G scale Rio Grande Southern Engineering Report

[auburnrails]

I used chicken grit on my garden railroad.  It actually looks good and holds the track pretty decently.  Not sure if it's the best option but I liked it.

-Dave

[DKS]

Dave, I know finances are tight, but... if you could swing getting one more switch, this is what I might do--



Run the siding up a grade to a switch, then branch off from there and continue upgrade, over the loop and into the corner of the property as far as you can. This helps break the loop without adding an unprototypical tunnel (along with the maintenance issues of a tunnel), and it will add some operating interest. Plus use up some of your spare straights. Additionally, I might run the top left curve and long left side of the loop through a cut for some more interesting terrain features, if possible.

[Dave V]

DKS,

Very cool!  The RGS had a branch like that with switchbacks out of Rico to the Enterprise Mine.

It won't be happening any time soon, though.

Chicken grit was another option but the one feed store I went to here didn't have it.  Some weekend I'm actually free I'll need to go up to Tractor Supply in Castle Rock.

[Rich_S]

Dave, very interesting thread and subject the RGS. Although I've been more of a fan of the DRG and later the D&RGW because of the motive power used on the "San Juan" extension. The "Southern" as some called it, was also a very interesting railroad. There is something fascinating about the slim rail railroads. Anyway long story short, about 15 years ago I purchased the Bachmann ET&WNC G scale passenger train set for under my Christmas tree. Well, life happened and required a move to an apartment complex and that Tweetsie train set has been in storage for the last 8 years. After reading through your thread, I decided it was time to pull that train set out of storage for a checkup. I don't have enough floor space for a permanent setup and zero room outside for a out door railroad, but after 8 years in storage the locomotive still worked flawlessly. Sure the track needed some elbow grease with a bright boy and the locomotive drivers needed some of the same attention, but everything else work like when the engine was new. Thank you Dave for the thread, it was fun to run the big train again 

   

[Dave V]

We selected native Colorado plants, flowers, and grasses for the Rio Grande Southern. Included are such local favorites as columbine, phlox, and juniper. Even the pear cactus grows locally.



Ballast is locked in place with polymeric sand; that stuff is practically cement!  I've been adding brass over-joiner clamps to tighten the mechanical and electrical connections.

[MichaelWinicki]

I really like the coloring of stones.

[Chris333]

Slightly off topic...  Would you say that polymeric sand is ant proof?  I have a smallish brick landing off my front porch and over the years of ant digging around them they are now un-level. I want to re-do them with polymeric sand, but I've never worked with it.

[Dave V]

Just finished planting and watering.



Not sure if the polymeric sand is ant-proof.  Better check the Interwebs.

[Dave V]

Finished the RGS caboose.

[Dave V]

Having too much fun today...!

[davefoxx]

You did a great job weathering that ten-wheeler, Dave.  A question, though: Did the RGS constantly touch up the wheel rims with white paint, or should you perhaps weather them and the white striping on the locomotive?

DFF

[Dave V]

You did a great job weathering that ten-wheeler, Dave.  A question, though: Did the RGS constantly touch up the wheel rims with white paint, or should you perhaps weather them and the white striping on the locomotive?

DFF

Whitewall treatment on the RGS was hit-or-miss.  It was more common before 1940 (when #25 was still alive), but sister ten-wheeler #20 got whitewalls in '47 right before hauling a Rocky Mountain Railroad Club special.

I'm foobing a bit here anyway since #25 was scrapped in 1940 (the year the famous sunrise herald was introduced).  The only color photo of #25 I can find is here:

http://ngdiscussion.net/phorum/file.php?1,file=10069

Looks like filth over whitewalls, but I could be wrong.  I have other shots in books of pre-1940 RGS locos with and without whitewalls.  I'd actually weathered them out at first and found I didn't like it, so I went back and exposed them again.

As for the running boards, they weathered pretty quickly, but white-edged running boards and tender sills were standard RGS and D&RGW paint procedure.  Some D&RGW locos got silver in place of white.

[Dave V]

FWIW, under receiver Victor Miller, RGS locomotives got relatively frequent TLC.  Miller is credited with the Galloping Goose program.  Miller's tenure ended in 1938, 2 years before #25 was scrapped.  World War 2 essentially ended the regular cleaning and painting of locomotives on the RGS except for excursion service or rebuilds.

[Kevin Yutz]

How is the ballast holding up for you Dave?  Looks like yours should drain enough that you shouldnt have any problems.  An option for the base at least is concrete as well.  I have that here in PA on my entire mainline.  wide enough for double track support and about 4" thick with chicken wire reinforcement throughout.  I then touch up a time or two a year on top ballast to make it look nice.

It heaves nicely all together in my layout anyways...always an option if this starts sliding off or heaving like crazy in the seasonal changes.  While its a bit more permanent I wouldnt go any other way.

[Dave V]

How is the ballast holding up for you Dave?  Looks like yours should drain enough that you shouldnt have any problems.  An option for the base at least is concrete as well.  I have that here in PA on my entire mainline.  wide enough for double track support and about 4" thick with chicken wire reinforcement throughout.  I then touch up a time or two a year on top ballast to make it look nice.

It heaves nicely all together in my layout anyways...always an option if this starts sliding off or heaving like crazy in the seasonal changes.  While its a bit more permanent I wouldnt go any other way.

So far so good...  But I'm not using concrete or any other permanent method.  I can't guarantee I'll be in this house past 2016.  I may want it, but it may not happen.