Benchwork Blitz

I have updated the trackplan shown in previous posts.  As such, I have recently constructed benchwork for the next section of the layout.  This section will house Hesperus, Vance Junction, Dolores, Lost Canon, Rico, and Placerville.  The benchwork for Ophir has not been started.  Also, the benchwork for Ridgway has not been started.  Some modification to the Ridgway scene may be required.

Note that a second deck is included for Ridgway.  The original location for Ridgway was too small; therefore a second deck was included above Hesperus and Vance Junction.  Dolores also required additional space, so it has been moved to a location along the center peninsula.  Rico will be at the end of the center peninsula, and Ophir will be on its own peninsula.

Overall view of the newly constructed benchwork.  The center peninsula, which will contain Rico and the Pro Patria Mill, is in the foreground.

The new benchwork showing the tentative location of the town of Dolores.

The central peninsula, showing its relationship to the existing town of Duango (in the background).

Latest Track Plan

I have been working on revisions to the track plan for my Rio Grande Southern layout.  Rather than post the plan in my previous post, I thought that it merited its own post.  Therefore, I am presenting the "final" plan.

Rio Grande Southern, v 2.2

Dolores Station Diorama

I have recently completed the station scene for Dolores on my Rio Grande Southern layout.  The scene is built upon 2" polyisocyanurate foam.  The track is Micro Engineering Code 55 Flex Track.  The Depot is a Laser Kit by American Model Builders; the Goose Barn is scratchbuilt, as is the Goose gasoline shed and outdoor toilet.

The Goose Barn was built following Mike Blazek's plans over a base of foam core.  I used Campbell corrugated metal for the sheathing, and styrene for the doors.  I finished the corrugated metal using my standard technique, discussed in previous posts.

The Gas shed was made by cutting a solid wood block to size on my table saw, and sheathing with corrugated metal.  The toilet was scratchbuilt from Evergreen Styrene clapboard siding, and strip styrene for trim.  The roof was shingled using leftover self-adhesive shingle strips.

Star brand paints were used for the final Rio Grande Southern colors of Jersey Cream and D&RGW Brown, available from PBL.

Ground cover consists of Cinders, dirt and ground foam.  The roads are decomposed granite leftover from drilling my well.  I made wooden road crossings from stripwood, stained with HunterLine Creosote Black.  I used static grass for the first time, and found that I liked the look.

Overall view of the Dolores Station Diorama.

The Dolores Station scene, with the toilet and Goose barn.

Close-up view of the scratchbuilt Toilet building.

The scratchbuilt Goose Barn.

The Dolores station and the Gasoline shed in place on the diorama.

The front (trackside) view of the Dolores station.

Dolores Depot

Dolores, Colorado is the next town to be included on my new layout depicting the Rio Grande Southern Railroad.  Because I plan to construct Dolores fairly soon, I decided to build the Dolores Depot.  This will complement the Dolores section foreman's house and Conoco Oil Facility, already completed.  This kit is available from American Model Builders, and is their kit No. 803.  This is a laser cut kit, using  peel-and-stick technology.  I pre-painted all parts before assembly, which resulted in clean color separation of the different building components.  I finished the roof using four colors of paint, sprayed onto the roof shingles while the shingles were still intact in their sheets.  The four colors were Roof Brown, Mud, Engine Black, and Platinum Mist, all from Floquil.  This technique is one that I used on several Raggs... to Riches kits, following the instructions in those kits.  The uneven application of the four colors of paint makes a very realistic looking roof.  It is worth the investment in time to use this procedure.

This is a nicely engineered kit, although I did have a bit of trouble getting the four sections of roof to come together evenly over the two-story section of the depot.  However, patience resulted in an acceptable roofline.  The kit does not include material or information on the platform that surrounded the prototype station, so that will be forthcoming.

The colors used to paint this building were Star Brand paints from PBL, specifically Jersey Cream and D&RGW Trim Brown.  These are solvent-based paints, so be sure to use with adequate ventilation.

Front 3/4 view of the American Model Builders kit for the Rio Grande Southern Railroad Dolores. Depot.  The Depot is simply sitting on a vacant area of the railroad, as the Dolores section of the layout has not yet been constructed.  Two tracks will pass in front of the station.

Front 3/4 view of the freight end of the Dolores Depot.  Note the lack of a station platform.

Rear view of the Dolores Depot.  The house track will run behind the depot, with a connection to the Goose Barn.

Layout infrastructure improvements

I have recently completed the storage cabinets and fascia for my new layout.  I have installed drink holders, and throttle pockets for the DCC controllers, and have actually begun the scenery on the High Line to Silverton.

New cabinets installed under the layout to hold parts and supplies.  the new fascia is shown at the top of the photo.

New cabinets and fascia installed underneath Durango.

Initial scenery for the High Line to Silverton.

Traintime in Durango

D&RGW K-28 473 is my favorite locomotive.  Therefore, I am presenting for your enjoyment three photos of this locomotive in service on my new layout.  The locomotive is a Westside Model Company import, which I painted, weathered, and installed a SoundTraxx Tsunami sound decoder.

D&RGW 473 is preparing to lead an oil train out of Durango.

D&RGW 473 in Durango with RGS 461 in the background.

D&RGW 473 preparing to leave Durango with an oil train.

Dolores Colorado CONOCO Oil Plant

I have recently completed a Ragg's...To Riches? kit for the CONOCO Oil plant located in Dolores, Colorado.  I followed the instructions in the kit, and found that the kit went together well.  I did use a larger base than the instructions indicated.  The instructions stated that the warehouses, platforms, and tanks would need a space of approximately 6 x 15.5 inches.  I used a larger base, at 11 x 18 inches, as I added the spur track to the model.

I used Rust-Oleum Clean Metal Primer, as recommended in the instructions, to paint all of the corrugated aluminum.  This is the final color for the siding, but the corrugated material used for the roof was top-coated with Floquil Dark Green.  All other parts in the kit were primed using Rust-Oleum's Auto Primer, which is light gray.  Pan Pastels were used to weather the model.

This is a well-engineered and thought-out kit, with many extra touches included to enhance the modeling experience.  This model will be a focal point in my future Dolores scene.

Overall "streetside" view of the completed CONOCO Oil Plant.

Close-up view of the two oil warehouses and platform.  Note the oil-filling pipes in the foreground, at the edge of the platform.

A view of the four oil storage tanks, and catwalk.  The tanks were painted with Rust-Oleum Clean Metal Primer, and weathered with Pan Pastels to simulate rust in the riveted seams.  I installed ground cover to the base prior to gluing the tank supports and tanks in place to make it easier to get weeds under the tanks, where they would naturally be found.

A close-up view of the larger warehouse.  All corrugated material was first painted with Rust-Oleum Clean Metal Primer.  The roofing was then top-coated with Floquil Dark Green.

A trackside view of the four oil loading tanks.  The track in the foreground is a length of Micro-Engineering Code 55 Flex-Trak.

The trackside view of the two oil warehouses.

An overall aerial view of the completed model resting on a table.  This view shows the relationships among the warehouses, platform, tanks, garage and office.  The garage is the small building in the lower left, with the green roof; the office is the small building on the left side with the dark gray roof.

Another overall view of the Dolores CONOCO Oil Plant.