# Hauling Oil and Coal on the RGSEast



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

This weekend was Rog's Open House, and he figured, with all the new Bachmann Fn3 cars and RY Models hoppers, there would be some interesting trains. So I spent a very pleasant Saturday running EBT and steam around his layout. 

After I unpacked, the first thing we did was add Dr Rivet's 4 new RY Models brass EBT 3-bay hoppers and another B'mann 2-bay to my consist, and the poor ten-wheeler struggled round with the huge weight. _*[We need some Mikados!]*_ Rico yard was full of oil trains and other RGS equipment: 










_That photo was quite nicely detailed, so here's the fullsize version:_ 

http://gold.mylargescale.com/PeteThornton/RGS/RGS041908/IMG_2065-rico-hops-lg.jpg 

_Close-ups of RY's hoppers on their website, at http://www.richyodermodels.com/rym_loco_ebt14.htm_ 

And we head off from Rico to the long bridge, with Bruce Chandler's railcar parked in the side track: 










Here's the hoppers coming past the connection to the mining spur on the west end of the layout. Jack (BigDude65) is setting up his coaches and tank cars. Behind the cribbing on the far side is the long 3% grade up from Rico: 










This nicely-weathered 3-truck shay was working the mining spur. (Sorry - don't know whose it was!) 










After the failed attempt to pull the weight (without a real Mikado,) I reformed the train and left the new hoppers in the siding. Here's the short train in Rico, passing Bruce's Jackson & Burke hopper train (which includes the new RY Hopper he acquired at ECLSTS, plus some extra riders.) With hoppers on all three tracks, it looks more like Orbisonia! 










Here's the two sets of hoppers sitting in the upper yard while the RGS guys do their thing: 










For those who haven't had the pleasure, here's Rico on the low level of the central part of the RGSEast, with our host and Bruce in the background: 










The layout is U-shaped around Rog's workshop. Part of the west side is shown above (photo 3) and the east end has the long 4% hill and the flat live steam loop in the center. This is Mike Peterlee running his C-16: 










A close-up of Jack's very pretty coach leaving the yard, with the lumber spur in the background: 










Here is Bruce Chandler running his railcar: 










And every now and then an even smaller railcar came rattling past (Bruce again): 










Jack's passenger train ran in the other direction (causing lots of dispatcher fun.) Here it is leaving the loop track at Rico: 










And a closeup of his boxcar at the crossing just outside Rico: 










I have a decent video of Jack's train passing, which I'll get onto Youtube later. 

After lunch I was busy tweaking my FWRR Ruby, so I didn't take too many photos. Fortunately (for you) Jason was hard at work clicking away at the live steamers on the mainline when he wasn't running his K. Some of the highlights, which can be seen in his thread, included Jon Kling with his work train, which includes the working bucket/digger, pulled by his K-28 (?) live steamer, and Jeff Redeker with a pair of C-16 live steamers double-heading around the mainline with a freight. Check them out at 

http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/forumid/11/postid/25216/view/topic/Default.aspx


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: hauling Oil and Coal on the RGSEast*

What a lovely day! 

I like that light dusty style weathering.


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: hauling Oil and Coal on the RGSEast*

Pete 
As with Jay's photo; such layouts are great to see via posting but even more delightful at the event hosted in the rolling farm land of Maryland-thanks


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: hauling Oil and Coal on the RGSEast*

even more delightful at the event 

Agreed. _
Where were you? _


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: hauling Oil and Coal on the RGSEast*

Pete 
Ryan and I had hoped to make the meet but other obligations along with PLS meeting this weekend made the timing prohibitive. We miss the great country drive (the only aspect that helps one forget the cost of gas), the pit beef and of course the host, Roger and the excellent layout. 
BTW- Roger seems to be on track with the weather in setting his dates vs. the forecast this coming Sunday....


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Is there any way to get a track plan or an over all view from the house roof? 
Love the station area.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Marty, 

_I forwarded a link to this thread to Roger ("RGSEast" around here) so he may respond if he isn't too busy converting Big K's to Airwire._ 

I've pondered the problem of getting an overall photo, but it really isn't possible, as the terrain slopes away from the house/workshop. The layout is really very simple - one really big loop (the D&RGW/RGS Colorado circle?) folded around his shop in a shallow "U", with lots of passing sidings at the intermediate stations. As the ground slopes away down the hill you can't get far enough or high enough to take the whole thing.


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## RGSEast (Apr 21, 2008)

Marty, I will try to get up on the roof of the shop and take a series of pictures of the layout. Been meaning to do that for years... 

Basically the layout is a circle folded into a U shape and it goes around the end of my shop. The Rico yard is at the bottom of the U and is 55' long. Just 15' short of scale. The steam loop is 120' aroundand is in side the upper left of the U and interconnects with the main line. The lower left corner of the U coming out of Rico is where the large (10' long) bridge 9a is. With the two trestles leading in the bridge is 24' long. 

The main line is single tracked with passing sidings every so often. 

Will make it my mission to get the pictures within the next couple of days. 

Thanks for all the kind comments on the RR. It is the work of many that I get to keep at my house. 

Roger Cutter 
RGS East in 1:20.3


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## Big65Dude (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Pete Thornton on 04/21/2008 7:46 AM 



This nicely-weathered 3-truck shay was working the mining spur. (Sorry - don't know whose it was!) 









Pete,


That's Roger's _West Side Lumber Co._ shay that I painted and weathered for him last year.


P.S. Thanks for the photos and nice comments re: my stuff.


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## Big65Dude (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By RGSEast on 04/21/2008 5:51 PM 
Marty, I will try to get up on the roof of the shop and take a series of pictures of the layout. Been meaning to do that for years... 
Basically the layout is a circle folded into a U shape and it goes around the end of my shop. The Rico yard is at the bottom of the U and is 55' long. Just 15' short of scale. The steam loop is 120' aroundand is in side the upper left of the U and interconnects with the main line. The lower left corner of the U coming out of Rico is where the large (10' long) bridge 9a is. With the two trestles leading in the bridge is 24' long. 
The main line is single tracked with passing sidings every so often. 
Will make it my mission to get the pictures within the next couple of days. 
Thanks for all the kind comments on the RR. It is the work of many that I get to keep at my house. 
Roger Cutter 
RGS East in 1:20.3



Until Roger can climb up on his roof to take some pix of the layout, I thought I'd try to get one from a slightly higher vantage point:











_The Great Wall of China_ has got nothing on Roger. You can actually see the _RGS East's_ Rico Yard from outer space! Perhaps Roger's shots will reveal a little more detail, however.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Jack, 

I experimented yesterday with the maps (after Marty's question,) and found that Yahoo's version is much newer and clearly shows the Rico yard, and the loop on the east side. Google's photo must have been ten years old - no trace of a railroad! 










Update: How about this one, which clearly shows the railroad! /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

As promised, the 25 sec video of Jack's passenger train pulling out of Rico. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coLpd7aaigA


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## GeorgeMMR (Jan 19, 2008)

Pete, 
Great photos, many thanks! They bring back fond memories of when we lived back East and ran on Roger's railway. Oh, and I guess this means that the bridge has not collapsed yet! Take care, 
George


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## Don Howard (Jan 2, 2008)

George, 
Does the bridge 9A use 4 seperate pieces(or more) on each of the long chords? 
Thanks, 
Don


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## RGSEast (Apr 21, 2008)

George, The bridge is in great shape. We are going to do the annual cleaning soon and spray it with preservative. Wish I could find some to spray on myself. 

Still the centerpiece of the layout. 

Getting ready to do fill on the next to last section. Glad when this is done. 

Rog


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## RGSEast (Apr 21, 2008)

I have passed on to Peter a whole series of photos of the layout taken from the roof. He is getting ready to post and should have them up over the weekend. 

Rog


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Is there any way to get a track plan or an over all view from the house roof?


Well, I suggested to Rog that he not go up on the roof, as any accident would damage the layout, but he seldom takes my advice. (Took him 3 years to figure out that battery power was the way to go!) 

I've tried to merge his pics so that you get the whole effect. The complete layout didn't quite work; I added lines to show how the tracks continue: 










Here's the east side where the steam loop is entirely inside the mainline: 










The west side, which is now mostly scenicked. In the discance is bridge 9a, the long truss built by George Konrad: 










The central portion, consisting of the upper yard with walls built to handle the backfill and balast, plus Rico yard at the lower level: 










And finally, here's Rico yard from a different angle:


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## GeorgeMMR (Jan 19, 2008)

Hey Rog! Glad to see that things are moving right along. I ansered Don Howard's question "off line" and think that the answer might have some interest to other modelers. Yes, there are seperate timbers every place that they were on the real bridge. There are no screws or glue holding the pieces together, but rather bolts and threaded rods as on the prototype. In fact, some devious person with the correct nut driver could (barring rust!) take the whole thing apart and back into a large pile of wooden pieces! And, yes, the truss rods (4 or 5 per side) actually are in tension. Always wanted to do a bridge this way. 
George


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Thank you so much. 
I have copied most of your photos and am really thinking in the future of where I can do parts of mine that that. I just love the station area.


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## RGSEast (Apr 21, 2008)

Thanks to Peter for his work on "stiching" the pictures together and thanks to George for his bridge 9a that is the centerpiece of the layout. 

Marty, glad my layout could be an inspiration. Come visit some time. 

Roger


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Roger, 

One of the things that I truly miss about living in northern VA was being able to attend your events. The layout has really come a long way since I last was there. Maybe I can get up there again some day. 

Doc


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## RGSEast (Apr 21, 2008)

Thanks Doc... 
Will look forward to that day and seeing your completed private car. 

Roger


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