California "Zephyr" Dreamin'

You didn't waste any time getting those onto the rails. Good show.

WOW !!!
Nice job!

Nice...wish I had had sense enough to ride the Zephyr
back when the Grande was a real railroad. To the
NE Colorado members on here, whatcha know or where can
I find (and I have about 6 books and pamphlets I know about
on the Great Western Sugar Co. and its railroad) good
pictures of the "high lines", the raised sidings divided
by flumes that were used to unload sugar beets and wash
them into the plants? Only one photo shows up in the
Jessen book on Northern Colo. RRs. I visited and photoed
three of these inactive, a couple in ruins, plants up
I-76 recently (all three have 0-4-0T "dinkies" displayed,
and I have long since relettered a couple of the MTH
versions for GW for this complex..somebody on here wanted
a model of the Dockside), but property is fenced and
I saw no evidence of flumes as shown in that one photo..
probably long since bulldozed.
I have a HUGE kitbashed group of Korber kits for the
factory, have the sugar silos, need the "high line", and
I can get on to something else. I can imagineer it from
that one photo..but is sorta a shot in the dark.

looks pretty sweet. Looks like Silver Rapids is in the wish list if I can find one.

Bob Thatcher at AM Hobbies told me yesterday that the PRR Silver Rapids cars were shipped from China in a follow on container and he expects them in a couple of weeks - can't wait to see that stainless beauty in a stream of Tuscan red.

Ed Rappe

Mike,

Contact me off list at lmrahilly@yahoo.com regarding the Silver Rapids car. Thanks.

Michael Rahilly

Erik,
Great shots!
What is the radius of the curve in the first picture?
Thanks,
Ed

Erik,

Really nice!

Larry

Ed Kelly,

The minimum radius on the layout is a nominal 72", so this one is in the neighborhood of 76"+-.

ChipR

I think that those Atlas cars look great.
Does anyone know if the Atlas Amtrak cars with leds look that good? Are the leds warm white like the ones shown? I should have got them.
The MTH ones get pretty warm and must draw some extra juice. Joe

I don't know much about the specific details but it looks like a great looking train set you have there. Thanks for posting the photos.

Wow just saw these were originally scheduled for delivery Feb 2010. Extra 2 years in development isn't too bad considering the industry is BTO with floating ship dates.

A great looking train on a great model railroad.

Erik,
How was the track laid for that railroad? My guess is hand laid but I'd figure I'd ask.

Phil,

Hand laid in the 1930's with rail purchased from NYSME. The ties are individually nailed to the track board (built prior to good glues). Rail replaced sometime in the 1960's (approx) with code 148 rail. We have some ME flex in a hidden staging yard. All turnouts hand laid.

ChipR

Erik, what is the difference between your paint scheme, and the two I'm posting?

When was each scheme active?

How long did the D&RGW use PA's?

Thanks Erik, and no thanks Erik, this ATSF guy broke down and buy the train. It's magnificent and at the price it's a steal.



I do have a Irv August video with this engine.



I used to ride the RGZ in the 70's to Glenwood Springs and even made it to Salt Lake City once! I love that train.

Again, thanks for posting Erik even if it cost me a few bucks.

I probably liked this picture the best:



I had never seen these shots before, this one's my desk top! Thanks again.



I'll be out for my son's graduation from DU this spring, perhaps we can get together.

Thanks Chip. The track looks superb. You guys did a great job laying it.

quote:

Originally posted by Hudson J1e:
Thanks Chip. The track looks superb. You guys did a great job laying it.

"You guys" as in us? LOL I'm 36... My great-grandfather maybe if he were a member..

Most of that track was laid 65 years or more ago.

Originally we had that code 190 stuff but the modern 50's changed much of that stuff with 170. In Grove where these photos were taken there is actually 2 different sizes of rail, 148 and 170. Grove was finished in the early 1960's.

quote:

Originally posted by marker:
Erik, what is the difference between your paint scheme, and the two I'm posting?

When was each scheme active?

How long did the D&RGW use PA's?

The PA's or ALCO 2000's were delivered in the black and gold (white with a whisper of yellow) scheme.

Some of us prefer the delivery scheme but the Grande in a effort to match the new stainless CZ repainted the PA's the "Aspen Leaf" scheme an all silver flying Grande logo with a bright yellow nose.


This scheme was very short lived, almost a matter of months between late 1949 and early 1952.


In late 1952 the Grande saw the final 4 stripes and more orange "gold" scheme that later was change to a single stripe.

The ALCO 2000 was big trouble for the Rio Grande. Granted they were very pretty, and versatile the PA (Passenger ALCO) used a General Electric designed electrical system prone to catastrophic failure. The PA with its turbo charged prime mover breathed well in the higher altitudes of the Moffat line. The short wheel base meant greater adhesion unlike the long legged E units and A-1-A trucks meant a great ride for crews. Not long after 1952 the Rio Grande started demanding an ALCO/GE electrician on board every CZ that had PA's assigned and by the mid 1950's the PA's were not trusted any further and were assigned lessor duties on secondary trains never without a trusty EMD at its side...

As this photo demonstrates the PA was delegated duties with an EMD living out its remaining years on the Yampa Valley Mail and other small assignments. No more victory cruises on America's Most Talked About Train, or the overnight deluxe Prospector, and even a PA on the Royal Gorge was a rare sight into the 1960's.

Those were the days my friend.

Great info Erik, great nostalgia, thank you.

Love that Yampa Valley Mail, it also reminds me of the infamous Yampa Valley College.

The 4-stripe has always been one of my favorite schemes. I've had a D&RGW postcard of an F7 ABBx with that paint scheme since I was in kindergarten (early 80's).

Wow looks great, the train and the layout.

I cannot believe that when in Denver I visited several hobby shops and asked about clubs layouts and not one model train store mentioned your club sorry I missed. Might be worth a train ride out the current Amtrak California Zephyr to see the layout!

quote:

"You guys" as in us? LOL I'm 36... My great-grandfather maybe if he were a member..

Erik, sorry about that. I should have been clearer with my words. By saying 'you guys' I simply meant the club members who laid the track. I did realize it was done a long time ago. I guess I had hoped that some of those guys were still around.

Did anyone get a decal sheet in the box with any of their cars? I noticed that my cars don't have any numbers on them?

quote:

Originally posted by BigBoy:
Did anyone get a decal sheet in the box with any of their cars? I noticed that my cars don't have any numbers on them?

I haven't seen any numbers on the cars in photos of the real CZ equipment. Where would the number be located even if they had numbers?

No numbers fella's. Only when certain cars were reassigned to other assignments did car numbers appear.

The CZ was all exclusive and every car had a name. "Silver XXXXX".

quote:

Originally posted by Erik C Lindgren:
No numbers fella's. Only when certain cars were reassigned to other assignments did car numbers appear.

The CZ was all exclusive and every car had a name. "Silver XXXXX".

That makes sense. Thanks Erik.