HOn3 Rio Grande Southern First District 1938-1945

[Dave V]

Might as well plant a flag, even if early!

My dad and I talked about doing Malcolm Furlow's San Juan Central layout after riding the D&SNGRR in 1989.  We had discussed doing it as a combination of the Rio Grande Southern and the D&RGW Silverton Branch.

The SJC track plan is here:

http://www.polyweb.com/dans_RR/blog/images/sjc/SJCTopView.jpg

Of course had we done so we would have de-Furlowed it...i.e., made it look like a working narrow gauge railroad in Colorado and less like a rolling landfill somewhere in northern Arizona.

At our new house I'll have a space that's about 12 x 13 feet (I'll have to see after the builder finishes the basement how much I lose when they stud out the walls).  This space will have no doors.  It will have a window well, but I'm not worried about building in front of it.

If I did this plan I would also expand the righthand corner and reduce that horrible corkscrew to something 18" radius or bigger and a grade not to exceed 4% (it's said that trains couldn't go up that corkscrew when Malcolm built it...although it's advertised as 15" and something like a 3% grade, the math just doesn't work out to get the 3" clearance over the lower track!).

The "Montrose" part becomes the RGS division point at Rico...with a much more prototypical track arrangement.  Visible staging there too as RGS trains often toed up overnight at Rico.  The inside curve on the left is perfect for Ophir.  Replace "Crazy Horse Bridge" with just some rock wall running at Windy Point below Ophir (or, as Dad and I had talked about, the Silverton Branch "high line" above Rockwood).  Other areas are still up or grabs.

I'm all ears on any other design to fit the new space that might have some good running opportunities with a bit of drama thrown in.

I chose a broad era because although I love the RGS of the Victor Miller era prior to and at the outset of World War II, my dad has a ConCor goose and I think it's the 1945-era Wayne bus body instead of the Pierce Arrow limo body.  That also gives me the full range of D&RGW and RGS heralds.

[Chris333]

I like that layout. I have the book that is just a collection of the articles. I know I've seen another layout online based on the same plan. And I know the original layout is still out there running.

[johnb]

While the idea of an HOn3 layout sounds fun, the biggest issue is motive power. MDC made an inside and an outside 2-8-0, and a two and three truck shay, but not for 15 years....LaBelle makes a lot of wooden kits, MTL had at least one boxcar and trucks.....


Another option is an N Scale layout using MDC/Athearn 2-8-0 and Bachmann 2-8-0/2-6-0/4-6-0 as motive power with the same radius and grades......maybe even a USRA 2-10-2......

[eric220]

Another option is an N Scale layout using MDC/Athearn 2-8-0 and Bachmann 2-8-0/2-6-0/4-6-0 as motive power with the same radius and grades......maybe even a USRA 2-10-2......

@Dave Vollmer LMGTFY,

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=34849.0

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=41037.msg513166#msg513166

Having had the privilege of seeing the space in person yesterday, I can't wait to see this come together!

[Chris333]

http://www.polyweb.com/dans_rr/narrowgauge2004/page0022.html

[Dave V]

While the idea of an HOn3 layout sounds fun, the biggest issue is motive power. MDC made an inside and an outside 2-8-0, and a two and three truck shay, but not for 15 years....LaBelle makes a lot of wooden kits, MTL had at least one boxcar and trucks.....

I think you may have lost touch with HOn3 in recent years...

This company makes RTR HOn3 locos (with sound and DCC) and RTR cars:

http://blackstonemodels.com/

I was in HOn3 in the early 90s and it has really changed.

Another option is an N Scale layout using MDC/Athearn 2-8-0 and Bachmann 2-8-0/2-6-0/4-6-0 as motive power with the same radius and grades......maybe even a USRA 2-10-2......

Hence my 30" by 60" N scale Colorado Midland Aspen Branch circa 1905 layout.

[johnb]

Oh, I know about Blackstone....but what have they delivered since 2013? I really wanted a model of 340...but they didn't make a model of it.

[Chris333]

So does your era let you have C19's?

[Dave V]

So does your era let you have C19's?

Yes, RGS 40 and 41.  40 was wrecked in '43, but 41 still exists.  I juts ordered a #40 from M B Klein.

Oh, I know about Blackstone....but what have they delivered since 2013? I really wanted a model of 340...but they didn't make a model of it.

They re-released the C19s recently...  MB Klein has 'em for $399, but RGS 40 unweathered with sunrise herald was $349!  Yeah, I don't know what they've done since 2013, but there's a lot out there on the market now (albeit shockingly expensive).  The K28s and K36s are apparently slow-rolling, which is fine for me anyway because that K28 might make me re-direct toward the Chili Line!

Still a ton of old Rail Line, E&B Valley, LaBelle, & Durango Press kits out there and even some MicroTrains RTR stuff (have my eye out for one of the RGS ex-C&S reefers).

[johnb]

Yes, RGS 40 and 41.  40 was wrecked in '43, but 41 still exists.  I juts ordered a #40 from M B Klein.

They re-released the C19s recently...  MB Klein has 'em for $399, but RGS 40 unweathered with sunrise herald was $349!  Yeah, I don't know what they've done since 2013, but there's a lot out there on the market now (albeit shockingly expensive).  The K28s and K36s are apparently slow-rolling, which is fine for me anyway because that K28 might make me re-direct toward the Chili Line!

Still a ton of old Rail Line, E&B Valley, LaBelle, & Durango Press kits out there and even some MicroTrains RTR stuff (have my eye out for one of the RGS ex-C&S reefers).

Not only is 41 is around, but she runs great and is a pampered pet at Knott's Berry Farm with 340 and RGS Goose 3, now powered by a Cummins diesel

[Dave V]

Been giving this some thought.  The RGS was "busy" (by Colorado narrow gauge standards) during the era I want to model.  I may want to design an operating scheme for this thing early rather than ham-fist a dissatisfying one onto the layout after it's done.  Among the operations I'd want to include:

- Regularly scheduled Galloping Goose traffic
- Stock extras
- Through coal (from south of Rico heading to the D&RGW SG at Montrose) consigned to the Soviet Union
- Ore traffic (including uranium ore shipments...these would have been heavily gaurded extras with superiority)
- Mixed freight extras

And since I like steam passenger trains I may weave in a passenger run in place of a Goose now and then.  As of 1938 much of the railroad's passenger equipment still existed and had not all been modified for work train service.

I'm thinking of revising the SJC plan so that Rico (Montrose on the SJC) isn't stub-ended but rather loops for continuous running past a 2-3 track staging yard representing Durango and Ridgway.  It remains to be seen exactly what space I'll have when the walls are studded out.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Oh man, this is hot...
http://blackstonemodels.com/loco/class70/class70.php

Different railroad, I know. But damn.

Also, the one thing I'm not sure about with the SJC is the over/under situation. Was there actually much of that?

[Chris333]

He just bought this:
http://blackstonemodels.com/new/c19/40sun.php


You can always reverse the SJC trackplan to see if you like it better that way.

[wazzou]

That lettering makes it look more appropriate for that exported Soviet coal.   

[davefoxx]

Oh man, this is hot...
http://blackstonemodels.com/loco/class70/class70.php

Different railroad, I know. But damn.

No sh!t!  Thank God Blackstone Models doesn't build HOn3 ET&WNC locomotives and rolling stock.  That would be ubertempting!

DFF