The Los Pinos and Toltec Smelter

[Santa Fe Guy]

Super shot Peter.
To make you guys just a little bit jealous I get to run on Peters RR once every 4 to 5 weeks or so.
The rest of the RR scenery is as good as this if not better.
Rod.

[Mark Lewis]

Peter:

I am just now seeing your posts and photos, from a year ago.  Your modeling....scenery, structures and rolling stock are mesmerizing. Your proto-freelanced concept is spot on.  Well done!

Mark Lewis
Narrow Gauge modeling in North Carolina

[Peter S]

Work seems to continue almost every day, at present I am working on a new mountain scene and that means lot of rock castings. Many of my rock castings are big and three sided, which makes it good for doing scenery but more akin to alligator wrestling when you have to get the molds out of the plaster. I've stopped running trains while I drip plaster everywhere but the drop sheet. This scene is still at Porter, I wanted a place locos could coal and I am sure I saw a pic where a loco pushed a gon up a gradient and the coal was shoveled into a tender. If not hey it is my railroad so they did it there. The loco is a Blackstone C19, that has been weathered, usual static grass and Shinohara track. Coaling a loco is not in the schedule yet but I hope to include it in future running days.
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[Peter S]

It's been a couple of weeks. I've been sneaker deep in plaster creating over 5 feet of new mountains, using my molds every which way but up. I think there is another week off white stuff. I am carving damp plaster to hide the joins and then I have to complete some tunnel portals and that part is finished. I think it is going to take me at least two more months to finish the scene. Otherwise the layout is running fine, I had the guys around on Friday for a running session, but it had to avoid the run through this section. This is a photo of Porter, which is really a staging town to two off site staging yards. The building is from Narrow Gauge Colorado. I really like his method of creating corregated material. It's a little fragile but makes really nice models. I used Valejo air paints, Again a product I like to use.
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[Peter S]

Photos can be good and bad, I still have to fix that lifting roof from the last photo. At present I am still plastering a mountain range. I get out to the layout room for maybe a couple of hours per day, some days not at all. At present I am doing a lot of hand carving to blend the molds together, I am also making some tunnels portals, which although not prototypical are my only way of getting through this part of the scenery. I don't know about anyone else but I keep saying, "what have I overlooked when I am building this?" I guess it will be self evident when I run trains. I think I have another week of carving and applying smaller molds to my large ones (and I mean large) as my biggest would be 18-20 inches by 14 inches. They usually take a couple of pours and have to be solid as getting them out can be a little like alligator wrestling, which although I haven't done I imagine it!

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[Santa Fe Guy]

Nice shot Peter.
Looking forward to seeing the next lot of rock casting.
Me, I'm fluffing around with the flu trying to do some modeling at least.
Rod.

[Dave V]

Oooo...I recognize the RGS warehouses from Placerville.  Is the one on the right the kit from Narrow Gauge Colorado?

Amazing work as always...  You keep inspiring me to step up my game.

[Peter S]

Hi, yes both kits are from narrow Gauge Colorado. I really like their fine repro corrgegated iron sheeting. Personally I find then actual metal sheets too thick. I always airbrush my coats on first then very little dry brush some acrylic on, or I use shaved pastel dust and a soft brush. I think that guy really needs to be carrying something. I'll get to it when I glue that roof down, plus nI mnight change some sleeper colour. First I have to finish that area of rock castings, final stages which I will be happy to finish.

[Peter S]

It's been a couple of weeks,. I have finished plastering (for now) and have been cleaning dust off everything. But its kinda enjoyable just checking everything out. My Division Point K36 arrived and its truely beautiful but I have discovered (of course) that while Blackstone locos make turnouts look easy, the Division Point loco has little built in tolerance for my turnouts. Especially my three way turnouts. At present its a scratch my head and see. At least I have a K36 as its been 7 years now for Blackstone. Apart from that I need to run some trains. This photo shows 1/3 of my layout and the two island with Porter on the left and Los Pinos on the right. The room is about 24 feet long and I designed it so they could take 10 car trains. Porter is yet to be finished but its behind my shoulder. I haven't namjed the new section yet. Maybe "The Needles" since that small area on the Cumbres seems more like a Walt Disney set than real life.
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[Hawghead]

Peter,

Wow, just wow.  If my layout turns out half as good as yours, I'll be happy.  That last photo did throw me for a loop for a minute, until I realized the plain green panels I was looking at where the sides of the valence and not the back drop.

Oh and just cause I always ask, any chance you could post your track plan?

Thanks,
Scott

[Peter S]

Hi Scott

Thanks for your kind comments. I'm not sure I have a good enough track plan to post, but I will have a look and if so I'll put it up up online warts and all.

Peter

[Cajonpassfan]

Oh wow, Peter, that’s just stunning! That last shot drives home the point that the treatment of the room and fascias is (almost) as important as the layout itself...everything in its place....what a nice place to spend time!
I really do need to stop putting tools and crap on my layout 
Out of curiosity, what’s the track elevation at Porter, and the fascia edge elevation above that?
Very very nice! And yes Rod, I am a bit jealous; and beginning to see why you abandoned your previous scale, with this in the neighborhood!
Otto K.

[Peter S]

Hi Otto
Thanks for the kind comments. The height of the layout from floor to base scenery is 53 1/2 inches. The track is 2 inches and a smidge above that. Since I'm following the trains around I like to almost eyeball them, which ios easy because I am a tall person. I have a small step for those more vertically challenged.
Peter

[Hawghead]

Peter,

Again fantastic work.  How wide is the aisle between Porter and Los Pinos.

Scott

[Peter S]

It's been a while. I have been over in Canada. No layouts but a "President's Special" parked in sidings at Banff. So model railroading hasn't been happening. I did get up on a ladder for this one. The last of my ladder climbs. Its at the near end of yard coming into Los Pinos. I need to rework some of that scenery too as new material is on the market. I have a couple of measurements to make and a track plan to finish too.
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