Page Updated 06/08/2024      

Meet the Modelers

Cowcatcher Division Members can showcase their models of structures, scenes, locomotives, rolling stock, track work, and other crafts in many ways. Members are encouraged to:
  • Bring their Models to Cowcatcher Division meetings and present them in the "Show & Tell" segment of the meeting.
    Photos of Show & Tell models often appear on this "Meet the Modelers" page.

  • Submit their Models to Regional and National Conventions for Judging in the Celebrations/Contests.
    The recent 2023 Texas Express International Convention in Grapevine had many entries and winners from Cowcatcher Division members. Take a look at those winners using the button below.

       Convention Celebration/Contest Cowcatcher Winners  

  • Submit photos and descriptions of their models to this website's "Meet the Modelers" page.
    Send an email to webmaster@cowcatcherdivision.org with your photos and descriptions. Send as many photos as you want and write as long a description as you want. There are no rules so you can send photos of different models or you can send multiple photo views of the same model. This is wide open so kit built, scratch built, wood, plastic, plaster, metal, resin, 3D printed, weathered/non-weathered, added detail, under construction/finished, and/or whatever craft works without rules or submission instructions. This is not a contest. There are no awards.
  • This website is about the Cowcatcher Division Members. As soon as the webmaster gets new model info, it will be added and upload to the website, so, you can take a look.

    The models are presented below in order of receipt by the webmaster. At this time, no categories have been set-up; however, categories may be established later.


    Philgas Drilling Platform by Mike Mackey, MMR

    Mike put in 30 hours of research talking to professionals in the natural gas industry, visiting the East Texas Oil Museum, and studying numerous photos. He started his effort with a simple sketch. Some 350 hours of custom building went into the HO scale scratchbuilt model. Mike did CAD definitions for some of his 3D parts which he printed. He obtained and printed some commercial 3D print files and obtained commercial parts for other details. The drilling platform with its derrick and all its equipment is as realistic as possible down to the smallest detail. This model was enterred in the Lone Star Region 2022 Regional Convention and in the 2022 National Convention. At that 2022 St. Louis National Convention Mike's drilling platform model won 2nd Place in the scratch built structure category and received the Hunterline Award as the "best weathering of a wooden model."




    Coal Mine by Dick Brannan

    This is a combination Kit Scratch Build that Dick showed at a Cowcatcher Meeting "Show & Tell" in 2022. The mine started as a Walthers Kit on which Dick did some moderate scratch building.



    HO Scale Bobber Caboose by Cole Rash




    Building by Russell Gifford

    This is a scratch build that Russell is currently working on for the LSR Convention Contest. He is using the blue prints from a JL kit.




    Diorama for a Friend by Russell Gifford

    This is a little diorama build that Russell did for a friend.




    Airgas Welding Supply Facility and Plant
    by David Crumpton, MMR

    The kit came from Walthers as a grocery distributor and was a buff color brick. Having been in the welding supply business for 42 years, I recognized this structure as a good fit to become an Airgas welding supply. I sprayed the brick with a camo brown paint and used dry wall mud to accentuate mortar in the bricks. Instead of using the included plastic docks, front and back, I took ½” Styrofoam and painted it to look like concrete. Other details include interior lighting from an LED strip, a jib crane for unloading welding machines for repair, and a tar paper roof from construction paper. In addition, I used railroad tank cars to fabricate liquid Argon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, and CO2 storage vessels so my welding supply could pump liquid and gaseous products inside the plant. Also, inside the plant, but not visible in the pictures, are two manifold lines for pumping high pressure cylinders. The dock is complete with filled cylinders, ready for delivery or exchange. Soon to be added will be chain-link fencing around the property, a couple of cylinder delivery trucks, and a transport trailer that has delivered a load of acetylene from the acetylene plant several miles away.




    Logging Camp "Facilities" by Darrell Cowles

    Darrell built this model of a shower house and out houses for the Logging Camp on the Texas Western's club layout. Darrell showed his model at the Cowcatcher Division meeting on September 9, 2023.


    AP: "Model Railroad Equipment - Master Builder - Cars" by Eric Smith

    Eric built these 4 scale car models to meet AP requirements. The 3 hoppers are N, HO, and O scales. Eric 3D printed these 3 cars and did all the lettering - they are identical except for the scale. He presented all 4 cars for AP assessment after the October 14, 2023 division meeting.



    Lumber Storage Rack by Russell Gifford

    Russell did this scratch build using info diagrams from a JL kit. The lumber is made from stock Russell purchased at Michaels that he cut to scale. It has a typical roll felt roof, weathered sides (all kinds of paint), and he used Dave's Decals "Ghost" series. Russell showed this in the November 11 meeting Show & Tell (The photos are freeze frame screen captures.). Russell incorporated this lumber rack into his diorama display of a lunber and won Offline Structure 1st place at the LSR 2024 Convention. Click "Modelers at Contests" link in the top of this page's menu.

         



    Passenger Depot by Russell Gifford

    At the January Cowcatcher Division Meeting, Russell showed this passenger depot that he scratch built using the instructions from a Fine Scale Minitures kit. He did use some details from the kit that required painting. Russell gave big attention to the details surrounding his depot such as the soldier getting ready to leave, the fruit stand, baggage operations, window shades, and varied LED intensity lighting throughout the building's interior. Russell plans to enter this model in the contest judging at the LSR Convention in Pasadena, Texas, February 15-17. Russell won Online Structure 1st place and Most Popular with the finished depot model at the LSR 2024 Convention. Click "Modelers at Contests" link in the top of this page's menu.






    Oil Fired and Highly Detailed MKT 0-8-0 by Steele Craver

    This is a Proto 2000 model that Steele obtained at a train show. Steele used photographs of MKT #45 to make all the detail upgrades. The model has DCC with sound.





    Steele again brought this loco with a work caboose to the 04/13/24 Division meeting and ran it on the Texas Western Model Railroad Club layout tracks. The detail on this loco, tender and caboose is amazing AND extensive. There are even tiny LED work lights on the front of the loco and on the rear of the tender that light-up for the switchmen who are riding the footboards to do the coupling/uncoupling.




    Dining Hall for Logging Camp
    on
    Texas Western MRC Layout by Darrell Cowles

    Darrell built an amazing model with great attention to detail. Styrene looks like wood, paper looks like corregated metal, foam looks like stone, and on!! There is even a dirt dobber nest and a wasp nest. The model is LED lit.




    Decoder and Sound Install on a Proto 2000 E7 by Thomas Stephens (Div 3)

    Thomas used a Loksound decoder, a Decoder Buddy, and a speaker system to get this diesel ready for passenger work.




    Modeling Asphalt Streets with Rails by Dave Steckler

    Dave described the products and methods he used to create street modeling.




    Highly Detailed Norfork & Western 2-6-6-4 by Steele Craver

    Steele showed this big steamer during Show & Tell at the June 8, 2024 division meeting. The detail even includes a messy coal load in the tender because Steele matched it to actual rear view prototype photos. It's an awesome model.






    Feed Mill of Oregon Prototype by Eric Smith

    Eric showed this neat 3D Printed model during Show & Tell at the June 8, 2024 division meeting. He developed his model using several photos of the protoyped. The feed sacks are made from oven baked clay.