# Turtle Field Railroad, Smal piece of D&RGW atmosphere.



## bubule (Aug 15, 2014)

Hello all, 

I am new on this forum, so a small presentation is needed i think 

My name is Jean-François, i come from France. (So if it is possible, i beg your pardon for my poor englishhwell I have started Model railroading by Ho scale based on french protototype 20 years ago. I switch to US prototype in N scale 7 years later. I have been flabergasted by the Denver & Rio Grande pototype when i discovered it, and i imediatly wanted to model it. 

So i have started my N scale Layout in 2003, it a freelanced interpretation of the D&RGW in 1960 to 1980. I tried to get the atmosphere of colorado, but i have never came in USA to see it. I hope one day, i should come and ride the california zephyr from denver to salt lake city :thumbsup:

The firts part of my layout is an open Grid module that is nearly than 3'1/2 large for 6 feets long. Track is Peco code 55. It represents savage country with a smal town called Turtle Field. 4 years ago, I had a new section called "spirit of Denver" witch is under contruction and it would be an industrial and big city atmosphere with Atlas a ME code 55 track. The layout is drived by a NCE DCC system (PH pro 5 amps).

To discover this layout, here is a video showing my version of the ski train : Hope that it will please you :


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## apoc444 (Jan 28, 2013)

really nice job ,,great layout


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## morland (Sep 25, 2012)

Very nice layout and video. 

I took a vacation out west this summer and was lucky enough to have seen some of the old Rio Grande routes in Colorado and New Mexico. Here are some pictures I took if you are interested in looking. 


http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=24122

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=24342

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=24376

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=24400

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=24502

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=24503

Regards,
Trever


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Jean-François, I am in Colorado right now on vacation, and am near Silverton, which is a station for the Durango to Silverton narrow-gauge old time railroad. Your scenery is BEAUTIFUL!!! It is very much like some of the Colorado scenery and old buildings. You've done a wonderful job with your railroad...congratulations!! :smilie_daumenpos:

I am building an N-scale model also, and I am doing the Denver and Rio Grande in the 1950-1980 era. I am going VERY slowly with it, learning how to build as I go. This is my first try at completing a layout. There are many people on this forum who have given me advice and help. They are great people here.

By the way, your English is better than some of the American members here!! HAHA!


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## Magic (Jan 28, 2014)

Very very nice. :appl: :appl: :appl:
Looks like Colorado to me. 

Magic


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## scaleddown (Mar 13, 2014)

Stunning model. Great work.


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## bubule (Aug 15, 2014)

Many thank's guys for your nice welcom !! 

Thank's Trever from your photos. They are very inpiring !!

Here is some photos of the layout :

Here is the "moe taverne" at the falling of the nigth. You distinguish the "Duff" beer advertising on the left side of the building. Diesel is an atlas Dash 8 from SP. The mountain back to the merchant row of the town is a scenic dividisor to hide the savage scene just behind.










Here the behind of the moutain. The divisor hide the town just one feet in the rear of it.
The rocks are handly carved in plaster : no molds in this view. They are painted with acrilics.
Trees are home made with pearls trees hobby wires, Molding paste, aquarium filter fibers and scenics foams. The diesel are UP heritage ACE from Kato :











There is two more videos with the california zephyr and a double-stack intermodal train :


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## morland (Sep 25, 2012)

The video of the passenger train running at night through Turtle Field was awesome. You have done a good job with all of the detail work. Very inspiring! :smilie_daumenpos:

-Trever


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

I loved the Private car (I assume that heavy weight was) that you
attached to the end of the train. Amtrak does that. We had two
on the end of the Sunset Limited I rode once.

As true to life as your scenic effects are it's hard to believe
you have not experienced that area in person.

Don


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## bubule (Aug 15, 2014)

Thank's Trever and Don !

Don you are right it is an Heavyweith car :appl:. The base is a MTL pulmann obsvervation car totaly repainted with an air brush to the Rio Grande scheme :

Metal is paint from Alclad II and orange is from polyscale. Decals are from micro scale.


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## Greg903 (Dec 27, 2013)

Great layout. Really cool, the photos are hard to tell it is a model.


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Jean-François, overall your modeling work is as good as any I have seen here. It's just wonderful. You deserve a lot of :appl:

You should send some pictures to Model Railroader magazine and see if they will do an article on your layout!!


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## bubule (Aug 15, 2014)

Thank's a lot !! 

Here is the track plan : 










You can see on that picture the under frame of the layout. It is an extended superposed Eigth. The track with plexiglass bareers are hiden tracks to loop the layout. You can see on the rigth the futur extention track. There is another one hiden juste below. 









Here you can see the S curves where is now the town scene. The scenery is aluminium grid covered by plaster bands. The mountain in the back is a scenic divisor to hide to spectator the view of the savage natural scene juste behind it :










This part of the layout is fitted with Peco code 55 track.
Radius are 15" 
Ramps are 2.5 % max
Layout driven by a NCE power house pro DCC system.
Large : 3'1/2
Long : 6'
Bench work : Open grid 

To be continued . . .


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## bubule (Aug 15, 2014)

Hi guys ! Painting job is nearly finished :




























Now i need to built the roof and technical equipments : Hvac, pipes, air and water tank ventilator ... And more.

So to bee continued


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## trains galore (Jul 22, 2013)

Wow incredible layout:thumbsup:
Great baseboard construction happening there
Nice detailing with the graffiti, really gives it that industrial look
Thanks for showing the pictures!


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## fcwilt (Sep 27, 2013)

Very nicely done scenery!

I have not begun to scenic my layout but if I could achieve what you have I would be very satisfied.

Thanks for sharing.


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## bubule (Aug 15, 2014)

Thank o lot !!

Hello guys !

I am waiting for some scratch building supplies to go forwar on the "spirit of denver" modules, so i will do a little flash back on the construction of some scenery elements on the Turtle Field part to wait ! 

First i propose you a zoom on the S. GONZLES speed towwing and repair garage. It is the place to repair or feed in fuel all rolling vehicules in the Turtle field town.

To make the gas tank i used a tank rail car. I have remove chassis an made with plastic a retention. I also scratchbuilt the pump and brass pipes. The valves are comming from the tank car :





































The primer from alclad II have been sprayed with an air brush :










I choose to affect the garage to the texaco gas supply company (love the star logo). I have paint with mask the white circle :










And now applying the mask of the star and painting the red, So the star will stay white :










The retention have been painted in concreate and some whethering done :



















I will post some more details on the construction of the S. Gonzales Building.


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Jean-François, your work is just beautiful! Thank you for sharing the pictures with us. It's wonderful to see how you built that fuel tank. Please keep posting your progress! :appl:


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## bubule (Aug 15, 2014)

Thank's !

Today a video with Kato bi-level commuter train :






It is not a Rio grande prototype, but i love so much this cab cars you can drive on reverse :drool:










To continue on the S. Gonlales Speed towing garage (Arriba, Arriba ! Ay caramba grosso mineto !  ) , i will show you the contruction of the junk yard behind the garage. 

I have wheathered some cars and trucks for it. i have used a decoration paint with two componements. One is an iron charged paint, the second is an oxidizer paint to transform the iron in the first paint into rust. Transformation take a day and is is a natural process you did not know how it will bee before realizing the process ... The result is surprising :





































Here they are in place on the layout :










The garbage dumpster, and the loading dumpster mecanism of the Ford truck are scratch built.


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## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

Great job on the junked cars.

Just a suggestion. Perhaps you can get some old cars with flat tires, missing wheels, ripped up upholstery, hood open (from parts scavenging) etc.


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## powersteamguy1790 (Mar 26, 2012)

Nice work bubule. :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## Greg903 (Dec 27, 2013)

The tank Looks great. So does the rusted out cars,I would love to know what the decoration paint is. Such cool scene with farm and train in the background.


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## bubule (Aug 15, 2014)

Hello i haven't be there from a such long time. 

I am working on an extention of the turtle field layout : Spirit of denver.

I have started to build the RTD light rail line. Here is a video of the progress. All is scratch built : bridges, concrete walls, platfoms, shelters ... 






I also have scratch built the RTD vehicules on Arnold GT6 chassis.






The Ligth rail will go into staging by passing through a replic of the colorado convention center glass building:





































So see you soon for more updates !


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Wow, Bubule, your modeling skills are wonderful! I am amazed how detailed your work is. I think the two light rail cars look amazing! And you've done a great job with the buildings and all the areas around your track. N-scale is difficult to scratch build, and you've done a remarkable job. Thank you for the pictures and videos.
:appl:


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## bubule (Aug 15, 2014)

Many thanks !!

I have also built some details for the roundhouse :






Including a scratch built bridge crane :





































And here is the walthers 130 turntable converted to Rio Grande and wheathered :


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## bubule (Aug 15, 2014)

Hello all

The layout is now in show case configuration :







This lighting is better for photo :


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## fcwilt (Sep 27, 2013)

Truly exceptional work. :thumbsup:

Please come and scenic my layout!


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Some amazing workmanship.

I'm very impressed with the tiny details on
the roundhouse crane. Even bolts to hold
the upright columns to the floor.

Don


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

VERY nice work!! The lighting is excellent, and your detail is wonderful. Can you make a video showing the trains running?


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

That is some excellent work. Hard to believe it is N scale.


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## Patrick1544 (Apr 27, 2013)

Very nice work and video!


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## Magic (Jan 28, 2014)

Beautiful layout and workmanship. 
Wouldn't hurt to put up more pics, would love to see them.

Magic


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## Project Galileo (Oct 28, 2015)

I live in wonderful Colorado and have been on this train. You do it justice. Great work!


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