Colorado Midland Railway Engineering Report

[timgill]

Doubleheader hawtness. *drool* 

[delamaize]

Yay!  My 4-6-0 shipped! 

Here's a great site showing Otto Perry's pics of the Colorado Midland's roster in 1918, about the time the railroad was shutting down:

http://donsdepot.donrossgroup.net/dr284.htm

And, color video of the Midland Terminal in the 1940s, including the then-surviving CM trackage from Divide to Colorado Springs:

That 2-6-0 pusher ooks a lot like the the newer bachman 2-6-0....

[Dave V]

That 2-6-0 pusher looks a lot like the the newer Bachmann 2-6-0....

True, but it's not an original CM engine.  The Midland Terminal also got engines from the Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek District Railway, AKA the "Shortline."

[Dave V]

I think I figured out my ballast problem.

Arizona Rock & Mineral makes N scale "Cumbres and Toltec" ballast made of decomposed granite that looks much like the rock one finds along the Midland ROW.  At least it does online; Caboose carries the full line and I can scope it out in person.

[Jeff AKA St0rm]

I think I figured out my ballast problem.

Arizona Rock & Mineral makes N scale "Cumbres and Toltec" ballast made of decomposed granite that looks much like the rock one finds along the Midland ROW.  At least it does online; Caboose carries the full line and I can scope it out in person.

That sounds like a rock solid idea    

[Missaberoad]

[Dave V]

I'm thinking one way to mitigate up-front costs and stay motivated is to tie any further major purchases to fitness goals.  This semester I should have significantly more gym time (I'm teaching one class I've taught before, and then mentoring 4-5 independent research cadet projects), so I might tie some major purchases to things like a specified weight loss amount (I could stand to lose 15 or so total) and/or things like trimming run time or increasing push-ups or weights on the bench.

The major purchases that remain to have a minimally functional layout ready for shows:

2" extruded Styrofoam x 2 sheets
Bridges (probably a Walthers/Heljan trestle kit or two for bashing, plus a Micro Engineering steel trestle)
Several feet of ME bridge flex in code 55
Ground cover & ballast
Mine structure for the top of the branch
Options for rock if not hand-carved (such as Cripple Bush or Flexrock)


Fortunately, on-hand I have:
Benchwork done
All the track and cork I could need (and then some)
Some assorted ground cover materials
Depot, water tank (both built), one mine, row houses
Loco (en route), cars, cabooses
Colorado Midland decals (being made as we speak, already paid for)
Micro SPDT switches for the turnouts
Masonite for fascia
Woodland Scenics incline systems for the grades

Unfortunately I do have to work all next weekend, but that's OK.  Like I said, if I tie fitness goals to train purchases, it's all win.  I had entirely too many cookies over the break and my uniform is a bit snugger than I like, LOL.  That, and my annual PT test will be here before I know it!

[John]

Good goal Dave .. I started something similar in the 80s .. Each pack of cigarettes I didn't buy after I quit -- the funds went into my "train budget" .. so if I needed a pack of flex track, I waited the 3-5 days, or whatever, to "save" the money

[Dave V]

My 4-6-0 arrived today!  What a beautiful little engine.  I was astonished at how much detail Bachmann squeezed into such a small space.

Tonight I'll put her through her paces both on the JD and on Jacob's old layout; the JD for the pulling power and the other layout for the tight curves and DC compatibility.

Then to the paint shop!

[davefoxx]

Dave,

In case you're unaware, there's an article in the 2015 edition of Model Railroad Planning on the Colorado Midland.  I'm not familiar enough to know if it's relevant for you, but the author, Andrew Dodge, is building a large O scale layout based on the Second Division circa 1897.

DFF

[Dave V]

Dave,

In case you're unaware, there's an article in the 2015 edition of Model Railroad Planning on the Colorado Midland.  I'm not familiar enough to know if it's relevant for you, but the author, Andrew Dodge, is building a large O scale layout based on the Second Division circa 1897.

DFF

Actually, I didn't know that.  I've heard of Andrew Dodge's CM (he used to model the DSP&P), but now I have to go to Caboose and pick up MRP...  Drat!   

[Dave V]

Observations of the Bachmann 4-6-0...

It certainly looks beautiful.  However, my specimen:

- Came seemingly devoid of lubrication.  She squeaked like a burning mouse.
- The pilot truck axles were not free-rolling.
- After lubrication, it still squeaks a bit when running forward, but much less so.  It's not the journals or the pilot axles 'cause I lubed those.
- She required a good 30 laps or so around Jacob's layout before she settled down smoothly.
- She hates Unitrack turnouts.  That has to be a first for me.  I thought anything ran through Unitrack.
- Pulling power is meh.  I'm not hauling coal drags with it but I'm hoping it can still do 3 cars and a caboose around 10" curves on a 3% grade.  I'm not optimistic.  I do have Bullfrog Snot but I don't want to take away pickup.

Note: I have not checked the gauge yet.  That could account for both the Unitrack tracking issue and, possibly, the squeak if there's binding against the rail.

So, this is no Kato 2-8-2 with traction tire, but I may yet be able to coax more performance out of her with more tinkering.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

My 4-6-0 ran fine on my less-than 2'x4' Mt. Coffin & Columbia layout with 9"-ish curves, though there were times when it made it know that THAT was the sharpest it'd deal with.
Could pull up to 10 light cars and 6 heavier cars around those curves.

Here's the video from the last run around Mt. Coffin (though only 4 cars):

[I replaced the stock tender with the Bmann small USRA tender & installed both Z-scale couplers (MTL 905s) and a DZ125 decoder]

The Ten Wheeler has two traction tires that actually fell off after a year of running around in a constant counter-clockwise curve.
Got replacements but have yet to re-install (can still pull 4-5 cars without traction tires on flat straights).

With the traction tires and a little added weight in the smokebox the Ten Wheeler should pull a good cut of cars up a grade no problem.

The newer Bachmann 2-6-0 Mogul is a great loco and also has two traction tires, and can pull 12+ cars on flat no problem, though much fewer on a grade.

Looking forward to seeing your progress!

[Dave V]

MC,

Thanks for the vid!  Actually mine is running even smoother than that.  I guess I got spoiled by the Kato 2-8-2!

On another subject...  How did you do your pine trees?

[timgill]

She squeaked like a burning mouse.

Strange...mine is the quietest loco I own. Hopefully the squeaking is a gauge issue that can be remedied.

As far as the pilot truck goes; the first run of these got shipped with the pilot truck on upside-down, apparently caused tracking issues. Be sure to double-check that, just in case you got an older-stock one.