I'm building several modules depicting the area around Elkhorn City Kentucky http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elkhorn_City,_Kentucky in the current era. The modules are part of my clubs (SHOW Railroad Club of Bowling Green KY) set ups.

If you lack space for a permanent home layout then joining a modular club is a great way to participate in model railroading. At set ups, a modular model railroad is a fantastic opportunity to bring the story of railroading to the public.

Lately I've been preparing more modern 1990's-2000's equipment for our clubs set ups. Our next show is in a month so I'm working through my collection of car kits to have a selection of rolling stock to run for the public. Operation is a goal I'm working toward. I plan on having a 'working' coal flood loader for the CSX coal country railroad.

Today I've completed an assortment of box cars for the general merchandise train.

The kits are mostly Athearn and MDC old school shake the box kits. I add Kadee metal couplers and wheel sets as well as weights to enhance performance. The cars are painted and weathered to photographs. I use acrylic washes and chalk to weather cars. Some of the rolling stock is weathered lightly and some more heavily.
Chessie 50' Box car with left side weathered with chalk and a wash of rust.

Weathering before dull coat.

The completed Chessie box car.

Completed Yreka Western, Lamolle Valley and Chessie box cars.
Notice differences in degree of weathering.

Nicely done rolling stock and module scenery, from what I see.
I'm in a modular group up here in Madison WI. What standards do you use for modules? How many in your club/ how big are your show layouts?
I'm kind of in the same boat as you, using good old car kits and making dependable operating equipment. I sure wouldn't trust myself to weather a new $60 boxcar or something!
-Sean H.

Sean,
Great questions. The SHOW Modular RR Club of Bowling Green, KY has 15 active members and around 25 on the books. We've been a club since 1993 and October marks our 20th year. Our modular layout is typically 30' x 30' but of course varies depending on the size of the venue. We choose 30"x42" as the size of the modules. I have a 42" and 84" module. The odd dimensions were chosen to fit in the back of some members cars at the time. Most clubs use a version of 2 'x 4' 2' x 6' etc.

We have three main events during the year. We have a sale and swap in February in Bowling Green. We set up the modular layout for a local Auburn Old Fashioned Days event in September, and we host The Festival of Trains Christmas Show the first week of December in Bowling Green. The layout is set up each time for a week.

Most of my equipment is by Athearn, MDC, and Atlas. We run DCC during shows on a two track main line. Six trains running on our size layout keeps the engineers on their toes! I'm the one who usually brings a passenger train or two to liven operating up a bit.

I plan on bringing a coal train, freight train and Amtrak train to the up-coming show at Auburn, KY in September. Motive power is two CSX U23B's, a GP15, two CSX F40's and a Amtrak P40. The Amtrak train consist is three coaches, one cafe, and a material handling car. The freight and coal train have 15 to 20 cars each.

Hi Brent,

Great work. Your river and bridge are impressive. The weathering on the bridge looks similar to some around here in Clinchfield country!

Thank you Fred. During shows the public, both young and old test the waters with their fingers. I need to do some weathering on the bridge abutments next (after finishing the freight cars) and add more twigs, logs and flotsam to the river banks.

Yes, I'll follow your lead on my own...

It's still a little rough now. I'm pleased with my own backdrop painting to match the foreground trees, but the water and bridge can use more detail. They're kind of cartoony now. Plus, as you can see, I hadn't polished up my water to shine before the photo.
Cheers!
-Sean H.

Sean, my bridge abutments are very basic; balsa wood covered with light weight Red Devil Spackle Compound. The abutments need more detail before I'm satisfied.

The narrow gauge covered deck truss bridge at the back of the module has balsa abutments with Sculp-a-Mold stones. This is more of the type of detail I want to add, only concrete on the standard gauge bridge.