# Spring Run on the RGS (South Jersey Div.)



## Big65Dude (Jan 2, 2008)

Last year, when Ken Molchanow held the inaugural â€œrunâ€� on his RGS (South Jersey Division,) the temperature was in the triple digits by mid-afternoon. We die-hard 1:20.3 scale narrow gaugers had a great time anyhow. This year, for the Spring Run last Saturday, the weather was perfect. The narrow gaugers had a great time again.


I thought you all might like to see what it looked like. Here are some shots taken throughout the day:












Fortunately, the portable shelters turned out to be unnecessary. (That's Ken, on the right, scratching his whiskers, and Bill Cole with the controller.)












The day started out a little cool and overcast, but soon turned into another gorgeous spring day in â€œThe Garden State.â€�












Some had fun running trains and some had just as much fun sitting and watching them. (In the background, that's Jon Kling on the left and Dick Kilday on the right - sorry, don't know the young fella sitting in front.)












The center of attention was Kenâ€™s recently completed (well, he still has to install the guard rails) â€œBridge No. 22Aâ€� - an exact replica of the original on the _Rio Grande Southern_, built by Ken bent-for-bent.












The original trestle was 368 feet long and 58 feet high and thatâ€™s what Kenâ€™s trestle scales out to be. It may take a while, but eventually the scenery will be built up to track level all around the layout.












As you can imagine, the trestle turned out to be a very popular spot for â€œphoto ops.â€�












Roger Cutter brought along Rich Yoderâ€™s pre-production model of the _East Broad Top_ Mikado No. 14 to give it a real work-out in an operational setting. It performs as good as it looks.












Hereâ€™s Roger double-heading a string of stock cars.













Here are my new AMS Jackson & Sharpe coaches crossing the trestle in the opposite direction. That made for some interesting operations on the single-track main line with only three passing sidings (not counting the wye.)












This is the longest train Iâ€™ve ever pulled with my Accucraft C-21 â€" _Olâ€™ No. 86_ â€" seventeen cars and a caboose. While it may look like a helluva grade in the photo, itâ€™s really only about one percent here â€" the ground slopes down, left to right, creating the illusion.


I imagine weâ€™ll all be back in Williamstown, NJ, to do this again some time this fall. Hope you can join us.


----------



## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

What a beautiful setting.


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks, Jack, lovely pics as usual, and that pic of #14 is gorgeous. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif


----------



## Guest (May 8, 2008)

Great Pictures Jack-Thanks! 

I wonder how close the Yoder model is to the Yukon Queen #190 at Tweetsie?


----------



## Josef Rieder (Jan 18, 2008)

Wow, that EBT mike looks really impressive. Being more of a D&RGW fan, I probably wouldn't have thought about getting one, but that green boiler sure does look slick. Also, if someone made one undecorated, It would be great to turn it into a WP&Y mike. Having said that though, it is still a darn good looking model.


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

that green boiler sure does look slick 

Josef, 

Bad news - the green boiler is a mistake. The real thing was black, and so the model will be black. (Rich hasn't explained how the prototype became green, but it does look good!) 

Good news - RY will sell you an undecorated one (not that there is much decoration to remove.) www.http://www.richyodermodels.com/rym_loco_ebt14.htm


----------



## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

What great meet and in a superb setting! I'm looking forward to seeing more of that layout once the scenicking starts. It should be spectacular. 

I must also comment on the EBT Mike. That's a beautiful model and long overdue for eastern modelers. Very nice!


----------



## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

VERY COOOOL 
Thats the great thing about a long main , having many trains run


----------



## Big65Dude (Jan 2, 2008)

Josef, Richard and all -


If you'd like to see some more photos I took last Saturday of Rich Yoder's EBT Mike #14, take a look at my posting in the Product Reviews forum. Here's a link:


http://www.mylargescale.com/Communi...rumid/17/postid/28665/view/topic/Default.aspx


----------

