Radon Gulch div. DRGW

[drbnc]

Oki-doki... New HOn3 layout here, taking a break from N scale for a bit.  Plus, I just retired way too early 3 weeks ago and have been wanting to do this for a while.  Radon Gulch division of the D&RGW, set in the 1920's-present day, whatever present day is.  Doesn't really follow a prototype, other than having some Blackstone locomotives (K-27's and C-19's) and rolling stock.  Awesome stuff, by the way, for us "out of the box" modelers. 

Anyway, attached is a track plan (switching layout) that takes radium ore from the Forster-Garner radium mines in New Mexico (western part of NM near Gallup/Grants) and generating Torbena water (tank cars) and Radonite chunks for further use downstream.  Anything for a buck, eh?   

Squares are 12", so 9+' x 8'.  Peco code 70; the track gang "just said no" to crossings and hand-laid track.  And Thunder Mesa Studios has been a BIG influence on this.  Love the whimsey!

I have my Monkey Butt powder out, so blaze away!  Thoughts?

One source:  https://www.orau.org/ptp/collection/quackcures/torbena.htm

[Mike C]

  Much agreement on the Blackstone comment !! I'm waiting on a shipment of curveable homasote  for the 4x8ish Rio Grande .  Can't wait for the k28 and 36 is !

[Peter S]

The Turntable looks great, have you got a turntable in mind? Often the dimensions of these things are greater when you have to build the box to support them?

[drbnc]

No specific turntable yet.  That's just a placeholder for planning.  I'll probably scratchbuild something once I get that far on the overall build.

[Rio Grandeous]

I know what you mean about how cool the Blackstone locos are.  Man I wish there were someone who'd take a dive at some Nn3 lokies similar to the Blackstones but in a smaller scale!!  I have one of the Nn3 Aspenmodels but can't see getting a second mortgage for another though! 
Did you end up getting any more locos?

 Chuck

[Hawghead]

It's amazing what people and even doctors thought was good for you.  Great idea for a switching layout, anymore progress.

Scott

[drbnc]

No, life and work is in the way!  Still planning, still thinking.  Maybe some more progress "soon."

[Hawghead]

No, life and work is in the way!  Still planning, still thinking.  Maybe some more progress "soon."

Life is overrated.  I had a life once but couldn't afford the payments.  So "soon" would be the trademark "two weeks".

Scott

[drbnc]

Or mañana!   

[Dave V]

Unfortunately the Blackstone engines are getting a little harder to find...and getting one for under $400 is becoming a rare event.

That said, they're still out there and still amazing.  Blackstone is what brought me back to HOn3 after a 20+ year hiatus...  Back around 1992 I built an inside-frame HOn3 MDC locomotive that I detailed to look like RGS C-19 #41 (ignoring the fact that the drive rod connected to the number 3 axle like a C-17) and while I worked and worked to tune the thing I was never able to defeat a slight wobble.  It still had its original open frame motor and it was--of course--DC only.

I periodically have an itch to bid on one of the outside-framed MDC 2-8-0 kits because with a minimum of after-market details (like a cross-compound air pump) they make into a very reasonable D&RGW #375 (the one-of-a-kind ex-Crystal River C-25 that served as a Durango switcher and occasional Silverton Branch road engine).  But then I think what it would take to make one look and run and sound as awesome as a Blackstone and I leave it be.

Get your Blackstones now while you can...!  I've become a bit of a hoarder myself.  5 C-19s (RGS 40, RGS 41, D&RGW 345, an undec repainted as RGS 17, and the diamond stack lettered as Silverton 100) and 3 K-27s (post-wreck RGS 455, D&RGW 461, and D&RGW 462).

Honestly I prefer the C-19s.  They don't do as well on the grades on my club's layout but on my flat, level pseudo-RGS they will pull anything I ask of them.  They also track slightly better than the K-27s IMHO...

[drbnc]

I think I have 5 - 3 K27s and 2 C19s.  They are great little machines, though they don't make the railroad much money sitting in their boxes.     I really want them to pop-out the K28s, hopefully I live long enough to see them.  Growing up along the Chili line, I really want #473 to go along with my coach set.

Love your RGS, Dave!  Some crazy good skills on display there.

[Hawghead]

Hopefully Blackstone will do another run of the K-27s and the C-19s.  It would at least get some money coming in while they slog away at the K-37s and K-28s.  I did an MDC outside frame 2-8-0 years back.  I used a can motor and gear box from NWSL and was able to get it to run smooth as silk on DC.  Never finished it though, still in a box with the rest of my MDC engines.  I'm sure I'll get back to it as my layout develops.

Scott

[Mike C]

 Keep an eye on https://groups.io/g/HOn3YardSale There are some real reasonable deals occasionally .....Mike

 There was a Blackstone K27 that went for 340.00 a couple weeks ago !

[Hawghead]

Just picked up a Blackstone K-27 from a guy there.  $380.00 with shipping, a great deal I thought.

Scott