DRGW "Prospector"

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know where i could get some photos of the Rio Grande "Prospector". I am looking for the Black PA Scheme/ the Black Cars.

[M636C]

DRGW1,

Welcome to the Forums! I hope you've come to the right place!

An excellent article by Arthur D Dubin, "Thru the Rockies, Not Around Them" appeared in Trains Magazine (I think in the mid 1960s) and was reprinted in Dubin's 1974 book "More Classic Trains". This book, originally published by Kalmbach, was reprinted by Interurban Press in 1990.

This DRGW section starts at page 264, and the "Prospector" is covered from page 290, starting with the original two car railcar (sort of pre-RDC).On page 290 is a photo, possibly taken in 1945, of a two unit A/B FT (!) (with steam from the steam generator wisping from the rear of the B unit) on a five car train, but in the Pullman Green scheme. Two cars are the "modernised" cars with large windows and arch roofs. On page 294 is a photo of Pullman "Lake Ernest" a 10-2-1 car "repainted yellow and black for the second Prospector in 1945". On page 298 is a 1948 photo of black and yellow PA/PB units on the "Exposition Flyer", just before the Calfornia Zephyr was introduced.The photos are, of course in black and white.

You may find the original "Trains" magazine in the online index, or there may be a copy of the book in a library, or acvailable from Amazon or similar.

I hope this helps

Peter

[Anonymous]

Thanks Peter,
I got the book "A CENTURY OF PASSENGER TRAINS" By Jackson C. Thode. it is all Rio Grande. There is a pic of the Black "Prospector" in it but it is a distant pic, can't seem to find a close-up of it. There is a close-up of the "exsposition" PA/PA's to get the paint scheme for the locos. I am going to Denver next weekend for a train show so will try to get to the Forny Museum there. I am wanting to do a model of the "Prospector in "N" Scale. Thanks Again.

[M636C]

DRGW1,

If you can get to see a copy of the Dubin book, the, black Pullman photo on P294 is a full broadside showing the lettering clearly.

Peter

[Anonymous]

There will be an article soon in The Prospector and these cars will be included. But.... you have to be careful as to what you plan on using the information for. For instance, on car in the Thode book is pictured in the scheme, but only had it for a period of two weeks. None of the cars are easy to model, even with the addition of the Branchline cars, the easiest would be the Lake series Pullman, but, unfortunately, one of those cars is the car painted for two weeks. Others have not been found in photos. Penalosa and Pizarro are not going to be easy to recreate, and forget about the Elm cars.
A short bibliography:
Michael B. Davis. Michael B. Prospector, The Judges Train Colorado Rail Annual Issue Number Nine – 1971. Golden, Colorado: Colorado Railroad Museum, 1971
1. Page 68-69 2nd Prospector with Penalosa and Elm Grove in black & Grande Gold *
2. Page 86 Lake Traverse in black 4 stripe Aspen Gold and Aluminum Leaf
Thode, Jackson C. A Century of Passenger Trains…and Then Some. Denver, Colorado: Rocky Mountain Railroad Club, 2001
1. Page 84: 2nd Prospector with Penalosa & Elm Grove in black & Grande Gold *
2. Page 131 Hobart College in black 4 stripe Aspen Gold & Aluminum Leaf
3. Page 131 Lake Ernest in black and Grande Gold ***
Wagner, Hol. Exposition Flyer, Burlington Bulletin No 42, LaGrange, Illinois: Burlington Route Historical Society, 2004
1. Page 242 Penalosa in black and Grande Gold**
Note that the photo in Thode, Davis & Grenard is the same Roach photo that was also a Vanishing Vista card & poster. Durbin also has a photo in More Classic Trains.