Well ever since I can remember I always loved the D&RGW, it's paint scheme, and the big long coal trains. Fast forward to today and I model the Camas Prairie which was operated by BN (NP, GN, and NP included) and the UP. It was the shortline that ran where we lived and I loved the scenery and the trains that ran on it, lots of lumber and grain. Never saw any Rio Grande equipment up here though Well just recently I decided something, this is a hobby made for enjoyment and dang it all I was going to have a D&RGW train running on my layout! Got a couple of gift certificates for Christmas and just ordered my first SD40T-2 from Intermountain! Can't wait to start building up a coal car fleet and add to the diesel roster. Not planning on changing where I model but figure I can enjoy seeing Some big ol' coal drags now. So anyone out there with some more modern D&RGW equipment post up some pictures. I'd love to see some action and give me idea's as to some more equipment I'd like to purchase!
If you are into fun, every now and then there are SD80's and SD90's in DRGW paint. Otherwise, there were the GP60's from LifeLike and then you may find some custom painted SD45's in DRGW. I have about 8 of those in my current roster along with 14 of the tunnel motor locomotives. Add to that a few SD50's from atlas also wore DRGW paint.
A mixture of DRGW coal hoppers...... From the opposite direction... Motive power, for switching duties ranged from a set of GP30's to a lone GP-9. Need to design a set of decals for a custom painted company switcher, an Atlas MP15DC. Friend of mine wanted me to seriously infect my module set, by using some yellow stuff instead! Said no way!! :tongue: Don't like the yellow stuff.
I don't have a lot of them, but Trainworx 100T quad hoppers are the best et for a Grande modeler's first coal train. They had 2795 of them! They were a mainstay of the coal fleet, and many are still in use today. Tunnel Motors, or SD50's are great coal power. SD45's as well, and if you want to model a Tennessee Pass train, add a dozen or so GP40's to the mix as helpers.
Nice pictures there Kieth! You got my version of the Rio Grande coal train on the Red line with my 2 SP Dash 9's! I have about 47 of the Trainworx 4 bay hoppers in Rio Grande. They look wonderful and run pretty darn good too. they are a little bit of a bear to find but the crop up every now and then on Ebay and other places. Glad to hear ther is another Grande fan out there!!!
NIevo, We have more in common then I thought. I too like the D&RGW and I'm working on a coal train as well. There's nothing wrong with having a variety of different road names. I'd even take that as far as having different era equipment. You wrote, Quote: Well just recently I decided something, this is a hobby made for enjoyment and dang it all I was going to have a D&RGW train running on my layout! End of Quote I couldn't agree more. I just went over to visit your layout. You have what I would love to have. Looking mighty fine.
Keith-Great looking module! I am debating whether or not to incorporate a similar scene into my future layout. BarstowRick-Now that is scary!! I've already got 3 tunnel motors and 8 of the Trainworx 4-Bay hoppers on their way? Can't wait to set them up.
I have always *loved* ErikW's D&RGW layout: Erik W Gallery - RailImages.com Wonderfully done. Inspiring. Captures the feeling of the Rockies well. Innovative in design and execution. Great example of the creativity that model railroading can spawn. (No, Erik didn't pay me a red cent. I just really like his D&RGW Rocky Mountains layout).
John, I have to agree, Erik's layout is sweet! When I first saw the photos, I thought it was Mike Danneman's Grande layout!
D&RGW pics Here are some D&RGW pics from the early/mid 80's. Location: Parkdale (just west of the Royal Gorge)
Ahhhh, memories! Where I grew up, we had tracks right behind our house... I could hop the fence and would land on Burlington Northern ROW.... Every once in a blue moon, I would see a D&RGW train speed by, rattling my tree house and making my swingset shake! And of course, being where I am from, we visited the Royal Gorge on many occasions. Due to their "fast freight" philosophy (I think thats what it was called, I don't remember! lol) we NEVER failed to see a D&RGW train snaking its way alongside the river that was its namesake! It almost brought a tear to my eye when I heard on the radio it had merged its way into oblivion.... *sigh* :munhappy: I know this has nothing to do with modeling whatsoever, and I apologize for that... but it is easy to deduce where my love of all things railroad came from, including (and perhaps especially) the MODELING part! :mwink: Aaron
The way I see it, you can find anything anywhere anymore even if you want to stay close to prototype operations. Example: June 7th, 2009. The road is the Parkway (I-376) at the bottom of Greentree Hill near the Fort Pitt Tunnel. Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. I think you can get away with a few of these on your layout, lol.
I really need to take some pictures of my D&RGW, because even tho it isn't my primary line, I do run a small one through my town and happends to be one of my favorite ones to run. I run a D&RGW Roundhouse 2-6-0 Mogul, with a Digitrax DZ125 decoder, pulling a set of 5, 50' Overland passenger cars. It is one of my best, and favorite units to run.
The Grande is my second fav railroad. I'm going to have a Cali Zephyr with a set of Rio Grande PAs on the point, using a mechanical problem with WP's F units as an excuse. I have a book with a Rio Grande F7B in a WP consist on the Zephyr, so... Another book I have shows 4 Grande GP30s in Portola, so anything is possible!
