I have been there on vacations. Notice how the ballast looks, and how smoothly the rails curve. Do you see that the track the engine is on, is higher than the empty track? That would tell me the empty track is a passing siding. Another tip off is that signal set. Black and white photos are a good source of scenery details. Do you see the layering of different rock types on the mountain in the background? See the scruffy grassy vegetation coming down the other mountain? I am using cliffs like are shown in the first photo with only the small amount of rip rap at the bottom. The angle of repose allows some pretty good sized boulders to be seen way up close to where they fell from the heights above. That's a nice touch we sometimes forget to add. Maybe I better sneak a copy of these photos to refer to for my canyon, OK MIKE? I notice there is not very much elevation on these curves, so there must not be a very high speed permissible along here. Thanks for these excellent shots NSCALEMIKE good job! Now how do we get our scenery to look that good? I know, model in full scale, right? [ 23. May 2004, 10:03: Message edited by: watash ]
Great shots. I like B&W shot with Tri-X. It has a super tonal range for this type of work. That makes seeing details easier.
Speaking of D&RGW, you might also enjoy this thread of the D&SNG as there are several photos of D&RGW Steam being post as pat of this conversation.
Wow! Great shots! I took a trip to the Moffat line this weekend, see here ! Here's a sneak peek: 4 UP units grind up the 2% grade, the horseshoe curve, and thru 4 tunnels simultaneously, hauling an empty coal train west to the coalfields of the Craig branch. This is the South Draw area. Absolutely stunning vistas, and difficult to access...
Nice shot Hemi...how was the weather there? When I visited in there I was freezing...especially since I was camping over nite!
It was nice (50's-60's) at first, Mike, but the clouds played games with us all day, and it hailed on us on the way out of the canyon..... I love that area,a nd I can't wait to go back!!!!!!!
DRGW units meet BNSF units at Rocky siding: UP coal loads descending the 2% grade, about to pop into Tunnel 1: The westbound California Zephyr about to disappear into dead-straight 1730' long Tunnel 17, leaving the South Draw:
Nice shot! But, aren't both of those trains headed in the same direction? It looks like the BNSF is headed westbound, not too far away from where those hopper cars are parked for a windbreak. Dang, I miss the Rockies......sigh.....
I really like that shot as wel. Thanks, Mike! Bob, I don't think I follow you.. The BNSF freight is a WB train, and it is just entering Rocky siding in the above shot. The DRGW local is on the Rocky Flats branch track, geographically north and elevated from the BNSF train; awaiting the line to clear before returning to North Yard.
