G scale Rio Grande Southern Engineering Report

[Dave V]

I closed the deal on a Bachmann Rocky Mountain Express G scale Big Hauler set on eBay today while home on convalescent leave (sinus surgery).  The set includes an obviously Baldwin Tweetsie-based tenwheeler lettered as one of the Rio Grande Southern's ex-Florence and Cripple Creek 1899 Schenectady 4-6-0s.  It's number 25, which in real life was scrapped before ever receiving the classic RGS "sunrise" herald.  That said, the plan is to leave the anal retentiveness for my N scale PRR and just have fun with the big trains.

Here's a look at the main area I'll be working since--for now--it's snow free.



My wife and I have discussed a number of ideas to include running all along the fenceline that would give me close to a 4% grade.  I have no particular trackplan in mind, especially since the steel track the set will come with is not really outdoor rated.  I'll probably set something up temporarily and just see what fits.  It's the RGS, so a trestle is a must!  Since the terrain is sloping some sort of over/under thing could work too.

[packers#1]

Cool, this should be neat to watch; have you thought about doing a figure-eight, if there's enough room to make the turns at the ends?

[robert3985]

I closed the deal on a Bachmann Rocky Mountain Express G scale Big Hauler set on eBay today while home on convalescent leave (sinus surgery).  The set includes an obviously Baldwin Tweetsie-based tenwheeler lettered as one of the Rio Grande Southern's ex-Florence and Cripple Creek 1899 Schenectady 4-6-0s.  It's number 25, which in real life was scrapped before ever receiving the classic RGS "sunrise" herald.  That said, the plan is to leave the anal retentiveness for my N scale PRR and just have fun with the big trains.

Are you suggesting that anal retentiveness is not fun????   Huh?????   

[Chris333]

Ballast looks a bit large 

But the weathering is nice.

[Ian MacMillan]

Wish I could even see the ground right now to think of building a g scale layout!

[Bsklarski]

Wish I could even see the ground right now to think of building a g scale layout!

Yup, still 1.5 on the ground and up to another foot coming in a few days. No melting in sight and its March tomorrow! Dave any updates on the N scale layout? 

[Dave V]

Not much new on the Juniata Division other than an accumulation of unfinished projects, LOL.

We're expecting a little snow this weekend but hopefully not enough to interfere with a drive to Denver on Sunday for the train show.

Doing RGS outside accomplishes two important items...  It scratches my Colorado narrow gauge itch and it saves the Juniata Division from being usurped by HOn3.

I thought I had sticker shock from G scale...until I looked at how much the structure kits for the RGS would be in HOn3.  Also, while the Blackstone locos aren't unreasonable, the cost of rolling stock is on par with G!

[Smike]

Ya Dave, what is that brown and grey stuff you have in your back yard?  All I see is white here... 

[Dave V]

Another view of the future Rio Grande Southern garden railroad. Snow just started falling and hasn't started accumulating yet.



There's room under the deck to extend the G scale layout... The garden box frames are moving out into the grass area as are the vegetable cages. The plywood is actually the shipping crate from the Juniata Division and probably needs to come inside at some point.  The fire pit will go out onto a patio we plan to install this summer.



If we were to retire here, I have an entire fence line screaming for a G scale mining branch!  Also, were the skies clear (as they usually are), you'd see 14,000'+ Pikes Peak towering over that gray house.  From the master bedroom you can view the Spanish Peaks, Cheyenne Mountain, and north up to Pikes Peak, and if you squint you can even see part of the roadbed of the former Colorado Springs and Cripple Creek District Railway.

[davefoxx]

I think that the space you have planned makes good use of the corner of your yard and being able to get under the deck might keep most of the equipment out of the worst weather.  If you need access through that gate, however, don't forget to plan accordingly.  This space should make a great start that's not too big (expensive) or too small (uninteresting).  As you pointed out, it looks like you could easily expand along that fence line later, if the G scale bug really starts biting.

I like my twenty-year-old G scale ET&WNC ten wheeler so much that I stuffed and mounted it over my desk at work, because I have no place to run it anymore.  Maybe one day; I have plenty of room in my backyard.  I just have so many other priorities before I could even seriously consider a garden layout.  So, it will be fun to watch yours come to fruition.

When do we get to start trackplanning?   

Have fun!
DFF

[Dave V]

I probably need to take some actual measurements of the space and grade for any kind of real trackplanning, although spitballing ideas at this stage is fine.

That gate is rarely used as I have a double-width one at the other side of the yard with no slope, so blocking it off isn't really an issue.

I'll be picking up the set tomorrow in Denver.  It's the 4-6-0 like yours and although it can do the 4' diameter it comes with, I'm thinking 5' as a minimum.  At some point I'll have to convince my wife to let me purchase one of Bachmann's C19s which will want broader curves.

Once upon a time I had the D&RGW bumblebee Big Hauler set which broke a crossrod and was eventually sold at a garage sale.  I regret parting with it since in retrospect, it would have been an easy, cheap repair.

[davefoxx]

I probably need to take some actual measurements of the space and grade for any kind of real trackplanning, although spitballing ideas at this stage is fine.

An up and over would be interesting and give a great location for a trestle and photo ops.

That gate is rarely used as I have a double-width one at the other side of the yard with no slope, so blocking it off isn't really an issue.

Excellent.

I'll be picking up the set tomorrow in Denver.  It's the 4-6-0 like yours and although it can do the 4' diameter it comes with, I'm thinking 5' as a minimum.  At some point I'll have to convince my wife to let me purchase one of Bachmann's C19s which will want broader curves.

A good decision.  The ten wheeler has no problem with 24" radius curves, but the pilot truck really sticks out there and looks, well, not so good.  Prototypically for the ET&WNC, the middle driver is blind.  Obviously, the rest of your rolling stock will look better on larger radius curves, too.  What's the minimum radius for the C19?

Once upon a time I had the D&RGW bumblebee Big Hauler set which broke a crossrod and was eventually sold at a garage sale.  I regret parting with it since in retrospect, it would have been an easy, cheap repair.

I have an early Bachmann ten-wheeler, too, and it would probably develop the same problem (due to plastic running gear parts), if I ran it as much as I would like to.  If I remember correctly, Bachmann later came out with the "Anniversary" version of the 4-6-0 that had at least some, if not all, of the running gear made in metal parts.

DFF

[pjm20]

I have an early Bachmann ten-wheeler, too, and it would probably develop the same problem (due to plastic running gear parts), if I ran it as much as I would like to.  If I remember correctly, Bachmann later came out with the "Anniversary" version of the 4-6-0 that had at least some, if not all, of the running gear made in metal parts.

DFF

Barry's Big Trains sells an upgrade kit for Annie and other locomotives. A Pittman motor, metal chassis, gears, etc. It turns an Annie into a superb model from what people have reported.

[Dave V]

I'm pretty sure this is a pre-Annie set, but I've heard the standard 4-6-0s can be re-chassis-ed as well.

[DKS]

With this in the corner, you might even be able to work in a short tunnel--landscaping that slope into a terraced mountainside looks like it would be a fun exercise in large-scale scenery-making. Maybe make some rock castings with concrete.