G scale Rio Grande Southern Engineering Report

[Dave V]

Added a retaining wall to the Rio Grande Southern and reproduced the iconic Lizard Head Pass station sign (now residing at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden).  This is the highest point on the G scale RGS (due to underground utilities) so I figured it was apropos.

[Dave V]

With a Rico-bound train...

[Dave V]

This is what a G scale throttle looks like. It weighs 15 pounds and puts out 10 amps. More than enough power to run the Rio Grande Southern..and probably a small submarine. It hums like an electrical substation.  The neighborhood street lights dim when I run the train.

[Dave V]

My G scale Rio Grande Southern now has a depot! Although proportionally MUCH smaller than the prototype, this depot (and much abbreviated rail yard) represents the Rio Grande Southern's division point at Rico, Colorado.  This is an eBay find of a used and faded (essentially pre-weathered quite accurately) Aristo-Craft structure.  I need to work up some station signs for it.  It also needs to be back-filled and leveled.

[Rich_S]

This is what a G scale throttle looks like. It weighs 15 pounds and puts out 10 amps.

Dave, Is your throttle 10 amps or 10VA (Volt Amps)? and what is the voltage output? At 10 amps, be careful you don't start welding things to the rails   

Thanks,
Rich S.

[Dave V]

Dave, Is your throttle 10 amps or 10VA (Volt Amps)? and what is the voltage output? At 10 amps, be careful you don't start welding things to the rails   

Thanks,
Rich S.

10 amps is the peak current.  Up to 22 volts to the track.

Here are the specifics:

http://www.hobbylinc.com/mrc-power-g-10-amp-pack-model-train-power-supply-transformer-ag990

[mcjaco]

Our backyard is suited so well for a garden railroad.  A simple large loop with a passing siding or two. Love the simplicity of this.


 If the wife would just let me spend the $$$$.   

[Dave V]

I've been wanting to do this for 20 years but always had to worry about getting orders and leaving it behind.  I finally have some stability and a great spot for a small G scale setup!  Virtually everything but a few pieces of track, a few cars, and the chassis for the locomotive were "pre-owned" so it's been a relatively frugal endeavor as far as large scale goes.

[Dave V]

[MichaelT]

Oh, and in case you ever wondered what a Bright Boy might look like in G scale, here you go.  It's a Scotch-Brite pad stapled to a 4x4 block:

If you haven't considered it yet, another option to clean track is to attach your scotch brite pad to a wallboard pole sander. I've used one for years and can clean the entire layout while standing.

mdt

[MichaelT]

Dave,

What is your layout footprint?

[Dave V]

Dave,

What is your layout footprint?

Good question!  It uses 8' diameter curves, so...  Maybe 8' x 16 to 20'?  I never measured.  Currently it's in the single digits and snowing outside so I'm not about to measure tonight!

[MichaelT]

Good question!  It uses 8' diameter curves, so...  Maybe 8' x 16 to 20'?  I never measured.  Currently it's in the single digits and snowing outside so I'm not about to measure tonight!

Aww....

I'm about to start laying track outside again soon... probably start much smaller than last time and then add as I include branch lines.

[Missaberoad]

Currently it's in the single digits and snowing outside so I'm not about to measure tonight!

How do I get a heat wave like that? 



not in Fahrenheit but still (well I guess the -40 is )

[MichaelT]

We're down to 32 here