Colorado Midland Railway Engineering Report

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I think that looks really good Dave, especially the dirt showing through.

[Scottl]

It looks good, but I think the bushes are a bit too green for autumn.  Is there a difference between alpine glacial moraine and glacial moraine 

[Dave V]

It looks good, but I think the bushes are a bit too green for autumn.  Is there a difference between alpine glacial moraine and glacial moraine 

Yes, actually...  Most of the glacial moraine folks are familiar with come from the continental ice sheets (such as the Laurentide) that covered much of North America during the Wisconsin glaciation.  Alpine glaciers lasted until much more recently in the Rockies and their more frequent advances and retreats left a more random scattering of rock debris and radicals.

The bushes are juniper, so they stay green year-'round.  Haven't figured out which green matches best, though.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Oh, one thing... color looks good, but the texture of the dirt is a bit coarse.

So, you know what that means...
http://www.lowes.com/pd_643569-70680-7077403311___?productId=50334053&pl=1&Ntt=unsanded+grout

[Scottl]

Yes, actually...  Most of the glacial moraine folks are familiar with come from the continental ice sheets (such as the Laurentide) that covered much of North America during the Wisconsin glaciation.  Alpine glaciers lasted until much more recently in the Rockies and their more frequent advances and retreats left a more random scattering of rock debris and radicals.

The bushes are juniper, so they stay green year-'round.  Haven't figured out which green matches best, though.

I prefer the greens from Scenic Express as they are often more subtle greens than the WS variety, but it is a preference.  Some gray or red can tone it down a lot too.

I guess I qualify as a glacial moraine folk, which is why I raised the point.  Last I looked the Laurentide limit was a bit north of Colorado, like Montana.  Regardless, most of the material where the rail lines were located was colluvial (mass movement) in origin or in many places just weathered bedrock.  In in practice they often look similar when revegetated.

[Dave V]

@Ed Kapuscinski, I don't think the texture is too coarse for the Rockies:

[Dave V]

Last I looked the Laurentide limit was a bit north of Colorado, like Montana. 

Exactly.  The alpine glaciation in Colorado was not part of the Laurentide ice sheet.  I grew up on Long Island which was, in fact the terminal moraine for the Laurentide sheet.  The fork on the east end represents two advances of the sheet.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

@Ed Kapuscinski, I don't think the texture is to coarse for the Rockies:

It absolutely is! That's not a patch of rocks, that's a patch of dirt, right? Look at the dirt around the rocks in your fourth photo. If you want rocks, add rocks. But let your dirt be dirt.

[Dave V]

It absolutely is! That's not a patch of rocks, that's a patch of dirt, right? Look at the dirt around the rocks in your fourth photo. If you want rocks, add rocks. But let your dirt be dirt.

I'm doing both.  A patch of dirt with a patch of rocks.

For example, the Midland's approach to Hagerman tunnel:



And the dirt I'm using is very fine (powder-like) Scenic Express dirt...I just mixed in the local stuff to represent the loose rock.

My point is that the challenge I'm facing is that you do find lots of loose rocks intermixed with the soil here on the surface.  It's kinda hard to do convincingly.

[Chris333]

I don't know how things are out in CO. But here, right now, out in the roads are a nice build up of small rocks from the snow. I noticed in my garage were the snow melted off my car there are basically puddles of small rocks. Go out to an intersection and scoop up a pile, wash out the salt.

[Dave V]

[Dave V]

Making progress on the layout's signature scene...

[conrailthomas519]

NICE!

[Cajonpassfan]

Ooh, nice signature
Otto K.

[Chris333]

That escalated quickly!