I've been away from the hobby for a few years, and moving from a home to an apartment has me considering moving from HO standard gauge to HOn3 for a new layout, to take advantage of tighter radii in my modest available space.
There have been many prototypes out there to model, but my interest is in Colorado narrow gauge, depression era. Blackstone seems to be the leader in RTR locos and rolling stock, but I'm a little confused on the two major RRs they offer - Denver & Rio Grande Western, and Rio Grande Southern. Were they distinct and seperate entities? Did both roads ever share routes and / or equipment?
If someone could point me to some good reading on each or both, on the web or in print, I would be very appreciative!
Thanks,
Ed
Hi Ed,
to narrowgauge fever!
The D&RGW was by far the larger and more successful line. It had extensive narrowgauge operations, but a far larger network of standard gauge lines. There are two sections of the NG left, between Durango and Silverton and Chama, NM and Antonito, CO, that operate on a regular basis, ridden by thousands every year.
The RGS was built by Otto Mears to link between two ends of the D&RGW lines at Durango and Ridgway, circling out to the west of the San Juans that held the D&RGW line to Silverton. The RGS was underfunded and rickety in most of its existence, barely surviving WWII (when it helped haul part of the uranium that made history in 1945) and died in the early 1950s. It's all gone except a few pieces of equipment.
The D&RGW did control and operate the RGS during much of its existence, largely due to the dire financial straits of the latter road. The RGS used equipment much like the other road's, buying some of it used, so very much a family resemeblance. The RGS was also chronically short of rolling stock, so used the D&RGW's to a large degree, other roads to interchange with being lacking, of course.
There is a whole expensive series of books on the RGS, "The Rio Grande Southern Story" in numbered volumes covering the entire line in pics, drawings, text, and maps. "Silver San Juan" by Mallory Hope Ferrell is a good single volume treatment. But there are many more!
The Colorado Rail Annual's published by the Colorado Railroad Museum have extensive coverage of both RRs.
The Rio Grande's (D&RGW) literature is even more expansive. "Narrow Gauge Pictorial" a series from a member of the well-respected Grandt family of model makers, covers both lines with representative pics of rolling stock, but concentrates on the Rio Grande. Richard L. Dorman published mutiple collections of pics from both lines. A classic single volume is "Narrowgauge in the Rockies" by Beebe & Clegg. While they are known to have been fast and loose with some facts, it does get the blood going to explore further.
I'm sure others can add to this and will try to come up with some web links later.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Hi Mike, I've seen your posts here and was hoping you would reply! Great info, and I'll do some searching for some of these books. Looks like I can pick up the "Silver San Juan" for a decent price (used). Yeah, I've got the narrow fever!
Glad to be of any assistance I can be. My Rio Grande library is extensive, although a bit thin on the RGS side of things. PM me if you want, too.
One regular publication that is very useful is one you may already know, the Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette. They have been offering the whole run (up until maybe 2015?) on disc for something like $200. Very much worth it. Even old ads are valuable, because you may come across stuff that was made and discontinued long ago. They've also covered most major aspects of both RRs
A good place for links to various RGS sites is http://www.ridgwayrailroadmuseum.org/links.html where a Goose also resides except when it's traveling.
Here's a very useful link to the Denver Public Library's Western History Collection, which is rich with RR subjects: http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/railroad/
An excellent guide to various operations on the prototype: http://www.drgw.net/info/NarrowGauge
John West has a truly great collection of NG pics here: http://narrowgaugememories.com/index.php/Rio-Grande-in-the-60s
Mark L. Evans has another awesome resource, especially with the really old prototype stuff around Silverton, here: http://www.narrowgauge.org/
That's a good start on things.