OperatingSessions.com | Rio Grande Southern

Layout Description

An alternate-history version of the famous Rio Grande Southern, HO in std-gauge, including operational work at Ridgway, Vance Jct, Telluride, Ophir, Rico, Dolores, Mancos, Hesperus, and Durango. There are staging tracks at Ridgway, Durango, and Dolores (the McPhee branch is modeled in staging).

Operating sessions are generally every month or two; schedules & registrations are typically handled via the Amrail group (which is free to join). See https://groups.io/g/amrail

The layout depicts the railroad from Ridgway to Durango, with yards at both locations. Operating positions include the two yards, Rico, and road crews. There is a pusher near Vance Junction to assist trains up the Telluride branch, or to Lizard Head summit.

Runs between the towns are long, through nicely-modeled mountain scenery. Trains are all powered by steam and are typically no more than 10 cars, mixed passenger and freight.

There are two branches - one to Telluride (served by a wye) and another out of Rico (Enterprise branch, served by switchbacks). Both have intentionally steep 4% grades.

Except for the std-gauging and resulting modifications to equipment, the railroad is modeled as close to the prototype as practicable.

Basic scenery is 95% complete, but structures are maybe 15%.

Operating scheme use pre-scripted train orders, with trains running sequentially. There is no dispatcher, typically, although desk space and communications are provided should one be added.

Covid - guests in our home must be fully vaccinated and boosted, for the safety of our family. Masks are currently optional.

Scheduling - most sessions are scheduled through Amrail (see the group details on groups.io, membership is free). Sometimes additional sessions are scheduled upon request or interest.

Trackplan - see http://www.rgsrr.com/rgs/layout-index.html

Photo summary, notes of one of my op sessions - http://rgsrr.blogspot.com/2019/06/operating-session-jun-2019-photos-and.html

Blog - http://rgsrr.blogspot.com/

www.rgsrr.com

www.facebook.com/stevesrgs

youtu.be/0P6hM4DhxCI

RGS yard schedules, operator positions.pdf

RGS graphic schedule v3.pdf

RGS sample train instructions.pdf

RGS trackplan.pdf

RGS trackplan, hidden track diagram.pdf

Layout Details

Layout Owner

Steven Haworth

Location

Des Plaines, IL

Scale

Layout Size

37 ft x 29 ft

Mainline Size

326 ft

Era

Late 1950s

Crew Complement

5 - 9

Completion

Track: 100%
Scenery: 85%
Electrical: 100%

Control System

Digitrax - Duplex only

Communications System

Wayside phones

Dispatching Method

Sequential

Car Forwarding

Car Cards/Waybills

Health and Safety

Pets

Yes - One rabbit (does not usually participate in sessions)

Mancos Coal Co - with a spur coming off the mainline near Durango

Another night shot - this is the J.J. Harris warehouse in Dolores.

Night shot on the Ophir high line

Vance Jct at night

Ridgway yard (northern terminal) - an overview. Trains depart to the left (thru a wall).

Durango yard (southern terminal) - an overview. As on the prototype, trains back into this yard (from the bottom of the photo). You are looking further south, toward Durango staging. Rico is across the aisle.

Train 'order' card, which gives authority to run, and instructions.

Busy, full Rico yard. 2 tracks toward aisle are being used to build outbound loads, one north to Ridgway, the other south to Durango.

Ophir - parts of the low- and high-line leading to Ophir (off to the left). Vance Jct is behind the operator, and the branch into Telluride is on the right.

Ophir - this is part of the highline; the locomotive is heading onto bridge 46-E.

Car cards - empty demands are used, with the waybill behind it; both go into the car card's pocket.

Ridgway - trains enter and exit thru a slot in the wall near the top of this photo (main is protected by a dwarf signal). There are also the 3 north-end staging tracks, in the wall just left of that signal.

Telluride - another shot of the cut coming into town, this time with a train approaching at night.

Overview map and schematic - including the towns on the real map of the RGS, and the schematic of the layout.

Dispatching is manual, and tracked manually, not unlike a board game. Communication is via phones to each of the major towns.

An early evening moment at Dolores

Durango yard

Mike's running the yard at Ridgway

Telluride is nearly always a pleasant challenge when multiple trains are in town.

The wye at Vance Jct. The line toward the bottom of the photo is the beginning of the 4% climb into Telluride.

Rico - town overview. The Enterprise switchbacks depart at the bottom right of the photo; Rico runs mainly to service the mines on that branch.

Telluride - the branch into town is a twisting line, going thru a deep cut than a curved bridge, all on a 4% grade. There's a helper at Telluride to get the longer trains into town.

Waiting in the hole (passing siding) at Dolores

The depot at Ridgway

Vance Jct, looking north toward Ridway

Garrett running near the Enterprise branch

Telluride is a penisula on this layout; that's the line climbing north out of Rico on the right.