Hawgheads Rio Grande Southern

[Hawghead]

"Sniff sniff"  That...that was beautiful man...just,just beautiful   

I'll be working just on the Rico section for awhile.  I just don't get a lot of time to work on the layout.  (I basically had to take two trips of to get that benchwork done).  The next thing I have to do is order some code 55 rail (thought I had some but can't find it anywhere) as the first order of business is to make 3 three-way stub turnouts. Anyone know of any templates available for those?  I can do them free hand but a template would make it a lot easier.  I've found them for three-way points turnouts but not for stubs.

Scott

[Dave V]

"Sniff sniff"  That...that was beautiful man...just,just beautiful   

I'll be working just on the Rico section for awhile.  I just don't get a lot of time to work on the layout.  (I basically had to take two trips of to get that benchwork done).  The next thing I have to do is order some code 55 rail (thought I had some but can't find it anywhere) as the first order of business is to make 3 three-way stub turnouts. Anyone know of any templates available for those?  I can do them free hand but a template would make it a lot easier.  I've found them for three-way points turnouts but not for stubs.

Scott

Lucious Beebe deserves the credit.  I merely quoted him!

[Cajonpassfan]

Yes. Good ‘ol Lucius had a flair for words...”In the roundhouse of eternity...” 
Otto

[Dave V]

Yes. Good ‘ol Lucius had a flair for words...”In the roundhouse of eternity...” 
Otto

For such a tiny and short-lived railroad it certainly has achieved a level of mythology surpassed perhaps only by the Denver, South Park & Pacific, whose corporate identity was already consigned to the history books a year before the first spike was driven home on the RGS.

[Hawghead]

Just wanted to share a proposed change to the track plan.  On of the things I didn't like about the Lizard Head or Teluride peninsula was that to follow the train in continuous loop mode was that you had to run around the peninsula to follow the train.  Additionally the layout lacked any real "open field running" areas.  Finally, the RGS was known for it's trestles and my plan had none.  As a result I switched it out for the two trestles at Gallagher, which solves all three problems.  There should be enough room to build good representatives of both the lower and upper Gallagher trestles and I could work in a little bit of grade between Placerville and Ricl.

Not much actual progress on the layout as work has been very busy.  I did receive the rail I needed so I'm about to start on the three way stub switches I need.

Scott

Oops.  In case it wasn't clear, the dashed track lines indicate the trestles.

[Dave V]

Wow, looks like you'll get the Gallagher Loop is pretty much oriented exactly the way the real thing was except mirror image (which is cool).  You're doing no grades, right?  Visually we think of Gallagher as having that 4% ruling grade separating the trestles in the vertical, but just as I have no grade at Ophir, it can be done without.

You sure you're okay taking out some of the operating interest?  Sacrificing trackage for scenery is exactly what I would do (and did), but it's not everyone's cup of tea.

[Hawghead]

Dave,

Thanks for taking the time to comment. 

Wow, looks like you'll get the Gallagher Loop is pretty much oriented exactly the way the real thing was except mirror image

Doh!

Sometimes I overlook the obvious in search of the intricate.  I've updated the plans to flip the loop, additionally I've added the Ames tank and trestle.  I don't have or am overlooking data that tells me the where the tank was in relation to the trestle (bridge 45-A).  I was also hoping to you could point me in the direction of some engineering data for the bridges/trestles, mostly length and height.

You're doing no grades, right?

The plan originally was no grades, but I could put the trackage on the peninsula on a grade.  It would have to start up grade from Ames after bridge 45-A, climbing up to the Upper Gallagher trestle, then about at the apex of the curve on the peninsula, start down grade over the Lower Gallagher trestle and on until I got back to layout 0 elevation.  This would not be completely prototypical as I believe it was down grade all the way from upper to lower trestle.  I also probably wouldn't use the prototype's 4% grade.  I'd probably stick to something like 2% so as not to have to double head everything.  The jury is still out on grades but it is doable.

You sure you're okay taking out some of the operating interest?

Yeah I really didn't like the any of the dead end peninsula options I had as they all required running around the peninsula to follow a train that was just continuously running.  While the snow sheds at Lizard Head would have been great visually they would have been a maintenance nightmare and really didn't add that much operationally other than the stock pens.  The Teluride version was just to crowded, I didn't have enough space to do it well enough to satisfy even me.  Finally the plan was crying out for both some "open field running" and I needed to have some place to put bridges/trestles.  The RGS had what...sixty some odd bridges on a one hundred and twenty mile mainline?  I just really needed to figure out how to get some bridges in there and what better way than the Gallagher loop, the other Ophir loop 

Scott

Oh almost forgot, what company made the kits for the Placerville buildings?  Specifically the garage, the mercantile and the third one I can't remember.

[Hawghead]

Dave,

Am I looking at Gallagher here?




Also I saw a picture of a sawmill at Gallagher, do you know anything about it, like if it was inside the loop or outside and did it last as long as the RGS?  I've never read anything about a sawmill there but it might make a nice addition.

Thanks,
Scott

[Dave V]

Dave,

Am I looking at Gallagher here?




Also I saw a picture of a sawmill at Gallagher, do you know anything about it, like if it was inside the loop or outside and did it last as long as the RGS?  I've never read anything about a sawmill there but it might make a nice addition.

Thanks,
Scott

Yes.  But there, Rico is to your left and Ridgway to the right.  I’m not near my reference books but I can check about the sawmill later.  There was a siding there at one time too.

[Hawghead]

One down two to go.



My soldering skills have waned a bit, hopefully they'll improve again as I do more switches.
Still need to cut rail and tie gaps

Scott

[Dave V]

Also I saw a picture of a sawmill at Gallagher, do you know anything about it, like if it was inside the loop or outside and did it last as long as the RGS?  I've never read anything about a sawmill there but it might make a nice addition.

Thanks,
Scott

Is this the picture you saw?

https://ngtrainpics.photoshelter.com/image?&_bqG=6&_bqH=eJzLMDPzCw8z8HEKczYpKSnyN_fOTUtMLc8w9Mu3MrcyNTCwMjQAAivPeJdgZ9vc0qKCjEo1MCfe0c_FtgTIDg12DYr3dLENBSl0NnPNckmpCM_OTFaLd3QOsS1OTSxKzgAAVJsfsQ--&GI_ID=

It looks like it was outside the loop if that's the Ridgway end of Bridge 57B.  The mill and spur were taken out in 1919.

[Hawghead]

Is this the picture you saw?

https://ngtrainpics.photoshelter.com/image?&_bqG=6&_bqH=eJzLMDPzCw8z8HEKczYpKSnyN_fOTUtMLc8w9Mu3MrcyNTCwMjQAAivPeJdgZ9vc0qKCjEo1MCfe0c_FtgTIDg12DYr3dLENBSl0NnPNckmpCM_OTFaLd3QOsS1OTSxKzgAAVJsfsQ--&GI_ID=

It looks like it was outside the loop if that's the Ridgway end of Bridge 57B.  The mill and spur were taken out in 1919.

Yep, that was it, ya gotta love that site.  Yeah I couldn't tell if it was taken outside the loop looking in or on the inside looking out.  So I'm guessing they took out the mill and as a result the RGS removed the spur.  Might still do something like it on the layout.

Thanks for the info Dave,
Scott

[Hawghead]

Just a note to let you know that progress is being made slowly but surely.  Seems every time I turn around I find I need something that I don't have, and not having a LHS I'm forced to order almost everything online.  Additionally I keep making mistakes as I reacquire skills that have been dormant for years.

Mainline and yard track looking north.
 



And the beginnings of the Rico depot.



Thanks for looking,
Scott

[Dave V]

Glad you're adding the Rico scale track.  I didn't really leave room for it and while I wouldn't say I regret not including it, I do think I'll be missing out on some operating possibilities.

[Hawghead]

Glad you're adding the Rico scale track.  I didn't really leave room for it and while I wouldn't say I regret not including it, I do think I'll be missing out on some operating possibilities.

Dave,

Thanks, to be honest I wasn't sure just what that short track was for, I was guessing a caboose or MOW storage track.  It appears in the map of Rico in the Silver San Juan book (which is what I designed the track plan of Rico from), guess I'm gonna have to build a scale and a scale house for it.  I already made one mistake though, I plan to do the post fire version of the depot and forgot to fill in the two windows in the dormer.

Scott