Narrow Gauge in the Rockies not quite

[popeye]

The weather is having a bad effect on all the wood and needs a lot of maintenance.

Would some kind of plastic/PVC used on houses be better than wood?

[Mayner]

7 hours ago, popeye said:

The weather is having a bad effect on all the wood and needs a lot of maintenance.

Would some kind of plastic/PVC used on houses be better than wood?

Treated timber was the best available option when I started work on the layout in 2007, plastic/PVC is not widely used as a building material in New Zealand though becoming fashionable for front garden fences/gates on more expensive houses!

The timber is graded for outdoor use mainly fencing, retaining walls and decks, I had a lot of the timber in stock from my days as a jobbing builder and has stood up fairly well to 17 years exposure to the Waikato weather, I had to replace half the plastic sleepers on the line after about 10 years use!  

Dealing with the effects of the weather makes Garden Railways more interesting to maintain and operate than an indoor layout, more in common with full size railway track and structure maintenance.

[popeye]

You might need a Permanent Way teem to keep on top of it.

[Mayner]

3 hours ago, popeye said:

You might need a Permanent Way teem to keep on top of it.

Bit like the real RGS keep maintenance to the absolute minimum to run the odd train.

Haven't had much time or interest in running/maintaining the garden railway during the last couple of years. Last spring-summer's La-Niña weather systems with the tail end of tropical cyclones has not helped, though we are due dry El-Niño systems this spring-summer hopefully without the bushfires/flashfloods Australia is already experiencing. Currently everything is too saturated to burn and the raised track base has worked well when the garden floods after heavy rain, at least we haven't got crocs, snakes and poisonous spiders, though we did see a copperhead while on holiday in the States

Track gang is getting a bit scarce we had a very active garden railway group with monthly running sessions on each others railways when we started out, but became defunct in recent years younger members haven't the time to play with trains, others moving on or passing away

[popeye]

I think you will have to move back to sunny Ireland 

[Mayner]

Finally made some time to repair the decayed section of track base on the High Line and run the first train on the Jackson County in six months!

.

I used a piece of treated 6X2  that was stored outside for the past 17 years for the repair, original splice piece had rotted right through. I basically clamped the replacement piece to the track base with a large G clamp and nailed new piece in place with 4' Paslode nails with a 20oz hammer, the charger for the Paslode gun dies since it was last used about 4 years ago.

Interesting little sign of similar decay in the track bases or supports on the High-Line section of the railroad.

Full size trestles and bridges have been know to collapse suddenly as a result of the lack of maintenance, so the Jackson County is in similar company 

 

463 eases her way across with a train of laden stock cars and empty box cars for ore loading, typical of RGS operation in its final years.

The train has made it to Utah Junction without further incident, the moss that covered much of this area during the past six months is now starting to die off and due a genera tidy up, and take the coal/ore tipple and Depot building out of storage.

The tunnel was originally inspired by the Welsh Highland Railway in the Aberglasslyn pass, trains sometimes stall on the the grade and curved section of track between Utah Junction, but 463 just made it round. The trackbase on the curve is supported on slabs of concrete disturbed by the roots of the large tree in the backgound, the tunnel has also sunk relative to the trackbases over the past 16-17 years 12' to 1' civl engineering challenges on a 1:20.3 scale railway!

Train is running under caution on this section as a result of track defects from damage in last January's Cyclone and clean up, a tree (full size) fell on the track base in this area.  There is a kink in the left hand rail in front of the loco which as narrowed the gauge, but loco stayed on at very slow speed.

 

More storm damage, loco made it across without de-railing , but lost traction because of the dip. This problem was corrected by lifting and packing the track on the low spot with a timber packer and restoring 'level top" by carefully removing the dip with my trusty 20oz clawhammer.

Train eventually reached Jackson City without further incident apart from slipping on the grade through the yard, 1:20.3 scale equivalent of poor traction as a result of the lack of use (grass, rust,lack of sand.)

Decided to return home around the other side of the circle and splitting the train due to the poor state of the track in the tunnel area.

 

Forts moved the stock cars and a gondola to Arboles, firewood recovered from the tunnel area. The track in this area becomes engulfed in moss during the winter months which has now died off.

 

463 collects the boxcars from Jackson City having first having gone through the ritual of taking the stock cars to Arboles and returning with the caboose before running round and coupling to her train/

463 now adds the stock cars and gondolas to her train, stock cars usually appear coupled next to the loco in mixed freights during the final years of RGS operation.

463 and the stock cars have uncoupled from the gondola and box cars and reverses her train on the tail track of the wye at Utah Junction, the wye is probably one to the most useful features of the railway.

463 and the stock cars have now turned on the wye and are running forward to collect the caboose before departing up the High Line

1:20.3 scale de-railments are more realistic!  463 managed to split the points while departing up the high line with her train and had gone a bit far to 'steam her" back on to the rails needing a helping had to get her back on the rails! This sort of thing usually happens just before tea time or when I am in a hurry to put my trains away after an operating session.

Cannot identify an immediate cause of the de-railment as the switch rail is fitting snuggly against the stock rail after  I pushed 463 back on, though may not have been fully home beforehand.

463 successfully mad it round the curve onto the High Line without slipping, her normal maximum load is 8 cars and a caboose, but it tends to stuff things up requiring additional switching at the staging. 

 

 

[Mayner]

Home from the land of the ice and snow (US Mid West), first job before running trains was to mow the lawn which in some places had grown nearly a foot during the past four weeks and clear the railway of debris/encroaching vegetation

Although a dry El Nino weather system was forecast this Summer most of January turned out wet and humid with rampant plant growth and everything saturated.

Main yard area covered in debris.

Fallen branches tunnel area

Vegetation taking over main line area was cleared for train running a coupe of days before Christmas.

Ran a couple of trains late afternoon after tidying up garden and clearing railway. Usual drill ran train from staging in shed to main yard, turned locos on Wye and re-marshalled trains for return run before tea time.

346 leading short freight after trimming back jungle. I need to remove creeping plants/weeds that have began to tae over this area.

463 with 8 cars (6 stock, 2 Box) + Caboose on main line. Although within 463s normal capability turned out a challenge to haul this train up the 4% grade with wheels slipping on greasy rails from yesterdays heavy rain.  Although the loco made it round the tricky curved section at the bottom of the grade slipped on the more easily graded straight section half way up that was in the shade through out the day, despite several re-starts and opening and closing the regulator ended up assisting with the 0-5-0.  You can usually control wheelslip by "twiddling" the throttle speed control knob in a similar manner to closing and opening the regulator on a steam loco to prevent wheel slip.

Usually I would have sent a second loco to assist or "doubled the hill" after 463 stalled, but the mosquitos were out and I had the bins to put out for tomorrows collection, running the trains was a nice break from the days chores.

 

Interestingly 348 and its train made it up the grade without slipping but considerable wheel slip!

I had reduced 348s train to 4 cars and a caboose to avoid the train stalling. 

 

 

[Mayner]

One of the attractions of large scale modelling is coping with the elements.  I lifted out a removable bridging section for some work in the garden on Monday and the rails had expanded with heat and would not fit (after 16 years) when I replaced the bridge.

 

Ended up cutting the rails with a fine toothed piercing saw, which cut through the brass rail like a knife through butter.

 

The blue plastic is pond-line I got cheaply as a waterproof membrane to protect the treated ply baseboard top in this area. Bridge is treated 6X2 pine.

Ran 463 yesterday evening on a load test to check if there was any improvement in the hot dry weather since Sunday afternoon.

463 Stalled at the crest of the grade at Jackson City split and re-combined train to reach its destination

Easy downhill part of the run!

 

Took the train up the High Line in two sections. 463 is running at full speed in all videos!

 

 

 

 

[Mayner]

Finally managed to run a train on the garden railway today after carrying out track/trackbase repairs on different sections of the railway. 

Tradiionally I have a running session on Christmas Day, but today Christmas Eve looked a better option with rainforecast tomorrow so a brief chance to play trains before we head to the land of the ice and snow for a family re-union on Friday.

Before running anything 1st job was to secure the pilot (cowcatcher) on DRGW K27 # 463, the pilot had worked loose catching on points just like 5T while working on the C&L in the 50s. The bolts that secure the cowcatcher to the sheet metal pilot beam had worked loose being tapped into the beam, I took the simple option of using the existing bolts as captive bolts loctited to the beam and securing the pilot with some nuts I had in stock.

Although the loco was in good overall condition wheh received (2nd hand) from the States, the pilot beam had taken a knock either in service or transit to New Zealand several years ago and only carried out the minimum repairs necessary to use the loco., hence some distortion and damage to the beam.

Bolts are a mixture of those originally used to both the pilot to the beam and from my stock of Accucraft spares.

Nuts now securing he pilot to the locco. Alll the visible bolts/boltheads are functional!

 

1st freight to run since April! this area had a tidy up with weedkiller, hedge clippers and blower to remove debris. This is one of the origional sections of the railroad, trackbase (open topped baseboard) installed early 2008, ties/sleepers replaced and No4 switches replaced with No6 2018. original rail still in use!

1st train over the re-built section of line mixture of Stock and freight cars 463 slipped on the crest of the grade visible in the background despite dry conditions.

Motor #6 is a Bellyn Locomotive Works Korean Brass comission produced about 20 years ago, a US E-bay purchase.

Motor# 6 was a conversion of the original RGS Motor #1 which was in turn a conversion of a Buick "Touring Car", several photos og RGS Motors with bonnet sides open to aid engine cooling!

Tie load custom machined cedar used as ties in early days of railroad.

463 returning with freight, RC transmitter controller for helper loco in foreground.

#348 sent out to assist, caboose correctly coupled behind loco as wooden underframed caboose not up to use in pusher service.

Train proved too much for 463 & 348on "High Line" will have to reduce loading or "double the hill", second K27 464 currently out of service awaiting parts.

[Georgeconna]

Looks Great! nice and warm...ish!!

have a lovely Christmas down there!

[Mayner]

An inpromptu running session today while repairing a leak in the roof of one of our garden sheds after a month or so of almost continual heavy rain! Although still mid Winter the days are getting longer and still (just about) light at 5:30 this evening.

DRGW K27 and train of Stock Cars at main yard, just about cleared the lawn and deck in this area of fallen leaves and weedsprayed the ballast/ground cover on Sunday! Had handweeded this area about a week earlier plaants grow quickly in the Waikato combo of high rainfall and humidity.

Waiting for the weedkiller to take effect, weeds grow quickly in this area usually in shade for most of the year! 

This is the oldest section of the railway open framed baseboard decking timber of treated 4X2 framing on timber piles installed late 2007. Original UV damaged ties (sleepers) replaced after 7-8 years and 1:4 points on running lines replaced with 1:6 following introduction of larger 1:20.3 scale American 3' gauge locos and stock.

 

Train on the main circuit with the High Line to the shed in the background. Some of the challenges of garden railways, High Line 1st section of track laid in 2007 permanently in shade, laid in AMS flexible track original ties still in reasonable condition, while ties where train is running failed 2014-5. High-Line trackbase to keep cost down was supported by garden fence, replacement posts installed to support the fence where the original posts (20-25 year life) have rotted away.

This area was landscaped with some 'dwarf" conifers about 15 years ago, with a dwarf hedge to disguise the track base. One of the 'dwarf' species turned out to be a Totara a native tree that can grow to a height of over 100' and has begun to take over its area, some of the dwarf hedging died off a couple of years ago, and a conifer planted at the same time recently died, though the remaining conifer planted close to the native appears ok at least for now. I'll probabably keep the Totara for now remove some of the lower foliage to reduce shading and look at planting shade tolerant hedging/ground cover. Ironically although I usually plant "box" (boxwood)  hedging, I planted this area with a different species due to a problem with 'box blight" which had affected hedging in a different area of the garden.

[skinner75]

Time to give that 'dwarf' an axing!

[Mayner]

Running trains two days running after gap of almost 6 months!

Decided to ran a freight from the staging to the principal "Town" or terminal on the road while catching up with some maintenance work about the place. Caboose is parked out of the way on road used for making up departing freights, while 7 cars positioned in the yard for unloading/loading. Used loco K27 #464 a Bachmann Specturm K27 (standby loco) on this train as the regular loco K27 #463 an Accuracraft batteries were on charge. #464 pretty run down with metal and plastic fatigue. Disgraced herself with the drawbar between loco and tender failing while en-route has gone to the table to turn!

RGS Motor #4 on the Passenger & Mail, I fished the Depot & Watertower out of storage while putting up storage racking in one of our garden sheds (non-railway!)

With #463 charged used to help the crippled #464 return home with the freight, basically #463 doing the lion share of the work hauling the freight and keeping #464 loco tender drawbar compressed. First sign of trouble was on the down was when the fallplate between #464 loco and tender dropped down although loco and tender still coupled. Easier to try and leave the loco on the rails than physically carry (over a stone weight) from the garden to the garage. Possibly a fairly major repair as the drawbar (fixed to the loco) appears to have dropped down and the locating pin on the tender moved forward!

Turntable is simple and reliable and has withstood the test of time (approx 16 years), a piece of decking timber pivoted on a coach screw, alignment with a home made brass bolt, pit is lined withfibreglass.

 

[Mayner]

Saturday late afternoon was cold and sunny after a busy morning and a good opportunity to test how No 268s recently repainted smokebox door would stand up to the heat!

Live steamDRGW C16 No 278 waits top take over Stock Train hauled from garden shed by battery powered No 348. Gas fired 278 scorched her smokebox door and front as a result of a "flare-up" in the smoke box several years ago, recently re-painted with a heat resistant auto aerosol silver and finished with a gloss lacquer, waiting light up for a test run.

Steam raised safety valve blowing off at 60psi.

Hoping to dress this section up as one of the famed RGS trestles atsome stage during the next couple of years, earlier this section had become quite overgrown, fallen leaves to be covered with mulch as annual weed control! Storage tracks in garage in background connect to the main circuit by the High Line on a 4% (1:25) grade.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10231966944890768&set=gm.1143872954049475&idorvanity=297689325334513

The railroad descends at 2% from the last photo highest part of the oval over a distance of 40' to the lowest point before climbing to the summit at a similar grade. Driving technique is to run down-grade with the steam almost shut off before opening up at full throttle to gain sufficient momentum to climb the curving 2% grade section towards the tunnel which begins by the timber retaining wall in the distance.

Train has just about cleared the curving section to the tunnel and beginning to accellerate on the straightish section to the main yard. The train is crossing what was once a water feature fed from above the tunnel, but too much hassle to maintain because of leaf fall.

Almost back at the starting point after 3 whole laps of the circuit 278 out of gas and low in water, no sign of scorching of smokebox door/front. I'll probabably give the loco a few more runs before deciding whether to give the smokebox and funnel a fresh coat of silver! Photo nicely shows up kink in rail on left, probably caused from walking over track!

278 had dropped her train at the end of the single line section outside of the year for 348 to collect. Both locos tend to struggle with 4 cars and a caboose on the final section of the circuit into the loop and 278 was too low in gas (boiler pressure) to make it into the loop with its train. Finished run after 5pm and put trains away by 5:30, topped up 278 boiler with water, drained condensate and topped up lubricator reservoir still light but bitter cold.

278 throttle (regulator) and reverser are manually controlled (scorched fingers) though I have parts to convert throttle to RC and the arthritis in my knees is beginning tp play up!!

Edited August 3, 2025 by Mayner

[Mayner]

Decided to run  freight this afternoon although heavy rail forecast The train consist was fairly typical of the as-required freights that ran out of Ridgeway on the Northern end of the Rio Grande Southern druing its final years, a pair of usully leased DRGW K27 Mudhen locos Stockcars for seasonal livestock (mainly sheep) movements, boxcars for ore (usually zinc) loading and the occasional tankcar. I have both volumes of Sunset of the Rio Grande Southern which includes a detailed account of train working in the roads final years with abstracts from Crew Call sheets which include the numbers of the actual locos used, train cosist (freight cars & traffic) and estimated time on the road usually 2-3 days for a return trip over the more heavily trafficed section of the road between Rico and Ridgeway including the Telluride branch.

Anyways to my version of reality!

Train set out from Ridgeway behind DRGW K27 No 463 & 464 cut in as mid train helper with a train made up of Stock Cars, Tank and Box Cars. Mid-train helper usually cut in behind laden Stock Cars marshalled behind loco at head of train. Possibly an early Spring move of stock to higher pasture, its early Spring here camellias beginning to flower, maybe should re-name the Jackson County the Camellia Line.  Both locos use on board battery radio remote control using NiMh batteries with radio receivers power controller & sound system mounted in the tender.

Everything appeared to be normal at this stage, not realising the train had lost a Stock Car since leaving the staging in the garage!

Photo should give a clearer impression of the overall length of the train, the max that would fit in the camera frame at this distance, there are another two boxcars and a caboose out of frame in this photo!

Keeping point loading down on the RGS many bridges & trestles probabably the main reason for the use of mid-train helpers with larger locos like the K27s. But there is also a series of photos from the early 40s of a train double headed with a smaller loco a 4-6-0 No 20 double heading with a K27.

I am hoping at some stage this year to install cosmetic trestle bents to this raised section to resemble the famed RGS Ophir loop 

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10231497641718482&set=gm.1114868626949908&idorvanity=297689325334513

It started raining as I took this photo, so time to back the train up the High Line (along the fence in the background) to the staging in the garage, trains approx 30' long at this stage.

This spot called Arboles after the dwarf conifers we planted 15 or so years ago which are no longer dwarf! Arboles is the usual 'loading/unloading" place for livestock a remote spot not unlike some of the stock yards on the RGS & DRGW. 

I amde the mistake of using re-cycled ballast at Arboles, without thoroughly drying/roasting the ballast to kill off any organic material in the mix. In partial shade the moss takes over during Autumn-Winter months, currently dying off as a result of a combination of residual weedkiller and drying out as a result of slightly brighter/longer days.

 

 

Like the story of an ore-hopper disappearing out of a Ballymena bound train on the Cushendall Line, I only discovered that I had lost a Stock Car on the outward bound trip by accident!

The car was originally coupled to 464 at the rear of the 1st cut of Stock Cars at the front of the train as it left the staging, thankfully a bed of leaf mulch is very soft and no harm done, though will need to check coupler alignment when 464 or other locos cut in as mid train helper are departing the staging, there is a reverse curve on the approach/departure from the garage.

The Ballymena incident re-counted by EM Patterson in the Ballymena Lines was of a laden ore train arriving in Ballymena with one less car than in the Guards Journal when it set out. It appears a milesman found the car the following day upside down in a field at a lower level beside the lineside. Being unfitted and having chopper couplers it was thought that the wagon left the rails (possible track or wagon defect) and overturned as the train was running down grade and the wagons on either side re-coupled.

[Mol_PMB]

That’s an impressive train, and very interesting info too. Thanks!

[Mayner]

Well weather was fine this afternoon with cold weather forecast during the next few days before the beginning of Metrological Spring, so decided to finish installing the trackbase on the "Pacific Extension" or tail track of the wye I removed several years ago.

The Trackbase for plain track on the garden railway is best described as a T Girder in CCA treated timber supported on timber piles, while track in station yard areas are supported on what's best described as open framed or solid topped baseboards framed in 4X2 treated timber. While some repair/replacement of the track base has been required after 16 years, most should be good for another 10 or so years.

The original intention back in 2017-8 was to extend the "Pacific Extension" as a branch line into further into the garden possibly to serve a mine or logging camp, but ended up as a temporary 'tail track" to a Wye for reversing/turningtrains with one end of the T girder supported on wooden packers before making a 'final decision" on the 'extension". In the end I decided to replace the temporary packing with a (timber) pile and reinstate the tail track to its original length. 

I usually use 4X2 treated framing timber used in decking and outdoor structure as the vertical element of the T and  4X4 treated again used for piling in decking & light outdoor structures.

Top of the pile is notched to support the vertical element and pile is supported (clamped) a minimum of 100mm before the bottom of the foundation pad (on firm subsoil).

Bagged quick set concrete (just pour in water) makes life a lot easier than hand mixing!

The end of the existing wye originally installed 2018.

Trackbase reinstated for some unknown reason I had two pieces of 6X2 that fitted without the need to cut, that once had been used for a trackbase with one end cut at a matching angle!

The green is a wood preservative. Green off cut on the right is a Kauri (native hardwood) offcut from an old pergola of which I have some more in stock to replace some short(ish) sections of trackbase that have decayed during the past 17-18 years.

Tailtrack reinstated to its original length. I snookered myself by planting an apple (supposedly plum) tree on the line of the original extension, only suitable place left in our garden for planting a fruit tree!

First train to test the reinstated tailtrack, now long enough for a large loco plus 10 cars.

I changed from using brass to aluminium rail for new work when I originally installed the tail track with some interesting reprecussions cropping up this year.

Serious problems at rail joints as a result of the aluminium rail reacting with brass rail joints and in one case causing rail joiners to fail as they could no longer hold the rails in alignment

This time round I lifted the affected track panels ran the rails through a railbender (rolls) and lubricated the new railjoiners with graphite paste (LGB).

Despite this the re-laid joints on the curve still require attention the K27 2-8-2 loco tends to de-rail its leading driver on the curve when running forward, though no problems when propelling its train around the curve.

 

[Mayner]

Little activity on the garden railway during Sept and Nov mainly as a result of unpredicatble (high winds & heavy rain) weather on most weekends. Although forecast was not great Sunday was dry and I needed to move the Large Scale stock out of the garage/workshop to get some work done. A bit like the prototype I tend to run a series of trains out from one terminus (earlyish) in the morning to return to their starting point by supper time!

All all tracks occupied in the yard at Jackson City, with almost all locos and every piece of freight stock. K27 #464 had earlier worked a mixed freight to Jackson City droping its train of Box & Tank cars & Caboose on the Freight House (goods shed) spur before returning light to pick up a train of flats and gondolas.

Another K27 463 waits on the far side of the water tower with a mixed freight, while a C16 2-8-0 masquerading as C19 349 waits to work a stock train to Arboles a small wayside depot qand stock loading point.

#464 passes the storck train at Arboles (should change to Arboles as one of several dwarf conifers planted no longer appears to be a dwarf species) In its final years the Colorado narrow gauge mainly hung on (ealy-mid 60) by transporting steel pipes used in the construction of pipelines from local oil fields.

To handle this traffic the DRGW used a mixture of converted gondolas (open cars) and Idler Cars (flats) often cut down from old box cars. Someday hopefully (finances comitting) the Jackson County will pick up some "Pipe Gondolas" (Gons with ends removed and handbrake wheels re-located) I am not going to butcher my existing Gondolas into Pipe cars!

With the Pipe and Stock trains out of the way "Works Goose" RGS #6 got out for a run. Interestingly although bodged together from used automobile parts almost 90 years ago the entire RGS Goose fleet of 7 "Motors" survives mainly in operating condition in Museums & Tourist railroads in the West.

Managed to turn #348 between photos and place her train on a spur line ready for departure. One of the drawbacks with knuckle couplers on the loco pilots are derailments with the loco pushing stock through No4 (medium radius (Peco speak) turnouts. So I basically avoid pushing stock through  No4 points used in a number of place on the railroad.

Had planned to use our oldest loco a battery RC conversion of a Bachmann "Connie" 2-8-0 purchased almost 18 years ago to help work our trains home to our garage staging at the end of the day, but like the Drumm battery trains and todays EVs her batteries seem to have reached the end of their life after 4-5 years, charged up ok but only managed one lap of the circuit!

[Mayner]

Very little activity on the Jackson County since the last post, battery charger playing up & the deteriotating state of the roadbed on one section of the line. 

7 Jan roadbed inspection with Motor #6

The railroad originally operated on DCC track power originally as one power district with bonded rail joints (single strand copper wire), at some stage I divided the railroad into two power districts (fed by separate 5amp boosters) and simply cut through the railjoiners with a cutting disc to  form the breaks.

The trackbases were formed of 6"X2" boards on 4"x2" bearers on 4X4" posts (all pressure treated external grade timber) on concrete pads when I started work on the railway approx 18 years ago. Originally in partial shade the trackbase in this area became almost fully shaded in recent years as a sapling planted in this area grew into a mature tree in recent years.

Although the 6"x2" boards had become quite badly rotted the support beams and piles were still in quite good condition. I replaced the boards with rimu (native hardwood) boards I had in stock that just about filled the gap.

Although considered a durable hardwood (boards were salvaged from a pergola likely to have been exposed to the weather for up to 100 years), I decided to protect the upper face with Butynol a waterproof membrane commonly used in this part of the World (roofing felt is seldom used.

The membrane is fixed in place with a contact adhesive.

Job was one of a number I had to complete in the garden today, basically heavy rain (and flooding in some areas) forecast for the remainder of the week, so possibly some time next week before I can resume running trains on the r-built section of the line. 

I am planning to carry out similar repairs/waterproofing to the track supports in the background which should be good to keep the railway going for another 10 years or so when I potentially taking me into my late 70s. (I am holding on to the N gauge if we have to downsize to a retirement village (ugg).

[Mayner]

Managed to re-open the road this afternoon (& mow the lawn)

Motor #6 on test run.

Motor #4 on the Mail run.

In "Mixed Train Daily" Beebe and Clegg (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10203958-mixed-train-daily)described a ride over the RGS in a Motor (Galloping Goose) passengers included a group of Native American taking a ride for a treat (women in their finest and a baby accompanied by a (very large) male) eating pop corn and lolly pops (there and back), the Native Americans bought two pair of wellington boots, and a lunch box with thermos in Telluride, an 'old timer" with one leg off to town where he had a bottle of 'indifferent" whisky and looked at the world with distain and the two enthusiasts, enlisted to lift the old-timer in and out of the Motor.

Edited January 24 by Mayner

[Northroader]

[Mayner]

Had a running session this evening and noticed a phenonomum as unusual as Newgrange's alignment with the Winter Solstice.

Sunlight flowing through the tunnel at dusk on 1st Feb

#464 & 463 completed  a couple of laps of the circuit without incident.

 

[Mayner]

Had an interesting time running the Jackson County while mowing the lawn on tuesday weather was fine and settled (last official week of Summer) after several weeks of bad weather (storms with heavy rain) since mid-January, though thankfully we escaped the worst.

I had 3D printed a replacement number board for K27 #464 and handbrake wheels for several freight cars with a flexible admixture added to a black resin to improve resilience and made up a train of a loco and a number of Stock Cars to get an idea how the handbrake wheels would stand up in service. Cars were originally supplied with injection moulded brake wheels approx 1/3 of which had disintegrated/failed in approx 10 years use.

K27 464 with most of her train. The 3D printed number board is the object on the side of the head lamp, missing when I bought the loco second hand almost 10 years ago, next job is to add the number hopefully in a shorter time. Basically re-size a photo of the number on the opposite side!

Handbrake wheel (spray painted black and sealed with aerosol lacquer), the wheel printed in a black resin was almost translucent! The original 3D model was designed by the freelance 3D modeller who carried out the designwork for the JM Design range of 4mm Irish outline wagons during 2021-2.

The Rio Grande Southern was fairly notorious for its wrecks sister K27 locomotive 455 was wrecked in a 1944 runaway on Dallas Divide one of the RGSs long 4% grades

https://digital.denverlibrary.org/nodes/view/1094791

464 apparrently disappeared when I had my back turned, the loco and a single stock car apparrently had de-railed on a 2% down grade for no apparent reasson and taken a tumble not unlike 455 in 1944.

but what happened to the rest of her train? I found the remaining cars and caboose stationary on an upgrade on the opposite side of the circuit, the knuckle coupler had appeared to have unlatched and 464 continued with one stock car for an almost half circuit of the line before becoming derailed and taking a tumble, but why?

 

It looks like #464 and its tender overturned before the loco righted itself loosing its chimnet and cab roof but remaining electrically connected to the tender with its powerpack and electronics!

Chimney embedded in the ground to the right of the loco! glued connections between loco and chimney and headlight had both sheared!

A bit like a haulier who overturned a tipper truck while unloading shale on one of my construction sites 40 or so years ago, the Jackson County quickly got #464 back on the rails, checked its vitals and back to work again, though there is still a thin coat of mulch of the chimney.

But what caused the wreck?

Angle bracket and bolt in the 3' or 45mm?

One of the sideframes (archbar) had become disconnected from the bolster on the lead truck, potentially causing the wheels to lock most likely cause of the wreck, not unlike the 2008 Skerries Tara Mines de-railment.

The sideframes on these Accucraft stock cars are secured to the bolster with a small metric bolt. While on this particular car 3 of the 4 bolts were secure when checked, I was unablle to tighten the 4th bolt due to the condition of the thread in the cast bolster. In this case I replaced the original bolt with a 10BA tapping the bolster.

I guess I had better check the remainder of the fleet, before we have another wreck. Building the railroad and buying the stock is the easy bit, the maintenance is the time consuming and potentially costly part.

[Mayner]

The shop crew were busy the last couple of days inspecting both trucks on every freight car for similar defects with some interesting results!

Turned out that 5518 the Stock Car in the wreck was one of a batch of 3 cars bought new about 10 years ago with the same type of securing bolt between sideframe and bolster. At some stage the shops had replaced the bolts with 10BA the original bolts not holding!

Phillips headed securing bolts replaced with 10BA slotted

Curiously the other 3 Stock Cars on the road bought second hand shortly after the original batch had hex. headed securing bolts and a completly different design of pivot to the cars bought directly from Accuacraft in the States.

 

Curiously none of the hex headed bolts showed signs of having worked loose.

Interestingly the problem with Phillips bolts failing to hold appears limited to cars bought new in 2016, with no sign of Phillips headed bolts working loose/failing to hold on stock bought after 2020. So I guess the railroad will continue in operation for at least another day!

Next big challenge coming up is dealing with leaf fall from mature trees for the next 8-12 weeks followed by non-urgent track maintenance, hopefully have some mid-winter steam operation.

 

 

[Mayner]

Maintaining a Large Scale garden railway and its stock is a constant battle, now that K27 #464 is behaving itself this week was #463turn to give trouble. Like 5T on the Cavan & Leitrim during the 1950s #463s pilot/cow catcher started hitting/fouling the wing rails on some main line points resulting in damage to the locos pilot beam!

Although the bolts that secure cow catcher to the loco had worked loose in the past, this time the bolt were secure, some of the soldered joints in the pilot beam had failed possibly as a result of the cowcatcher hitting the wingrails while running through some points in a trailing direction.

The pilot/cowcatcher is secured to the pilot beam with 4 bolts, the beam had distorted and soldered joint had failed on one side.

Remade failed joints using 145º  solder with phosphoric flux using a Hakko W60-90watt soldering station.

Clearance between pilot and railhead improved, but need to physically check for sudden changes in vertical aligmnent through pointwork, my largescale locos and stock are a bit careworn with natural weathering.

Autumn officially begins on 1 March in this part of the World and leaf fall and first fruits on schedule.

Picked up our first Feijoas (similar to guava) windfalls from a tree by the railway and just about ready for eating.

Beginning of the Fall Stock Rush one of the busiest times on the Colorado narrow gauge, so #348 (actually a C16 pretending to be a C19) ran the first special of the season with 4 cars and caboose.

While #348 usually can handle 4 cars and caboose on the 4% grade to the storage tracks in the garage, today she could just not handle the load, so we next tried to "double the hill" with 2 cars and caboose and got no further, so had to send for help with 463 which luckily had just been charged. 

The Stock Special eventually departed behind #463 (after turning on the wye) with #348 helping though both locos strugged a bit with the train. Although weather was recently mild and dry, the 4% which is in permanent shade although rails are brass and loco drivers stainless steel similar effect to rust on the prototype

[Mayner]

Although today was Monday had a running session this afternoon, weather was fine with high winds and heavy rail forecast later this week. 

First train of the day was a mixed Merchandise Freight(goods train) to Jackson City behind K27 #463, followed by Motor #6 on p.w. maintenance, followed by C19 #348 on an empty Stock Special to Arbol. #463 had positioned her cars in the yard and caboose on the departure track before turning and retiring to the loco shed, probabably for the first time this year.

Box cars placed by the Freight House (goods shed) gondolas and stock car by loading bank. Tank car placed for unloading, some day perhaps I may add/complete the detailing in this area. The base of the paint tin that had served as an oil tank in this area had reusted through several years ago.

#463 waits on shed, originally built to accomodate smaller locos like 2-8-0s the shed is too short to accomodate 2-8-2 locos and thier tenders under cover. Track on the left was originally laid about 16 years ago using AMS flexible narrow gauge (American 3') track with brass rail on plastic ties (sleepers), loco yard was re-modelled about 4 years ago using Sunset Valley aluminium sleepered flexible track to accommodate larger locomotives. The tie strip on the AMS track has been largely replaced with Sunset Valley ties over the past 10-12 due to poor UV resistance of the origional ties, with a few sections with original ties remaining in shaded areas and yards.

#348 arriving with the stock special no problems experienced with slipping after several days dry weather although 4 cars and caboose usually considered her maximum load.

#348 prepares to run around her train after arrival at Arbole, although originally named arboles because of its 'miniature' connifers one appears to be a 'dwarf" species having grown to approx 5-6' after several years while others have not quite reached 4'.  The main line in this area is ballasted with 6-8mm pebbles glued down with a dilute PVA concrete additive and seems to be holding well , although the bind has broken down on other sections.

Stock special waiting departure with 346 running tender first. The brickwork is infilling between the timber piles that support the timber baseboard/track base in this area, which is basically PVC pond liner laid on 3/4" shuttering ply on treated 4X2 framing. The two domed objects in the background are supposed to be beehive kilns formed from a large plant pot that split in two by accident, the back story is that hopper wagons once ran on top of the kilns.

Motor 6 is a Berlyn Brass model produced about 25 years ago picked up second hand from the States several years ago, beautifully detailed with opening cab doors, bonnet and tool box lids, just about capable of a top speed around a scale 15-20mph with a fully charged battery

Just about mamaged a Goose Fest with both Motors #4 and #6 running, though #4 is not the most reliable at this stage. I replaced the original (used) battery pack last year with a home made pack of 8 AA batteries from the local electronic store but may be more effective to replace with a pair of proprietary 7.2v model racing car batteries similar to the locos.

Jackson City now has DRG diesel #50 as yard switcher with a Bachmann 'Connie" 2-8-0 (my first large scale loco) now taking over Switching duties in the garage staging. #50 is my sole remaining G (approx 1:22.) scale loco noticeably smaller that the Accucraft 1:20.5 scale model of #50. Interestingly the LGB #50 is finished in an attractrive shade of grey while the prototype and Accucraft models are plain black!

Not quite the last trains of the day Motors #4 and #6 retruning to staging, while 'Connie" waiths in the background to assist the stock train and a freight waits for #464 to return (following a re-charge) after earlier failing (low battery) while hauning the same freight. It was getting late and time to return the trains to the staging before dark.

[Mayner]

Decided to have a running session today Sunday while mowing the lawn, garden is beginning to look quite autumnal wtih a lot of leaf fall after a day of heavy rain on Friday with more promised tomorrow. An Emergency was declared in sub-tropical Northland where a months rain (approx 300mm) fell in one day resulting in flooding, I hoped at one stage to retire to Northland or the Corromandel to be near the sea, but turned out better to stay in Hamilton (more inland) less susceptible to stroms and earthquakes.

Evening line up Jackson City awaiting departure for the RGS connection at Placerville (real place)/staging. #464 had earlier disgraced herself unable to haul her train (7 cars) up a 2%-1:50 grade although recently re-charged and had run back light to the staging to have her batteries fully-discharged before re-charging.

Buildings now stored under cover for remainder of leaf fall.

Although 348 normal limit is 4 cars and caboose decided to see how far up the 4% -1:25 she would progress as rail conditions appeared. For comparison 463 has just begun to climb a 2% grade. A seedling planted here 18 years ago hass grown into a mature tree and this area is now in almost permanent shade, grass and ssome box hedging in this area died off during the last couple of years.

348 and her train eventually stalled after clearing the most difficult curved section of the grade (possible recent drizzle moisture on the rails) 463 now helping and also hauling her train!                                                                                                        

                                           Stock, general merchandise, 463 & 348 positioned for the next operation session, LGB Diesel 50  as fiddle/staging yard pilot.

Level yard (shunting) neck added several years ago as running line decends 4%/1:25 grade. 

Simple but it works turntable is a piece of hardwood decking sitting on a couple of washers pivoted on a coach screw. Alignment is brass tube soldered to rail-web with a piece of brass wire as locking bolt.

Battery charger is normally stored on shelf under baseboard and plugs into socket (usually) below loco tender. 464 NiMh are likely to be almost lifed expired at this stage (approx 4 years). probabably will be replaced with batteries bought 2 years ago for re-powering RGS 4-6-0 No 20 (in store for several years!) not as useful as 464.

Drama is guaranteed with some form of misshap every running day