G scale Rio Grande Southern Engineering Report

[Scottl]

Something like that should look good and be quite durable. 

My general sense is that outdoor modellers don't worry about fine finishing of track and other infrastructure as much, probably because many are not striving for the same level of prototypical realism that their indoor brethren do.  I am sure there are examples otherwise, but many outdoor sets seem to be unweathered products.  Nothing wrong with it, and perhaps they know something I don't, like it does not stand up to the elements or something...

You have already distinguished yourself by weathering your rolling stock!

[Dave V]

So, working two projects on the RGS.  First, I took my somewhat cheesy-looking D&RG baggage car and am working on making it look much more authentic for the 1940s:

Before:



During:



The paint is Rust-Oleum Hunt Club Green.  Looks like a very good match to what I've seen on D&RGW equipment up at the Colorado Railroad Museum.  The decals are actually from a San Juan decal set for a D&RGW narrow-gauge RPO, and since the D&RGW narow gauge baggage cars were single-door, I had to get creative.  Nevertheless, I think it's looking narrow-gaugey.

Then it was time to play with the trains outdoors.  The track is just laid down temporarily and this is certainly not a final configuration in any way, but it was fun to get the choo-choo outside!



A short RGS freight has passed Hot Tub Springs en route to Spigotville.

[Dave V]

Finished my baggage car project.  You can't see it here but I even applied the brake test data on the platform step ends.

[dnhouston]

A vast improvement from the original

[robert3985]

I need something I can get reliably and in large quantities.  I'm thinking the earth brown Rust-Oleum Camouflage paint might work:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Oleum-Specialty-12-oz-Earth-Brown-Camouflage-Spray-Paint-6-Pack-1918830/202058626

But I have noticed very few G scalers paint their track.  Am I being stupid by trying it?

I'd say, go for it.  You might start a trend.  In any case, the painted track looks exponentially better than the raw stuff. 

[Cameron_Talley]

Of course, if you have the track outside for a season or two, it will be weathered on its own!   

[Dave V]

Except that plastic and brass don't weather like wood and steel.  Much of this track has green and white oxidation spots.  There's a bit of mold on some ties.

[Dave V]

I promised I'd work on the Juniata Division today but with the prospect of half a foot of snow tomorrow I prepared for some winter running in the backyard!

I tightened up the track, replacing railjoiners, removing oxidation, and using every track screw I could get my hands on.  I also did a little more tamping and leveling (knowing that this isn't the final configuration).

Then I turned my attention to RGS #25.  She's ready for weathering. Her air tanks have been shortened to clear the steam chests on the replacement chassis, her whistle, bell, and pop valve have been painted brass, and she has a new coal load made of aquarium filter carbon.





For a matter of perspective, one of those small air tanks under the front running board is larger than an N scale PRR H-class 2-8-0.

With some paint and trim and real valve gear she looks as good as a real Spectrum Annie.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Looking good so far.

 A few things I'd recommend: I think the stack could use some thinning.

Also, I noticed a mold parting line on the backup light. There might be more. I'd recommend giving it a once over for stuff that will be unrealistically highlighted when weathered.

[Dave V]

I'm thinking about putting a spark arrestor on the stack like so:

http://rgsrr.home.comcast.net/~rgsrr/picts/rgs/richj/Rgs-25-Trout-1938.jpg

It would block access to the smoke unit, but after accidentally overfilling the smoke oil reservoir, this may not be so bad.  I had to completely disassemble the loco and clean it out...smoke oil goes everywhere!

[glakedylan]

that tender looks superb
along with the other cars
fine job, indeed...thanks
for sharing!

respectfully
Gary

[Chris333]

Did RGS 25 have the raised walkways with the tanks? What I saw looked like the were straight all the way to the cylinders with no tanks.

http://www.brasstrains.com/classic/Product/Detail/034001/HOn3-PSC-D-RGW-RGS-Rio-Grande-Southern-4-6-0-25
http://www.discoverlivesteam.com/magazine/38/index.html

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I like the spark arrestor.

[Dave V]

Did RGS 25 have the raised walkways with the tanks? What I saw looked like the were straight all the way to the cylinders with no tanks.

http://www.brasstrains.com/classic/Product/Detail/034001/HOn3-PSC-D-RGW-RGS-Rio-Grande-Southern-4-6-0-25
http://www.discoverlivesteam.com/magazine/38/index.html

That's one of a thousand very obvious differences between a Schenectady-built RGS (ex-F&CC) 4-6-0 and the Baldwin Tweetsie prototype that Bachmann used.  The cab is different, the wheel spacing, the domes, the tender...  Even the valve gear.  That said, I'm not stressing over any of those differences.  I like how the Bachmann loco looks and am happy to improve upon it for now.  At some point I may attempt a major bash toward a more prototypical ten wheeler, but I think if I go proto-hardcore here I'm more likely to go for the Spectrum C-19 shown here at the Denver Toy Train Show last month:

[Chris333]

Ahh I didn't realize they were that much different.