Supply & Ore Bins

The Ragg's...To Riches Rose-Walsh Smelter

The S-Scale version of the Rose-Walsh Smelter complex consists of three different kits; the Blast Furnace/Ore House, the Supply and Ore Bins, and the Office/Assay Building.  These kits are no longer available from Ragg's...To Riches but they do turn up on the secondary market. The Blast Furnace/Ore House and the Supply and Ore Bins kits were purchased on ebay (September 2025). The Office/Assay Building is relatively simple scratch building project.  I decided to "ease" into the project with the Supply and Ore Bins.

What follows is NOT a step-by-step set of instructions on how to build the kits.  The kits include a set of excellent instructions along with precision laser cut parts.  While I wouldn't recommend this kit for the novice builder, most modelers with a few craftsman style kits under their belt and patience should be able to build a nice model.  The intent here is to make a few suggestions that may enhance, improve, or ease construction of what is already an outstanding kit.

Finally, my model is not intended to be an accurate representation of the prototype.  My objective here was to build a compressed "stand in" version of the Durango Smelter as it may have appeared in 1942.  The Vanadium Corporation of America repurposed the Durango smelter during World War II to process uranium isotope for atomic weapons.

The Supply & Ore Bins - May 14, 2026      

   

The kit’s instructions suggest spraying the parts with a grey primer, before assembly, and then weathering them with Pan Pastels.  Since I prefer to use a semi-transparent stain to represent weathered wood, the laser burns were sanded off any part the can be viewed from both sides on the finished model.  Fine finish P150 sandpaper was used.  Make sure to sand off all the little "nubs", along the edges, that are left when cutting and/or removing the parts from the sprues.  This is an important step since you don't want any of these "nubs" showing up on the finished model.

Before and after (Ore and supply bin sides) 

  

The instructions aren’t really clear as to when to apply the weathering.  I weathered all the parts prior to assembly.   Two grays and three browns were used.  A lot of modelers use Pan Pastel soft sponges to apply the powdered pigments, but I prefer using a brush.  Since a finished structure is rarely handled and the powdered pigment tend to "set" after a short period of time, I don't seal the weathering with a flat finish.  The flat finish has a tendency to "disappear" the powdered pigments. 

 

 

       

 

 

There are a total of 24 bin separators for the supply bins (4) and the ore bins (20).  They are made up a core and two laser cut adhesive backed "skins".  Its crucial that all three parts line up exactly.  I found the the easiest way to get every thing to line up properly was to turn the parts upside down, rest them on my cutting map, line up the tabs that align the walls with the floor and lightly press them together.  A light touch is critical at this point because the parts can still be pulled apart and re-positioned if necessary.  Once the parts are perfectly aligned, more pressure can be used.  The bond will improve over time. 

 

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Although the kit doesn't provide the material, 2x12 caps were added to the top of the ore and supply bins.  The caps dramatically improve the appearance of the bins.  

 

 

 

Here are all the bins lined up on my desk.  Note that the supply bins in the rear have the 2x12 caps while they have yet to be installed on the ore bins. Each of the supply bins is made up of about 60 individual pieces and each of the ore bins about 160 individual parts.

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The Receiving Shed - May 26, 2026 

 

The prototype was built in 1891 and ceased operations around 1900 so there isn't any, that I could find, specific information as to how the receiving shed was actually used.  The background info supplied with the kit assumes “it probably housed a scale to weigh in incoming ore and may have also served as a repair/storage room for tram cars.”

 

Regardless of how it was used, the two large doors on each side of the shed dictated the need for some kind of interior detailing. I decided a few more ore bins would do the trick.  They were built with leftovers; scribed siding and strip wood using the kit supplied versions as a guide.  The spur is represented by a section of flex track with the ties removed where it passes through the shed.  The flooring was added using scale lumber.  Once the roof is on, nothing behind the ore bins can be seen.

 

 

 

After adding the ore bins, I decided that the end door should be enlarged to give a better view of the ore bins.  The original openning is on the left, the new one is on the right.

 

  

 

The finished Receiving Shed waiting for roofing. The 18" tram will pass through the shed using the smaller doors towards the rear of the building.  The exterior siding was painted with Tamya light gray surface primer.

 

 

The kit comes with several strips of corrugated metal for the roof.  In order to speed things up, the small fixture shown below was made from styrene but care must be taken when cutting the material.  The knife blades dull quickly and tend to snag and bend the material.

 

 

 

After working with the kit provided material, I decided to substitute the corrugated material sold by Wild West Models.  The Wild West corrugated metal is made from a special paper that is easy to cut with scissors or knife and doesn't bend, dent, or snag like the soft aluminum material included with the kit.  It takes paint well, doesn't chip and is easily weathered with powdered pigments or chalks.  It does have a down side; the cost...  About $100 for the complex.

 

 

  

Your questions, comments and suggestions are welcome

sdepolo@outlook.com