That haze at beginning, is it smog or fog?
And yes, that's a lot of people! Our entire county seat farm town's population is just over 8,300.

Hmm, late Merry Christmas to myself, perhaps?

Did enjoy  Electric traction, cool stuff.

Railroad model wheel sizes are generally stated by diameter of tread only, not including the flange.
If both measurements are given they will often be stated as diameter of tread, and diameter of flange.
Most often I've seen wheel sizes given as diameter over wheel tread, then with flange being such and such a depth/height.

These are the wheels those passenger cars use "31.0 mm all-metal wheels for kitbashing or repairs." http://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=255_459&products_id=2985

There are also these 32.5mm diameter wheels which I currently understand to be used on the spectrum series 1/20.3 scale freight cars, not the JS passenger cars, http://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=255_459&products_id=5356

Wounded Bear makes a good point about craft paint - and yes, they work over primer better than on bare plastic since the paint grabs the primer better that it would the bare plastic.
My taste is to use grey or white primer. But, yes, painting and dry brushing over black primer has been a figure painting technique for decades.

RAM has a good point about cleaning the figures before painting. I use liquid dish soap and a soft toothbrush. Of if the model is really grungy, something like Clorox Soft Scrub.

Any model paint, enamel or acrylic, or acrylic lacquers, will work fine.
Old-style solvent lacquers can do annoying things to plastic surfaces.

As for using craft acrylics, their pigment is a little coarser than most model paints but they work fine. I've used them on wargaming miniatures.
Earlier this summer, the magazine Railroad Model Craftsman had an article on how to tweak craft acrylics for good airbrushing.

Quote from: crb on September 16, 2015, 10:03:24 AM
I have been a faerie gardener for several years now and my railroad garden isn't likely to be a "typical" one.  I might get kicked off of this forum, but my railroad will basically be adding a fun element to my faerie playland.

It's gonna take a lot more than that to cause the effect!  Sounds like a cool idea.

That green combine is attractive. I'm curious to see the Eureka and Palisade cars and what their paint finish looks like.
Am also wondering if there are enough people like me to make something in that livery but unlettered desirable enough to be worth selling, probably not, really.

Wow, those were some impressive cars, thanks for telling about them.

While I don't have a K-27, only Big Hauler 4-6-0, I can say that, yes, the battery operated strings of 3mm diameter warm white "mini" LED work grandly. Have a PRR 4-6-0 which without much trouble got some slipped inside I think it was Aristocraft marker lamps of the sort-of spherical variety.

What still amuses me is how the hard-core geeks on a sci-fi and real space modeling forum were emphatically telling people, "Oh, don't use the LED from Christmas lights, they are cheap and burn out quick and you will have to rip apart your model to replace them Panic panic emergency!!!" Really? I had a string of them up around the door in one room and they were left on 24/7 except for thunderstorms and trips out of town - and when 3 years later I took them down to finally get around to stripping the LED for projects, all LED were working.

(And then I put a 10mm super bright LED in the PRR loco's headlight, but that's another story ... it lights up the neighbors' house) 

A couple photos you might enjoy, came via the Early Rail group in Yahoo, 2-6-0 steamers with special photographers' cars.
Note, the images are big.

QuoteCirca 1890s. "Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. Detroit Photographic Special." Detroit Photographic Co.'s rolling showroom-darkroom.

http://www.shorpy.com/node/13194?size=_original#caption

QuoteCirca 1899. "Near Lewiston, Minnesota -- The Pulpit." Yet another rock formation with a fanciful name. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. | Click image for Comments.

http://www.shorpy.com/node/19845?size=_original#caption

Another necessary part to add, on the models representing inside Stephenson valve gear, is the valve stem extending aft from the valve chest; and, the rocker arms which transferred motion from the mechanism on the axle to the valves.

I haven't completely noodled out exactly how I want to make those parts yet. Have done that on some HO models with strips and slivers of brass, but large scale requires a little bit more sturdiness.

Here's how the valve gear works http://www.steamlocomotive.com/appliances/valvegear.php

Hmm, interesting looking thing. Long overhang aft of drivers pretty much nixes it from use on Big Hauler train set curves.
OH! Wait a minute, this is the On30 section, not the large scale section. Oh well.
Wonder if it was also available in tender configuration.

Whistle rope - here are a few PRR ones with the "mast and hawse pipe" arrangement I am using

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/prr933s.jpg

http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/prr437.jpg
Note that 1175 below has 2 ropes to bell
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/prr1175s.jpg

On other, closer, photos of other locos, part of long arc of bell rope lying against boiler can be seen to be a tube.
http://spec.lib.vt.edu/imagebase/norfolksouthern/full/ns1294.jpeg

Difficult to see what was done on this one, it may just rub on dome and they hope for the best. http://spec.lib.vt.edu/imagebase/norfolksouthern/full/ns768.jpeg

This PRR 4-4-0 has loop high on side of dome. http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/prr8345.jpg

This bell rope passes through loop high on sand dome and then hard to tell what exactly is done between there and cab wall http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/lv1149s.jpg
While 1149 has loop on sand dome, 1163 has loop on steam dome http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/lv1163s.jpg

An alternative for the whistle is to mount it on a pipe from side of dome as was often done as locos grew larger. Here a small copper tube was bent and stock bell pulled loose then stuck in end of tube which was in turn inserted in to hole drilled in dome. Pull rod is made from brass wire.


On this engine, bell rope loop is also placed high on side of dome, rope passing behind dome hints at that.


Another part which can be added is the sand dome control rod and lever, visible here as green painted rod above handrail.


If further information is required, please contact my research assistant, he will be happy to provide whatever documentation is requested.