The St. Louis & Denver Railroad - The Build

[GPdemayo]

Another kit that I am practicing with is the American Model Buillders kit # 713 - Railroad Rooming House. I am working on it now and should start the post of the build soon.
 
Exhibit #1 - (RRH–001s)

 
Next on the list is a kit I'm doing for Capt. Mike for the Porcupine Valley layout. It is an "O" scale model by Stoney Creek,  kit #022 - J. Hunter Mercantile. This will be fun building in another scale and I hope it doesn't spoil me for HO with all the extra details that can be put into a larger scale structure. Not to mention easier to see with my ole' eyes!
 
Exhibit #2 - (JHM-001s)


I'll post a thread, with lots of pictures, of this one when I get it done. What little I have completed has been fun and I look forward to seeing it on Capt. Mike's Porcupine Valley layout. How about a teaser photo of the front wall?
 
Exhibit #3 - (JHM-029)

 
Now, back to the St.L&D. In Phase 2, one of the new kits I am really looking forward to is the FSM #100 kit, Jacob's Fuel. This is a terrific kit that should look great, if I do it right.
 
An interesting story behind this kit is that I originally had the FSM #60 Coaling Station, that I purchased in the 70's shortly after meeting George Sellios. I did not have room for the elevated approach track in the location I have on the layout and had to find another alternative for the coal coming down from the mine up in Moosebutt. Tom came to the rescue, again, with a set of instructions for one of his old coaling companies, but when I got it back and added it to the plan, it was also a bit on the large size.
 
I put a post up offering a trade and got an email from Howard Elkowitz of Stamford, CT who was willing to trade his Jacob's for my Coaling Station. What a great deal, this kit required only a one track siding and it fit perfectly in the location I have in mind. Thanks Howard!
 
Exhibit #4 - (JFC-004s)

 
Enough for now, I have to get back to work!
 
See y'all later.

[Mark Dalrymple]

Hi Gregory.

That tank farm will look fantastic with lighting!

I've started a thread here called 'Fault Lines' which is my earthquake recovery layout.  Just catching it up at the moment (it takes a while to post, as you know).  Should get some more done today, along with some modelling and maybe an update.  Depends on how many chores I have to do!

Cheers, Mark.

[GPdemayo]

Hi Gregory.

That tank farm will look fantastic with lighting!

I've started a thread here called 'Fault Lines' which is my earthquake recovery layout.  Just catching it up at the moment (it takes a while to post, as you know).  Should get some more done today, along with some modelling and maybe an update.  Depends on how many chores I have to do!

Cheers, Mark.

Hi Mark,
 
You're right about the lighting, that's one of the reasons I have been putting off this build.
 
I just bought some of Slim's products to light up the buildings and ReadingBob was over and gave the SBG guys a mini clinic on soldering the LED's - regular sizes and that ridiculously small one for goosenecks. I need to practice on a few other buildings before I tackle the chemical company.
 
When Slim was here he also came up with an idea to light up the toxic waste pond, that should really make it scary looking!
 
I'm following along your "Fault Lines" build, great work so far.

[GPdemayo]

I forgot a couple of structures that I had started back in the 80's that I will finish and put in the boom town of Moosebutt in Phase 4.
 
The first is GS–08 - Genoa Saloon by Historic Scale Minatures. It is a great little structure with an interesting balcony/covered walk across the front of the building. For a little whimsey, I thought it would make a great cathouse like Madame Orr's in the movie, Support Your Local Sheriff, starring James Garner. After all, the miners and lumberjacks around Moosebutt need a place to unwind and have a little fun and this will be the place.
 
I always got a big chuckle out of one of the final scenes in the movie where Garner has Dern, the bad guy, strapped to a cannon and threatened Dern's Dad, Walter Brennan, with blowing a big hole in his son unless he drops his guns. After the drama plays out, Garner's girlfriend questions his resolve to actually blow up Dern and Garner shows her that it was a bluff by lighting the fuse.
 
As they were walking away from the cannon, it goes off and blows up a bit of Madam Orr's front wall and the working girls and John's come staggering out. The dialogue as they exit the building is a hoot!
 
The link to "Support Your Local Sheriff" is below and the scene I'm talking about is at the end of the movie, at approximately at the 1:25 min. mark.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_pvM3-ofJc
 
Exhibit #1 - (GS-001)


Exhibit #2 - (GS-004)

 
The second is the Shanty House by Dyna-Model Products. It is a kit for a small shack that will fit perfectly in the hilly, backwoods areas on Phase 4, maybe next to a still run by the Leadbetter boys.
 
In looking at the exterior walls of the kit closely, I found I liked the peeling paint effect. The only problem is that I have no clue as to how I did it !!! When I get around to completing this one, I'll take better pictures of the walls, maybe someone out there can figure out what I did.
 
Exhibit #3 - (SH-001)


Exhibit #4 - (SH-006)


I will get to the redesign of the layout in the expanded sunroom in the next post.

[GPdemayo]

I have finally completed the basics of the layout redesign and thought I would post this update.
 
When I was working on the remodeling plan for the house, I spoke to the county planning department and found that I was using the wrong setbacks for the rear property line for our corner lot. The original plan was derived from the original space I had in the sun room for the layout and after getting the new setbacks, I redesigned the sun room to accommodate Pegi's plans for the sitting area and found I had more room for the layout. Imagine that!
 
As you can see in the original plan below, I had to cut an angle on the lower left side of the layout so that the doors into the kitchen/breakfast area would have room to open. This constricted the area available for Moosebutt and the surrounding logging and mining areas.
 
Exhibit #1 - (Original)


By moving the back wall out, I was able to get the room Pegi wants for her seating area with fireplace and breakfast area and have a little more room for the layout. See the lower right side of the drawing below. 
 
Exhibit #2 - (SunRoom Remodel)

 
As I said earlier, the compromises I had made in the original plan was the limited size of the mountain areas around Moosebutt in Phase 4. With the additional real estate, I was able to enlarge the logging area, add a mineral mine (Banta's Cimarron Mine) and a coal mine (B.T.S.'s Mill Creel Coal & Coke Tipple No. 2) I've had my eye on. The additional space also increased the run of the mainline and added to the stacking yard under the mountain areas. If I can work it in, I might even be able to fit in the FSM 2 Stall Roundhouse #120 (I started back in the 70's) next to the freight station in Moosebutt.
 
There is also room for more commercial and residential structures that I would love to build. Some are kits I have had for years (Toadsuck Canning by SSL) and others I've seen on the forum that I would like to include on the St. L&D.
 
Exhibit #3 - (Rev-01)

 
This new plan should allow for more passenger and freight traffic between the Columbia transfer yard and Moosebutt. With the SBG guys over, there should be plenty of room for lots of switching and different kinds of consists running all over the place. Of course with that group, the chances for operating conflicts is always greater than normal!
 
I've got to order some more ballast and spikes and work on completing the track work in Phases 1 and 2. I'll post some pictures when I've made some progress.
 
Next time!!!

[GPdemayo]

I recently purchased Adobe Acrobat which has allowed me to take the CAD drawing files that have been saved in a "pdf" format and convert them to a "jpg" format that can be loaded in the threads on this forum.
 
I have been playing with the program and have found a way to put each phase into it's own "pdf" that should be larger and easier to see. The following are the results of that experiment.
 
Exhibit #1 - (StLD-Phase 1)

 
Exhibit #2 - (StLD-Phase 2)


Exhibit #3 - (StLD-Phase 3)

 
Exhibit #4 - (StLD-Phase4)

 
 
Editors Note
 
This is the last post for this thread from the "other" forum. It has taken a while longer than I anticipated, but from now on all the posts will be current.

Thanks for your patience and interest. The first new post to bring everything up to date will be added soon.

[Chet]

Excellent work. Now I have to find the follow up. Want to see more.

[GPdemayo]

Excellent work. Now I have to find the follow up. Want to see more.

Thanks for following along Chet. The follow up will be right here.....eventually.


I have been in marketing mode for the last couple of months and haven't been able to make any headway on the layout. I'm hoping to make some progress on a couple of strutures and a few switches so I can complete the track in phase 2.


Part 1 and 2 that I mentioned to you are on the other forum.



The link below is for "The St. Louis & Denver Railroad - Part I - The Introduction":
http://www.kitforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=4604


The link below is for "The St. Louis & Denver Railroad - Part II - The Design":
http://kitforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=4624


I haven't used them in some time,  so I'm assuming they still work. If not let me know.

[gnatshop]

quote author=Chet link=topic=55.msg15951#msg15951 date=1412276415]
Thanks for following along Chet. The follow up will be right here.....eventually.

Time for a repeat quote:
"So, what's the hold-up?"

l'il Tommy took the heat well, but you sound like one of them slow-ass Arkansaw
modelers!!! 

[GPdemayo]

quote author=Chet link=topic=55.msg15951#msg15951 date=1412276415]
Thanks for following along Chet. The follow up will be right here.....eventually.

Time for a repeat quote:
"So, what's the hold-up?"

l'il Tommy took the heat well, but you sound like one of them slow-ass Arkansaw
modelers!!! 

Hi Gnat, thanks for the nudge!


if you compared what I've been doing to what Tom's getting done, Tom would be the supersonic Blackbird and I would be a Piper Cub.


I have spent all summer looking at the layout and partially finished kits and thinking I need to get to work.....then a couple of days later I look again and think the same thing again. I just haven't gotten my butt in gear and gotten anything done.


About the only thing I have accomplished is to buy a few kits and a brass steamer. Hopefully I'll get going soon. 

[gnatshop]

I'm not exactly qualified to give anyone a nudge!

I haven't done anything in the train room in almost a year (except for buying more schtuff and
trying to keep the mental image alive).
My shelves got full, so new stuff is just going in a pile on the floor!!

[ACL1504]

Gman,

I've tried to tell Gregory if he would get off the handlaid track kick, he would be much farther along on the layout. But, hey, who am I to "give a little nudge"? At this point with my friend Gregory, I'm just hoping I don't expire prior in aspiring to inspire.

Tom

[gnatshop]

The Ledbetters are on board with them track recommendations!

They said that swingin' that sledge hammer layin' track was for the birds after
they found out how fast and easy them 3 foot sections of bendy track were.

Besides, their cousins, the Culpeppers, were gonna come right behind them and
cover most of it with ballast!!! 

[GPdemayo]

Hey guys, I thought I'd get some work done this weekend, but I felt guilty and worked on marketing. I  really did have the best of intentions, but they didn't help. 


And no, the hand laid is not the problem, it goes down quickly thank you very much! 

[Chet]

I like the track plan, really interesting.