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

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

I like the new color combo on #29.

Thank you! I figured it would make it look more like one of the CM "family".

I don't mean to "jack" your thread, but I wanted to show you these. To preface: I'm sort of a brass steam nut. Max Gray made solid models. I have two, an SP Mt-4 4-8-2, and an AC-9 2-8-8-4. Most were built in Japan by Katsumi Mokeiten (KTM), which later built for Westside Models. Some Westside steamers were essentially re-issues of earlier Max Gray imports, slightly improved with things like boiler backheads and some additional detail. I have one Westside FEF-2:
View attachment 263435
I picked this thing up for a song because it had a nasty stain on the tender, probably from a chemical spill or an attempt at stripping:

View attachment 263436

Net cost: $150.00 My blaster made short work of the stain. Looks like yours, and probably is, just that later issue. It does have the smoke ears, they're still in the box. The other one is a PFM FEF-1. It is a better though older model. As you can see it's detailed better, and the tender can be set up for coal or oil by attaching the provided oil bunker top.

View attachment 263437

Work has been started on these, the most important part. They both have new can motors and DCC decoders (non sound), and they both passed their run tests.

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I'll be showing these over on my thread when I get to them. Now back to your stuff. Nice to see other people doing steam work. Not many of us anymore! You're doing good work.

I don't mind at all, I find it interesting to compare notes. Some real beauties you have there! I've become a bit of a brass fanatic myself, mostly because it's the only way to get certain things, but also because the pulling power tends to be better than most plastic models. I don't think I have any pictures of the cab interior, but my FEF-3 has the backhead detail with the various gauges and knobs.. I did have to add the crew chairs though. Mine still has the original open frame motor, but I did add a bulb for the headlight as well as a large lead fishing weight inside the smokebox because nose had a tendency to ride high. It can pull like an ox and is also very fast, so much so that I don't dare give it anywhere near full power.

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

Here's the last batch for now. First up is my MDC 0-6-0. I've had this one a very long time, it was one of my earliest paint jobs (plain black) and I had previously lettered it for a private logging company. I don't remember what paint I had used on it, but in hindsight I don't think it was thick enough, and that combined with years heavy road dust from where I used to live back in Colorado pretty much destroyed the paint, (I don't any pictures of the bad paint) so I decided to repaint it as one of the "house engines". About a year ago I added LED lights, and during the repaint process I added bunker extension rails on the tender.

Next is one of my favorite projects that I 've done lately, this older GP18 (not sure on make, the box it was in said Bachmann, but the bottom of the fuel tank looks like an AHM logo) that started out as an AT&SF engine. This engine, along with several others and quite a bit of rolling stock was given to me about a year ago by one of my neighbor's sons. (He moved away for his job) I was going to keep it as AT&SF, as most of the paint was good, but one side of the cab developed a large crack for some reason, and repairing meant stripping the paint. So, here is before, on the good side.

And hear is after, CM, MT & SL 1776, a special "USA 250th" engine.

And last, to go with it is Civil War history tribute car 18611865.
USA side.

And CSA side.

I figured both the loco and boxcar would make for an interesting tribute to US history. I have more projects on the workbench that I'll be showing eventually, so until next time thanks for looking!

 

[Espeefan]

Thank you! I figured it would make it look more like one of the CM "family".

I don't mind at all, I find it interesting to compare notes. I've become a bit of a brass fanatic myself, mostly because it's the only way to get certain things, but also because the pulling power tends to be better than most plastic models. I don't think I have any pictures of the cab interior, but my FEF-3 has the backhead detail with the various gauges and knobs.. I did have to add the crew chairs though. Mine still has the original open frame motor, but I did add a bulb for the headlight as well as a large lead fishing weight inside the smokebox because nose had a tendency to ride high. It can pull like an ox and is also very fast, so much so that I don't dare give it anywhere near full power.

That’s one of the things a can motor does. Slows it sown. They run like a scalded dog with those old open framers!

 

[Espeefan]

I loved those old MDC steamers. Had a few. There's still one or two around here someplace. I especially liked them because a few of them were SP based if not SP entirely. Yours looks very much like an SP S-8. There's no mistaking that boiler and headlight! Those models were a blessing to a young guy who couldn't afford brass yet. I have an S-8 around here someplace. This one is an S-12, different valve gear but you can see the family resemblance! different tender but SP did use the slope back, among many others. This example is the "sausage tender". Crews liked it because it didn't obstruct vision to the rear.

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

I loved those old MDC steamers. Had a few. There's still one or two around here someplace. I especially liked them because a few of them were SP based if not SP entirely. Yours looks very much like an SP S-8. There's no mistaking that boiler and headlight! Those models were a blessing to a young guy who couldn't afford brass yet. I have an S-8 around here someplace. This one is an S-12, different valve gear but you can see the family resemblance! different tender but SP did use the slope back, among many others. This example is the "sausage tender". Crews liked it because it didn't obstruct vision to the rear.

View attachment 263529

Very nice! You may already have a copy, but if not, you'd probably enjoy the book "A Century of Southern Pacific Steam Locomotives" by Guy L. Dunscomb. It has all kinds of photos of and info on SP steamers, including the S-8s and S-12s. That "sausage tender" is interesting, I would imagine it would probably hold more water and fuel than the slope back tenders.

 

[Espeefan]

Very nice! You may already have a copy, but if not, you'd probably enjoy the book "A Century of Southern Pacific Steam Locomotives" by Guy L. Dunscomb. It has all kinds of photos of and info on SP steamers, including the S-8s and S-12s. That "sausage tender" is interesting, I would imagine it would probably hold more water and fuel than the slope back tenders.

Yep! There is a well thumbed copy in my library. There is also a nice little soft cover by a fellow named Gene Diemling on the 0-6-0's. I'm not sure of the tender capacities. One thing SP guys don't have is a comprehensive tender book, and the SP was a big tender swapper. I know the "sausage" was a pretty short-range tender though I'm not sure how it compares to the slope back. Two others I have in the collection are these. A passenger station switcher, and a shop switcher. The passenger station switcher has a "Clear Vision" Vanderbuilt tender. Note the shortened bunker width. The shop switcher was converted to a saddle tanker. Neat models!

Seeing your roundhouse in the background was neat. I did this at a club open house a few years ago:

Steamers just have so much more going on. Diesels are kind of boring by comparison though I model them too.

 

[Toolbelt]

Steamers just have so much more going on. Diesels are kind of boring by comparison though I model them too.

But diesels have microwaves to reheat your lunch.

 

[Espeefan]

But diesels have microwaves to reheat your lunch.

Just set your lunch by the firebox door. No electricity required.

 

[Kusojiji]

Put your olive oil, vinegar and herbs in a jar and tie it to the side rod. Your vinegraitte will be done by the time you get to your destination.

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

Yep! There is a well thumbed copy in my library. There is also a nice little soft cover by a fellow named Gene Diemling on the 0-6-0's. I'm not sure of the tender capacities. One thing SP guys don't have is a comprehensive tender book, and the SP was a big tender swapper. I know the "sausage" was a pretty short-range tender though I'm not sure how it compares to the slope back. Two others I have in the collection are these. A passenger station switcher, and a shop switcher. The passenger station switcher has a "Clear Vision" Vanderbuilt tender. Note the shortened bunker width. The shop switcher was converted to a saddle tanker. Neat models!

View attachment 263646

View attachment 263648

Seeing your roundhouse in the background was neat. I did this at a club open house a few years ago:

View attachment 263649

Steamers just have so much more going on. Diesels are kind of boring by comparison though I model them too.

A lot of neat stuff there!

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

Got some newly completed projects to share with you all. After extensive repairs, I finally finished my Hallmark CM 202.
Here's what it looked like when I got it.

After structural repairs and mechanism overhaul.

And, the finished engine. I'm happy to report that it's a good runner and a good puller. The lettering/numbering and "gold" filigree is all hand painted. Frog Tape for delicate surfaces (yellow type) worked well for the stripes on the tender.

I added crew figures, since the CM 200 series were known coal gobblers even as compounds, I gave this engine two firemen. I also added "glass" to the cab windows. I liked the effect so much that I've started adding it to other steamers when they arrive on the workbench for maintenance or repair, as long as it doesn't interfere with motor ventilation.

Boiler backhead detail.

The engineer and the fireman in the tender are modified commercial figures, and the fireman in the cab is homemade with the John Allen wax technique. The engineer is a woman and the cab fireman is homemade because I didn't have any other figures that could fit in the cab seats.
More in next post.

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

This one is an experimental project. I'm not a big fan of graffiti on railcars, (or anywhere else) but it does add realism to modern freight cars, and I'll admit that I've seen a few examples that I would call true works of art. A sad waste of talent, actually. That being said, I figured that if I'm going to start adding it to freight cars and the like for realism, I might as well have some fun with it and do stuff that I'll enjoy. Not only is this open hopper car an experiment in graffiti painting, it's also a weathering experiment. Next step is making a load for it. I hope you all enjoy, thanks for looking!

 

[Kusojiji]

Glad to see Kilroy!

 

[Snowman]

Your hand painted lettering is exceptionally well done, I have to say. Even at my best my hands were just too shaky to have ever done that kind of work. Which is why my own lettering and art/logo work was always done many times oversize--6 X over as I recall in the case of the artwork I conjured up back in the mid eighties.

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

Your hand painted lettering is exceptionally well done, I have to say. Even at my best my hands were just too shaky to have ever done that kind of work. Which is why my own lettering and art/logo work was always done many times oversize--6 X over as I recall in the case of the artwork I conjured up back in the mid eighties.

Thank you very much! CM 202's tender number was stenciled on with a pencil, then I filled it in with paint. All the rest of the lettering and numbering was done free hand. Same for the hopper car, and Bart Simpson, The Brain, and the Kilroy doodle were penciled in free hand, then painted.

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

Been meaning to post this for awhile, this is another experiment in rolling stock graffiti and weathering. Hope you all enjoy!

 

[migalyto]

Been meaning to post this for awhile, this is another experiment in rolling stock graffiti and weathering. Hope you all enjoy!

Very nice! Loved pinky and the Brain, and Ed, Ed, and Eddy!

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

Very nice! Loved pinky and the Brain, and Ed, Ed, and Eddy!

Thank you!

 

[boogietrain94]

Been meaning to post this for awhile, this is another experiment in rolling stock graffiti and weathering. Hope you all enjoy!View attachment 270460View attachment 270461

You dare anger the son of a sheppard lol very nicely done

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

You dare anger the son of a sheppard lol very nicely done

I'm glad I'm not the only Rolf fan out there. Thank you!