Dave's 2025 MIK Build Challenge

[Dave_Taylor]

Late Sunday night after the first weekend…

Got an inspiration off of the Narrow Gage Discussion Forum and decided to run with it…

Going to try and build a " Lime Car". The Colorado NG RRs Hauled Lime in specially designed “Flat/Lime” cars. Before today I had never heard or seen of one… But photographic proof, There is a prototype for anything.

And I even found some data from the DSP&P RR…

Shouldn’t be too difficult to build… Now if I can find a place other than the kitchen table…to do some glue up…

Stay Tuned

[Devon_Sinsley]

@Dave_Taylor

specially

Cheater. . . You had this planned since June. Lol. What a different not molded thing.

[manimal (Dan Gilchrist)]

I love unique cars! I had this kit in HO scale but never got around to it and changed scales.

[Dave_Taylor]

Thanks for the picture…!!! That gives me a lot more detail to work with…

[WaverlySouthern (Dan Hilyer)]

That will be a cool build, Dave. Looking forward to seeing your modeling skills at work.

[Dave_Taylor]

WELLLLLLL… This night ( Thursday Feb 6th ) I finally got my work bench mostly installed in my new shop area. The Lathe is moved and running… Yesterday while attempting to move the milling machine… it toppled over, busted up the motor, and the motor mount, Trashed the DRO… and broke a couple of the handles… I think the motor shaft is bent, as the motor won’t start without giving it a hand spin… Arggggg…!!!

BUT,tomorrow I can start on the MIK 2025… I have 3 days… I’ll see what I can do…

Stay tuned…

[Devon_Sinsley]

Dang man. Sorry to hear that. That doesn’t sound good at all.

[Dave_Taylor]

Got a real start today… FINALLY…

Started with a pile of cut sticks… Beams, decking and such

A little glue, and 3/4" pin nails… And I got a frame…

Added a extra wide plank on the end deck, and decked… glue and 3/8 pins.

A lot of pins later and I have a basic flat car…

Built up the side boards with the verticals in place… built 2 of these…

Glue and 5/8" pins… Rinse and repeat on the other side.

Built up the ends and added the top rail…

Added the top rail, and side doors…

And got the doors on the other side mounted and figuring out how to hinge the one for display…

And that all I got done today… Not to bad for Day 1…

Stay Tuned

[Hines (Bill)]

Dave are you using a pin nailer for construction this year? If so how are you preventing blowout from the backside?

[Rooster]

He’s probably got his air/depth adjusted properly or maybe he went vegan which corrected the backside blowout?

[Dave_Taylor]

Short pins… I can shoot 3/8" pins… and in some places it’s hidden and don’t worry about it… try hard to not shoot all the way thru…and at 10 foot rule sometimes it just doesn’t matter…

But they do draw blood those sharp little buggers…

[Devon_Sinsley]

You got a lot done in a short while. That’s looking good. Such a unique car.

[Dave_Taylor]

Welllllllll… Started the last 48 hours countdown on the lime car…

Started the painting… the underside masked and ready to paint

Magic… and black is the underside… 2 coats of rattle can.

And the top side… While waiting between the coats to dry… I had originally planed on building two of the lime cars… foolish me, thinking I could pull that rabbit out of the hat… But I did start the build with three basic flat cars, all the same… I gave up on the second Lime Car… But while waiting on paint to dry…I thought that I’d go ahead and make up another short sided gondola on one of the flats…!

Started by giving the underside a coat of black…

Started to build the sides… And then thought "I have several of these already, do I REALLY NEED ANOTHER? NAH…

And then, POOFFFF! The real D&RGW took all of their low side Gon’s and added a couple more side boards on top, by adding side braces to the already Gon braces, so why not…

SO for car #2 of Mik 2025, … Here’s the back story… A lumber company bought an OLD short sided gon, and added several more side boards so they could haul Wood chips and sawdust, …light weight but bulky…

Took the short sides, and added planks and braces to the existing sides.

Got the 4 sides fitted up…

This is my first time trying to distress and weather up a new build to look “well used” Tomorrow I hang some jewelry on her, and some old trucks…

Got the final paint on the Lime car…!

And got the jewelry hung… Tomorrow I’ll work on some graphics…

Now down to the final 24 hrs… I think I can make the deadline…

Stay Tuned…

[Rooster]

So will this be the 8 ton Barney& Smith built car or the 12 ton Litchfield built car?

[capecodtodd (Todd Haskins)]

Yours has to be the fastest build to date and it looks great.

[WaverlySouthern (Dan Hilyer)]

And here comes Mr. Taylor sneaking in under the deadline. Those are 2 great looking cars, Dave. I especially like the simplicity of the modified gondola.

[Hines (Bill)]

Wow! Amazingly beautiful cars, Dave.

Thank god you don’t have a lot of spare time on your hands.

[Dave_Taylor]

Worked on finishing up the two cars… I can say that I stuck a fork in them. they are DONE…!!!

Finished the Jewery on the Gon, and the final weathering…

Final pics in the glamor shots…

Gotta be satisfied for just a 3 day build… I’m happy with the results…

Stay Tuned

[Devon_Sinsley]

Very cool set of cars. I love that lime car, again another unique build of something you just don’t see. And as for your weathering and distressing I think you nailed it. looks great. Even noticed the bent up break wheel.

[Cliff_Jennings]

Belated bug congrats, Dave!

Wow, it’s hard to believe how much you got done in such a short time, with it all looking so great!