Category: Circle D Ranch

Building a Pair of O Scale Outhouses

 

I’m always adding new details to the On30 Thunder Mesa layout, and this week it’s a pair of rustic outhouses from Wild West Scale Models. It’s a fun little kit (link below), and an easy way to add realistic detail and character to scenes with these necessities of frontier life. Just don’t forget to watch for splinters and, please, shut the door. Lots of modeling, weathering and finishing techniques in this step by step build.

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

Wild West Scale Models Outhouses: https://www.wildwestmodels.com/products/the-outhouses.html

John’s Place from Crescent Creek Models: https://thundermesa.studio/product/johns-place-o-scale/

A Horse Corral for Circle D Ranch

 

Out here in the Ooooooooold West, horses and trains go together just like bacon and beans! Thunder Mesa’s Circle D Ranch is home to the happiest horses on Earth, and in this episode I scratch build a brand new corral for them – made to look old with wood construction, staining, and weathering techniques. There’s even a working hinge for the ranch gate!

Saddle up, amigos – we ride!
Dave

A Thunder Mesa Excursion Special

 

All aboard for a Grand Circle Tour thru Nature's Wonderland on this Thunder Mesa Excursion Special! Enjoy the sights and sounds along the way as we explore the Living Desert, Geyser Gulch, Rainbow Caverns, Natural Arch Bridge and more. Stops at Calico, Tumbleweed, Los Feliz Jct, and Rainbow Ridge. Apologies in advance for some unfinished scenery and empty excursion cars. Thunder Mesa is always a work in progress!


Thanks for following along, amigos. Registered users can leave questions and comments below so, please, join in the conversation!

All the best,
Dave

Rainbow Ridge Update

Work continues on the little mining town of Rainbow Ridge as it evolves alongside the progress at Circle D Ranch. The mainline through town has been ballasted with chick-grit, ground cover has begun to be added in the form of real dirt, and a wood plank grade crossing has been installed next to the depot. The depot itself has been refreshed with new "Rainbow Ridge" signs, and the water tank from Hanging Rock has been relocated here since I felt it better fit this scene. Hanging rock will be getting a new (read: old and worn out) water tank of its own in the not too distant future.

A Quick Stop at Rainbow Ridge

Arriving from Los Feliz Junction through Tunnel #1, an ore train makes a quick stop at Rainbow Ridge to pick up new orders before heading on to Thunder Mesa.


The Problem with Facebook
This post is part of an ongoing attempt to relocate material from Facebook to this website. Unfortunately, Facebook continues to engage in a wide variety of highly unethical practices which I have no desire to support. If you are a fan of my art and/or modeling, please follow them here. I will be posting much more here in the days and weeks ahead, and much, much less on Facebook. Registered users can leave questions and comments on posts so please, join in the conversation!

All the best,
Dave

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch

In the overhead view, I worked on the creek area to the right of Walt's Barn, adding rocks and ground cover. The second photo shows a new section of split rail fence between the Circle D and Thunder Mesa's mainline, and some new greenery along the creek as well. The next shot is the first train to come through these parts in a long time. Paint, glue and track ballast are tough on electric trains so all of the track needed to be cleaned and fine tuned before trains could run again. The last photo shows the remainder of the ranch property real dirt ground cover, blending the base of Walt's Barn with the rest of the scenery. Now I can finish the stock pens and start thinking about the log cabin that will sit at the base of Thumb Butte.

 

Operating Turnouts

In true narrow gauge fashion, all of the switches on the TMMC are thrown by hand. I extend the switch point ties on the Peco turnouts with scale 6x8s, and use N scale Caboose Ground Throws and a simple wire linkage to move the points. Here is a video of the ground throws in action at the Circle D and Calico sidings.

 

A Work Train Passes the Circle D

Engine #8, R.H. Gurr, heads up a short work train passing the Circle D en route to Thunder Mesa.


The Problem with Facebook
This post is part of an ongoing attempt to relocate material from Facebook to this website. Unfortunately, Facebook continues to engage in a wide variety of highly unethical practices which I have no desire to support. If you are a fan of my art and/or modeling, please follow them here. I will be posting much more here in the days and weeks ahead, and much, much less on Facebook. Registered users can leave questions and comments on posts so please, join in the conversation!

All the best,
Dave

Stock Loading Chute at the Circle D

Today the Circle D got this new stock loading chute, scratchbuilt from scale lumber. I still need to build the rest of the pens.


The Problem with Facebook
This post is part of an ongoing attempt to relocate material from Facebook to this website. Unfortunately, Facebook continues to engage in a wide variety of highly unethical practices which I have no desire to support. If you are a fan of my art and/or modeling, please follow them here. I will be posting much more here in the days and weeks ahead, and much, much less on Facebook. Registered users can leave questions and comments on posts so please, join in the conversation!

All the best,
Dave

Ranch Gate and a New Bridge at the Circle D

The rough hewn style of the Circle D's new ranch gates is loosely based on a gate that once stood at Disneyland's Big Thunder Ranch. The logs were done with dowels, toothpicks for the sawn branches, and Crescent Creek Models Scale Stucco to create the bark texture. The back of the sign has a very small inside joke. Folks at the Circle D also needed a way to get across Coyote Canyon so Thunder Mesa construction crews built them a simple pony truss. The scratchbuilt 40' span is too lightly built for trains, but just fine for horses and wagons.


The Problem with Facebook
This post is part of an ongoing attempt to relocate material from Facebook to this website. Unfortunately, Facebook continues to engage in a wide variety of highly unethical practices which I have no desire to support. If you are a fan of my art and/or modeling, please follow them here. I will be posting much more here in the days and weeks ahead, and much, much less on Facebook. Registered users can leave questions and comments on posts so please, join in the conversation!

All the best,
Dave

Minnie Moo Comes to the Circle D

Uh oh, looks like the Circle D's dairy cow has gotten out into the weeds again. This prize holstein was recently shipped in special, all the way from Minnesota. Her markings are a little unusual and the ranch hands have named her Minnie Moo. Meanwhile, Sam the Eagle surveys his domain from the top of Thumb Butte. Looks like it's a favorite perch of his. As night falls, the lights come on in Walt's Barn. Old Elias must be up working late on one of his projects.


The Problem with Facebook
This post is part of an ongoing attempt to relocate material from Facebook to this website. Unfortunately, Facebook continues to engage in a wide variety of highly unethical practices which I have no desire to support. If you are a fan of my art and/or modeling, please follow them here. I will be posting much more here in the days and weeks ahead, and much, much less on Facebook. Registered users can leave questions and comments on posts so please, join in the conversation!

All the best,
Dave