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Bandit Canyon Railway | The Blackjack Mine Pt 1

Posted on by Dave Meek

BCRy Part III. This is the first of two episodes on the Blackjack Mine, a small complex with loads of character for my On18 Bandit Canyon Railway project. In this installment, I scratchbuild the freelanced head frame and shaft house using some repurposed parts from an earlier project. Lots of info on typical mine construction out west, plus modeling tips for wood construction, using stencils, weathering, and making your own corrugated roofing. Cinefoil “Black Wrap”

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

Bandit Canyon Railway | Roadbed, Track and Power

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

BCRy Part II. Work continues on my On18 Bandit Canyon Ry micro-layout! This week, I add risers to raise the plywood sub-roadbed up to the desired height, then it’s time for cork roadbed, laying some Peco flextrack, building a simple manual turnout linkage, and hooking up the DC power. Join me as I bring the BCRy to life for the first time and explain a few tips and tricks learned over the years to make all of these tasks a little smoother and easier.

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

New On18 Project | The Bandit Canyon Railway Rides Again!

Posted on by Dave Meek

I’m always up for a new project when inspiration strikes! This time I’m revisiting the Bandit Canyon Ry in On18 scale. This 2×3′ portable micro-layout will combine spectacular Southwestern scenery with the legends of Butch Cassidy, the Sundance Kid and the Hole in the Wall gang. This video introduces the layout concept with plans and drawings, and we begin work on a portable stand and base.

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

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Building a Pair of O Scale Outhouses

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

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/

Thunder Cam Special: The Thunder Mesa Flyer

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

This special Thunder Cam episode features a run over the entire layout aboard the Thunder Mesa Flyer, providing Mail and express service to each of the towns along the right of way! Enjoy the sights and sounds of Nature’s Wonderland along the way with a POV view from the cab. It’s the next best thing to shrinking down to 1/4″ scale and riding along yourself!

I’m documenting every scene on the layout in these short “Thunder Cam” videos. Each one features Thunder Mesa trains passing through scenes on a typical day (or night) of operations. Supplemental music and sounds have been added where appropriate, but all else is as it might appear on a visit to the layout. Please keep in mind that not all scenes and areas are finished yet. Thunder Mesa is a work in progress.

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

Thunder Cam: Rainbow Caverns

Posted on by Dave Meek

Howdy folks! This Thunder Cam episode features spectacular Rainbow Caverns, a subterranean wonderland of waterfalls, fantastic formations, and glowing crystals. Inspired by the original Rainbow Caverns on Disneyland’s old Mine Train thru Nature’s Wonderland attraction. And for the first time ever, get a cab’s eye view of the action with POV Thunder Cam!

I’m documenting every scene on the layout in these short “Thunder Cam” videos. Each one features Thunder Mesa trains passing through scenes on a typical day (or night) of operations. Supplemental music and sounds have been added where appropriate, but all else is as it might appear on a visit to the layout. As new scenes are finished on the layout, these rail fan style videos will act as supplements to the builds and projects. The ultimate goal is to chronicle the entire layout over time.

Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave

Race to the Finish Line: GGRR Part 11

Posted on by Dave Meek

 

Time’s up on my On30 Gruesome Gulch mini-layout! Here is the mad dash to the finish line in the final week before my self-imposed deadline of October 29th (Halloween weekend). Though I didn’t get everything done that I wanted to over the past 4 months, I did managed to get the layout to a level of finish that makes it presentable to the public. In this video I add the layout fascia, build some mock-ups to stand in for yet-to-be-completed structures, and detail the front side of the layout with ground cover, ballast, weeds, shrubs and some 3-d printed details. with a few spooky lighting effects! Realistically, I could have used another 4 months to get everything done that I had planned – like the elaborate underground scenes on the backside of the layout, but all of that will have to wait for a future series of videos on the GGRR. Until then, thanks for following along.

Happy Halloween, amigos!
Dave