What's New

Picture #29: These are two old PBL kits - I believe they were the initial run - that I recently completed. I have jokingly referred to them as the 'Jurassic Boxcars'! I did several upgrades to them to bring them closer to the newer kits. Changes include new metal wheels, substituting a brass weight for the steel one, additional brake details, and revised couplers to eliminate the original Kadee #4's which were a way too low. 

Picture #30: The cars were painted with Polly Scale acrylics, using the layered-paint and scratch-brushing method as described in the Narrow Gauge & Short Line Gazette many years ago.

Picture #31: D&RGW 3469 is depicted as it would have appeared in the post-war years. The paint is beginning to show the effects of the elements. 

Picture #32: My next project was a pair of the PBL drop bottom gondolas. I painted these with acrylics, and recorded the steps this time in a cyber-article Painting & Aging with Acrylics that I did up for the old NWNG-Sn3 Group.

Picture #33: D&RGW 821 is the second car of the pair. Most prototype photos indicate that these cars suffered heavy wear. 

Picture #34: 'Kitbuilding Mode' continued with a pair of PBL tank car kits. This is the narrow frame car, done up ca. late 1940's. 

Picture #35: UTLX 88162 is one of the frameless 'Gramps' cars, also decorated ca. late 1940's. With their much crisper detailing, these plastic cars really put the old NJ Custom Brass and PSC imported brass cars to shame.

Picture #39: D&RGW 06084 is onw of PBL's Rail & Tie work flat cars, imported in early 2002. I resisted the temptation to get any of these until the NWNG Annual Fall Meet, but then succumbed! A neat feature on these models is that the upper car body is removable, permitting easy access to the lower deck for weathering. 

Picture #40: D&RGW 06092 is PBL Wheel & Tie work flat car as imported bt PBL in 2002. The deck on this was similarly weathered as its cousin pictured above. 

Picture #41: D&RGW 0580 is an OMI model that I painted and added operating marker lights to. I used a Miniatronics CL-011-01 Constant Intensity Lighting Unit to power some 1.5 volt 15 milliamp bulbs. As I operate with DCC, I found that I needed to install the resistor that was included in series with the input to the Miniatronics CIL unit. Subsequent to this photo, I also installed a 22 ohm resistor in series with the CIL output to reduce the illumination of the markers a bit...they looked just a bit TOO bright here, didn't they? 

Picture #43: The future "Gunnison Valley Millworks" is one of Bill Banta's beautiful kits, with a few extra details added from my parts drawer.

Picture #45: D&RGW 1048 and 1268 are a pair of high side gondolas built from PBL kits. The side stakes on each model were carefully matched to those on the respective prototype car. 

Picture #46: The models were painted with PollyScale acrylic paints, using the layered paint technique. I varied my normal sequence of scratching between each coat, leaving my three wood colored coats to cure for a full day before applying the color coat to the exterior, and I let that dry another day before applying the decals.

Picture #47: After repeated applications of Microsol to help the decals snuggle down, I let the models dry overnight before applying a light coat of Clear Flat to protect the decals. Then I finally started the scratch brushing sequence...! Note that prior to painting I beat up the top boards, as these cars were frequent visitors to the rotary dumper at Salida and tended to suffer accordingly as a result. 

Picture #48: I always think that a bit of spillage left in the car adds some interest! I used diluted white glue (with a few drops of Windex to act as a wetting agent) and used a small brush to paint on select areas before sprinkling on some granular material. Once I was satisfied with the general look, I loaded up the brush and dabbed a bit more of the diluted glue over the granular material to provide some additional bonding, similar as to what one does with ballast. 

Picture #49: These are a set of The Cimarron Works D&RGW maintenance-of-way box cars. The bodies are one-piece resin castings with a fully detailed interior and include PBL trucks, injected styrene detail parts, couplers, lettering and brass wire - everything you need! 

Picture #50: These cars were painted with acrylics and then weathered with a combination of airbrushing and Bragdon chalks.

Picture #51: Another Cimarron Works kit, finished and detailed ca. late 1940's per photographs in 'Narrow Gauge Pictorial Volume X'. The curtains were from a file that Greg Jackson was kind enough to send me when I was building my Ouray depot. As with the box cars, the body is a one-piece resin casting and the kit includes PBL trucks, injected styrene detail parts, couplers, lettering, screen material, and brass wire - everything you need! 

Picture #52: The partially folded up screen is as per the prototype, NOT an "oops"...!The car was painted with acrylics and then weathered with a combination of airbrushing and Bragdon chalks.

Picture #55: The station at Cimarron was built from a Raggs to Riches Ouray depot kit. The curtains were printed out from a file that Greg Jackson sent me, as noted previously! 

Picture #55: Another view of the Cimarron station from the freight house end. The structure has lighting as well.

Picture #56: "Adkins Fine Ales", which is a major supplier to the residents of the High Country! I added a very simple interior after viewing photos of Tom Troughton's model to depict the basic shipping room visible through the open freight doors, and also added both exterior and a few interior lights.

Picture #57: The track side of "Adkins Fine Ales". This structure is built from a Banta Modelworks limited edition "B. Johnson Leatherworks" kit, which included cast plaster rock and brick wall castings with individual boards applied over a laser-cut plywood substructure on the other walls. 

Pictures #58-61:  This is my rendition (condensed to five stalls) of the D&RGW roundhouse that was at Gunnison CO and is based on one of Clint Crow's kits but in fact should best be described as "kit-scratched"! Friends Glenn Farley and William Reed graciously helped out with the construction through providing additional plans and photos. The interior detailing is a collection of bits and pieces that I have acquired through the years plus some more recent purchases from The Aspen Modeling Co. and Wiseman Model Services.

Pictures #62-63: This is one of Bill Banta's "Indian Trails Garage" kits which will become part of my street scene in Gunnison.  Typical construction with cast hydrocal plaster stone walls and laser-cut wood components for the other walls.

Pictures #64-68: This past year saw several new structures built for the layout: a Ragg's to Riches "J.J. Harris Warehouse" kit which replaced an old Building & Structure Co. "Ridgway Office" building in Gunnison; a new depot for Sapinero (a Banta Modelworks "Allison" depot) which replaced an old Building & Structure Co.  C&S "Gunnison" depot and lastly, a Ragg's to Riches "Dolores Conoco Plant" kit which was slightly compressed to fit in my available real estate at Sapinero. All of these have been fitted with SMLED lighting as first used on my Gunnison roundhouse  as seen below.