Constuction Update #47 - Operations, Scenery & Rolling Stock Additions

Operations on the 1st District - Early to mid 1940's 

 

Introduction 

Sooner or later a lot of modelers start thinking about operations.  After trying out several methods, I prefer timetable and train order operations along with a printed switch list.  I have tried several methods to create switch lists including computer software based systems and the tried and true car card and 4-sided waybill system.   Without going into a lot of detail as to the why, I found all the systems I've tried lacking in one wa,y or another.   As a result, I have come to the conclusion the "old" system employed by the late Brian Ellerby for his famed Sn3 Copper River & Yukon turned out to be the best, in my humble opinion, for my layout.  I adopted Brian's switch lists for my old Sn3 Alaska Pacific and I am now going to use them for the 1st District.  

I do use car cards and 4-part waybill system on my small HO Scale shelf/switching layout.  It's primarily a simple one man operation with trains that don't exceed 4 or 5 cars (https://visaliaelectric.blogspot.com/)

Switch Lists  

I think the best place to start is with the actual switch list (form).  My switch lists, made using Excel, are a close copy of those used by Brian.  They include the switch list, a timetable, train/crew information, and special instructions printed on both sides of a 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of 65lb craft paper.  After cutting off the bottom 2 3/8"s off the bottom of the sheet and folding it along it's long axes you end up with a 4 1/4" by 8 5/8" switch list shown below.

The inside contains a timetable.

The train, crew, special instructions, rules and car codes are on the back side.

Excel was used to create the switch lists.  The list and special instructions were printed on one side (portrait orientation) and the timetable was printed on the other side (landscape orientation).

The switch lists are then placed in the rack shown below and crews are assigned to the trains just prior to the operating session; AM on the left, PM on the right.  This rack was salvaged from the scrap pile when Brian's layout was disassembled.  All that was need was a few repairs.

 

The 1st District Timetable

All trains, with the exception of #371 and #372 are run as "Extras".  While the prototype used four motors "Geese" to cover the schedule I only have one.  For the time being my Goose #3 runs from Rico (staging) to Ridgway in the morning and back to Rico (staging in the afternoon.  Here, the northbound "motor" is passing through the cut between Matterhorn and Ophir.  The Number 3 is a older PFM model.  It is equipped with Tsusami 2 sound decoder, a TCS keep alive and track wipers which results in great sound and smooth trouble free operation.

The Track and Customer Diagram

Next comes a track, industry and capacity track diagram.  The diagram was created with Excel and will become useful when it comes to assigning cars to trains.  Turnouts with trailing points southbound are highlighted in orange, Turnouts with trailing point northbound are highlighted in green.  There are 35 car spots not including the Ridgway Yard, Vance Junction Yard and the Rico staging tracks.  Each of the 3 Rico staging tracks will hold a locomotive, 10 cars and a caboose.  The Ridgway Yard will hold about 20 cars.

 

Car List

There are currently 48 cars on the layout.  Of these, 6 are in overhead service between Ridgway and the Rico Staging Yard; 4 don't have a logical destination on the 1at District and 2 have fixed loads.  That leaves 42 that can logically be spotted along the 1st District.  Theoretically, if every car moved and every car spot was filled at the beginning and the end of a session, the layout could probably accommodate about 80-85 cars not counting any overhead traffic.  But, a more realistic and practical number would be about 60-65 for a good operating session not counting any overhead traffic

Copper River & Yukon #125 spotted at the Dallas Mill.  The #125 will eventually be replaced when additional RGS or D&RGW flat cars are added to the roster.

 

THE ROUTING MATRIX

Here where the fun starts. The routing matrix for operating sessions A and B is shown below.  The actual chart includes sessions C and D.  Southbound moves are highlighted in orange and northbound in green.  Intermediate or local moves are highlighted in blue.   In the next section I will describe how the matrix was built using the mill at Vanadium as an example.

On the narrow gauge, stock cars, for the most part, were only used for their intended purpose during the spring and fall stock rushes.  During the rest of the year, they could be found hauling a variety of materials including coal.   Here we see hay being unloaded from a RGS stock car at Matterhorn,

The Vanadium Corporation of America Mill

During the period I model, the mill was processing low grade carnotite and vanadium ores to produce Uranium 238.  Both of these ores were plentiful along the RGS.  The processed ores were then piled over the trucks in boxcars and shipped by the RGS for additional processing in Durango,  Between 1941 and 1945 nearly 6,000 carloads of ore were moved by the RGS.  Coal, for the power plant, arrived from the south in hi-side gondolas.   I have also seen a photo of a tank car sitting near the coal bins.  Not sure what it was hauling but it may have been road oil for dust control,

Here is plot for Wilson and Vanadium.  Ridgway (North) is to the left, Rico (South) is to the right.  Both loads and empties generally arrive on a northbound train.  Since the mill spur has a facing point turnout, the northbound train sets out the cars on the Wilson siding and the next southbound then spots the cars at the mill.

I allocated three cars to the mill; 2 boxcars and a hi-side gondola.  At some point more will be added.  In the example shown below (Session A)  DRGW 3434 (concentrate load) and DRGW 1059 (empty coal) are routed out of the mill towards Rico on the AM southbound freight.  USA 147 is a northbound empty routed out of Rico towards the mill on the AM southbound freight.  While the southbound move is a simple trailing point pick-up, the northbound is not. The USA 147 (concentrate empty) will be dropped off on the Wilson siding and a southbound local (PM) will pick it up at Wilson and drop it off at the mill.  The pattern is repeated, in reverse, during Session B, C & D.

The mock ups for the Vanadium Corp of America are shown below.  Two boxcars are spotted for loading and the empty hi-side gondola is spotted at the future location of the coal bins.  

Making up Trains

Locomotives - What will they pull?

My maximum train length is a locomotive, 10 cars and a caboose.  The length is dictated by the length of the planned Rico staging tracks.  Before going any further, I decided to run a few test trains to see what my locomotives could pull up the 2.25% grade between Vance Junction and Ophir

One of my K-27's can easily handle a ten car train between Vance Junction and the summit at Lizard Head.  It takes two C-19's to handle the same train.  Here #42 and #40(C-19's) are crossing Bridge 45A southbound between Vance Junction and Ophir with the ten car test train and a brass caboose.

Trains

Operating Plan - Freights

1. AM Extra South, Ridgway to Rico
2. AM Extra North, Rico to Ridgway
3. AM Extra Local Turn, Ridgway to Lizard Head and return
4. AM Stock Extra, Rico to Ridgway

1. PM Extra South, Ridgway to Rico
2. PM Extra North, Rico to Ridgway
3. PM Extra Local Turn, Ridgway to Rico & Return
4. PM Stock Extra, Ridgway to Rico 

Assigning cars to trains 

D&RGW #346 building a southbound train in the Ridgway Yard. 

At this point building a train is simple. Just read down the first column and assign the moves highlighted in orange to the AM southbound freight and the green to the northbound freight.  Any move highlighted in blue will be assigned to the Local (Ridgway to Lizard Head Turn).  Just make sure you block the cars in the order they will be switched; intermediate moves on the front; terminal to terminal moves on the back.

Here is the switch list for the southbound freight.

K-27 #464 awaiting the call at Ridgway to haul the Extra South to Rico.

 

Scenery Update

A little bit of scenery work has been accomplished since the last update.  Here is the "new" cut between Placerville and Wilson with the addition of basic ground cover and ballast.  Some additional work has also been done around the engine facilities to include the addition of ballast.

Rolling Stock Additions

Between 1940 and 1944, the Denver & Rio Grande Western shops converted 45 42ft long steel frame standard gauge fishbelly gondolas into narrow gauge flat cars with a capacity of 40 tons.  They were numbered between 6500 and 6544.  Here is the #6521 with a pipe load at Placerville.  It was built from a P-B-L kit.  The pipeload is a HO scale kit from Walthers. 

As always, you comments, suggestions and questions are welccome

sdepolo@outlook.com 

Construction Update #46 - Final 1st District Plan, Vance Jct Scenery

 

RGS 1st District Plan (Final)

May 15, 2025

For those of you who have been following the blog, the layout currently has a "temporary" return loop south of Matterhorn that I have referred to as Trout Lake.  The loop was installed in order to delay the installation of a "lift out" that led to a truncated version of Lizard Head and a staging yard on a shelf above Ridgway/Dallas.  Since there wasn't enough room for the Lizard Head Wye, the plan also included a provision for a hidden return loop inside the dispatchers office to turn helpers.  

Over time, I decided against the lift out.  After looking at several alternative, I decided on the following plan.  The temporary reverse loop was replaced by a more accurate representation of Lizard Head, including the wye, and the staging yard is now located on a shelf above the loop between Vanadium and Vance Junction.  While the Trout Lake scene was lost in the revision, I think operations will be enhanced when it comes to removing helpers at Lizard Head, turning them on the wye, and running light back to Ridgway.  While there will be room for more, the three Rico/Durango staging tracks three should be adequate to start with.  They are arranged to eliminate any reverse curves.

Vance Junction Scenery

May 16,2025

After some pretty nice weather, I finally got back to working on the scenery around Vance Junction.  For the last couple of weeks, I have spent most of my time setting up my new Costco greenhouse.  All the pink foam is in place and I should be able to finish off all the cardboard lattice this coming week and get the red rosin paper glued in place.

Looking north towards Vanadium.

Looking south towards Ophir.

May 17, 2024

Most of the cardboard lattice got installed before I ran out of hot glue.  The scenery should really slop downward towards the San Miguel River on the far side of the tracks.  Unfortunately the lack of space made that impossible.  The hill behind the track serves as a view block.  The Bridge 45A and Ophir scenes are on the other side.

May 18, 2025

Here is the red rosin paper glued in place.  While this step probably isn't necessary, I like to do it for two reasons.  First, it gives me a pretty good idea of what the final terrain will look like and second, it reduces the amount of plaster cloth and Sculptamold needed to hide the card board lattice work.

May 19, 2025

The red rosin paper covered by plaster cloth.

 

I buy my plaster cloth on Amazon.  A 12-pack of 6"x180" rolls costs around $32 including shipping (Prime).  That works out to about $2.60 a roll or about 1/3 to 1/2 the cost for the same coverage with products from Woodland Scenics or Scenic Express.  I cut the rolls into individual sheets about 8" long.  I normally apply it two layers thick.  The Amazon vendor is "Airgame".

 

Not much of an update.  A new green house and nice weather has kept me out of the train room.  

 

As always, your comments, suggestions and questions are welcome.   

sdepolo@outlook.com

Construction Update #45 - Caboose Track, Vance Junction Scenery and Ridgway Roundhouse

 May 3, 2025

 As is often the case, I walked into the train room, lost focus, and spent most of the day working on a couple of projects that weren't even on my radar!

Ridgway Caboose Track

The first thing I did was to move the proposed caboose track back from the aisle (Update #37).  The RGS actually used one of the shop tracks near the turntable and roundhouse for a caboose track.

The new location, shown below, is a closer representation of the prototype.  It is now located on one of the shop tracks next to the backdrop away from "wandering elbows" and the manual turnout ground throws along the Ridgway yard lead.

 

Since I was already working near the turntable/roundhouse, I decided to add a couple of more structures along the backdrop behind the turntable.  All three of these structures were given to me by Bruce Hanley.  I scratch built the coal dock for my old Alaska Pacific.  The RGS actually loaded coal into the tenders from high side gondola next to the turntable lead.  I tried to include the elevated spur the gondolas sat on but there wasn't enough room.

 

 Vance Junction

I spent the rest of the day working around Vance Junction planning, cutting and gluing in pink foam profiles.  I made sure to include enough room for the prototypically correct section house, depot (old coach) and other outbuildings.

Here is a view looking to the south.  The coal pockets are in the foreground.

In update #37 there was a picture and explanation of the Telluride Spur.  The original layout plan included the Telluride Branch along with a two track staging yard.  Unfortunately, the Bridge 45A scene took up a lot more space than I had anticipated.  So, instead of the Telluride Branch, I was left with the Telluride Spur (4 cars).

 

I am going to try and hide the end of the spur using a shallow cut, a small mirror and trees...

 

Ridgway Caboose Track

May 4, 2025

The caboose track with scenery

 

 

And gas for the goose.  I still need to add an elevated shed and gas pump.
 

And here are the tree little structures down by the turntable.

The Water Plug

Since there was no room for a water tank on the turntable lead, I decided to add a "Water Plug".  The main tank is down by the depot (Update #43).  Not sure who made this item since I found it in my box of loose parts.

 

The Coal Bin

On the prototype, Coal was hand shoveled into locomotive tenders from a high side gondola that was spotted on a slightly elevated spur next to one of the turntable leads.  Unfortunately the elevated spur fell victim to that old space problem that keeps raising it's ugly head.  While not prototypically correct, there is room between one of the leads and the shop tracks to install a coal bin.  The coal bin was left over from the Rio Lobos Branch layout.

 The Ridgway Roundhouse

 May 5, 2025

Work continues on the Ridgway roundhouse.  Since I have seen way to many removable roofs warp, over time, I decided to permanently attach to roof to the sides and roof supports.  In order to access the interior, the building will only be resting loosely on the foundation.

Only one of the outside back wall sections can be partially seen from the aisle.  Rather than spend the money for another sheet of brick material, I decided to cobble together the leftovers to make the wall and pilasters.  My one remaining widow and another section of lintel were also used.  The other three back walls were made from styrene and covered with brick paper on the inside.  The outsides were left blank.

  

May 7, 2025

 Here is the roundhouse temporarily set in place.  It still needs track, floor, doors, stacks, some minor paint work and roofing

Here is an overall view of the roundhouse/turntable scene.  The stalls are deep enough to accommodate a C-19 or T-19 but not a K-27; there just wasn't enough room.  My goal is to have this area pretty much "finished" by the time I have my open house in July.

As always, your comments, suggestions & questions are welcome

sdepolo@outlook.com 

 

 

 

Construction Update #44 - Ridgway Roundhouse, Scenery and the Sn3 Symposium

 

The Ridgway Roundhouse 

April 2, 2025

The Ridgway turntable and future location of the roundhouse are right inside the door as you enter or leave the layout room.  The turntable was installed more than a year ago and the drive was installed back in July of last year (Construction Update #36).  As a result, the thought occurred to me that the roundhouse might be a nice addition to the list of ongoing projects.

My original plan was to purchase a Banta kit and modify it to fit the space; a bad plan.  Ultimately I decided against sacrificing a $350 kit for in order to build an questionable, at best, representation of the prototype.  Instead I decided to scratch build the model, to fit the available space, from styrene, strip wood and laser cut brick sheets from Monster Model Works (for the visible exterior walls).  For the interior, my "stash" included a package of brick wall paper texture sheets from Paper Creek Model Works.

The first step was to draw a floor plan.  Due to my limited space I initially planned on reducing the depth of the stalls from 72 to 65 scale feet.  While shorter than the prototype, the 65 feet would still accommodate a K-27.  Unfortunately, the resulting doorways were only 10 scale feet wide instead of the required 12 feet.  Since there wasn't room to move the roundhouse further away from the turntable, the only other option was to increase the angle of the radiating tracks and rework the two turntable lead tracks.  Again, there wasn't really room to make those changes.  Ultimately I decided to reduce the length of stalls by another 6 scale feet which allowed me to move the roundhouse further away from the turntable and accommodate the 12 scale foot wide roundhouse doors.  With the exception of the K-27's all my other RGS power will squeeze within the shortened stalls.  

The Plan

I decided to start with the framing.  There are plans for the Ridgway roundhouse in the RGS Story, Volume I.  I took a picture of the plans and loaded the resulting images into Photoshop.  Then, using the "Transform" tool, adjustments were made to fit my space.  This is probably about as close to the prototype as the model will ever get!

 

April 2, 2025

Since I needed more than one section of framing, I decided to build a fixture out of styrene so they would all be exactly the same.  Several subtle changes were made during this process. to include a minor adjustment to the length of stalls to add a little more depth.  The components were cut using the fixture.  They were then removed for staining, allowed to dry and placed back in fixture for gluing. 

Here is the framing.

April 3, 2025

The cores for the side walls were cut from .030" styrene.  The Monster Model Works "Old Bricks" will be laminated to the outside of the walls, Paper Creek "Brick Wall" will be used for the insides.

 

The Paper Creek brick was attached with double sided tape.  Since the roof trusses would probably sit directly on top of the bricks side walls/pillasters, the timber roofs supports next to the wall may or may not be correct.  The windows came from my "left overs".  Since I only had one package of windows, windows weren't used on the side wall facing the backdrop

The Cut Between Placerville & Wilson

April 9, 2025

 

While waiting for the Monster Model Works laser cut brick sheets, I did some work on "new" rock face between Placerville and Wilson.  The pink foam rock face was given a coat of earth colored flat acrylic exterior house paint and allowed to dry.  Several earth tones and black were then sprayed on to the rock.  The sprays were made by mixing acrylic paint pigments, water and alcohol. 

 

 The end result.

 

 

The Ridgway Roundhouse

 April 28, 2025

The "Old Brick Sheet" materials arrived!  If you haven't built one of the Monster Model Works structure kits or tried out their laser cut building materials you should.  The texture is amazing and it is very easy to work with.  Also received engine house stack set from Grandt Line (ebay).

The outer side, left side, of the wall facing the aisle.

The inside of the left wall.

The inside of the right side wall.  Since this wall and the back wall will be facing the backdrop and can't be seen, the pilaster was left off one end (left).

The far side of the back wall.  This wall will end up being about 5 inches away from the backdrop.

April 21, 2024

With the roundhouse walls ready to finish, several tests were run to figure out how to model the brick walls.  I started by sealing the laser cut material with Tamiya TS80 Flat.  Then three mortar colors were applied left to right; Ceramcoat Light Ivory and Quaker Gray and Folk Art Linen.  The mortar colors were allowed to cure overnight and another coat of flat was applied.  I decided to use the Quaker Gray on the model.

The wall was given a generous application of Quaker Gray in order to make sure all the recessed mortar lines were covered followed by another coat of Tamiya flat.  A sponge, with very little paint, was then used to dab on the brick colors; Americana Heritage Brick, Mississippi Mud, Napa Red, Soft Black, Folk Art Bark Brown and Raw Sienna and Ceramcoat Barn Red. 

There is no need to clean or replace the sponge during this process.  I generally worked light to dark and used a sheet of paper to remove about 95% of the paint before I started dabbing it on.

 

The finished wall.  The lintels were cut to size, painted and glued to the wall with Aleen's Tacky Glue.

The Sn3 Symposium

 April 22-26, 2024

Work on the roundhouse got interrupted by the Sn3 Symposium in Salt Lake Center.  The annual event was hosted by Chairman Doug Jolley and Co-Chairmen Gil Bennet and Mark Evans.  They did a fantastic job!  I attended with a group of modelers from here in the Pacific Northwest and I think I can speak for all of them in that we can't wait until next year when the Symposium will take place in Denver.

 

The Symposium included clinics, layout tours, op sessions, vendors, model contests, a swap meet, and plenty of time to meet up with old friends.  There were about 130 attendees.  The high point for me was operating on Doug Jolley's fabulous Sn3 3rd Division layout.  Here is a picture of the coal train I was assigned to operate.  It just happened to be powered by one of my favorite narrow gauge locomotives, a C-21.  And I actually made it across the division without being written up by the superintendent. 

 

There were about 12 layouts open for the Symposium. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see all of them. One I did get to see was Steve Blodgett's HO standard gauge Bear River Railroad.  You don't seem many 1880's era layouts but this one is pretty special.  Steve's layout features beautiful scenery, fabulous scratch built structures and smooth running period locomotives.

 

When it came to the vendor sale and swap meet there were only two things on my want list.  I have been in the market for a P-B-L RGS 4-6-0 #22 or #25 for some time.  Unfortunately I didn't find one.  I did, on the other hand, bid and win a Sn3 P-B-L brass CONOCO tank on ebay while I was at the Symposium.

 

We also took a trip down to Promontory Point while we were there.  While the visitors center was closed and the locomotives were shut down on the day were were there, we did get a short tour of the engine house which was very interesting.

As always, your comments, suggestions and questions are welcome

 sdepolo@outlook.com