Gibbon, Cozad & Western - "The 100th Meridian Line"

[SSW7771]

Bummer. It sounds like it should be smoother on the second time. 

[GaryHinshaw]

Frustrating for sure, but at least you can print a new shell.  I'm sure you'll bounce back from this in no time.

Kind of disappointing to hear about the Tru-Color variations.  I'm hoping to try their wares when I gat back to modelling, after our September ops event.

[C855B]

On a more pleasant note, a couple of scenes from the 1:1 in the region and era of the GC&W. First is Daggett, looking east. Santa Fe train that signal is for didn't make it in time for photo light:



On the platform at Kelso, about to get sandblasted:



Check out the jointed rail. Had I known then what I know now, we would have had a leisurely lunch at the depot lunch counter, still operating at the time.

[C855B]

One more. Looks like a Locotrol (old-school DPU system) SD45 on the point, workin' the grade pretty hard:



You can see from the roadbed on both the main and siding that this is a heavily-trafficked line, yet was still jointed rail in '73. I think this is the east switch at Kelso.

[C855B]

This is especially exciting!:



Bob Kingsnorth, the author of last month's Model Railroader article about 3D modeling, was super-super-gracious in sending the 3D CAD files of his project for my editing and reduction to N scale. The image is of the core of UP's Kelso station, the featured project in his article. I have one more file to convert, the very complex colonnade, but all the rest converted to TurboCAD Mac without issue.

Given the relative simplicity of the walls, it is likely those will be cut off the CAD drawing and converted for cutout on a vinyl cutter, leaving the roof and façade details for Shapeways printing. Once the colonnade is converted, it will probably be sent off for FUD printing, too.

Grand plan is to slice-and-dice the CAD for the Yermo and Caliente stations, as well.

[Santa Fe Guy]

Just goes to show there are really nice folk in our hobby.
This is just one example.
Rod.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Speaking of Kelso, just watched this last night:

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Railroading out there is do different than here. Wow.

[Missaberoad]

Railroading out there is do different than here. Wow.

How so? interested to hear your perspective on that...

That's pretty ubiquitous western railroading, what I grew up with in Manitoba... ...and for that matter most of the west...

[sirenwerks]

No sure Ed's talking about the railroading so much as the setting it occurs in. Back east things don't happen in the middle of nowhere like they do here in the west. Out east there's always a burg or holler nearby at the least, a convenience store or gas station at the middle least, and, at the very least, you have cell phone reception. Out west, all guarantees of any of that are void and in some cases you may not even get a bump in the horizon of what looks to easterners like a massive overgrown dirt parking lot. And to experience railroading in that void is a unique experience if you've never seen it before.

[C855B]

Homesick.

[GaryHinshaw]

Very nice Ed.   The west is the best. 

So how much of the LASL is still jointed rail?   

[James Costello]

And to experience railroading in that void is a unique experience if you've never seen it before.

This. Especially when it's combined with some pretty spectacular natural scenery.

[SirTainly]

Sorry to hear about the demise of the shell, but I am looking forward to seeing a replacement completed.

Love the video though, proper railroading!

[C855B]

Making progress on the Kelso station. After a bit of back and forth trying to convert Mr. Kingsnorth's CAD files, I managed to upload and pass Shapeways' automated checks for the distinctive colonnade:



We were hoping to convert it to the CAD program I use, but it's turning out the only way to get reliable output is with the original files using the Autocad shareware program Bob used... which was an additional challenge because it was discontinued in March and is now unsupported. I had to rummage around for an archived downloadable of the official installer.

No surprise, even after reduction to N scale just this piece alone will be >$100 in FUD. A lot cheaper in Strong & Flexible, but that won't render the tile edges. There is another part to the structure Bob did not model, the kitchen in back. He included reference photos and we think I can cut enough of the CAD artwork from the colonnade to generate the roof profiles for it. Not looking forward to learning the quirks of yet another drawing program, but if that's what it takes...

[3DTrains]

Considering what lies ahead, Mike, you might be better off using a vinyl cutter: https://www.amazon.com/Silhouette/b/ref=bl_dp_s_web_3042502011?ie=UTF8&node=3042502011&field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=Silhouette

A bit more effort in scratch building, but in the event of error, it's better to goof on a sheet of plastic than it would for a Shapeways one-off.

Cheers!
Marc - Riverside