JZ Posted July 11, 2023 Author Share Posted July 11, 2023 23 minutes ago, CameronL said: Isn't that an ex-County Donegal, now Isle of Man Steam Railway, diesel railcar? A bit of a way from the D&RGW. Long Live Rule 1. (PS - how about doing one in a Galloping Goose kind of finish?) (PPS - The Isle of Man was a favourite family holiday destination when I was young. If you want real authenticity, this railcar will have to emit huge amounts of black clag, make a noise like someone shaking a tin bucket full of spanners, and be towed home by a steam engine). It could indeed be Goose #8. I think these railcars were built about 1950 and the RGS was abandoned in 1952, well, the real one was. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CameronL Posted July 11, 2023 Share Posted July 11, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, JZ said: It could indeed be Goose #8. I think these railcars were built about 1950 and the RGS was abandoned in 1952, well, the real one was. So the RGS could have bought one new to be a cheap way of hauling passengers and mail? The Man From Rule 1 Says "Yes!" Edited July 11, 2023 by CameronL Added a bit 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted July 12, 2023 Author Share Posted July 12, 2023 (edited) A great big thank you to @Keith Addenbrooke for pointing out that Hatton's had a Ragg's........ to Riches Durango Depot kit at the shockingly low price of £116. Well they haven't got it any more. I have. Edited July 16, 2023 by JZ 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted July 16, 2023 Author Share Posted July 16, 2023 This is a monster of a kit, measuring 24"x5" in HO, 174' x 36'. This will be one of the largest kits I have built, I did build a Monogram B-52 in 1/72 many years ago, and I have the Matchbox/Revell HMCS Snowberry in the loft for one day in the future. The kit depicts it about 1940, with notes on things that were added/taken away at various times in it's history. A good source of photo's can be found here. Ragg's... to Riches? closed their doors a couple of years ago and any remaining unbuilt kits are fetching premium prices, which is why I was so chuffed at getting it at the price I did. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted July 16, 2023 Author Share Posted July 16, 2023 Meet Edna. A rudimentary interior was made, using 3D printed parts and based on photo's of it in preservation. Waiting for some M1.2x5 screws to fit the couplings. Other than that, it is finished. Bedspread is close to the one on it today, or at least close enough when seen through a single window. In case you were wondering, I have now added a screen around the loo. 7 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted July 19, 2023 Author Share Posted July 19, 2023 (edited) Came across this Richard H Kindig photo today. Ophir Depot, September 2nd 1951. Rocky Mountain Railroad Club special. 2-8-0 74, at the head, formerly Colorado & Northwestern 30. Two cabooses, 3 gons and B-20 Edna at the tail. Sadly, this is about the same view today. Edited July 20, 2023 by JZ 6 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pH Posted July 19, 2023 Share Posted July 19, 2023 2 hours ago, JZ said: Sadly, this is about the same view today. Yes - I drove straight through there without realizing it had been the site of Ophir depot. I had the idea it had been further up the valley, away from the road. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted July 20, 2023 Author Share Posted July 20, 2023 6 hours ago, pH said: Yes - I drove straight through there without realizing it had been the site of Ophir depot. I had the idea it had been further up the valley, away from the road. I used the only building left , the former Oilton Club, as the reference. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted July 20, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 20, 2023 Ophir was a nice compact community around the depot. I have several of those buildings in 1:48, and they do need quite some space. Then you need bridges 45A and 45B, the former being over 400 feet long and rather tall in places.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted July 20, 2023 Author Share Posted July 20, 2023 20 minutes ago, Oldddudders said: Ophir was a nice compact community around the depot. I have several of those buildings in 1:48, and they do need quite some space. Then you need bridges 45A and 45B, the former being over 400 feet long and rather tall in places.... Already having Ophir depot, the house at the end of the trestle and the MoW shed, it is tempting to get the other kits from Banta for a working diorama based on it. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted July 21, 2023 Author Share Posted July 21, 2023 (edited) While I am struggling to find the mojo to get on with the scenics, I have decided to get on with other things I enjoy a little more. So, while browsing my large collection of unbuilt kits, my eyes fell upon this Gloor Craft coaling tower. I picked it up, probably on ebay, a couple of years ago with the intention of replacing the plastic Model Power one at the Lucyville depot. While the plastic one isn't that bad, I think real wood conveys the look so much better and is easier to get the staining to look right. While the Gloor one lacks the office underneath, it won't be difficult to knock up something that will fit. For reference, this is the tower at Chama. Mmm, maybe the water tank next.... Edited July 21, 2023 by JZ 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted July 22, 2023 Author Share Posted July 22, 2023 This is fun. All the wood strip is colour coded, yet it doesn't tell you in the instructions what they are. They are certainly different to what FoScale and others use today. Not the greatest of instructions either, with lots of ambiguity and thing like 'lay floor on diagram and add bracing to line up', which of course is covered by whichever part you lay on the diagram. Extra pencil marks all round. 'Open bag with the xxxx square' and none have any squares. Good job I have experience, if I was a beginner I might have put it on ebay. Oh, hang on, where did I get it? Anyway, I love a challenge. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted July 24, 2023 Author Share Posted July 24, 2023 (edited) Fair bit of work done with the new tower. It is a bit deeper than the old one, so, rather than relaying the track, I will have a different arrangement to the support for the hoist top. I will also dig out a hole at the back for coal to be dropped in by the DB gons. Reminds me to get the track weathered before it is fixed in place. I think that due to it's size, that I will add two chutes. Edited July 24, 2023 by JZ 5 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted July 25, 2023 Author Share Posted July 25, 2023 And, opinions here please, doesn't the wood kit look a whole lot better than the plastic? The old one will find a home at the smaller deot in Ava City. 3 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted July 25, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 25, 2023 "Nothing looks as good as wood" as a US manufacturer tells us. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted July 29, 2023 Author Share Posted July 29, 2023 (edited) Great photo of Ophir and trestle in May 1947 from the balcony of Skillen's Store Photo by John W. Maxwell Edited July 29, 2023 by JZ 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Harrison Posted July 29, 2023 Share Posted July 29, 2023 3 hours ago, JZ said: Great photo of Ophir and trestle in May 1947 from the balcony of Skillen's Store Photo by John W. Maxwell That's one of those photos that makes you wish time travel was possible. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted July 29, 2023 Author Share Posted July 29, 2023 A bit more work done on the tower. I have replaced the original whitemetal window with some from Tichy Trains. My solution to the wider tower was this at the bottom of the hoist. Next job will be to fit the tarpaper on the roofs. Once this is done, the finer, more fragile ladders and handrails will be added. I ordered the County Donegal railcar. For reasons unknown, the HO version is only available in white natural versatile plastic, where other scales had other, smoother options. I shall give it a light rub down with fine emery before priming it. It comes as a single part, with corridor between cab and saloon. It is about the same length as a standard D&RGW coach. No interior is provided, but will be easy to fabricate and I have plenty of suitable seats. Rear bogie, sorry truck, will come from the spares box. Once the method of articulation is decided, I will order a Toma chassis and find a suitable sound decoder. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted August 1, 2023 Author Share Posted August 1, 2023 Picture of the month time Eastbound San Juan making a stop at Chama, August 1949. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted August 3, 2023 Author Share Posted August 3, 2023 After getting the rooves done, it was time for the handrails on the platforms. Next will be the ladders. I do have some plastic ones that will do the job, but as I come come this far using only wood, it would be a shame not to make them up with wood. Then it will be the coal chutes and for this I will be using copper sheet. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted August 3, 2023 Author Share Posted August 3, 2023 (edited) Decided to just have the one chute, mainly due to the smaller tenders on the narrow gauge. Copper sheet for the chute should be delivered tomorrow Once the copper is here, I want to make up something like, but not the same, as the one at Chama. The more I get done, the more fragile it is getting. Edited August 3, 2023 by JZ 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted August 7, 2023 Author Share Posted August 7, 2023 Getting there. Deliberately peeling tar paper on roof. The chute has just been added, and still to fit some cable for raising and lowering it. This will be done by electric motors, as will be the shutter, 3D printed ones in the post. The chute is 0.2mm copper sheet dipped in Carr's black for brass. Looks quite effective I think. In this position it will clear the 'bear trap' spark arrester on the C-19. Shutter chains are Langley Ladders were a bit of a pain, but patience paid off. Lights are Tichy Trains. Maybe add a chair for staff to rest halfway up😳 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted August 9, 2023 Author Share Posted August 9, 2023 The Toma Model Works drive unit is here. It comes with disks to fit inside the wheels, but I have bought some spoked ones with connecting rods. This is the longest wheelbase thy do, somewhat shorter than the genuine County Donegal railcars, but it will fit nicely in the cab section. Additional pick-ups will be needed on the trailing bogie I think. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted August 12, 2023 Author Share Posted August 12, 2023 This arrived this morning. Something to read during a week off. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted August 12, 2023 Author Share Posted August 12, 2023 Not happy with the arrangement I had made for the shutter releasing the coal. Relying on gravity against a full hopper is highly unlikely. Looking at the one at Chama, it appears to be a geared rack to open close it. Found some small gears on ebay, supposedly for steampunk jewellery, but you never know where useful stuff will come up. Looking at the listing, there are a few (100 in pack) that look to be around 4-5mm diameter. The rest can be used as loads. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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