HOn3 Rio Grande Southern First District 1938-1945

[SSW7771]

I was reading through a couple of backissues of MR and saw an article and trackplan by John Armstrong on the RGS. The article is "Rio Grande Southern, Ridgway to Rico" August 1997. Not sure it helps, but I thought the trackplan looked good; it is double deck without a helix.

[Chris333]

That plan has a lot of space, but also a 4.5% grade. Don't know if Dave would like Ophir as drawn either.

[Dave V]

I recall that plan.  It's pretty good as you say.

That said, let's bring this back to reality.  Double decks and helices are awesome to dream about.  But I want something I can "finish" in a reasonable amount of time.  I'd really like to run this with my father using some of the equipment we amassed and built in the late 80s/early 90s.  I really envision something that's single-decked and no larger than that 12 x 14 foot space shown on the plan.  I want to detail the crap out of this thing (and I mean scenic details, not random junk for the sake of random junk).

Truth be told I may have to pull a non-prototypical trick or two here and there...but the overall effect I hope to achieve is something altogether different than your average token HOn3 "I took inspiration from John Allen and Malcolm Furlow" fantasy.  I want two signature scenes that have operating interest (Ophir and Rico) and then some lonely single track in the wilderness.  I probably don't need two decks or helices to achieve that.

[Dave V]

[ Guests cannot view attachments ] It just got real.

[Dave V]

The money shot:

Oh and two D&RGW 3000-series boxcars are also en route. [ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[Dave V]

And...  A draft trackplan:
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[wazzou]

It won't fit as drawn.     

Sweet lokie.

[Dave V]

It won't fit as drawn.     

Sweet lokie.

18" radius?  I think the left side is fine...the right side's perhaps a little ambitious.  But you get the idea!

[wazzou]

I'm just bustin your nuts on the yard and other TO's.
It's pretty much SOP when sketches are posted in my experience.
Excited to see it develop.

[Spades]

And...  A draft trackplan:
(Attachment Link)

I like the the less is more look of the track plan.

[wcfn100]

Three things come to mind with that plan.

Should Ophir have some more vertical space behind it?

Since you're into the mechanical room anyway, could you use it for 'hidden' trackage to make the run longer or just to break up scenes?

Are you going to have grades?

Jason

[Dave V]

Three things come to mind with that plan.

Should Ophir have some more vertical space behind it?

Probably.  There would be a backdrop too.

Since you're into the mechanical room anyway, could you use it for 'hidden' trackage to make the run longer or just to break up scenes?

Possibly, although I don't want to take too much of it.

Are you going to have grades?

Jason

Yes.  Starting just past Vanadium going up and then back down from Lizard Head to Rico.  Not sure what percentage or what height I'm going for though.  But yes, the RGS is about grades!

[davefoxx]

@Dave Vollmer,

How about connecting the staging yard back into the plan at top left with one more small hole in the wall from the mechanical room, so that you can double-end the staging yard?  I know you're a runner, so a double-ended yard would be more efficient and enjoyable.  In your case, it takes up almost no extra room, and the only cost is a couple of turnouts and a piece of flextrack or two.

DFF

[wazzou]

How about connecting the staging yard back into the plan at top left with one more small hole in the wall from the mechanical room, so that you can double-end the staging yard? 
DFF

Good idea. 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

@Dave Vollmer,

How about connecting the staging yard back into the plan at top left with one more small hole in the wall from the mechanical room, so that you can double-end the staging yard?  I know you're a runner, so a double-ended yard would be more efficient and enjoyable.  In your case, it takes up almost no extra room, and the only cost is a couple of turnouts and a piece of flextrack or two.

DFF

Was thinking the same thing. Not sure what it'd do to the scene where it'd have to branch off though. Is it possible to do a return loop back there, if nothing else?