Construction Update #3 - Weathering Warehouses, Goose #3 & Sell or Trade

Weathering the Warehouses

 

The two warehouses for Placerville are now weathered and just about ready to be placed on a module.  Except for the roof, Warehouse A/B (Oxide Red) didn't receive much weathering.  The roof was weathered with powdered paint pigments, rust, brown and black, and given a coat of Tamya Flat. 

Warehouse C received heavier weathering.  It was given a dark brown wash with acrylic craft paints and a coat of Tamya Flat followed by powdered pigments; rust, brown, gray & black.  And before anyone comments, the doors are only temporary until I can find or make doors closer to the prototype.

 

RGS Goose #3

 

RGS Goose #3 is an old PFM Import.  It was previously lettered for a private road name so I did my best to remove the old lettering without doing to much damage to the existing paint and Thin Film decals were used to apply the RGS lettering.  At some point I will probably strip the existing paint and redo it.

 

While the PFM Geese aren't quite as nice as the more recent imports from P-B-L, they can be turned into excellent running models.  The main problem with both versions is that they are very sensitive to dirty track and wheels.  I solved this problem by adding contacts to the insulated wheels giving the model 8 wheel pickup instead of 4 and by adding a current keeper along with a Soundtraxx Tsunami2 DCC sound decoder.

 

 

 Caboose #403

 

While I have quite a bit of D&RGW rolling stock, I am a little light when it comes to modeling the RGS.  In the last week or so, I added the Overland Models RGS short caboose shown below.  I also picked up a P-B-L "Foreground" model of RGS 40.  I'll post a picture of #40 in the next update.

 

Sn3 Equipment For Sale or Trade

 

Since I am going to model the RGS 1st District as closely as possible, I have at least one locomotive, some rolling stock and several structures that I would like to sell or trade.  If you are interested, please contact me at sdepolo@outlook.com  

 

P-B-L D&RGW K-28 #476 is a September 1988 "Foreground" model.  I would prefer to trade, rather than sell, for a P-B-L K-27 "Foreground" model built about the same time.

 

 

I scratch built the depot shown below about a year ago when I was planning for another layout.  It is based upon the Cumbres depot but it is not a perfect match.  The depot is wood over a styrene core with Buildiers In Scale shingles.  Colors are Floquil Depot Buff with a little white added and Floquil Roof Brown.  The overall dimensions are 9" by 7.5" including the platform.  The figure a platform details are included.  The depot and platform are mounted to a .080" sheet of styrene.  Make an offer or trade.

The Idaho Hotel - Built from Bar Mills Kit.  $225.00 or trade.

Looking for the following 

• P-B-L RGS 2-8-0 #41
  
• Vance Junction Section House (Banta)
• Ophir General Store (Banta)
• Ophir Mrs Skillens Store (Banta)
  
• Ophir Tram House (Banta)
• Ophir House At The End Of The Trestle (Banta)

 

 As always, your comments, suggestions and questions are welcome

sdepolo@outlook.com 

 
 

Construction Update #2 - The Warehouses at Placerville

The Flour, Feed & Ore Storage Warehouse

 

There were two large warehouses at Placerville.  Both have been gone for over 20 years.  The warehouse to the north of the depot held feed and flour on the northwestern end of the building and the smaller addition to the southeast was used to warehouse ore.  These are referred to as Warehouse A and Warehouse B on Page 271 of the RGS Story, Volume 1 (Don Abbott drawing, Sundance Publishing).  There is also a set of plans, without dimensions, on Page 280 (Mike Blazek) in the same volume.  It should be noted the plans and the limited number of photographs available don't always match up.  Obviously, the building changed over the years.  Regardless, I studied the plans, the pictures and built the core for my best guess version of Warehouse A/B using Evergreen styrene.  The overall length of the building is 19" or about 102 scale feet.

 

 

The sides and roof were covered by an overlay of Evergreen Styrene corrugated metal siding/roofing material.  2"x12" scale lumber, stained with Silverwood, was used below the siding and for the loading dock.

 

In keeping with my intent to mount most if not all of my structures on a 1" pink foam base, here is the base for Warehouse A/B.  The foundation is 3/16" square strip wood glued to the base.  The cork roadbed in the foreground is for the double ended house track/siding that ran behind the depot.  The other section of roadbed is for the single ended spur that serviced the warehouse.

 

Color seemed to be another variable.  Again based upon the limited amount of information available, I chose to paint the structure oxide red with Rust-Oleum 2X Ultra Color purchased from my local Ace Hardware.

 

 

In the previous post, the Fast Tracks "Tie Jig for Sn3 Mainline - Slightly Misaligned" was used for the mainline in front of the Placerville Depot.  That jig was also used for the siding/house track that ran behind the depot.  For the spur servicing Warehouse A/B the Fast Tracks "Tie Jig for Sn3 Branch Line - Moderately Misaligned" was used.

 

Both sets of ties were stained with Silverwood and then the ties on the warehouse spur were aged with a very light wash of Floquil Earth.  The ballast is a blend of High Ball Cinders and screened paving sand from Home Depot.  A little ground foam finished off the mini-scene.  More details and rail will be added when the warehouse is set into the module.

The RGS Warehouse

The RGS Warehouse was located behind and to the southeast of the Placerville Depot.  This warehouse is referred to as Warehouse C in the Don Abbott drawing in Volume 1 of the RGS Story.  Warehouse C didn't have it's own spur; it was located along the siding/house track that ran behind the depot.  My best guess model is 16" long or about 85 scale feet. I built this structure, using the same methods as outlined above with a full length loading dock.  At some point after 1940 most of the dock was gone and all that remained were short sections of crumbling remnants.  Apparently, around 1940, all or portions of Warehouse C was leased to General Petroleum.

 

 

And here are all three structures arranged how they will be placed on the layout.  Warehouse C has been placed on a new larger piece of pink foam.  It still lacks ballast, ground cover and warehouse doors.  Both warehouses still need weathering.  The depth here is about 20" leaving about 10" for Front Street and a few building flats placed against to the backdrop.

 

As always, your comments, suggestions & questions are welcome

sdepolo@outlook.com

  

Construction Update #1 - Getting Started

Placerville, Colorado

 

Basic construction will consist of a series of modules connected with traditional plywood roadbed on risers on L-Girder bench work.  Work will start along the 22.5 long north wall of the room with the two Placerville Modules as shown below.  Note: The overall plan is shown in the August 16, 2023 post.

 

Since there aren't any grades through Placerville, the base will consist of 2 layers of 1" pink foam sandwiched together and framed with 1x3's.  The plan is to bring each scene to a presentable level before going on the next... starting with the structures.  

The Placerville Depot (Ragg's...To Riches)

 

The Ragg's...To Riches kits are no longer in production but most of them turn up on the secondary market.  These are excellent kits and I managed to pick up this S-Scale example of the Placerville depot for a reasonable price on ebay. 

 

Building of the kit is pretty straight forward, with the exception of the roof, so I'm not going to go into a lot "how to" instructions.  But, I will offer a couple of suggestions to make the process easier.  

 

• The wainscoting and batten boards sections are combined on one piece of peel and stick material.  The instructions suggest priming and painting dark brown wainscoting first, masking off the brown wainscoting, and then painting the yellow battens.  I  reversed the process and primed and painted the yellow battens first.  It is much easier to get an opaque finish with yellow over gray than yellow over dark brown. I used a airbrush to apply the Floquil paints; Depot Buff with a little Reefer White to lighten it up and Roof Brown.

• The instructions call for building up the base core and then adding the peel & stick details.  I find it easier to paint and assemble each wall to include the siding, windows and doors before assembly.  Per the instructions, I did hold off on adding the window sills until most of the assembly was done.
  

• Several holes were cut in the floor in order to access the interior.  The holes may come in handy at some point in the future should I need to access the inside of the building.

• I found the roof to be the most challenging aspect of the kit.  Although my results are satisfactory, I had a lot of trouble with the shingles on the back side of roof over the bay window.  I ended up simplifying the application of the shingles so that section of the roof deviates a bit from the prototype.  The instructions for how to paint the peel and stick shingles are excellent.  But, measure carefully and don't waste any shingles. I used all but one strip of the peel and stick shingles.
  

• A piece of 3/16" square strip wood was added to the bottom of the base to increase the height of the platform, to add strength and prevent warping. 
  

The Placerville Depot "Mini-Scene" Part 1

 

Recently, I have been placing my structures on a base of 1" pink foam.  Attaching the structure to the foam and adding some ground cover and a few other details creates a neat little mini-scene and makes the model easier to handle before it is installed on the layout.

 

The base for the Placerville depot is about 22" wide and 10" deep.  It was painted brown with craft paint and HO cork roadbed was glued in place for the RGS mainline that ran in front of the depot.  In the past, I have used flex track but this time around, at least for the time being, I have gone back to hand laid Code 70 rail on wood ties (P-B-L Code 70 flex track is and has been out of stock for months).  Fast Tracks makes some cool little fixtures for spacing out the ties.  For this section, I am using their "Tie Jig for Sn3 Mainline - Slightly Misaligned".

 

 Once the ties are in the fixture, a piece of painters tape was used to remove them.

 

Here they are, out of the fixture, and ready to be glued down on top of the cork with yellow carpenters glue.
 

After the glue had dried, the ties were sanded flat and the base for the depot was glued in place leaving room to the left of the depot for the restrooms.

The ties were stained with Silverwood and weathered with powdered pigments.  At this point, the depot, platform and ties were sealed with flat finish.  All that remains to be done to the depot is to install the doorway thresholds, the order board above the bay window, the signage and the decorative trim along the peak of the roof.

While it is difficult to find, I prefer High Ball "Cinders" limestone ballast over most other brands.  I apply and shape it dry, spray it with a 50-50 mix of alcohol and water, and apply a mix of 3 parts 50-50 water and 1 part Liquitex matte medium with a pipette.  While the matte medium is more expensive than white glue, I think it is a bit more flexible, after it sets, and transmits less noise.  The rail will get laid once the depot is placed on the module.  

 

The basic ground cover is paving sand from Home Depot.  It is applied the same way.  A little ground foam was also added for a bit of color. The flat pad in the left of the photo is the future location of the water closet (outhouse). 

As always, your comments, questions & suggestions are welcome

sdepolo@outlook.com

Introduction - History of the RGS and The Track Plan

A Brief History of the Rio Grande Southern

The Rio Grande Southern, built by Russian immigrant and toll road operator Otto Mears, ran in Southwestern Colorado between Ridgeway and Durango.  The RGS operated between 1891 and 1951.  It was built to to transport silver mineral content that was being produced in the mining districts around Telluride and Rico.  Both ends of the RGS were linked to the outside world by the Denver & Rio Grande Western  Railway at Ridgway and Durrango.

The RGS was an instanst success easily earning more than enough to provide a return to the investors and cover the cost of construction.  But that would only last about a year and a half until the Silver Panic of 1893 from which the "Southern" would never recover.  From that point forward, the railroad struggled to survive until it was shut down and dismantled during the winter and spring of 1952-1953.  Along with the loss of mineral traffic, heavy snows in the winter, floods in the spring that caused bridge and trestle wash outs and rock slides caused line closures and excessive maintenance.  The final and fatal blow to the RGS was the loss of the US Mail contract for failing to deliver the mail on time during the winter of 1951-1952.

The Plan

 

    Specification

 

• Railroad - Rio Grande Southern 1st District
• Scale - Sn3 (1/64)
• Room Size - 22.5' X 27.5'
• Benchwork - Modules/Convential L-Girder
• Minum Radius - 32"
• Maximum Grade - 3.5%
• Min Elevation - 51"
• Max Elevation - 81"
• Roadbed - Cork
• Track - Code 70 Handlaid
• Turnout - #6 Fast Track
• Control - Wireless NCE DCC
• Locmotives - P-B-L equipped with Tsunami2 Sound

     The Layout