From the CM, MT & SL's Old Colorado City shops, Colorado Midland Modeler's custom locomotive and rolling stock continuous thread

[TheXModelRailroader]

I kinda do the same thing as you, modify locos, but not at your level. I change motors and add lamps. The UK stuff doesn't come with head/tail lamps since they used portable lamps in real life, so no standard. Their lamps are placed on the loco depending on what it is doing. I just put mine where the US stuff normally goes, in front of the smoke stack.

So what you do is very interesting to me.

Agreed.

 

[TheXModelRailroader]

Please post pictures when it's done, I think a lot of us like seeing kit/scratch-bashes.

Yes, I love seeing everyone's work! It inspires me when I got "building block" or "Creative Block". It also lets me appreciate everyone else's take on the hobby.

 

[Kusojiji]

Holy smokes! What truckset did you use? Power pick up is always a pain!

It does make the plow look much more aesthetically pleasing to look at, more streamlined. And that plough spinning, looks like it can move itself forward haha.

So what started off as a caboose with a plow, it is now a boxcab with a plow. Awesome!

 

[TheXModelRailroader]

Unfortunately, testing on the layout revealed an annoying tendency to buck and sway, often causing electrical contact issues. To correct these problems, I added a trailing truck that started life as the pilot truck on a 2-8-0 that succumbed to zinc rot, creating an 0-4-2T. Due to the nature of the the problem and the solution to it, (which will ring a bell for anyone familiar with the Rev. Wilbur Audrey's Railway Series books) I made name plates and christened my creation "Skarloey".

Bucking Bronco! Love this!

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

Dude! Somehow I missed that you made this thread, this is awesome! Can not wait to see all the progress!

Thank you!

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

Holy smokes! What truckset did you use? Power pick up is always a pain!

It does make the plow look much more aesthetically pleasing to look at, more streamlined. And that plough spinning, looks like it can move itself forward haha.

So what started off as a caboose with a plow, it is now a boxcab with a plow. Awesome!

Thank you! I honestly don't know what trucks those are, they're something secondhand that I had in my parts stash. I do know that they're sprung, due to the nature of the rotary, they do help it ride better. The trucks themselves are pickups similar to tender trucks on brass and diecast engines, I set it up to get power from the trucks by wiring small ring style crimp connectors (similar to below) to the motor leads and gluing them to the truck bolsters. I spaced them with small washers so the trucks could pivot a little better. Pickup is also aided by weight, I deliberately chose a heavy motor, and the tube that simulates the visible part of the boiler also has weight to balance it.

It is more aesthetically pleasing to look at, isn't it? I had some good prototype photos to go by, like these that I found on the Denver library's site, as well as some in Model Railroader magazine of Andrew Dodge's excellent Proto 48 scale recreation.

Bucking Bronco! Love this!

Thank you! I knew someone besides me would appreciate the Railway Series connection.

 

[Kusojiji]

Right after I saw your post, I found this and thought that the stars had aligned...

 

[migalyto]

Right after I saw your post, I found this and thought that the stars had aligned...

I love how they built a snowman at 3:30 and just demolished it!

I need that thing for my driveway! Neighbors would love it!

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

Right after I saw your post, I found this and thought that the stars had aligned...

That is quite similar. I believe the CM's Rotary A was built by a company called Leslie, but I'm not sure who built the Rio Grande/Cumbres & Toltec Rotary OY.

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

I've been meaning to post these for while, these are my scratch-built open air excursion cars. With the exceptions of the trucks, couplers, and the underframe of car No. 1 they're 100% scratch-built from wood craft sticks. Even a few of the figures in car No. 1, the Gonzo, (the name is on the ends) are scratch-made from wax. All the cars are named for dogs, I've had/have. Ryden, (car No. 4) is my current pup, all of the others have passed on over the years.

This is Ryden, car No. 4's namesake.

 

[migalyto]

All the cars are named for dogs, I've had/have. Ryden, (car No. 4) is my current pup, all of the others have passed on over the years.

What a great idea! A great way to pay tribute to our furry family members!

This is Ryden, car No. 4's namesake.

Gorgeous dog!

 

[Kusojiji]

Wow! complete with 6 wheel trucks and all!

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

What a great idea! A great way to pay tribute to our furry family members!

Thank you! That was my line of thinking when I built those. That, and I wanted to try my hand at scratch-building. I actually built them about five years ago, but they just took a spin thru the shops for some improvements, so I waited to take photos

Gorgeous dog!

Thank you very much! He's a white German Shepherd, and he's a big, loving goofball.

Wow! complete with 6 wheel trucks and all!

Thanks! The trucks and underframe came from what I believe was a steam crane. I didn't have any of the crane parts, so I figured I'd build a new car on the frame and trucks. As you can see, the results came out pretty good.

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

These are two more excursion cars I built, this time from some old kits of unknown origin that I modified to my purposes. No.6 represents a handicap accessible car, while 5 would be a car that would probably have air conditioning. As you can see, I've continued with the naming after dogs theme. I don't know why, but something seems to have gone wrong with No.5's paint, and I unfortunately didn't notice until after I had already added the lettering. Guess I'll have to try again and repaint it.

 

[Kusojiji]

Are we going to see a car named Belvedere?

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

For this installment, I have for your viewing pleasure Colorado Midland combine 8, and Colorado Midland passenger car 252. Both are MDC/Roundhouse kit cars that I upgraded with Kadee No.5s, Kadee metal wheels, and custom lettering. The lettering and numbers are all freehanded (with the exception of the large "Wells Fargo" lettering, first with pencil to get it right, followed by gold paint. Enjoy!

CM combine 8.

CM passenger car 252.

And, as a bonus photo, I have CM, MT & SL observation car 510, the "J.B. Thistlethwaite". Named for my friend, the late JB Thistlethwaite, owner of SideTrack Hobbies in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This car has the same upgrades as the two CM cars and was lettered the same way.

 

[Kusojiji]

Oh yeah! I love those old time coaches. Nice job! You have a steady hand.

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

Oh yeah! I love those old time coaches. Nice job! You have a steady hand.

Thank you!

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

Some recently completed projects for your viewing pleasure.
First off is a small addition to CM 39. I finally found a pair of CM decal badges I had printed awhile ago, and added them to 39's tender.
Before:

After:

Next up is the "new" CM 1, (a fine birthday present!) which replaces a substitute CM 1 I've had for a number of years. (More on that one later)
Before:

After: (you'll notice a different lettering scheme compared to 39, the CM had many over the years.

Bonus prototype photo for comparison:

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

Part 2.
The previous CM 1:

Now in her new livery as Florence and Cripple Creek 3, the "Elkton". I'll say that the F&CC converted to standard gauge to compete with the other roads.

And finally, former CM 3, a Mantua former 4-8-0, turned 2-8-0. Before:

After: Now CM 13, now a 4-6-0. I went this route because it never ran right for me as a 4-8-0. (which the CM never owned) or as a 2-8-0. It still needs some fine tuning, but runs much better as a 4-6-0.

That's all for now, thanks for looking!