K&W HO Scale Model Railroad, Construction Update #38 - Holcomb Power Plant looks like something!

[@cncpgreatlakesdiv4896]

wow awesome lay out thanks for the share.😊😊👍👍👍

[@KandWRailroader]

@@cncpgreatlakesdiv4896 Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@AndrewRiha]

Looking great! My vote is for panting the back drop and getting done and over with so you can work on your structures and what not. Enjoying the progress.

[@KandWRailroader]

@@AndrewRiha Thank you! Your vote has been recorded!

[@achb-railway]

My vote is to get some paint over the pink foam wherever you have the track plan figured out. I painted over the last of my pink foam/bare plywood a couple of weeks ago… that alone makes a huge difference! Beyond that, more structures. Seems like you have an endless number left to go!

[@KandWRailroader]

@@achb-railway Votes recorded! Thank you!

[@lancastrian123]

Track painting & Ballasting is my VOTE.

[@KandWRailroader]

@@lancastrian123 Vote recorded! Thank you!

[@Mark-z5m3e]

My vote is for you. Is that you get some paint and go to town. Sky , earth color over the pink. Roads some paint will change a lot in a short time. Then start placing ballast down where you are happy with the track placement. Just remember, if you are going to use an electronic switch machine like a tortoise , put a 1/4 hole under the turnout before you ballast the track. Thanks for another great video.

[@KandWRailroader]

Thank you for your vote for paint and ballast!

[@1Nanerz]

When building the white metal kits, triple check the plans to make sure you’ve drilled all the necessary holes before assembling. Can’t drill a missing hole for hydraulic hoses after assembly. Also, painting the wheels with numerous coats of nail polish will insulate them so they can sit on the rails without shorting the power.

[@KandWRailroader]

@@1Nanerz Awesome tips! Thank you!

[@cjbeyer8340]

My vote is for painting the large grain elevator between UP & BNSF yards! It was a great update!

[@KandWRailroader]

@@cjbeyer8340 Vote recorded! Thank you!

[@MRR_Shadowolf]

Great update, coming along nicely. I vote for track weathering and ballast

[@KandWRailroader]

@@MRR_Shadowolf Vote recorded! Thank you!

[@kcsthebetterway]

Work bench is far too neat. 😊

[@KandWRailroader]

@@kcsthebetterway I cheat though...and clean it up for the videos...LOL. 😁

[@blainedunlap4242]

Don't paint the track or ballast until the switch machines are all in, the feeders, blocks and wiring. When that all works trick, do all the track beautification. You're moving steady and sure keep things clean and neat.

[@KandWRailroader]

That is the best way to do it, I agree. Thank you!

[@aleccooley4357]

Dang the progress is really wild. Thought the hills near the holcomb power plant turned out super good. Definitely changed how that transition looks for the better. I'll put a vote in for structures.

[@KandWRailroader]

Just wait till I add grass, trees, gravel and a big pile of coal! I've got you down for structures. Thank you!

[@tommaxwell198]

Complete power plant - looks great so far, and if time permits move to next scene/LDE; enjoy your updates, but spend time running trains too.

[@KandWRailroader]

@@tommaxwell198 Thank you! Vote recorded! I do get some regular run time beyond my ops videos every other week. Sometimes the mood just strikes and I let it!

[@randydobson1863]

Hi K & W Railroader & it's is Randy and i like yours video is Cool & Thanks K & W Railroader & Friends Randy

[@KandWRailroader]

Thank you Randy!

[@neilschwerdt3493]

You are doing great on your layout. I'm making HO Aspen trees so far I,ve done 100 of them in fall color,s. I'm doing MRL from 1987 - 2020. In a 18x15 layout. From Neil schwerdt in west valley city Utah 😊

[@KandWRailroader]

Ahhh...Aspen...my favorite tree. I hope to add many to my layout someday. Thank you for watching!

[@Dreadedlock]

Holcomb Power Plant looks great! It has come a long way. My vote this week is Towanda.

[@KandWRailroader]

Thank you! It has turned out better than I thought it would thus far. I have you down for Towanda. Thank you!

[@kellyashfordtrains2642]

I just want to see you playing with trains. Christmas is only a few weeks away. What's on your Christmas wishlist?

[@KandWRailroader]

Trains...😁

[@LJRLowevilleJunctionRailroad]

Layout is looking great!! I vote for painting....🙂

[@KandWRailroader]

Thank you! Vote recorded!

[@dennisarmes3473]

k&w... beautiful work !!! am doing the same type of planning as you are doing ! i noticed you said you had a minor issue with your power plant conveyor system. same on my end, but my problem was i did not want my plants' coal delivery system to look like everyone's set-up... i.e. "right out of the box", so, i started kitbashing/chopping/etc and made her fit around the plant somewhat nicely. boy, i don't think i used half of the walthers cornerstone conveyor kit !!! it is so nice to see your work come along as beautiful as it is !!! great stuff k&w !!!

[@KandWRailroader]

@@dennisarmes3473 Thank you very much for your compliment and for watching! Building a model railroad sure includes its share of problem solving, huh?! Probably part of why I love it so much! Good luck on your continued build and thank you for sharing!

[@jasonweir6345]

The power plant is really coming along. "Land locking" industries is something we're all guilty of, so I like the idea of the highway overpass to show plant access.. however, might I suggest you have that overpass do double duty and slide that down to help hide the entrance to the helix. Where you have it, the approach would be way into the plant to look realistic, and down by the helix entrance would lower the bridge a bit, lessening the approach angle. Also, my vote would be back to the refinery

[@KandWRailroader]

Your idea for moving the road bridge to help hide the helix portal just won the suggestion of the month aware! Genius! Thank you very much, I will try that out! Also, vote recorded for the refinery. Thank you!

[@jasonweir6345]

@KandWRailroader You're very welcome my friend. Keep up the great work! Woo-hoo... suggestion of the month award... what do I win? Lol

[@KandWRailroader]

@@jasonweir6345 I don't know...you're the first to win it! LOL!

[@FarlandHowe]

Paint is a wonderful thing.

[@KandWRailroader]

@@FarlandHowe It is indeed!

[@skogsshrimpandstuff7693]

Everything is coming along great, my vote is paint things that need it.

[@KandWRailroader]

Vote recorded! Thank you!

[@Bliz0516]

With the holidays coming quickly I vote for ballasting because it’s the type of thing you can do here and there drop off and pick up later without much thought. Other things take a fair amount of time in one sitting.

[@KandWRailroader]

That is true. I have about two more weeks of unencumbered "me time" to work on the railroad before Christmas break is here and with my teacher wife home for a couple weeks, I won't have as much time to work on the railroad as usual. I have you down for Track ballasting. Thank you!

[@stephenhottle6783]

I'm not sure what you want to do with Towanda but I'll vote for it!

[@KandWRailroader]

@@stephenhottle6783 First vote! Thank you! I have an idea forcTowanda that will make more sense when more of it is completed.

[@stephenhottle6783]

@KandWRailroader perfect timing and you're welcome. I just got off of a train 👍🏻

[@TimsBitsnPieces]

Allen, with regards to the Holcomb Power Plant. I think you're worrying too much about the prototypical side of things... just make it to suit the area and how it looks, remember its a model railway it doesn't have to be exact.. with the entry way to the helix just a few trees would cover the hole and when the back drop is there you wont notice it that much if you paint the timber and the start of the plaster area the same color as the backdrop, and as for the agg pile make a half cast plaster model or a pile of dirt/gravel up against a board and glue it then paint it black/grey and sit it up against the backdrop. For4 the main grain elevator once you put a lid on the pipes and paint it you wont notice the minimal difference in the pipes, paint fills gaps remember... once again it stands out now due to not being finished. Don't make more work for yourself when it is not needed.. with the backdrop panel at the window, just screw some pieces of 2x1 to the window frame then screw the backdrop to that, then it can be removed anytime you need access. Id love to see more work done on the power plant seeing I have given you a few ideas to help with it.. You are doing a fantastic job and kudos to you for getting it done and keeping it happening.

[@KandWRailroader]

Great suggestions, all Tim! You have a point about trying to over-do the prototypical aspects...however, I view it is a fun part of the challenge of designing these scenes. Jason Weir's idea of moving the road bridge to help cover the portal is fantastic and I think will work really well, so I am going to try that. I will still have some trees to further help hide the portal, but moving the bridge there solves several problems at once. Awesome suggestion for constructing the coal pile against the backdrop. I didn't really know where to start with that and had been looking at Hobby Lobby for styrofoam molds I could use, but to no avail. Your idea gives me a place to start. Regarding the Wichita elevator roof...I haven't even laid a piece of styrene on top of those pipes yet to see what kind of difference there really is and whether it stands out. I could be that it wouldn't even be noticed since it's well above most people's eye level. I think the top of those silos is around 6' 5" from the floor, so you might be right that it isn't worth the effort. Also, another good suggestion for attaching the backdrop in front of the window...I'll give that some thought too! I have you down for Holcomb Power Plant...thank you!

[@Havoc-zt8lb]

One way to include the road bridge and have your trains dissappear from view into the helix is to place the road bridge further back, leading behind the plant building rather than in front of it, and having the train dissappear beneath the bridge like a tunnel portal.

[@KandWRailroader]

I agree...a couple other commenters suggested that course of action yesterday. Today I had a chance to place the bridge in front of the helix exit and although it does help to hide the helix exit, it is not going to be an easy fix due to the angle of the bridge in relation to the main power plant structure. It is not an option I intend to give up, it is just going to take some fancy engineering to make it look decent. So...a fun challenge to overcome!

[@larryrogers5996]

Great update my vote is for Holcomb Power Plant.

[@KandWRailroader]

Vote recorded! Thank you!

[@derekalexander4030]

You work at a pace that is incredible. Did the wife call to see if she should slide a meal under the door? I’m still with Holcomb. I’d like to see what you do with it.

[@KandWRailroader]

LOL...actually she called to say she was coming home from work early...not feeling well. I stopped speaking during recording in front of Advent Mills because it was highly unusual that she would call in the middle of the day (she's a school teacher), so my brain couldn't compute for a second there...LOL. I've got you down for Holcomb. Thank you!

[@gradygoian1287]

I think A woodland scenics tunnel portal would look good at the top of the helix behind the plant with a rock face on either side. May not be prototypical to that area but it could work 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@KandWRailroader]

@@gradygoian1287 That would definitely work but I think I'm going to move the road bridge over there.

[@TheNorthwestWind]

amazing layout!!!!

[@KandWRailroader]

Thank you!

[@KandWRailroader]

Is there an aspect or location of the Kansas & Western Model Railroad that you would like to see me focus my attention on for the next update video? If so, then leave your request in the comments below! Below is a list of locations and aspects of the layout to refresh your memory, listed in order following the main line from the bottom up, starting from the west helix: Locations: Royal Gorge Route Canon City Portland Cement Plant Evraz Steel Plant, Pueblo La Junta Yard King Arroyo Lamar Holly Holcomb Power Plant Garden City Charleston Elevator Wichita Industrial Park Wichita Yard Towanda El Dorado Oil Field El Dorado Industrial Park and Rail Yard El Dorado Refinery Union Tank Car Company Aspects of the layout that aren’t location specific that I can focus on: Maintenance-of-Way Equipment (kits to build) Track weathering and ballast Rolling stock weathering Railcar loads (for hoppers, flatcars, gondolas) Structure details and weathering Backdrops Scenery/Landscaping (ground cover, trees, grass, dirt) Scene details (fences, animals, people, misc.) Layout skirting Fascia/Valance Layout Electrical (Lighting/Signals/Etc.) The polls for this weekend will close at midnight Central U.S. time on Sunday, December 8th. Votes will be tabulated Monday and a short video update will be posted Monday afternoon regarding the vote result and my plan to carry it out. Power to the viewers!! I look forward to hearing from you!

[@carl6629]

Towanda.

[@KandWRailroader]

@carl6629 Vote recorded! Thank you!

[@hotdogpilot6319]

I'm thinking Structures this time thanks.

[@KandWRailroader]

Vote recorded! Thank you!

[@lindsayatlmrtransport8118]

My vote is for completing the Union Tank car yard

[@KandWRailroader]

Vote recorded! Thank you!

[@JosephMusgrove]

Looking good! Ran into the same issue with a Window. Opted to go with a 24-inch high piece of fiber board which still allows some natural light. Are you going to do background flats all the way around or doing a mixture with background structures?

[@KandWRailroader]

I was concerned about maintaining some natural light at first, but after some thought, could not come up with a good reason why. My train room is very well lit, so I don't really need the light, and I work in there mostly at night anyway. I would say that I will be using background structures more than flats. Commercial photo-realistic backdrops will also provide some of the background structures, especially for the Evraz Steel Mill in Pueblo, several more grain elevators for the Wichita Industrial Park, and more refinery structures for the El Dorado refinery.

[@anfieldroadlayoutintheloft5204]

Great update on layout thanks lee

[@KandWRailroader]

@@anfieldroadlayoutintheloft5204 Thank you Lee!

[@fentoncentral-ngauge]

I might be too late. I vote work on Holly 👍

[@KandWRailroader]

@@fentoncentral-ngauge You are not too late...the deadline is tonight at midnight. I've got you down for Holly. Thank you!

[@MattsTrainsandThings]

Hey, I noticed that some of your tracks have roadbed and some without. Do you use roadbed only for the mainline track? Just curious.

[@KandWRailroader]

@@MattsTrainsandThings I use HO scale roadbed for the main line, N scale roadbed for secondary lines, and no roadbed for yard and industry tracks...for the most part. The helix track around Holcomb was originally NOT going to be seen so it has no roadbed. The El Dorado industrial park industries have roadbed because the prototypes do. It's not an exact system as you can see.

[@MattsTrainsandThings]

@@KandWRailroader Thanks.

[@109paladin]

Take a look at steel mill modelers supply they have all kinds of steel mill and grain industry stuff

[@KandWRailroader]

@@109paladin Thanks for the tip! I hadn't heard of them. Thay have a lot of awesome stuff!

[@Two_stick_]

My vote is for towanda

[@KandWRailroader]

Vote recorded! Thank you!

[@ronaldrondeau7870]

go for the power plant

[@KandWRailroader]

Vote recorded! Thank you!

[@darylhitchcock7680]

Power plant

[@KandWRailroader]

@@darylhitchcock7680 Just so happens that Holcomb tied with General Painting!

[@GreatNW]

I can't stand custom finishing models, I got a bad kit with bent frames and major casting imperfections. When I reached out asking for replacements just for the damaged pieces they said and I quote "some of them just come out that way". Then proceeded to call me dumb for not being willing to try fixing them (even though they still had major air cavities in the castings). I will never buy another kit from them.

[@KandWRailroader]

These are my first kits from them and I have no experience building metal kits, but apparently this is the only avenue for adding MOW equipment to my layout (as far as I know), so I will give them a try...at some point. I always keep my eye out at train shows for assembled kits and will jump right on them if I ever find any...I'm not too proud to buy someone else's work! LOL