Black Hawk & Ironwood - Hon30 Mini Southwest Layout

[Chris333]

lol  it was HOn3 not HOn30 and her name was Katie not Sharon   

But my wife, Morgan Fairchild. Yeah that's the ticket...

[timwatson]

I definitely have Thunder Mesa vibes in this Model Railroad!

On a separate note: I'd love a Chris/Morgan wedding invite if that's possible!?

[Dave V]

Now I remember! Neat little layout.

lol  it was HOn3 not HOn30 and her name was Katie not Sharon   

Sharon was Malcolm Furlow's (now ex-) wife.

I definitely have Thunder Mesa vibes in this Model Railroad!

As well you should. John Olson was a Disney Imagineer and did a lot of the design work for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

The grade up to the top of the layout, though...  Should be a cog railway!

[timwatson]

Some actual progress being made.

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[Chris333]

That looks good. Is it plaster?    

[timwatson]

That looks good. Is it plaster?    

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Kind of plaster its this stuff called “super cal” its a cement and plaster mixture. It’s tied together with sculptamold. It was making a huge jigsaw puzzle with castings.

[timwatson]

So I've made quite a bit of progress since I posted here last.

I will just give a brief run down.
I completed the castings and sculptamold "slathering"!










I then primed the whole thing red. I think it's gonna work. It's like a red underpainting. It kinna feels like Mars at this stage.





Then I started layering paints.



I've gotta get the tones evened out with the highlight paints but it's coming along. Then maybe I can actually lay some track 

Flickr album for progress shots I'm updating here.
https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzHxCW

[timwatson]

Oh and I think I'm going to call it the Black Hawk & Ironwood (or maybe Black Hawk & Clear Creek). "BH & I" or "BH & CC".
It's an homage to the Gilpin Tramway but with very different scenery.

Here is some more progress.

[timwatson]

Finally making some more progress. Got some track laid and reprinted the bridges with tie plates. I got the new curved stone bridge designed and printed. I learned alot about texture mapping in Blender. I feel like I have the general hang of it but that program is a beast to learn.

The end of the first day
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Stone bridge 3d modeled and texture mapped in Blender
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Overall view with more track just "placed in" (thus the crooked ties on the left).
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Opposite end of the layout
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[Chris333]

Really coming along!  Would these Peco set track turnouts work better in those cramped quarters?
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1541/1303/files/ST-405_406_plan_sheet.pdf?v=1634036408

[timwatson]

Really coming along!  Would these Peco set track turnouts work better in those cramped quarters?
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1541/1303/files/ST-405_406_plan_sheet.pdf?v=1634036408

Bummer I should have asked you first. Looks like I ordered the wrong switches. Grrr! Those small 87mm long switches are perfect in those spaces. That long switch after the bridge I was really stressing about. Thanks @Chris333 - I'm off to go order the correct ones.

[timwatson]

Really coming along!  Would these Peco set track turnouts work better in those cramped quarters?
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1541/1303/files/ST-405_406_plan_sheet.pdf?v=1634036408

Hey @Chris333 do you think that insulated frog will be problematic for these tiny locos we run? Also any idea where to get those turnouts?

[Chris333]

This is the only one I see that is in the US (on ebay anyways)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/295167281789
Kind of pricey 

They are Peco ST-405 and ST-406

The frog is not ideal at all, but neither is running down into the canyon because the TO wasn't sharp enough 

[wazzou]

Looks like a good opportunity to Hand Lay some turnouts. 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I get such Thunder Mesa vibes from this.

I dig it!