My friend Alex is a genius. Seriously.
For those that don’t know, he’s the man behind the design of the popular portable auger kit available from MiniPrints. He worked with my friend and fellow Iowa Interstate modeler Scott Thornton to develop the product and bring it to market.
Since then, he’s gone on to assist my friend and fellow Iowa Interstate modeler Colin O’Brien in developing his hyper-accurate version of the IAIS mainline bridge over the Iowa River in Iowa City, which puts my version of the same scene to shame. To say Alex is talented is an understatement.
During an operating session on The Hills Line, I was bemoaning to him about the lack of modern-era grain carts in HO scale. Stutsman Ag Products has a fleet of them parked in front of their elevator building, and I was struggling to find something comparable to add to the scene. Two weeks later, a box showed up on my door filled with 3D-printed versions, courtesy of his talents and skills.
It felt like Christmas Day.
After removing the supports and priming the prints, I blasted them with a Royal Blue glossy paint. It appears that Stutsman uses a variety of grain carts, so I decided on a paint scheme based on both Kinze and Demco models.
The carts were then hand-painted as needed using a variety of craft paints. I also decided not to add decals or logos to the carts at this time. However, that may change at a future date.
Once dry, I sealed everything with Dullcoat and then lightly, and I mean LIGHTLY, weathered them with an India Ink and rubbing alcohol spray. Stutsman keeps their equipment well-maintained, so I didn’t want to overdo any signs of grime.
The finished carts have a prominent position as part of the front door to The Hills Line, so that they can be appreciated for the effort that went into them. After all… they were designed by a genius.
The Hills Line 