Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

The M - K & Eastern RR

20991 views
120 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    September 2013
  • 2,505 posts
Posted by caldreamer on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 1:03 PM

Since your railroad is just west of mine, would you like to "interchange" traffic?

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 12:14 PM

caldreamer

Where in Colroado will your railroad be set?  I model the BNSF Pikes Peak Sub, Denver to Pueblo..

   Caldreamer

 

My layout is protolanced. But imagine Central City and westwards.

The concept is that the M&K & E built a tramway north of Georgetown, and became a part of the D&RGW in WW2.

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    September 2013
  • 2,505 posts
Posted by caldreamer on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 11:23 AM

Where in Colroado will your railroad be set?  I model the BNSF Pikes Peak Sub, Denver to Pueblo..

   Caldreamer

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 9:37 AM

More scenery in place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now I only have to finish up the rails and ground around the turntable and some ballasting before I can continue building eastward!

 

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Tuesday, April 21, 2020 9:12 AM

Progress.

It looks a lot better with some scenery.

 

The section I've been working on.

 

The brewery and coal dock.

 

The brewery from the other side.

 

The track to the brewery and supply store.

 

The bordello.

 

The band!

 

Some trees around the engine house.

 

The town.

 

It'll be fun to start detailing.

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Monday, April 20, 2020 3:25 PM

A little more done on the layout.

Some pictures of my mountain behind the town.

 

Hand carved plaster stained with WS ocher, sienna and raw umber. Sprayed with diluted matte Modpodge.

Then a wash with black and raw umber.  

I finished it by dry brushing with white mixed with ocher.

What do you think?

 

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Bradford, Ontario
  • 15,797 posts
Posted by hon30critter on Sunday, November 3, 2019 5:05 PM

Graffen
The town of Holy Cross needed a turntable at the engine terminal. So I decided to build my own 75 foot turntable from plans

Well done!

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Saturday, November 2, 2019 8:14 PM

The town of Holy Cross needed a turntable at the engine terminal.

So I decided to build my own 75 foot turntable from plans.

I haven't followed the plans 100%, but almost...

I designed the pit in CAD and 3D printed it in three interlocking parts.

The track around it is in a small trench in the print. I haven't even glued it yet as it fits so good.

The bridge is all wood.

There's some details left to do as the stay wires and the drive system.

 

 

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Bradford, Ontario
  • 15,797 posts
Posted by hon30critter on Thursday, October 31, 2019 9:16 PM

Graffen
Faller's fir trees are really not at all good looking, but with a few minutes of work their appearance can be much improved.

Hi again Graff,

Did you look at any other brands of trees by any chance? For example, did try anything from China or the far east? I'm guessing our club's layout will take 1000 trees easily so I am very interested in anyone else's experience. We are likely a couple of years away from planting trees but I want to figure out how we will do them when we get there.

The trees look good with the trimming and the added foliage.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Thursday, October 31, 2019 7:30 PM

Spruce/fir trees 2.0

Faller's fir trees are really not at all good looking, but with a few minutes of work their appearance can be much improved.

I use Polak model turf and some spray adhesive for this project.

 

They are very coarse as they are...

 

I trim the armatures to avoid the cone shape.

 

Less is more...

 

I applied some spray glue and two layers of turf.

 

This group of five trees took me 10 minutes to do, a time that can be reduced severely if made in a series.

I have over 1000 trees to do, so any savings of time and money are very welcome.

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Thursday, October 31, 2019 1:47 PM

I set it on the layout.

 

Can look good when scenery and detailing is done.

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Thursday, October 31, 2019 1:30 PM
I totally agree! It was almost driving me to make a new floor... It would have been so easy for the designer to make the laser cut floor with staggered planks.

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Bradford, Ontario
  • 15,797 posts
Posted by hon30critter on Thursday, October 31, 2019 10:11 AM

Nicely built kit! Great paint job too. I love the greasy look on the crane!

I have one bone to pick with whoever designed the kit. The deck board end joints are all on the same beams. That doesn't make for a very strong floor because most of the flexing will be concentrated where those end joints are. If the end joints are staggered the floor will be much more solid. If the floor in your house was built the same way the squeaking would drive you nuts!

Sorry, that's getting really picky, but things like that drive me crazy!! Nothing to do with you, Graff.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Thursday, October 31, 2019 8:11 AM

hon30critter

That's a neat project from 'found' parts!

Dave

 

Thanks Dave!

I just finished a coal bridge for my layout.

As it's a laser cut kit, I decided not to use a wash to color the wood, instead I painted it.

 

I used Vallejo IDF gray primer.

 

I then applied an oil based wash from AK.

 

The crane got weathered by various rust colors and powders.

Then some gloss oil spill.

 

 

This will be a nice addition to the engine service facilities.

 

 

 

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Bradford, Ontario
  • 15,797 posts
Posted by hon30critter on Monday, October 28, 2019 9:00 PM

That's a neat project from 'found' parts!

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Monday, October 28, 2019 2:34 PM

Nice one Dave!

You take what you have on hand...   

I needed to install DCC and sound in a K-27. 

So I found a sound decoder in an old locomotive. 

A 21-pin ESU V4. 

I took out the circuit board to avoid having to solder new contacts on the decoder. 

I manufactured phosphor bronze pickups for the locomotive.

I also replaced the gearbox cover with a piece of circuit board laminate. 

 

The decoder did not fit straight into the tender, so I 3D printed an angled holder.

 

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Bradford, Ontario
  • 15,797 posts
Posted by hon30critter on Sunday, October 27, 2019 11:11 PM

Hi Graff,

I don't know if this might help, but this is how I mounted sockets in the back of a 4-6-0 that I have been working on (for years). There are smaller sockets available but I can't remember where I got them.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Sunday, October 27, 2019 5:08 PM

Bought a horse and wagon kit yesterday.

 

Really nice metal kit.

 

I've also started on the DCC and sound install on my K-27 #455.

 

I make ports in the tender for the wiring between loco and tender so they don't get tangled.

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    April 2012
  • From: Denver, CO
  • 771 posts
Posted by middleman on Friday, October 25, 2019 11:08 AM

Thanks for the pictures and video!I really enjoy watching your progress on this - looking forward to more..

Mike

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Friday, October 25, 2019 9:51 AM

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Friday, October 25, 2019 8:48 AM

Made some more on the town of Holy Cross on my layout.

 

Made a road tunnel.

 

The tunnel to the staging.

 

My rendition of the Silver spur mine.

 

The church.

 

I'm slowly getting there.

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Monday, October 14, 2019 3:37 AM

My solution of current pickup on brass locomotives.  

They pick up one pole on one side of the locomotive and the other in the tender.  

And it's via spring blocks .... It doesn't work well on digital.  

I replaced the gearbox cover with a piece of circuit board laminate.  

There is not enough space on the underside, so I had to sand the laminate 1 mm.  

The holes next to the gear are filled with epoxy for strength.  

The pickups are phosphor bronze which has a small spring coil made by wrapping the wire around a 0.7 mm drill bit.  

The power cables are soldered to the old pickup points.  

Now you have full power pickup on the locomotive, now the tender trucks will receive the same treatment.

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Bradford, Ontario
  • 15,797 posts
Posted by hon30critter on Wednesday, October 9, 2019 7:45 PM

Graffen
Tunnel liner made of Shaper sheet.

I love the Shaper Sheet tunnel liner! I'm working on some mountains for the club which will be covered in Shaper Sheet. I'll be installing it shortly as soon as I have trimmed the foam structure to shape. I'll post some pictures on my layout thread.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Wednesday, October 9, 2019 1:01 PM

The portal is installed and the tunnel tracks got cinders.

 

The hidden staging tracks are finished as well. Only the servos left to install

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Tuesday, October 8, 2019 8:47 AM
Tunnel liner made of Shaper sheet.

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Friday, October 4, 2019 1:42 PM

hon30critter

Hi Graff,

Your painting efforts look great, both the background scene and the rock castings.

I hope I can do half as well when time comes to paint mountains at the club.

Dave

 

Thanks Dave.

I'm trying to match some photos I have of the Colorado mountains.
The color lightened a bit when it dried.

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    March 2019
  • 4 posts
Posted by blucrsr on Friday, October 4, 2019 9:51 AM
The details on your buildings is amazing. Does someone know a book or website that goes over how to make models that look this realistic? I'm just getting ready to start paining some of my structures and am quite lost deciding where to begin!
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Bradford, Ontario
  • 15,797 posts
Posted by hon30critter on Thursday, October 3, 2019 7:27 PM

Hi Graff,

Your painting efforts look great, both the background scene and the rock castings.

I hope I can do half as well when time comes to paint mountains at the club.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Thursday, October 3, 2019 12:11 PM
I test painted a mountain...
:)Big Smile
I use regular acrylics and WS earth pigments.
First an ochre wash.
 
Then a light wash of burnt sienna.
 
And finally (?) gray stone earth pigments.
As it is supposed to look Colorado-ish, I hope this is the way to go.
It will lighten when dry.
Then some dry brushing.

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Thursday, October 3, 2019 10:22 AM

I've started painting the backdrop. 

Just regular artist acrylics.

It's important to have a good original photo to paint from.

The colors are mostly midtones at this point.

The details are being added.

A lot of work left to do.

 

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!