HOn3 Rio Grande Southern First District 1938-1945

[Santa Fe Guy]

Rico should look very cool if you can get all of that in Dave.
Following your thread with interest as I am just starting out in HOn3 after 40 plus years in N Scale and will get to do it in a new double garage but only on the walls above car height, hmmm. Started to assemble some Rail Line box cars, boy lots of very small pieces in the kits.
Rod.

[Dave V]

Those Rail Line kits are tedious but well designed and produce a very nice car that can run alongside the Blackstone RTR stuff and hold their own.

If you're doing Rail Line you're doing Rio Grande...  Which line or branch are you doing?

[Santa Fe Guy]

Hi Dave haven't got that far yet.
Two good friends model that area one in HOn3 the other in SN3 and the latter is huge. They started their layouts as models not really planned for operations and boy have we been quick to fix that as I have been operating for 40 years. They are exquisite layouts with beautiful scenery and buildings.
I need some advice from them which I will seek out this Friday when we all hang out as they have a ton of books etc to rummage through.
So lots to learn and take on board.
Been scrounging around to try and obtain some equipment. Think I have been able to purchase enough Blackstone trucks for my new kits along with several packs of Thinfilm decals.
Bill was able to pick me up a new Blackstone K27 and caboose at the Narrow Gauge convention and I am close to obtaining a few more pieces.
Thanks for your interest.
Rod.
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[Dave V]

Hi Dave haven't got that far yet.
Two good friends model that area one in HOn3 the other in SN3 and the latter is huge. They started their layouts as models not really planned for operations and boy have we been quick to fix that as I have been operating for 40 years. They are exquisite layouts with beautiful scenery and buildings.
I need some advice from them which I will seek out this Friday when we all hang out as they have a ton of books etc to rummage through.
So lots to learn and take on board.
Been scrounging around to try and obtain some equipment. Think I have been able to purchase enough Blackstone trucks for my new kits along with several packs of Thinfilm decals.
Bill was able to pick me up a new Blackstone K27 and caboose at the Narrow Gauge convention and I am close to obtaining a few more pieces.
Thanks for your interest.
Rod.
(Attachment Link)

Those Blackstone K-27s are insanely awesome.  I have #461, but she's lettered for D&RGW with the Moffat Tunnel herald.  In my era the RGS had not yet purchased her from the D&RGW.  The C-19s are just as nice.  I wish they'd do a 4-6-0 (either a T-12 or T-19) but they say they have no intent to do one.

[Santa Fe Guy]

Yep love those K27's I have #456 weathered in the Flying Grand Herald.
Just picked up a couple of Blackstone box cars on eBay yippee.
Assembly of my first Rail line box car is done just waiting to build a few more and the weather to improve here in Victoria as we hopefully head into summer before I paint.
Now the first is done and I have a fair idea where everything goes the next lot should be a bit faster to assemble.
The following two pics are a bit crappy however here goes.
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The first flat car is well underway however I have chosen to use brass wire for the truss rods as I do not want holes showing on the deck when using the fishing line.
Rod.

[OldEastRR]

BLW has a bunch of OOP MTL HO narrow guage cars they found (no doubt while clearing out shelves prior to closing down). Wooden ones, looks like.

[Santa Fe Guy]

BLW has a bunch of OOP MTL HO narrow guage cars they found (no doubt while clearing out shelves prior to closing down). Wooden ones, looks like.

Thanks for the heads up however I will stay with the kits I have.
Rod.

[Dave V]

Colorado Springs has a new hobby shop full of awesome older stuff and consignment pieces.  For 6 bucks I found this.   The old Tyco sand house was based on a D&RGW prototype (I think anyway...looks similar to Chama or Durango) and at first glance I thought it make make a quick stand-in for the Ridgway sand house. A little paint, sand, and some saw cuts later and it looks okay. Please excuse the dark color of the sand… The glue was still wet. It will dry much lighter. Although meant to be a temporary stand-in, we all know what tends to happen to temporary stand-ins...they tend to be less temporary than planned.

[wcfn100]

Colorado Springs has a new hobby shop full of awesome older stuff and consignment pieces.

Where's that at?  I think I grabbed a flyer at the show, but probably lost it by the time I got to my car.

Jason

[Dave V]

Where's that at?  I think I grabbed a flyer at the show, but probably lost it by the time I got to my car.

Jason

He's down on 2017 E. Bijou...Roy's Model Trains.  Hell, I picked up a Colorado Rail Annual on the South Park for 10 bucks!

So, not a lot of parts and new stock, but a true treasure trove of awesome old HO stuff...it was like revisiting my dad's hobby room from my childhood.  He even has a shelf of Ambroid and a shelf of Varney!  Go in with a few fistfuls of cash!  He has N too, but not as much.  There are still a few N scale gems to be had though.

[wcfn100]

Thanks, I'll check it out.

Jason

[Santa Fe Guy]

Nothing tardy about those Dave, they have come out a treat.
Might be worth investigating.
Here's a pic of some more kits I have slowly been working on.
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I painted the timber inside with Tamiya white let it dry, a spray of dulcote then a light wash of Tamiya panel line black to hopefully help it look like old grey timber.
I'm happy so far.
Rod.

[Dave V]

Nothing tardy about those Dave, they have come out a treat.
Might be worth investigating.
Here's a pic of some more kits I have slowly been working on.
(Attachment Link)
I painted the timber inside with Tamiya white let it dry, a spray of dulcote then a light wash of Tamiya panel line black to hopefully help it look like old grey timber.
I'm happy so far.
Rod.

Wow, that's fantastic!  Really looks like wood!  I'll have to try that on the interiors of my gons.

[Lemosteam]

Nothing tardy about those Dave, they have come out a treat.
Might be worth investigating.
Here's a pic of some more kits I have slowly been working on.
(Attachment Link)
I painted the timber inside with Tamiya white let it dry, a spray of dulcote then a light wash of Tamiya panel line black to hopefully help it look like old grey timber.
I'm happy so far.
Rod.

Really nice.

What I find really helpful is when the Tamiya Color ID is noted.  Would like to know which white and which black numbers if possible.  There are so many Tamiya colors available...

[mcjaco]

This is a very different experience than trying to fit a four track mainline onto a hollow core door!

Whose crazy enought to try that???