What's On Your Bench 6:2018

[Keith Hayes]

It may be winter Down Under, but we are in the middle of spring thunder storm season in Leadville. Yard work and family distract from the work. But the work goes on.

I ordered some Phase II coals from Paul Vaughn a while back. I guess it was to delay completion of the Phase I project so I would be sure not to put the chain roller on the side. Anyhow, these are almost finished.



I built them and painted and decaled them first, weathered the boards and added the grab irons last. It worked out pretty well, and I think I will try it again.

I am also working on a portable elevator aka Harry Brunk.  Harry used a wire tie for the conveyor belt. I spied one about 3/16" wide at the office, recalled Harry's article, and made sure the wire tie made it to the work bench.


I need to find some good wheels for this project. One will be for the smelter, and the second will be for Cloud City Coal.

Friends visited the layout and I gave them a throttle: blowing the whistle always delights.



What are you working on?

[Mike Trent]

OK Keith, since all your work and the inspiration it caused, and the aforementioned good luck to have been able to get my paws on a couple of Phase 1 Coal cars from Cimarron Model Works, I now have those two under construction. Since these have excellent resin cast bodys, that part of the project zoomed ahead pretty fast, and I'm now in the process of underbody detailing.  

I didn't realize that these kits had ever been produced, and was surprised about that, and even more surprised to learn that Bob Stears had created the models from which the molds were made to create these super nice bodys. Pictures do not do them justice. No C&S Roster can be complete without wood framed coal cars. When these are done, I will feel complete at least in that regard. There are a couple more that will follow later, a Phase 2 and a Phase 0. I haven't got room for all these cars, but I'll have to make room for them. Have to.

[Joe Ferguson]

Forks Creek station and section house. Neither are done, but are finally getting close.


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Joe

[Mike McKenzie]

On the coffee table, PBL C-21 with AirWire battery power installed by Geoff Ringlé (https://oldirondesigns.com/). Also had him replace the standard Rio Grande headlight with an 18" Pyle with raised bracket and remove the existing coal boards. I'll fashion some C&S flavored coal boards (inspiration welcome) and finish painting and weathering, lettering for a Grande 3rd division/C&S Blue River-ish freelance, road name yet to be determined. Will probably go with Blue River RR or Black River RR with connections in Gunnison or perhaps an alternate reality Dillon. I'll use the larger headlight and high coal boards as a family look on any new power I acquire.



Recently finished a test build for D&RGW gon plow 09271 based out of Gunnison (best I could do for a C&S tie-in). It's a Portland Locomotive Works Sn3 kit, but as a test build I had to supply my own details (brake rigging, queen posts, NBWs, trucks, etc.), but the laser work and resin plow were pretty nice. Neat thing about the prototype: apparently (from photo) had 3'7" truck on the B end and 4'8" under the plow, so that's what I used. Again, will letter for freelance BRRR.

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Currently building a Wiseman Sn3 wood frame CONX 5 kit with no instructions, which is fun. Instructions would be easy enough to acquire but there are plenty of photos and a nice drawing from Sloan, so no problem. Gives me a chance to hone my kit whispering skills...

I'll probably use the CONOCO decals but may use a different (never used) number. Any suggestions? CONX 13?

Mike

[tonyk375]

Backdated tenders for D&RGW rotaries OM and ON for me in Sn3.  

Have done many of them in HOn3.  The painted ones in the back are HOn3.

A nice sunny day in the Black Hills but winter is never far away so better have the snow plows overhauled and ready.

[Don Gustavson II]

I like the plow Mike. Looks very nice.