Weekend Update 11/2/25

[arx nakanishi]

Another cut from my N-scale Cisco, Utah diorama.
As you know, the townsite lies in the middle of the vast dry land. That was one of the subjects of the diorama. The road is U.S. Highway 50 & 6, known as the Loneliest Highway.
The UTOCO station was built in 1950 by Buddy Cowger, and succeeded by Ray Scott in 1955. Ray operated it well into the 70s.

Hiroshi Nakanishi/Boxcar Red Collection

[chuck geiger]

Before talking to Ed for the podcast, I got inspired by watching every tree-making video on YouTube I could find and watch. Ed will be up Train Talk Media in an hour Monday 4p Eastern

[garethashenden]

Which tree making video is best? I need a lot of trees...

[Jesse6669]

Designed and printed some holders for the cabs, adding some roadnames to them for fun.





Also did some practice/test painting in anticipation of the track painting.

[chuck geiger]

Which tree making video is best? I need a lot of trees...

Search on YouTube "Model Train Trees"

[chessie system fan]

I finished painting my MP baggage car this evening. 



I'm still getting the feel for Tru Color paint, but I can tell I'm improving.  It's a good thing this is just the practice car and that I didn't add any details to it because I'm definitely making a few changes to the next iteration. Masking around those doors was way too tedious. Even with some touchup work, you can see I still didn't get things perfect.  They'll be separate parts next time! 

[Philip H]

Having spent the last month doing domestic COO blessed projects to occupy myself during my furlough, I started off my second month of furlough cleaning up the train area. Much more to do but still progress:

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[Dave V]

So... You turned the room on its side, @Philip H ?   

[C855B]

So... You turned the room on its side, @Philip H ?   

Oh. Okay. I thought the hanging the chair from a wall was a novel space-saving solution.

[Philip H]

So... You turned the room on its side, @Philip H ?   

Easier to shake all the dust out that way.

[robert3985]

A couple weeks ago I managed to score a unicorn... a Blackstone undecorated 3000-series "economy door" boxcar. Many of the D&RGW's ubiquitous 3000-series boxcars did not have the more familiar "Camel" hardware that included the signature horizontal steel brace across the center of the door. However, of all the kits and RTR 3000-series cars ever made in HOn3, only Blackstone made the "economy door" version.



I lettered it according to a photo taken of 3187 in 1940 in Ouray, CO. As it happens, 3187 is the "default" car number in the San Juan Decals set of this car. As such, many people letter their 3000-series cars as 3187, but it's usually on a Rail Line or Almomsa Car Shops car with the wrong door. 3187 was an "economy door" boxcar. I also added the correct lettering on the tack board. Blackstone did not release a decorated model of 3187.

Dave @Dave V - Verrry interesting.  Always love it when something is nearly exactly "right" with prototype photos to show with it to those who may not know.  I hear faint voices in the background chanting "rivet counter, rivet counter, rivet cou..." fading off with positivity leaving a big smile on your face.

Although the prototype photo you are referring to may show a freshly painted car, I'd guess that a bit of weathering to the lower sides/trucks and roof will really make this model "pop"...  Yeah, I've got the same problem...lotsa cars and engines I want to weather up a bit, but can't seem to find the time...

Always love to see your work...

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Dave V]

@robert3985 ,

Praise from Caesar... Thank you.

The prototype photo is here:

https://ngtrainpics.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/RD037-D-RGW-Ouray/G0000UoXRagK7sDc/I0000LYzCvXDG.QI/C0000Vd2qoA2MbNU

It doesn't show well in the photos, but there's a little grime along the bottom of the car, some streaking on individual boards, and cinders on the roof. I applied them with pan pastels. The Dullcote knocks most of it off. I do think the roof needs a little more cinder.

There's a closeup of the left side of the car in one of my books that shows the lettering on the tack board saying "Concentrate Loading Montrose Ouray."

[btrain]

I really like the track layout setup and micro modules that you have there @InterurbanModels . It’s like a great minimalist T-trak for branchline modelers. I may have to experiment with that format sometime in the future.

No doubt modeling season is back in full force for most of us. I’ve dived into projects this past month with an eye at getting my free-mon modules more visually appealing for late winter and spring shows.

One of the things that’s been kind of a stick in the spokes for me is priming models in my paint booth. I greatly admire my Tamiya rattle can, and enjoy how it preserves great details like rivets and fine metal mesh on models. But if it’s below 55* outside, stuff is going to get shelved until the weather improves, giving me a terrible back log of stuff.

As I was completing @Rasputen  line of 60s/70s automobiles and about to start on some Showcase Miniatures ones, I took a trip down to the local hobby shop for advice for an airbrush friendly primer. The clerk suggested The Army Painter Warpaints Primer, which requires no dilution.

I’m pretty happy with how it applied, other than it doesn’t grip very well on metal castings. I may try another brand to see if I can use it for that, while airbrushing inside with a respirator.

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Another project I’ve been working on is easy storage and transport for my fleet of cars. Like most, I get pretty frustrated having to rifle through jewel cases while putting a consist together at shows or at home. The storage box I usually use has a flimsy foam back and cars get loose as I peel a layer.

Going to Target, I picked up several of their Brightroom 16-quart storage containers along with some foam board. After goofing around with dimensions and orientations, I can now fit about sixty 50’ cars in one container.

The dimensions are pretty simple. The base of the first two layers is 8 1/2” by 13” while the base for the next two are 9” by 14” The dividers are 1” tall and are spaced 1 1/2” apart. To prevent cars sliding too much in transport, a layer of packing foam is cut to fit between the dividers.

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So far everything is pretty good for it, but I may put the packing foam around the walls of the container to prevent couplers from being snarled.

[Rasputen]

I've been airbrushing Tamiya gray lacquer primer that I keep pre-thinned in a jar, it doesn't seem to need much additional thinning after sitting for long periods.  Plus I can simply pour the un-used portion back in the jar, so there isn't a lot of waste.

[milw156]

The Modutrak crew attended Trainfest this past weekend in Milwaukee. I got almost nothing done on Saturday, but got to run a few trains on Sunday, as well as walk around to see what else was there, I took a few pics of some of the new Radpido, Scale Trains, and Atlas offerings, along with some of the more interesting scenes on some other layouts. The N scale ones come first appropriately, but there were some other scales that were good too, and I know I missed a few!