DOLORES
ON THE RIO GRANDE SOUTHERN
Doug Hitchcock's Rio Grande Southern is a 14X19-foot, point-to-point,
HOn3 layout set in the mid-1930s. It features the town of Dolores, Colorado,
modeled as faithfully as space and talent permit. Dolores depot and many other
structures are scratchbuilt or heavily kitbashed.
"West" of Dolores is a staging yard representing Durango, McPhee, and all other
points west.
"Eastward," the layout terminates at Rico, which is very freelanced. The
turntable, roundhouse and trackplan are non-prototypical. But the yards still
revolve around the Pro Patria Mill and St. Louis Coal Mine, which once dominated
the prototype.
Operations focus on recreating logging traffic of the mid-1930s along the Rio
Grande Southern. RGS and logging railroad historian W. George Cook provided
information that helped refine operations to include the New Mexico Lumber
Company and A.A. Rust Lumber Company railroads that once operated in southwest
Colorado, providing a fair amount of traffic for the otherwise sleepy RGS.
Operating sessions generally include east and westbound timetable freights.
Helpers are often required "up the hill" to Rico. Stock, mine and passenger
extras make regular appearances.
Motive power includes a customized C-19 running as RGS No. 41, RGS No. 20,
several other steam engines and, of course, a Galloping Goose. Rolling stock
consists of nearly 80 cars of all types. Digitrax DCC powers the road.
Commissary serves desert at close of session.
Division
or location: Second
District between Dolores and Rico
Interchange
Railroads:
Scale: HOn3
Era:
mid-1930’s
Throttle
system:
Digitrax
Scale
Clock Speed:
Length
of Session:
Number
of Crew:
Train
Control:
Timetable and train order with verbal communications
About the layout host:
Doug Hitchcock began modeling Colorado narrow gauge rolling
stock about six years ago. For him, it was a return to the hobby he'd grown up
with as the son of Santa Fe modeler Chuck Hitchcock. Once he'd filled the family
mantle with freight cars, he decided it was time to lay some track. Things
mushroomed from there, as they often do. Doug is married. He and wife Sonja have
two children, Sam, a 2-year-old choo-choo lover and Brio modeler, and Jana, a
5-month-old (as of October 2003) superintendent.
Layout photos (click on thumbnail to enlarge):
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The Galloping Goose at Dolores |
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