Colorado Midland in N scale 2.0

[mark.hinds]

Hi Tom, Thanks for posting the photo, I never knew there was a difference in railhead sizes between the Peco and Atlas code 55 track. I would venture to say Peco can probably get away with a narrower railhead, because 0.025 of the rail height is buried in the ties, with only 0.055 exposed, making the rail stronger. Whereas the Atlas rail height is actually 0.055. I don't work for Atlas, but my guess is they went with a slightly larger railhead for added strength.

I remember reading somewhere that the profile of N-scale rail is often (always) due to that same rail being originally produced for HO.  Makes sense to me.  BTW, the Peco code 55 railhead is the narrowest, the Atlas code 55 a bit wider, and the Micro Engineering code 55 railhead is unfortunately the widest. 

MH

[Dave V]

Nothing like the anticipation of construction.  Supplies are arriving at the soon-to-be-railhead including track materials, roadbed, trestle timbers, more rolling stock, electrical components and so on.  Just because this is my side-piece doesn't mean she can't be as pretty as my main action...I intend for this to be as photogenic as the HOn3 RGS and just as reliable operationally.

Guess what we found in a garage clean-out a few weeks ago?  The folding/telescoping table legs from the old Juniata Division Enola Yard section...   I think this new Colorado Midland will have its own legs rather than resting on a Costco banquet table.

[wm3798]

That frees up the banquet table to stack more boxes of things on!  I need to get me one of them!

Lee

[MK]

That frees up the banquet table to stack more boxes of things on!  I need to get me one of them!

Lee

And pile stuff up under it!

[Dave V]

The Colorado Midland received another boost in motive power on Friday when--after a little horse trading--it took delivery of a well-known Chris Schmuck @Chris333 4-6-0 project!  She runs like a fine Swiss watch.  There are some details left to add, but Chris surprised me by including an entire other Bachmann 4-6-0 shell in the package.  Besides some lowering of the boiler, Chris shortened the running boards and made some other detail modifications that have really helped backdate this engine to looking much more like a CMRy class 102 4-6-0.  the biggest modification--and the one that initially piqued my interest--is that new MRC cut-down tender.  Again, while not an exact CMRy style, it looks so much more the part than does the oversized stock Bachmann tender.



EDIT:  Yep, I see the derailed tender truck.

I'll need to settle that tender shell on a little more snugly.  I'll also want to reapply the boiler handrails, the pilot braces, and a few other things before she gets her CMRy paint.  But still, she really looks like she belongs even in the current state.  Chris is a master (as we all know) and an exceptionally generous man at that.  I'm honored to have one of his renowned locomotive projects running on my very own layout.



Look at me...I'm like all excited about N scale and stuff again!

[Chris333]

I have another tender shell that will still snap into place, but it's taller.

[Dave V]

I have another tender shell that will still snap into place, but it's taller.

No worries there...  The shorter tender is perfect.  I'll get it settled.

[Chris333]

Looks like Lee uploaded your photo 

[Dave V]

And now, from the department of "sh!t just got real" yo:

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I have additional foam and plywood leftover from the RGS, along with more than enough Masonite to do the fascia.

[DKS]

And now, from the department of "sh!t just got real" yo:

Excellent. Anxiously awaiting further progress.

[Dave V]

I used to be terrified of building trestles.  I would buy kits because I figured there was no way in heck I could scratchbuild one.  How wrong I was!  The HOn3 RGS left me no choice but to scratchbuild RGS-style trestles that are both unique and not available in kit form.  Once I started scratchbuilding what's now Bridge 57B on the RGS, I realized that it's actually quite easy and straightforward.  Tedius to some extent, but i actually really enjoyed it.  But...what sped me along and made things so easy and foolproof was the Black Bear trestle jig I purchased.

I figured that'd make building a trestle in N scale just as easy as it was in HOn3.  So...I went searching for more evidence of what CMRy trestle bents looked like.  Again, I used the basic dimensions from @Missaberoad 's plan, although I decided to compress the story height by about 10% just because the original dimensions looked kind of big.  I also brought the outward angle of the canted posts in a bit to compress the horizontal width of the bents.  The more I uncovered in books, the more it seems the CMRy had two distinct trestle bent designs.  One is the one you see in the Dolomite trestle I showed earlier, but the other looks very much like the RGS style bent (with the center vertical posts being spaced farther apart to account for standard gauge).  I found of photo of another trestle in Trout Creek Pass burning down, but the bent design looks very RGS-like.  Additionally, the Hagerman Trestle appears to have both types of bents in segments by the late 1890s!  So, I went with what I know and made what's essentially a standard gauge version of an RGS trestle bent.  This design is correct for some Midland trestles as well as virtually all the trestles on the Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek District Railroad and Midland Terminal Railway, both standard gauge "contemporaries" to the CMRy.

This template will build a bent up to 5" deep, which is the depth of the lower foam layer on the new layout.  I created the plan in N scale in PowerPoint and printed it up, sandwiching it between a piece of thick styrene and a piece of clear styrene.  Styrene blocks align the members.

[Dave V]

[DKS]

 

[wm3798]

There she is, on her back with her legs in the air!

[Dave V]

There she is, on her back with her legs in the air!

LOL