The Los Pinos and Toltec Smelter

[Peter S]

Thanks very much for the kind comments. Appreciate them very much. I have to take some more photos on this section. Seems I don't have many!

[Mike C]

 The trees are amazing ! guessing  super trees for the Aspens , but what kind of pine trees ?

[Santa Fe Guy]

Hi Peter.
Layout looking good as usual.
Rod.

[Peter S]

The pine trees are "spun" on a tree making jig designed by a friend of mine. The trick is the core wire is quite thick, I'd have to measure but probably 2mm (maybe 5/64") and the branches cut from hemp rope used in mooring ships where various strands make up a core of about 2 1/2". It is the usual process of threading the teased hemp into the wire then twisting the wire to form branches and because my friend has designed a large tree making device I can easily get two 12 inch trees or 3 8 inch trees. I trim, then spray paint and spray glue, then flock (from Scenic Express), then spray with hairspray, then stand it in some thick foam to dry then plant with hot glue. It takes about 5 minutes a tree. It takes a while!

[Peter S]

It's been a couple of weeks. I have been mountain building for a friend in Cairns and visiting another beautiful layout in Mackay in the tropical North. On the layout I have whipped out my trusty Heiki grass master  and completed some open grassland around my Station at a town I call Porter. I like to work in 3 foot square modules and I also like to drag out and install details. How quickly they go on, how long they take to paint. I love some of the new scenic material now. Bushes from Holland, static Grass from Germany and Briar Patches from America. You can get some very realistic finishes. The photo below is a water tank (not prototypical of the area but I love it anyway), It is a stop point for trains running eastbound around through Warren to Los Pinos and Porter. Loco is (of course) a Blackstone.
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[Santa Fe Guy]

Nice shot Peter.
Rod.

[Cajonpassfan]

Yes. Lovely.
Otto

[Peter S]

I am in the process of installing some new turnouts to run to a storage yard being constructed in the work room next to the train room. It's a slow process. The picture below is a long view of ":Warren" a fictitous place on the railroad where you find the even more fictitious "Warren Dude Ranch." It's a place where all passenger trains stop for passengers and all trains stop for mail. They then proceed down to the water column. Warren is served by two three way turnouts. The back track is for the Warren Ore Transfer depot.The middle track for boxcars etc for the Warren Dude Ranch and Indian Reservation and the front track for trains dropping off passengers and mail. You enter Warren from then East over a bridge based on the  bridge at Chama. It's my favorite place on the layout as there are no buildings easily seen. It's a peaceful place if the three way turnouts are working.
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[Santa Fe Guy]

Always good to see shots of your layout Peter.
Rod.

[Peter S]

Thanks for your support Rod!

[GaryHinshaw]

Beautiful scene.  The tree placement is really good, especially having a few dead ones sprinkled in.  Nice colour variation as well.

[Peter S]

Thanks Gary.
I tend to build my trees a little thicker. Less to build as eacxh tree takes about 5 mins.

[Lemosteam]

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OK, I'm half expecting to see live water dripping from this spout.

Your work is gorgeous.

[Peter S]

To reach Warren from the East you cross a double bridge complex, a plate deck and a scratch built copy of the Chama bridge. Although this photo is a few years old the scene hasn't changed much. It's tucked up in the corner. I like the feel of it and it fits in nicely with the emptiness of the Warren scene. At the moment I am still working on the track leading to my new staging yard in the work room. Something I promised myself I would never do. It's getting warmer here, so I expect to be doing some new mountains shortly. [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[GaryHinshaw]

Every time I see new photos of your layout, I feel like a kid again, looking at Trackside Photos in Model Railroader for the first time.  I was stunned by the craftsmanship then, and now I'm stunned all over again.