the EBT ceased commercial operations in 1956, many of these hoppers found their way to other 3ft railroads in the US.

 

Continuing my theme of little cameos across the layout. I have managed to get a Woodland Scenics prison chain gang. Now I have to twist history again here, as chain gangs were largely phased out by 1955 and the layout is set around 1960. Anyhow, one of my favourite films is The Shawshank Redemption, so what better way to celebrate it than a prison van and chain gang.

Roco MiniTanks Dodge ambulance. This will be seen somewhere at roadworks.

Another piece of Americana is the Greyhound bus. This one being the classic PD-4501 Scenicruiser.

Built from 1954, they stayed in service until the mid 1970s. While I won't be having a full blown bus terminal in Lucyville, I will have a ticket agent.

 

Lastly for today, I have been chopping logs for the winter.

Stained cocktail and match sticks, stained cut and split.

[JZ]

Day off today. It rained. Again.

 

Two 6300 series 40ft flatcars arrived today from Narrow Gauge Colorado. These are laser cut wood kits. Not really had a chance to have a good look at them yet, but they have received some very good reviews in H0n3 circles.

 

With the arrival of the Greyhound bus, I decided I would need a ticket office/agent. A browse on eBay found this, rather tatty, kiosk by Vollmer. A few parts missing, but it had potential.

The two missing corner pillars were 4mm, so easily replaced with Plastruct. Couldn't get the windows out to repaint the frames as they were well stuck in, but the rest was repainted into roughly Greyhound colours. Downloaded a few posters for the back wall. Still some touching up to do, but as it will be tucked in between other buildings, it won't show much.

Didn't have a suitable figure for the office, so I'll just pretend that they are in the John.

[JZ]

A photo of the prototype of the 40ft flat.

 

And some of the kit, built by a Norwegian member of the H0n3 group.

[JZ]

With a week of rest days coming up shortly, I think I will self isolate for 7 days and make a real effort on the layout. I've been stockpiling and have plenty of track, ballast and scenic items and maybe enough food and toilet rolls to tide me over.

Meanwhile, here's a picture of my C-19

Edited March 15, 2020 by JZ
Photo added.

[JZ]

After finishing work today, I decided to get off my arse and get some work on the layout done. So the roundhouse was taken back out into the shed, fitted in place and track laid between it and the turntable. While that was setting, I couldn't resist a little play. Now we have the latest restrictions put in place, it looks like I will be forced to spend the next seven days putting further work into the layout. Hard times.

 

On a serious note. Keep yourselves safe, don't go out unless you really need to, keep an eye out for your neighbours.

Edited March 24, 2020 by JZ
spelling

[JZ]

Put the last track to the roundhouse down this morning. Once it is dry, I can get it wired and put the inset in, then start with getting ballast and ash around the yard.

Couple of other jobs done this morning.

Not very American I know. A Bemo 6 wheeled wagon that I bough s/h many years ago. It was 9mm gauge, but has now been re-gauged to 10.5mm. LWA is the Lucyville Wholesale Association.

Next up, we have a former Lynton & Barnstaple open.

And finally a Liliput bogie open wagon.

The last two will run on Kadee trucks. US style fitting will be added. Once done, I don't think the bogie vehicles will look  out of place. The LWA will have it's own siding at Lucyville withh a small warehouse.

[JZ]

So. Track laid into the roundhouse.

Wired up and ready for the first test later. I've put planking down between and either side of the rails as I have seen it done this way at other locations, though I can't for the life of me remember where it was. The building on the right, Kibri, is for rolling stock repairs. Now to find some fine ash ballast.

[JZ]

This morning I've been making rocks.

Woodland Scenics mould mostly borrowed from a work colleague. Nearly out of casting plaster and I still need to cast quite a few more. For smaller boulders, I will be using the real thing.

 

Found a little bit of Carr's ash ballast. I have used this in the past for goods yards and cesses. Don't have enough for for this yard, so I wondered if the C&L ash ballast was the same. Or any other recommendations? What I am trying to reproduce is like this at Chama, NM.

[JZ]

Not much done today, housework beckoned.  However I did toy around with positioning the coal and water towers.

Putting them here enable the loco's to be replenished leaving the roundhouse. How prototypical that is, I'm not sure, but so far I haven't had anyone tell me it's wrong on the H0n3 forums. The track on the left in the top picture will curve around the t/t and be for MoW(maintenance of way) vehicles, not that I have any at the moment, though I do have my eye on a Durango Press rotary snowplow. As I was writing the, I had a message that the depot in Gunnison was laid out similar to this.  I need to get a track around the back of the coaling tower to supply it and that will compromise my 24" radius minimum, but the Blackstone loco's will handle 18" and are the only ones with working front couplers. Like at Alamosa, this depot will be remote from the passenger and goods depot, separated by a built up street . More of that later.

 

Also been looking at cars. While Oxford has a fairly good range of H0 cars from the late 1950s, I could do with a few from the late 1940s'early 50s and those that are available can be fairly expensive. Example, I fancy a '51 Hudson Hornet and the only one on eBay is priced at £33.75. So looking at what 00 cars I had that could pass for American, I came up with these three.

I think I can discount the Cresta, but could get away with the Capri and Vanguard. I also have a couple of Phase 1 Vanguards that may pass muster. I'll dig them out tomorrow and see how they compare size wise. Thinking about it, I'm sure I have an early Vauxhall Wyvern that may also pass. For those interested, the 'Yank Tanks' are Chevrolet Nomad and Buick Century and behind are an Edsel Citation, Mercury Turnpike, Chevrolet el Camino and Chevrolet Bel Air.

[BernardTPM]

The Cresta fits in even for size almost without noticing!

At one time the EKO range listed quite a few American cars, but mostly from the same late '50s/early '60s period. One that looked a little different though was the Jeep Wagoneer.

[JZ]

The EKO range often appears on eBay, but very crude compared with what is available these days. I have my eyes on a mid '50s Jeep Station Wagon. Agree about the Cresta, but don't think it looks American enough. The older ones had loads of chrome, so maybe fit the bill. Will get some photos later.

[BernardTPM]

The older Vauxhall E series is rather like the 1949/50 Chevrolets. I agree the EKO don't have the details, but being plastic they are amenable to reworking. The Jeep SW is quite a distinctive and different shape. They did a Mk.VIII Jag too which was quite a popular import in the '50s.

Edited March 28, 2020 by BernardTPM

[JZ]

Still on the subject of cars, here are a few more I have identified to stand in for late 1940s US cars. The ones on the right are a bit out of focus.

Left to right. Vauxhall Wyvern. Standard Vanguard Phase 1A, Vanguard Phase 1 and Jowett Javelin.

They are maybe a little large, but it shouldn't show too much if kept away from other H0 vehicles. Besides, they are only there until other period cars become available.

Been casting again today, but have now run out of compound. Looking at alternatives, either Plaster of Paris or Herculite 2. Once I have finished the town/depot area, the next section will be based on the High Ledge on the Durango & Silverton

Probably won't model to the full height of 150ft above the river, but I think 1ft/ 87 scale ft would look good.

 

[JZ]

First two switches put down this afternoon. While waiting for them to dry, I had a go at arranging builds for the main street in Lucyville. There will be a 6" extension to the baseboard along here to allow for another building.

his area will be raised on another sheet of Depron to get it to track level. With the Goose standing so close to the edge, it does highlight one problem I have. That is that I will have two sidings that will face the edge. One in the depot, the MoW siding and the wye. The reason being that the D&RGW didn't generally have anything to stop things running off the end of the line, as this first picture of Ophir shows.

Although this picture, dated 1940 has something that resembles a haunch of venison on one rail.

I suppose with the MoW siding, I could put a small tree there, as it approaches at an angle. The wye I can worry about later, as it will be a few months before I get that far.

[Oldddudders]

That siding at Ophir served the Alta Mine, from which an aerial ropeway over the mountain brought precious metals - much in demand during WW2. I think the siding was probably uphill all the way from the points at the far end, which were close by that white wooden building on the left, which is just off bridge 45A. From 1944 Randy Belisle, who worked at the Alta Mine, lived in the station house shown in these pics. His wife Vera became the station agent, probably without salary, until the RGS closed in 1951. She ran the post office and a general store. 

[JZ]

Today's project has been to build this dairy building. A Walther's kit that I put a low bid on and no one else bid against me. Still sealed in polythene, I got it for a tenner, when the normal price is around £20. It will fill a gap between the station and the main street area.

Also discovered that there is not a huge amount of difference between American H0 and British 00 milk churns in size, so something else that can be used.

 I managed to get another 6ft of track laid today. So, after returning to work after 7 rest days tomorrow, I can get it wired up. Then it will be time to run the first proper train,(Loud cheers all around)

Lastly, I finish with a view of the loco depot.

Probably need to extend the backscene onto the door, or maybe paint it appropriately. The MoW siding was glued down today. It uses Micro Engineering code 55 track. Chosen for it's finer appearance, it is an absolute bu99er to bend, even though it is supposed to be flexible. I only bought 6 yards and the other 5 will be used in straight sidings. If I need more, I will buy rail and hand solder it.

That's all for now. Time for bed. Up at 02:30 for the first of 4 very early starts this week. The up side is, I get early finishes.

Edited March 30, 2020 by JZ

[JZ]

Didn't get much done Tuesday and Wednesday, but now getting used to being back at work. So, today I wired up what is down and ran my very first train, as opposed to just the odd engine. Will load up the video tomorrow, as the battery on the phone has expired. Chuffed as nuts.

[JZ]

 

[JZ]

 

[JZ]

Track to fix down, roadway and sidewalks to add, but looking a bit more like I want it.

A set of crossbucks with flashing lights will be installed for the crossing.

 

[JZ]

More or less finished the towers for the big bridge.

Would have been a good idea to put a figure or something alongside to scale them. Doh!!!!!!

[JZ]

This gives a better idea of the size, what is shown in the picture also represent the full length, just about. Still about another 2" to add to the height with the base pillars and high girders.

Also had to relieve the radius to around 30" due to overhang.

[pH]

5 hours ago, JZ said:

This gives a better idea of the size, what is shown in the picture also represent the full length, just about. Still about another 2" to add to the height with the base pillars and high girders.

Also had to relieve the radius to around 30" due to overhang.

 

I know the Colorado narrow-gauge lines sometimes did things on the cheap, but that's getting extreme!

 

And what's wrong with a bit of overhang on a trestle? 

 

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/368387/

 

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/545966/

 

 

[JZ]

14 hours ago, pH said:

 

I know the Colorado narrow-gauge lines sometimes did things on the cheap, but that's getting extreme!

 

And what's wrong with a bit of overhang on a trestle? 

The ties will overhang the edge, which as you see, is prototypical, however while it had been my intent to use 30ft spans between the towers, the change to 50ft meant 24" looked a bit too extreme. The 30ft spans will now be on the lightweight viaduct, which will be built straight.

 

Work will stop now on this until I reach the point where I can use it.

 

Next up...........................................

[JZ]

A start has been made on what will be the first of three trestles on the line. This one from a Campbell Models kit. Basically you get an instruction kit and pre-cut wooden parts. Picked it up cheap from Hatton's of all people. For the template, I copied the instruction sheet and laminated the bit I needed. This template does all ten bents, this is the first and all ten have now been completed. The may be a bit of effing and blinding tomorrow when I try to get them assembled. It is to be built on my ruling radius of 24" and works out at a scale 40' high. It will go at a point which will see the scenery cahnge from semi desert to something a bit more mountainous and probably be preceded by a short tunnel to help with the scenic change.

When I have calmed down from assembling it, I may post a few more pictures of it, or a pile of timber.