HOn3 Rio Grande Southern First District 1938-1945

[Ed Kapuscinski]

What are you doing with the old one?

[Dave V]

It lies shattered in my workshop trashcan. I tried to salvage parts from it but I’d glued it together so well, it didn’t go peacefully.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Hahaha. You should've kept the parts on a shelf as a warning to other structures.

[Dave V]

I also replaced the access panel for the egress window with a larger piece of Masonite. It’s mounted with heavy-duty Velcro. Top is before, bottom after.

[Dave V]

I've been upgrading backdrops too.  Here’s the new LARC Products “Rico East View” backdrop installed behind Rico, CO on the layout. It stands just about 26” above the rails. These are the actual mountains behind the real town of Rico, just like the prototype.

[Hawghead]

I thought the old back drop looked good, but the new one is fantastic.  I really like the new Pro Patria Mill also.

Scott

[Pomperaugrr]

It is difficult to pull off a photo backdrop effectively from more than one angle.  You nailed it with this project.  That is stunning!

[davefoxx]

Ooh!   Sun dogs! 

DFF

[Dave V]

Here’s the finished McCarville Studios/Banta Modelworks HO scale RGS Ridgway office kit. The kit has thick resin walls and typical Banta layered laser-cut windows and doors and paper shingles.

I narrowed the platform by half to fit my space.

[chuck geiger]

The layout looks incredible.

[Dave V]

Thanks, Chuck!

Here it is installed. I had to chop one siding off and then extend another to the platform on the office.





And for @davefoxx , that gap in the mainline in the second picture is the lift-out bridge gap (the rest of the gap is disguised with weeds)...  My choo-choos run over it just fine. 

[davefoxx]

And for @davefoxx , that gap in the mainline in the second picture is the lift-out bridge gap (the rest of the gap is disguised with weeds)...  My choo-choos run over it just fine. 

Haha!  I’m cool with that gap; there’s no kink! 

DFF

[Dave V]

Haha!  I’m cool with that gap; there’s no kink! 

DFF

No kink shaming either...  We all get off however we can. 

[Dave V]

During the initial COVID quarantine in early 2020, I had built a first-edition HOn3 MDC/Roundhouse outside-frame 2-8-0 from the late 70s/early 80s, brass wheels and all. I had installed a Sagami can motor and the NWSL regearing kit plus a Soundtraxx Tsunami2 with a sugar cube speaker. Well, she came around again on the to-do list this week and I installed a Soundtraxx CurrentKeeperII…what a difference! These are three shots from her shakedown lap around my RGS layout this afternoon.

[Chris333]

Wow that doesn't even look like a Roundhouse model.