Category: Gruesome Gulch

Thunder Mesa Studio > Thunder Mesa Blog > Thunder Mesa Blog > Gruesome Gulch

Endless Mine Tunnel | Gruesome Gulch | GGRR 25

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

New magic for Cadaver Caverns on my spooky themed On30 Gruesome Gulch Railroad! This time it’s an endless mine tunnel illusion using one way glass (plus a couple of LEDs, some wood, paint and hunks of foam). This is a fun one!

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

Two-way mirror plexiglass: https://a.co/d/689k1eE

A Coffin Car | Gruesome Gulch | GGRR 24

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

Another project for the On30 Gruesome Gulch Railroad! Last week's creepy combine is now joined by a downright ghastly coffin car. Once again starting with an old HO kit, I build this "Cadaver Relocation Dept." gondola using wood, styrene, and photo-real printed paper textures. Then the real fun begins, adding coffins, skeletons, and other spooky details.

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

A Creepy Combine! | Gruesome Gulch | GGRR 23

Posted on by Dave Meek

Time to get in the mood for Spooky Season with a new project for the On30 Gruesome Gulch Railroad! This time out I'm building a creepy combine (combination baggage and passenger car) - starting from an MDC Roundhouse HO scale Overton Coach kit. I used a couple of these same kits last year as a basis for my GGRR excursion cars and was very pleased with the results, so it's back to the workbench once to see how they might work for an On30 combine!

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

A Haunted Hoedown | Sound and Special Effects for Gruesome Gulch | GGRR 22

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

It's special effects time! In this installment of the Gruesome Gulch build, I install a pair of Pricom Dream Players with custom soundtracks from Fantasonics Engineering. Then it's time to add, lights, motion, and a UV illuminated set to the final scene in Cadaver Caverns. I use the old reliable "Pepper's Ghost" effect to bring an otherworldly western town to back to life with a cast of ghostly characters. It may not be a swingin' wake, but it's definitely a Haunted Hoedown!

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

Many thanks to Jim Wells and Fantasonics Engineering: http://www.fantasonics.com/
Pricom Designs Dream Players and amps: https://pricom.com/audio/players.shtml
Tang Band speakers: https://www.parts-express.com/Tang-Band-T1-2025SC-1-5-8-Full-Range-Speaker-Module-264-939?quantity=1

Modeling a Burned Building! | Lou Cipher’s Mercantile | GGRR 21

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

Please join me for the FINAL structure build for Gruesome Gulch - and this one's a doozy! Follow along as I model "Lou Cipher's Mercantile," the burned out husk of the local general store. And thanks to a few simple special effects, the fire seems to still be smoldering inside!

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

More Bridges and Scenery for Cadaver Caverns | Gruesome Gulch | GGRR 20

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

In this installment of the Gruesome Gulch build, I finish up a large portion of Cadaver Caverns, with new bridges, more underground cave scenery, and LED lighting effects. One bridge is a rocky natural arch that looks ready to collapse at any moment, while another is a rickety suspension bridge that looks like it might have come from Indy's Temple of Doom! Plus, track ballasting, weathering and more.

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

Gruesome Gulch T-shirts: https://bit.ly/GGRRTshirt

The Helldorado Mine | Gruesome Gulch | GGRR 19

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

It's time to build the Helldorado Mine - a mine so deep it goes all the way to... well, Hell-dorado! This latest addition the On30 Gruesome Gulch mini-layout features a compact "gallows style" head frame connected to a semi-collapsed mine shaft that goes right down through Cadaver Caverns. The mine is weathered and detailed to look abandoned, but there may be more here than meets the eye!

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

The Eternal Rest Hotel | Gruesome Gulch | GGRR 18

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

Even restless spirits need a place to stay, so this installment of the Gruesome Gulch build is all about creating a run own Victorian era hotel called the “Eternal Rest.” This latest structure for the Gulch is the fanciest yet, dripping with gingerbread and milled details in the Carpenter Gothic style. But since this is Gruesome Gulch, everything is just a little off – broken glass, missing boards, chipped and weather paint – and check out those skulls above the windows!

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

A Bridge of Skulls | Gruesome Gulch | GGRR 17

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

In this installment of the Gruesome Gulch build, I create a macabre “Bridge of Skulls” for the trains to cross deep inside of Cadaver Caverns. Loads of tips and techniques covered in this video, including carving Polyurethane foam, making realistic rocks from Extruded Polystyrene Foam, painting and finishing with acrylics, and even some track ballasting!

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

Gruesome Gulch Water Tank | GGRR 16

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

Even haunted steamers need water, so this time out I'm building a dilapidated wooden water tank for Gruesome Gulch - complete with a spooky glow and skeletal occupant! Using an old, out of production craftsman style kit as a starting point, I demonstrate the steps, techniques, and changes made to bring this latest structure to life for my On30 project layout.

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

Miniprints: https://www.miniprints.com/