The Los Pinos and Toltec Smelter

[Hawghead]

Peter,

Stunning work as always.  Please sir can we have some more? 

Scott

[Peter S]

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A couple of people have asked about a layout plan. I haven't got a suitable railway layout program for a Mac, so I have used what I have.The room is 24 feet by 16 (mostly). This is not the latest version but its basically what is there and works well as a solo operator or as a group when I have 6 friends aroundd.

[Hawghead]

Peter,

That's a great looking plan.  Do you use a duck under or a lift out for entrance?

Scott

[Peter S]

Thank you!
The duck under is at the bottom left of the page, it is marked by seriously green tape on the floor which has saved a few heads. The duckunder is interesting because there are two completely different scenes on each side of the backdrop that goes right across. I'll try and take a couple of photos for next time. The duck under now leads into the work room where there is a small staging yard.

[Hawghead]

Thank you!
The duck under is at the bottom left of the page, it is marked by seriously green tape on the floor which has saved a few heads. The duckunder is interesting because there are two completely different scenes on each side of the backdrop that goes right across. I'll try and take a couple of photos for next time. The duck under now leads into the work room where there is a small staging yard.

I'd like to see the duck under with the two different scenes, sounds very interesting.

Scott

[Peter S]

The duck-under is two sided. The side facing the layout room in this photo would be about 8-10 feet long and about 18 inches deep. I have yet to produce a good photo of the other side. Many of the rock molds are rather large (about 16-18 inches by 12 inches) made from my favorite lava bomb residing in the garden. Trees are hand spun, backdrop from Backdrop warehouse. All the rocks are hand coloured and all the ties individually painted. Loco is of course a Blackstone K27 and my favorite train. An oil train. I think all up it took my some 3 months to do this scene. Please excuse the photo as its a composite of three different photos stiched together in Photoshop!
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[Peter S]

The other side of the duck-under would be about 10 to 12 inches wide at its centre with a little bit extra on the sides. The mill (on the left)  is actually the disguised  entrance/exit to the layout room whilst the rock face on the right covers the exit through to "Cortez" which is my yet to be developed staging yard. Work on the layout has progressed slowly at present with the new roadbed to the mill having gone in and the spur to the new mill being laid. Gradient is an issue, but again a lot of thinking is being done.
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[Peter S]

I have been a little unfocused of late, but I am working on a new section. I have the track in, the gradients correct, the radius worked out, all track is connected to power and the turnout is motored. I just have to finish my mill and start the scenery. It will be another five feet more of  mountain range and I want to get he plaster work finished before winter. At present I am enjoying running my trains but they will have to be parked away a way from the scenery work, which looks like it will be a little complicated.This scene is at the far eastern end of the layout and details a detailed Blackstone K27 and a modified Campbells coaling tower with a Narrow Guage Colorado water tank. This may not be the one as I am going to build another and paint it with a DRGW gold exterior. But that is down the track. At present I am thinking of fixing up several little "scenes" that need sprucing up or I have just discovered have something "missing."
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[Summit]

What a great looking scene, the Campbell coaling station colors are right on for weathered wood.  I have always heard that coaling staion is a challenge to build.

[Santa Fe Guy]

Looking good Peter.
Rod.

[Hawghead]

Fantastic as always Peter.

Scott

[Peter S]

I have been pottering on the layout. But I have put in the Goose Barn from Narrow Gauge Colorado. Which meant scenery and just when I thought it was correct I took some photos. Photos are the best way of showing up those areas you missed or thought were good enough. They were not. That's a Concor Goose (yet to be weathered), lots of different scenic materials used in this. I hope to take some more photos soon. That's Banta's Sargents roundhouse in the back.I did take some photos, but I think you know what happened.
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[Summit]

Peter - I am taken back by your ground scenery every time you post pictures - it looks so realistic.
The tin on the Goose barn has that weathered galvanized authentic look - nicely done!

[Peter S]

Thank you for the kind comments. They are really appreciated. These past two weeks I have been finishing odd jobs on the layout. It's amazing how solder joints can let go after years of tenaciously clinging to rail or circuit board. And the ones that let go are usually in the hard to get at areas. I have been getting around to detailing some Blackstone locos a little more and am at present weathering the Concor Geese I own. I have decided to try the Tamiya Panel Line Paint. This scene is from the town of Porter on my layout. My layout is fictional, but I have names from the locale that seem right. Here with have a Concor Goose, a Blackston K27 and in the background a tourist Silverton set and assorted coaches waiting to go out on the loop.
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[Dave V]

You've inspired me to weather my goose a bit too!  Well done!