HOn3 Rio Grande Southern First District 1938-1945

[CRL]

That’s the type of mill you design a layout around. Personally, I think you could scratch build something that would fit your site well and still end up with something that has the look & feel of the Patria Mill kit. Remember, the real mills were designed to fit the site & space they had available. You have the skill set. Git ‘er done. 😉

[Dave V]

That’s the type of mill you design a layout around. Personally, I think you could scratch build something that would fit your site well and still end up with something that has the look & feel of the Patria Mill kit. Remember, the real mills were designed to fit the site & space they had available. You have the skill set. Git ‘er done. 😉

That’s pretty much what I probably will end up doing. It’ll be scratchbuilt since the kitbash I’ve already used isn’t quite close enough.  But, I need to save something for later! Otherwise I’ll wind up bored of this thing.   

[Dave V]

A little San Juan Central action today...

[dcarrell8]

The scenery blends flawlessly into the back drop.  Love it! 
~Dennis

[Dave V]

A stock extra led by leased D&RGW K-27 #461 prepares to leave Rico for points north in September of 1941.



Later we catch it arriving at the 10,250-foot summit of Lizard Head Pass, where it'll perform a brake test and set retainers for the downhill ride to Placerville.



Speaking of Placerville, late in the afternoon we see C-19 #41 making good time to Ridgway with Telluride ore along the San Miguel River bottom between Vanadium and Placeeville.



Here's an overall view of the layout as of early May 2021.

[Chris333]

That $hit's fire ! 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ok Dave. Dave OK.

Now... I think it's time to start having some fun with lighting. Morning, afternoon, night, etc...

I think you can do some AMAZING stuff with a spotlight and some gels.

[GimpLizard]

Speaking of Placerville, late in the afternoon we see C-19 #41 making good time to Ridgway with Telluride ore along the San Miguel River bottom between Vanadium and Placeeville.

Dang, that is some really nice work. The banks of that creek (crick?) are looking - in the words of Billy Crystal - "absolutely mauvelous".

[Dave V]

A few more shots from the RGS today.

A late afternoon freight will lose the race to sunset before it ties up at Ridgway for the evening.



Leased D&RGW K-27 #462 climbs out of Ophir with empty stock cars.



Steam passenger service hasn’t yet been completely usurped by the Galloping Geese. Here, #25 prepares to take a drink at Rico.



RGS C-19 #40 was the rear-end helper for this freight’s climb to Lizard Head Pass. B&B (Bridge & Building...RGS-speak for MoW) cars were thrown into the consist at the last minute, adding to the tonnage.

[LIRR]

narrow gauge is not my thing.....but this is nice work

[Cajonpassfan]

Dang, Dave, this is getting better and better! Nice backdrop/scenery transitions, too....
Otto

[Pomperaugrr]

Your work is amazing.  I am not a big narrow gauge fan, but I am impressed by the scenery and the attention to detail on all of the equipment. 

[Dave V]

Thanks guys!  This is the layout I dreamed of building after a 1988 trip on the Durango and Silverton.  It's my passion.  FWIW, it's the layout my father and I talked about building together shortly after that D&SNG ride, but we never got around to it.  High school was a blur and then off to Penn State and the Air Force.  I was never less than a day's drive from home after that.

Once COVID's settled to the point where my parents (read: my mother with COPD) feel comfortable flying (yes, they're vaccinated), they're planning to visit and Dad can at last run his brass RGS 25 (that I had professionally painted and upgraded to Tsunami2) on the Rio Grande Southern from Ridgway to Rico with completed scenery all the way.

Every time we talk he still mentions the fun he had on the trip I took him on in 2018 along the RGS right of way the week after my Air Force retirement.  We felt a bit like archeologists and detectives using maps, books, and photos to figure out where things were.  We found some interesting stuff like coal from the Ridgway turntable pit, a few bricks and the concrete sill from the Rico enginehouse (deep in the trees!), wood trim scraps and shingles from the Rico depot, the wood sill from the Lizard Head snowshed (the part that burned in 1939!), and so on.  Most of the structures that survived to the 21st century have been lovingly restored, like the Rico and Trout Lake water tanks, the Trout Lake trestle, the Vance Junction coal pockets, the Ridgway depot, and even the re-constructed Dolores depot.  People in that part of the state remember the RGS with a deep reverence it seems.

[davefoxx]

Once COVID's settled to the point where my parents (read: my mother with COPD) feel comfortable flying (yes, they're vaccinated), they're planning to visit and Dad can at last run his brass RGS 25 (that I had professionally painted and upgraded to Tsunami2) on the Rio Grande Southern from Ridgway to Rico with completed scenery all the way.

While your entire post is full of awesomeness, it's this sentence that puts a smile on my face.  I can imagine the sheer pleasure that you will have watching your father fire up No. 25 for the first time and run his locomotive that you've taken the time to upgrade and paint for him on a layout that y'all planned decades ago.  Outstanding, sir.

DFF

[Pomperaugrr]

Wow, what a great backstory on the layout.   

Eric