DRGWGJCO
What time period do you plan to model. Mention of BNSF implies post 1996 which is also about when UP absorbed the combined DRGW and SP/SSW.
Personally I like the DRGW when it was unsullied by all the mergers and patch jobs and proper cabooses we're still in use so I backdated 10 years from the late 1980 thru early 1990s to about 1977-1983.
As it happens I've chosen to model Grande Junction CO and west into Utah, but due to space limitations and lack of detailed knowledge of specifics of the area, it will hopefully at least capture the flavor of the area and traffic at that period.
Anyway, I would say Rio Grande model production is waining, not in the least. The continue to be produced. As Rob noted Arrowhead is offering highly accurate 3-bay coal cars built in the 1960s - I've bought 16 of the numbers so far and when I recover from the up coming ScaleTrains tunnel motors plan to fill in the remaining of the numbers I don't have yet.
I see Genesis Berwick 60' box cars are still available from the last run. I expect ExactRails will run more of their accurate Bethlehem 3483 cu ft quad hoppers in the future. Keep your eye out for them. Check eBay for past offerings that can be found. The list I linked earlier can help you discern which models are close or correct if that matters to avoid the fantasy models, of which there are a lot!
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761 DRGWGJCO What time period do you plan to model. Mention of BNSF implies post 1996 which is also about when UP absorbed the combined DRGW and SP/SSW. Personally I like the DRGW when it was unsullied by all the mergers and patch jobs and proper cabooses we're still in use so I backdated 10 years from the late 1980 thru early 1990s to about 1977-1983. As it happens I've chosen to model Grande Junction CO and west into Utah, but due to space limitations and lack of detailed knowledge of specifics of the area, it will hopefully at least capture the flavor of the area and traffic at that period. Anyway, I would say Rio Grande model production is waining, not in the least. The continue to be produced. As Rob noted Arrowhead is offering highly accurate 3-bay coal cars built in the 1960s - I've bought 16 of the numbers so far and when I recover from the up coming ScaleTrains tunnel motors plan to fill in the remaining of the numbers I don't have yet. I see Genesis Berwick 60' box cars are still available from the last run. I expect ExactRails will run more of their accurate Bethlehem 3483 cu ft quad hoppers in the future. Keep your eye out for them. Check eBay for past offerings that can be found. The list I linked earlier can help you discern which models are close or correct if that matters to avoid the fantasy models, of which there are a lot!
I was thinking 60's and 70's my childhood times.
When I mentioned BNSF it was just talking off the top of my head.
DRGWGJCOI was thinking 60's and 70's my childhood times. When I mentioned BNSF it was just talking off the top of my head.
There are some excellent books covering those the 1960's and 1970's from Morning Sun Books and also Rio Grande Diesels by Joesph Strapac, Vol 1 and 2. Here is a quick summary:
You can glean a lot of information from those books
If you model the 1970's you can include GP40-2's (coming next year from Athearn Genesis and produced in the past by same as well as Atlas. SD40T-2's as well, which began appearing in 1974 and purchased in five production runs through 1980. Past runs can be found on Ebay and HOSwap and the present run, still available at some vendors represents a 1978 EMD production.
F7's were used through 1972 and after that the F9 trio hauled the Rio Grande Zephyr until 1983, then ballast freight duty until retirement in 1984. Genesis ran them about 16 years ago so they would be a treasure hunt unless Athearn runs them again; they do show up now and then on the bay.
BLI CZ cars work well enough for the RGZ passenger cars although they have non-removable name boards which spell out out California Zephyr - the primary difference.
The ex Prospector combine used has traditionally been a brass car or a kit bash based on brass car sides:
Thanks for those links I will dive into them. I had been looking at the BLI CZ cars they do remind me of the ones I rode on with my Grand Parents from Salt lake to Grand Junction. Also from my previous layout build I do have a D&RGW Powered A and Dummy B unit from Athearn. Looking to get the parts to convert the B unit to a powered unit.
There is one thing no one made reference to,in all of the excellent information provided. Along with chasing all of the manufacturers' offerings, learn to DECAL! With the ability to apply decals, you can replicate engine and car numbers that have meaning to you. If a manufacturer only offers two or three numbers on a piece of equipment, and your wish is to have six of that item, you can easily do so by changing the numbers.
There are Rio Grande decals available to address almost all D&RGW equipment so, even if the item you want is not available in D&RGW paint, nothing should stop you from doing it yourself, especially when the color is freight car red or, black. There have been how-tos on decaling in the model press for years. Build your skill on something you can practice on without fear of ruination. Not being held prisoner to the same numbers as every one else is liberating! Try it!
The Broadway CZ cars are about as close as you can get to RGZ passenger cars without going brass. I am not sure if the RGZ cars were even done in brass but I can't remember.
True NHTX. I'm working with a guy from the io Rio Grande Groups list to get some engine number decals which are a closer match to the orange on Athearn and Atlas engines. Some of the past Microscale decal D&RGW shades of orange were very dark shade and don't match very well.