G scale Rio Grande Southern Engineering Report

[DKS]

I also wonder about those pizza cutters on the tender... Otherwise, very nice weathering job; subtle and convincing.

[davefoxx]

Plans on changing out the couplers?  I've never understood G or 1/32 scales oversized couplers, or the hook and loop as being factory installed.

Yes, get rid of the boxing glove.  I used body-mounted Kadee #1 scale couplers for a huge improvement in looks and operation:



Sorry for the quick cell phone grab of my locomotive which is on top of the cabinet over my desk at work, but it will give you a direct comparison.

DFF

[DKS]

DDF, nice office decoration (I imagine it's a conversation starter), but it looks as though you have the air tank/valve box collision thing going on.

Also, what's with the difference in these parts?

[davefoxx]

DKS,

No, it's just poor lighting in a poor photograph.  I haven't done the frame swap that Dave did, because my ten wheeler is twenty years old and hasn't turned a wheel in ten or twelve years. The air tank does clear the valve box.   Since mine remains unmodified, I would guess that the pipe in Dave's pic has gotten out of place.

DFF

[Dave V]

Yes, those pipes are flexible and it was out of place for the photo...  Oops!  You can see the airbrush "shadow" on the boiler from where the pipe should be.  It can slip quite easily back into place.

As for pizza cutters, yup...  Code 332 is quite forgiving.

The RGS caboose will get a pair of Bachmann boxing gloves for now.  Later I plan to Kadee the whole fleet.  In the meantime, here's some assorted G scale awesomeness. Yes, that's a trestle! Can't do RGS without one.  My wife went up to Denver to go shopping and she stopped by Caboose Hobbies for me!

[davefoxx]

I really like the trestle, but I love the weathering you did to that ten wheeler.  It really ups the realism factor.

DFF

[Dave V]

Thanks, Dave!  It was a lot of fun to do.  Having a quality airbrush helps.

[glakedylan]

Dave

you have brought to this G Scale build the same level of skill and creativity
that you brought to N Scale with the JD and Enola

I can certainly understanding the draw of such modelling considering the
context of where you are living and the railroad history of that area

I hope these Spring, and approaching day of Summer provide lots of opportunity
to enjoy the garden railroad and your other endeavors as well.

thanks for sharing
Gary

[Dave V]

I have one ton of 5-12" "Royal Gorge" landscape rock coming tomorrow to border the RGS.



Started working on grading for real.  The dirt you see will be covered with landscape fabric before being "rocked" over.  Still on the hunt for the right color of pea gravel for ballast.

[Baronjutter]

I keep looking at your fence and thinking you should have a shelf layout along it!

[Greyryder]

You're building the G scale equivalent of a hollow core door layout, aren't you?

[eric220]

Uuuuuuum, ballast? What do you think you're modeling here? The standard railroad of the world or something? Narrow gauge don't need no stinking ballast!

[Dave V]

Uuuuuuum, ballast? What do you think you're modeling here? The standard railroad of the world or something? Narrow gauge don't need no stinking ballast!

True!  The RGS used dirt.  For real.  Cinder in the yards, but dirt on the mains.  FWIW, I would like my track to be more reliable than that of the RGS!   

[PRRATSF]

When You figure out your ballast don't forget to order up 55 gal. drum of Elmer's to hold it in place. Sorry I usually wait for someone else to be the smarta**. Couldn't help myself.

Sam

[Dave V]

Progress continues on the Rio Grande Southern...



Here's a peek at what it will look like when operating!



The mainline is nearly complete. I still need to do final alignment and surfacing (ballast tamping and leveling) and I plan to solder some of the rail joints for electrical continuity. Some of the joints are screwed together with joiners that have expansion slots for when the weather changes. In the middle will be a long, curving mine spur.



Soon enough, there'll be some vegetation around the layout too!