Ongoing progress slow but steady

Not that much done but.

     Progress has been a little bit slow the past two weeks what with Christmas and all however I have done a bit to the Monarch Branch to keep the juices flowing.
    The control panel for Poncha Junction has been designed by good friend J.F. printed and fitted to the panel. All of the switches have been installed and most wired but you guessed it I ran out of wire and the store is shut for Christmas.
    I decided to scratch build an ash pit for Gunnison and add another track to/or from the turntable which required an additional L/H turnout to be built and added to the main line. I am pleased to say that those jobs have been ticked off the list.

   

I made the pit by using 3mm MDF. It scales out at 1 foot wide.

    

Assembly completed with some Polystyrene girders added to support the rail.

    

Installed waiting for some ash and details.

     I have also started to assemble a Durango Press D&RGW water tank which I am doing in the study today as it is planned to be 37C outside. I had previously stained all the timbers using a Liquitex Acrylic light oak wood stain that has come up really well. I have also stained the timber tank ready for a weathered spray of Floquil Depot Yellow kindly offered by good friend Bill.

 

   Two 8ft x 4ft sheets of MDF cut to about 11 inches wide have been sourced ready to begin adding some fascias to the layout. I like this part of the journey as it makes the layout look so much better.
colour of them is yet to be decided however I am heading towards using a colour called Domino.  
   So that's about it until I can take a few more in progress images to post.
   I have also been working an a new version of a DVD for Bills Sn3 layout ready for his clinic in the USA next April so that keeps me off the street so to speak.
   Until my next post I trust you all have had a very Merry Christmas and have a safe & Prosperous New Year in 2019.
Rod.

More work completed

Lots more done.

     Over the past few weeks lots more progress has been made on the Monarch Branch. More track laid quite a few more hand laid turnouts fitted including a #6 wye and painting cross-ties and track in Gunnerson well underway. New turnout motors fitted in Poncha Junction by Big and Little John over the past two weeks.
    Some images to show progress follow.

A visitor from the Los Pinos & Toltec RR

A meet at Cimarron with the visiting Goose and C19 #41

Could only build this using a Fast Tracks paper template together with the frog & point tool.

     Next stage is to work on making the last 7 turnouts needed, finalize the industries I want for Poncha Junction so the panel can be printed, add the roundhouse tracks from the turntable and work on the plans of where to put the water tank, ash pit and coaling tower ( if I have room) at Gunnerson.
    Thanks for taking the time to check on my progress in my blog.
Rod.