Hawgheads Rio Grande Southern

[Hawghead]

Ok well first things first.  I posted an intro in the narrow gauge forms under a post titled "New member intro" however that turned out to be a post of a new member introducing himself, and not meant as a place for all new narrow gauge members to introduce themselves.    Anyway, my name is Scott Dean, I'm a retired submarine sailor now working as an engineer for the Union Pacific.

Sometime between now and the end of the year I intend to start construction on my HOn3 layout (still have some prep work to do in the garage).  I've come up with a track plan that I'm posting here for your consideration and comment.  Please remember this is NOT intended to be an accurate depiction of the RGS but more of a "protolance" using the RGS for inspiration.  Additionally it is a test to see if I can still read and follow directions for posting pictures.  So please any comments are welcome.
Thanks,
Scott

                                                                                                                         

[Dave V]

One of us...  One of us...

Gotta say, for claiming not to be following the RGS exactly you sure have some prototypical track arrangements!

Something about retired military and the RGS...  I can't wait to see this take shape!

[Hawghead]

Yeah,

I've been in love with the RGS ever since I got my hands on Mallory Hope Farrell's  Silver San Juan, about twenty years ago.  I put the disclaimer in because if I hadn't I would have had someone pipping in with "Well, ya know the yard at Ridgway was actually between the engine facility and Placerville and there wasn't a wye at Matterhorn and that track there is 4.6237 scale feet to long"  I'm just hoping to build a few scenes, that people familiar with the RGS, might recognize.

Progress is going to be slow to get started as I still need to transform the garage into a layout room.  In fact I was just out there to put some trim on the ceiling where I put in one of those drop down ladders up into the loft? attic? rafter space above the garage? And of course there is one of the light fixtures in the way, so I'm going to have to install the florescent lights before I can remove the light fixture and then do the trim around the ladder.  Hopefully once I get the room ready it will move more quickly.

Scott

[Hawghead]

I've been bouncing back and forth between the track plan I posted and this one.  This one is more operations oriented and has more "negative" space between towns/scenes.  Additionally it allows for much longer trains.  Let me know what you guys think?

Scott

[Dave V]

Do you already have a basic operating scheme in mind?  That will help dictate your track arrangements.  My hands were tied by the real RGS as I was unwilling to stray from prototype track arrangements but you have that freedom...take advantage!

Love the creative “adjustment” to the prototype names...!

[Wolf N Works]

I like the 2nd one better myself.

[Hawghead]

Do you already have a basic operating scheme in mind?  That will help dictate your track arrangements.  My hands were tied by the real RGS as I was unwilling to stray from prototype track arrangements but you have that freedom...take advantage!

Love the creative “adjustment” to the prototype names...!

I had to make concessions to the track arrangements, just due to space limitations, as most model railroads do.  For example I know that Placerville had a spur off of each end of the siding for the warehouses and the stock pen spur would have come off the "mainline" between Placerville and Dallas Divide.  I just tried to keep the major elements of the prototype at each location.  The one wye that "connects" Placerville and Pandora would stand in as the wyes at each location and would also provide a means to just run trains in a loop.  I'm still working on how I'd visually separate the two.  As for an operating scheme, the hidden trackage represents the line south (railroad east) of Vance Jct. (Ophir, Lizard Head, Rico on to Durango) so trains would run from that hidden staging to Ridgway doing work enroute and Ridgway to hidden staging.  Additionally the Telluride branch would be operated as a branchline between Vance Jct and Pandora.

I really like the first track plan I posted other than the fact that there is so little space between scenes.  Trains will always have the head end in one scene and the rear end in another, the second plan eliminates that issue.  In the first plan train length is limited to eight cars or less, while the second can accommodate train lengths of thirteen comfortably and fifteen with the head end entering one scene while the caboose is still just in the last scene.

The first plan is flat, no grades, while the second plan is 2% down grade, Ridgway to Ames to gain the necessary vertical separation to get under to the hidden staging (Placerville and Vance Jct are flat) and then 2% upgrade Ames to Pandora.  The first plan is easier to construct and the second is better visually.  In the second plan I lose Lizard Head and Rico, but gain Vance Jct and Pandora (which doesn't get modeled much and adds more operation).  The first plan gives me room to do Rico well, including the stock pens and coal chute and I've always really wanted to do the covered wye and siding at Lizard Head.

I'm leaning toward the first but I still keep coming back to the second one.

Scott

[Hawghead]

I like the 2nd one better myself.

Thanks Wolf,

I keep coming back to it myself

Scott

[bbussey]

Both track plans are sound. But the first allows for longer continuous running on those days when you don’t want to operate and just want to watch trains run.

[John]

One of us...  One of us...

Gotta say, for claiming not to be following the RGS exactly you sure have some prototypical track arrangements!

Something about retired military and the RGS...  I can't wait to see this take shape!

I think you are our first bubblehead .. welcome aboard shipmate

[MVW]

Both track plans are sound. But the first allows for longer continuous running on those days when you don’t want to operate and just want to watch trains run.

Ditto. Any way of building a continuous-run option into Plan B?

Jim

[Dave V]

The first plan looks a lot like what I did, and I do a lot of roundy-round on my own.  It's nice to have the trains traverse the entire layout in roundy-round mode.

But YMMV.

[Hawghead]

I think you are our first bubblehead .. welcome aboard shipmate

Thanks John I appreciate that.

Scott

[Hawghead]

Ditto. Any way of building a continuous-run option into Plan B?

Jim

Jim it does have a continuous run portion already in it.  A train can go Platterville to Vince Jct. to Aims, past the mill at Kiester and then to Pandaride.  Then it can end there for point to point ops, or go through the wye and back Ridgline or continue around back to Platterville.

Scott

[Hawghead]

The first plan looks a lot like what I did, and I do a lot of roundy-round on my own.  It's nice to have the trains traverse the entire layout in roundy-round mode.

But YMMV.

Dave,

I'll also be running the layout on my own.  I don't know any other model railroaders and my schedule doesn't allow for any kind of planning for ops sessions even if I did.  To be honest there are two things I don't like about plan A.  One is the lack of open space between scenes and the second is that it will be seen as just copying yours, and admittedly I drew alot of inspiration from yours.

Scott   

Scott