IRON RAILS 2015 GB

I'm ready to start the Thor.

Great Steve, you'll enjoy it.

You'll have fun with that. I built one some time ago. Looking forward to seeing this.

welcome

will be interesting to compare to Terry's 1/35. you can crossover with the OTS GB i am running too.

Thanks Wayne,

I got some work done over the weekend and tonught,

I got a little done last night and am almost finished with the motor carriage. After that I'll start the painting and weathering, oh Boy!

Steve

In the next few days I'm going to start on Trumpeters low sided gondola in 1/35 as part of a large German railyard diorama. I've studied the parts and instructions and should go together rather quick but I'm undecided on a color for the wooden sides. I'm thinking because my Morser will be a clean build, I'd like to show a distressed wood and a very used piece of equipment maybe in a med/dark brown or a red. I've seen German rolling stock in several different colors, just not sure yet.

Terry

Here’s tonight’s progress. I’ve completed the Karl, and will start painting and weathering this weekend.

So cool Steve, that went really fast. I still think its one of the most awesome pieces of equipment the Germans ever engineered, good thing for the Allies it wasn't accurate, I'd love to see one in person. Bucket List I guess. 

Terry

That is gonna look fantastic! Although, unless they are doing a pit stop and will be sitting for a few days before moving on, they most likely wouldn't string camo net. I'll figure that's what's going on. Of course, they'd have to string camo net over the engine too, or a wandering P-47 or Schturmovic would try to take it out, the SdFfz AA platform notwithstanding...

Looking forward to seeing more on this. Meanwhile, I need to jumpstart my Russian armored trains again...

Hmmm. I hadn't thought of stringing a net over the engine. I could do that, or they could have just rolled in LOL. I guess I'm going to have to pin down my "storyline" a little bit better.

MC what are you going to do for netting and poles?

Thanks Wayne,

I was going to use medical gauze for the netting and still thinking about the poles. I have some small twigs that may work well.

as far as the lay out, let’s try this. I'll get some more track for the mortar and put the loco on a through track. I have also curved the track and moved the gun a little to the right some to break up the symmetry.

MC how did you do the curved track? 

look at using bridal veil for camo. i would make poles from styrene instead of using twigs.

That does look a bit better, but is it possible to add the connector to the rails? Then if you can somehow show that the crew was waiting for the engine that just arrived, you wouldn't need to run camo net over the engine. I'm not sure how you'd convey that in the figures though.

This is getting very good. I'm liking this.

MC how did you do the curved track?

Duke Maddog

That does look a bit better, but is it possible to add the connector to the rails?

Duke Maddog

This is getting very good. I'm liking this.

Wayne,
Its just some HO flex track I got from HT prior to their closing. I will be removing the rails and installing them on handmade ties like you and Terry do. I will consider sprue for the poles, actually I haven't given it any thought. As for bridal vail, or tulle... that's a good Idea that again I hadn't thought of. I still need to do some study and trial and error prior to installing. I still have considerable time to experiment before I get to the point of necessity.
Mad Dog,
You know that's a good idea as well. While I'm getting some more flex track I'll look for a switch. That will defiantly add some interest. I'm really getting excited about this also. NOW it's getting interesting. Weathering and display is my favorite part of a build. I just hope my back ordered guys get here before I finish. I want to enter it into our little IPMS contest here in Boise on Oct 17th.
Steve

Here you go guys.
I have new pics here. I decided to go ahead and drape a tarp over the muzzle. I love doing
tarps.

So Wayne, this officially ends my 2 build commitment here but since I am continuing on with a diorama base, I would still like to continue to post my progress here if you don't mind. I mean it is still all railroad related.

 

 And some close-ups.

MC very nice, Yes please continue to post base work. at a minimum, anyone who does RR stuff has to do rails and everybody has different ways of doing it.

I probably won't get back full time on my K-5 until mid October. I have some litttle things i can fit in but have some away time and a contest on 10OCT that i am prepping for.

OK Wayne, I started the Sd Kfz 7/1. It looks like quite a little kit with amazing detail. Anyway here it is.








Steve

I have an update on the halftrack. I have completed everything except the gun. I have to say, I am very impressed with this kit. Who knew? If you are looking for a 1/72 Sd Kfz, don’t overlook the ROG kit. It’s going together like a Hase kit.






Steve

I decided to take a little break from the AA gun and work on the rails, so here it is.
The cork bed.

The ties added.

The ties painted.

The switch.

Steve

Hey Steve

SdKfz 7 is looking good. i have really gptten into OTS scale the past year. They are faster builds but still have a lot of detail. 

Durango and Silverton RR. for your weathering details.

did get back on K-5. really big parts after working on OTS SCUD and German 105mm cannon. lots of sanding so the tabs fit in the slots on the inner carriage due to priming and painting. not unexpected. did find 2 more bracers that nee filling, sanding, priming, and painting which broke up my rhythm. expect to have recoil mechanism and breech elevation mechanism installed this weekend. the primary recoil cylinder is larger than the entire OTS 105. rather pleasant working in that size.

think i will work on 3T 4x2 cargo truck in case i upload ammo from truck instead of gondola. would really like to do a 1/35 switch but that will take some serious heating and track bending. my rails aren't as flexible as HO flrex rails.

This is all looking good. Way to go guys!

I finally have recovered enough from two months of fighting illnesses and can start posting some of my progress again. This is actually work that I got done before I got sick, but never had the chance to post until now.

I'll start with one of the train cars I started to do before. I got the top and bottom attached and clamped it to dry:

You can also see the two turrets for this car that were assembled and sanding a bit to improve the look on them.

After it dried, I dry-fit the turrets to see how well they looked:

I still have a lot of photo etch to add to this, but first, I taped off the top and added Mr. Surfacer 500 to the joint so I can fill the joint and sand it smooth without losing all the surface detail on the top half of this train car:

And that's all I was able to get done before I got sick. Once I get my hobby room put back together and my workbench cleared off, I'll get started back on this project.

Thanks for looking in.

Wayne thanks for those photos, nothing like reference pics of the real thing. 

Duke it's coming along nicely, you arent the only one with setbacks, I just cant get ahead on anything. Still cant get over that green plastic, looks so foreign and Soviet. 

Terry