Mine Props

[Lee Gustafson]

Keith,

The mine prop loads are something rarely modeled and the idea of making resin castings is a good way of creating several loads in a shorter time than stick building them. I suspect that the color variation will be an added advantage. Thanks for sharing. I always enjoy your projects and your work.

Lee Gustafson

[ComoDepot]

We are heading with track in the direction of the spill but will end up a few hundred yards short.

[Keith Hayes]

I made four castings. From pour to pull the casting is ready in 30 minutes. It is really very easy. The last two have foam core centers as I ran out of balsa: it worked well too.

Consensus indicates that the logs were not peeled. I used my table saw to level the load and cut off excess resin. Then there was a bath in alcohol with a toothbrush. After a brief air dry, the castings got a heavy spray of Rustoleum  Camo Beige,  my favorite primer. After a short air dry, I applied Vallejo Dark Brown wash followed by dark grey. I have some Raggs logs I finished this way, and the results are pleasing to my eye. Neither brown nor grey.

Next up will be some dots of craft paint for the inner wood.

This has been a fun project: what else may I cast?

[Keith Hayes]

Four loads of mine props are complete. It was a fun project,  and the texture on the logs turned out great. They are also not terribly heavy.

[Jim Courtney]

Looks just like the real thing!

[Keith Hayes]

Pat Student,  I see mime 0rips coming from the Gunnison country over Marshall Pass to points east ( maybe Leadville?).

Any photos of these shipments on the D&RG?

[Keith Hayes]

Pat Student,  I see mime 0rips coming from the Gunnison country over Marshall Pass to points east ( maybe Leadville?).

Any photos of these shipments on the D&RG?

[Dave Eggleston]

Not sure what the date you're seeing for those shipments, Keith, but props were shipped out of Pitkin, definitely during the period of D&RG operation of the branch. Hauled to Parlin (or all the way to Gunnison?) then over Marshall. There are photos of Pitkin's yard surrounded by lumber of all types in the 20s.

[Pat Student]

Kieth

Unfortunately I've seen very few photos of D#&RGW loads in the early 20's.

Following on degg13's post the photo of what appears to be broad gage ties waiting to be loaded at Pitkin.

[Pat Student]

Forgot to mention in previous post the source of the photo is "Narrow Gauge Pictorial, Volume IV"