Hi, I plan to build the Rio Grande Ski Train timeframe 1950-56. Does anyone had good reference pictures or can tell me where I can find it? All help are welcome Many thanks
Its really hard to find much on the early operations of the Ski Train but it is fair to assume that it was made up of some of Rio Grande's early "gothic" coaches from the 900-series. These cars featured upper sash windows above the larger windows (later welded shut, see links below) and could be modeled (well, sort of) using the old J-n-J Trains etched brass "Harriman" coach sides (to be more accurate you would have to cut the sides down to 10 paired windows but at least you would be a bit closer to not only the appearance of the cars but also the prototype length, which was 69' 4" in length (I have attached an image of the sides. A large number of these cars were sold to the Algoma Central circa 1949-1950 but 9 cars remained on the roster in 1960 (five cars in the 971 - 981 plus coaches 965, 982, 983 and 985; DRGW 967, 973, 975 and 979 known to have been modernized to coaches 1010, 1008, 1006 and 1007, others in the 1005 - 1010 series not yet identified) according to the 1960 Official Register of Passenger Train Equipment. Depending on just when you set your date the cars could likely be either in the earlier green and gold scheme (I think that this is how they were painted) or in the later Grande orange and silver that equipment were repainted in to match newer PS cars and locomotives. Here are some links to shots of these cars... http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/11129/rv/singleitem (photos dated 1951) http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/11130/rv/singleitem http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/51912/rv/singleitem (photo dated 1956) Here are some early links of the Ski Train that are part of the Otto Perry Collection at the Denver Public Library website... http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cd...ion/p15330coll22/id/53033/rv/singleitem/rec/2 (photo dated 1949) http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cd...ion/p15330coll22/id/53500/rv/singleitem/rec/5 (photo dated 1952) http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cd...ion/p15330coll22/id/53504/rv/singleitem/rec/6 (photo dated 1952) http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cd...ion/p15330coll22/id/53475/rv/singleitem/rec/4 (photo dated 1953) http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cd...on/p15330coll22/id/50600/rv/singleitem/rec/13 (photo dated 1960s) http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cd...on/p15330coll22/id/50501/rv/singleitem/rec/11 (photo dated 1960s) Clicking on this link above the image will load the photo with the full report for the photo which includes dates (most but not all) as well as other pertinent information about the photograph. Hope this helps....
