HOn3 Rio Grande Southern First District 1938-1945

[Dave V]

Whoa...  I hadn't updated this thread in a while! All my updates have gone directly to Weekend Update.

So...

Was having the carpets cleaned today so took a work break to run some narrow gauge. Here RGS 40 moves some oil from Farmington, NM northbound, first at Lizard Head Pass and then at Deep Creek Tank.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ya ever think about the economics of all that?

Like... how much crude oil is that being transported?
30,000 gallons? at $1.20/gal?

How much do you think they made running that train?

[Dave V]

Ya ever think about the economics of all that?

Like... how much crude oil is that being transported?
30,000 gallons? at $1.20/gal?

How much do you think they made running that train?

My understanding is that when the RGS moved the CONOCO cars, they were moving finished gasoline. They also moved UTLX and Texaco (Penn-Conley Tank Corporation) cars, and I think those were other grades of oil, although Texaco might also have moved finished gasoline. There was both drilling and refining near Farmington.

Here's a prototype movement (behind 40) at Lizard Head in 1940:

https://ngtrainpics.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/RD137-RGS-Lizard-Head-Pass/G0000VXLcIYMJIT8/I0000FNv8EFTynJ8/C0000Vd2qoA2MbNU

In a lot of these trains I see a single boxcar between the engine and cars (an idler? So the engine doesn't ignite the car?) and then again in others, I don't. I like the look of the boxcar in the train.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Oh wow, I didn't know they were refining it too.

This was stuff pumped out in the area and refined, right? Not just stuff being delivered to retailers or whatever?

[Dave V]

Oh wow, I didn't know they were refining it too.

This was stuff pumped out in the area and refined, right? Not just stuff being delivered to retailers or whatever?

As far as I can tell. Along the RGS there were Conoco and Texaco distributors at places like Dolores, Rico, and Placerville where they presumably sold gasoline to local retailers and—I’m conjecturing here—heating oil to businesses and homes. This stuff was refined right where it was drilled in northwestern New Mexico.

[LIRR]

narrow gauge is not my thing but this is nice work.......................

[Dave V]

As part of my effort to dramatically increase the size and quality of my backdrops, this new section--the Ophir Needles--arrived this week from LARC Products. The top of the Needles rise nearly 30" above the railhead at Ophir. Backdrop segments on either side will also eventually be enlarged, but I'm doing this piecemeal to keep the costs in the noise and because it's quite tricky to install a self-adhesive backdrop behind finished scenery.

[Hawghead]

Very impressive.

Scott

[dcarrell8]

Nice!

[Dave V]

I’ve made some more changes at Ophir. Gone is the old 18”/16” radius turnout, in favor of a 24”/19” turnout. That required quite a bit of reconfiguration of all the track work at Ophir.  I also removed some trees that didn’t correlate well with photographs, and then added some more details and a talus slope. I also have a Banta kit coming to replace the old Classic Miniatures depot.

[Dave V]

November 2023 update on the HOn3 Rio Grande Southern First District:

[Dave V]

I'm still working on the HOn3 Rio Grande Southern, trying to kick everything up a few more notches on accuracy. Here's a pair of before/after shots of some McCarville Studios kits in Placerville! First, my last plastic stand-in--a Walthers lumber yard office kit--is replaced with an accurate model of the actual Placerville post office. Then, I added one of his Placerville house kits to the exact spot it still exists today. Before is on top, after is on bottom.

[Chris333]

Saw some of your layout(s) here:

[Dave V]

Saw some of your layout(s) here:

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Yup, saw that. The gentleman who recorded that is doing his own portable, sectional HOn3 layout inspired by Malcolm Furlow's San Juan Central. I had a good chat with him about what did and din't work in the original SJC design.