Colorado Midland Railway Engineering Report

[Dave V]

So...  With the Colorado Midland's public debut this weekend it occurred to me that all of my Pennsylvania Railroad apparel is probably not appropriate for this train show audience. So, when you can't really find good Colorado Midland apparel, you can always make your own.

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[Philip H]

And where can we purchase one of these to support your show work advancing the hobby?

[Dave V]

It's been a while but DKS' new micro-layout thread inspired me to share a few pics of my own micro layout from the last few months.  The two with a visible backdrop were taken in my basement; the rest were taken at the Fall 2017 Train Expo Colorado (TECO) show in Colorado Springs last October.

[Philip H]

Probably a really dumb question - did it show well🚂? And did you shoot video? 🎥

[Dave V]

Probably a really dumb question - did it show well🚂? And did you shoot video? 🎥

Yes and I did, but I didn't upload any of the videos to YouTube...

So, @tom mann , when do we start video hosting on the Railwire?   

[Dave V]

[Mike C]

 Whose rock molds did you use ?

[Dave V]

Whose rock molds did you use ?

Some of the foreground rocks are Mountains in Minutes Flexrock with some hand-carved mixed in, but the back stuff is all hand-carved.  There's a Cripple Brush rubber rock behind the big trestle below track level but it's hand-carved above.  The vicinity of the two small trestles is almost all hand-carved.

[Dave V]

I'm giving serious thought to selling off this layout too.  I want to get the RGS to a point where it's partially scenicked and trains are running, but I may part ways with the Midland too.  It was a fun project but a bit redundant with the RGS in the next room.  Plus, it would open up some wall space in my soon-to-be-combined-Fortress-of-Trains/home-office bedroom for a shelf layout.

Said shelf layout would be used to scratch one of my many other itches from an Arizona copper mining operation in On30 to a freelanced HO Pennsy branch in Lancaster County.

[Dave V]

It's been well more than a year since the Colorado Midland turned a wheel.  It's been only a week since I declared to the Railwire that I was done with N scale.

So...

As a scientist I constantly challenge myself to question my own convictions.  Last night I stared at the Midland for a good 10 minutes or so, evaluating the thick patina of dust it's accumulated, the massive bubbles that have grown through the Woodland Scenics Realistic Water, and the oxidized rail head wondering how much work it would take to put it back in shape.

I've learned a lot about doing Colorado scenery in my Rio Grande Southern adventures and I think the Midland could use a scenic makeover.

The Midland has some track problems that I never fully resolved.  I still have a good stash of code 55 track on hand I could use to replace the sections I can't tune, as well as leftover ballast to match what I originally used.

I had some locomotive problems which are partly to blame for driving me out of N scale, but I do have a beautiful little Athearn consolidation with a Russia iron boiler and the CMRy Pikes Peak Route logo that runs like a champion.  She just needs a cleaning and a lube (phrasing?).  I have unfinished car kits and scads of unused Colorado Midland N scale decals.

I still don't see myself taking on any new N scale projects, but going forward whether I chose to keep the Midland or sell it, it needs some TLC anyway.

As I start to tinker I'll post progress here.  I know I said no more N scale, but I have this whole layout already built, and it'd be a shame to let it just sit and accumulate more dust!   

[wcfn100]

You should really take it to the Estes Park show.

Jason

[Dave V]

You should really take it to the Estes Park show.

Jason

Never gonna happen.  We ALWAYS ski President’s Day Weekend.  That’s like the worst time to have a train show in the Colorado Rockies if you actually want visitors.

[Dave V]

Proof of life.  Taken today.



There are some real trouble spots in the track that were there before but have grown worse over time.  By my reckoning, just to get the main oval running up to par with my HOn3 or the old Juniata Division, I'm going to have to relay a transition curve that kinked and replace a #7 turnout plus drop another 3-4 feeder pairs.

Then there's the branchline.  It never ran well. 

Then there's the pinch point in the passing siding.

So yeah, even before I begin scenery rehab, the track and wiring needs a lot of work.  However, what motivates me is realizing how much I was able to do in 12 x 14 feet so quickly...so repairing a 2.5 x 5 foot layout should be a piece of cake.

[Chris333]

    The bubbles in the water are from using foam under it. Foam out-gasses and always will. I learned my lesson and now lay down this 1/8" hard board for a water base.

You wanna sell that buzz box? 

[Dave V]

   The bubbles in the water are from using foam under it. Foam out-gasses and always will. I learned my lesson and now lay down this 1/8" hard board for a water base.

You wanna sell that buzz box? 

Holy sh!t, you're right.  I never once considered the foam outgassing!

Nah, keeping the sound box for now.