D&RGW – Spring Division:

NEWS & UPDATES

The following is a running news file that will contain events, projects,

progress reports, and such for activity on Craig’s railroad. So glance

here on occasion to see what's new or happening on the Spring Division…

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11/18/2006: Open house. Over one hundred guests in two days!! Very few problems although I did have to add more spikes on the new trestle rails. The locomotives were walking the rails on the curve, which caused the cars following to derail. A spike every 5 ties stopped that!

11/10/2006: I have installed brown contractor's paper over most of the railroad (my tribute to Jim Linginfelter). This will give visitors an idea as to what the railroad will look like when the scenery is complete. You can't see across the room anymore. See photos.

11/05/2006: Casting are complete for new bridge. Time to color the castings. I start with black (India ink) first and highlight the natural water runoff (see pictures). Next I dilute artist acrylic paint with water and apply the accent colors (yellows/reds) with a spray bottle. Then I spray the main rock color (light brown). This will mute the brighter accent colors. Walla… real looking rocks!

10/15/2006: Roughed in new expanded highline trestle and hardshell. Castings to start next week. Open house approaching rapidly!

7/20/2006: The railroad celebrates its fourth anniversary!

4/18/2006: Trestle for highline finished and located. It's TOO SMALL! Need to rethink this scene.

10/15/2005: Open house today. Everything is ready and running. My guests seem to be impressed with the progress from last year. Its amazing what you can do with your back pushed up against the wall!!! Thanks Barry, Ward, and James for operating the layout while I talked to the guests. IT WAS GREAT FUN!!! I love this hobby!!!!

10/14/2005: Barry Bogs came over to help clean the track and make sure my locomotives were ready to perform. Open house is tomorrow and I still don't have rail on the trestle!!!! Burning the midnight oil to get finished but everything is ready.

10/8/2005: Leveled trestle deck and fit up the bents. Nothing is lining up correctly. Next time I'll build the entire trestle and install it in place. More plastering required to secure the trestle foundation. One week until open house and I have three weeks of work to do!!!!

10/5/2005: Poured plaster in Stony Creek and painted the creek bed. Lined the bed with rocks and painted the water line.

9/24/2005: Detailing Stony Creek Canyon since I will not be able to do so after the creek bed is installed. Making and installing trees… too little time! My aching back

9/10/2005: Rock casting coloring begins. Stony Creek Canyon and the stairwell have experienced a dramatic metamorphosis. Its starting to look like Colorado. Five weeks until open house!!!

9/5/2005: Rock casting completed at the stairwell high line. Coloring will start as soon as the castings dry out. Open house is scheduled for October 15-16 and I'm frantically trying to get some scenery complete.

8/15/2005: Rock casting completed in Stony Creek Canyon. Lots of white everywhere. It looks like a blizzard has hit! Trestle and bridges are ready to install.

7/30/2005: Hardshell completed in Stony Creek Canyon. Whew… what a job the canyon is less than two feet wide!!! Rock casting starts soon.

7/20/2005: The railroad celebrates its third anniversary! I forgot to take pictures.

11/2/2004: Brown paper shaped to form terrain at the stairwell and hardshell (Hydrocal) is applied.

10/6/2004: Passing sidings for Stony Creek, Rio Chama, and Spring are complete. Scenery kick-board has been installed at the top of the stairs. Hardshell starts soon!

8/15/2004: Trains arrive in Spring! Narrow gauge mainline is complete and operational. You can run a train from the staging yard all the way up to Spring and back. It takes about 5 minutes to run from the staging yard to Spring (275' track)! Installation of passing sidings at Stony Creek, Rio Chama and Spring is next for the track gang.

7/20/2004: The railroad celebrates its second anniversary! Narrow gauge mainline track installed to highline gorge.

10/18/2003: First "open house" as part of the San Jacinto Model Railroad Fall Layout Tour. Dual gauge mainline complete and operational. All motive power has been converted to DCC and Phoenix Sound. EasyDCC system and dispatcher control panel have been installed.

7/20/2003: The railroad celebrates its first anniversary! Narrow gauge staging yard is operational and dual gauge mainline is underway.

6/17/2003: Sky blue paint is the wrong shade too much green. Backdrop must be repainted…. UGH!

5/10/2003: Sky blue paint selected and backdrop is painted.

5/2/2003: Twenty-four fluorescent lights are installed. Thanks Barry!!!!

1/2/2003: Six track staging yard is completed. Trains run!

9/18/2002: Stud wall bench-work completed for center section of the layout.

7/20/2002: After one year of finishing the Train room the layout starts!

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