A Little bit of a Narrow (Gauge) Imagination

A little imagination goes a long way. And with narrow gauge modeling, it goes even further. I started model railroading with my father and an O scale layout. By high school, I moved to HO, and by college, I moved to N. By the time I was in graduate school, Nn3 seemed to be the way to go, because of both the small size and the challenge. I even built nearly a scale mile of Nn3 modules that I took to the National Train Show in St. Louis in 2001. I still enjoy tinkering with narrow gauge ideas, and layout plans. But, as I have become increasingly interested in operations, it isn't the small size of Nn3 that makes me hesitate, but my feeling that the operations are kind of small, low density affairs. I've operated enough in both N and Nn3 to feel like I can operate in those scales. I've also operated both on standard gauge and narrow gauge layouts. Both can be satisfying. But I find that the narrow gauge lines, to remain plausible, just do not have the feel of operating a standard gauge line.

One particular inspiration in how to get the operations "feel" I want, but model narrow gauge is to copy Bob Hayden's approach on the Carrabasset and Dead River Railway. The C&DR is a Maine 2-footer, but models an era after which all the prototype lines had been abandoned. And it is not a fading concern, but a healthy, vital railroad, featuring new diesels, passenger service, and even innovations such as unit trains.

In some ways, the prototype equivalent is the White Pass and Yukon Railroad in Alaska, that operated as a narrow gauge freight line until 1982, and now operates as a tourist line. The line operates primarily with diesels, and even sported intermodel trains at one point.

It is as a healthy going concern that I imagine my Rio Gorre Northern. As one of my other hobbies is the history of the atomic bomb, I even think I would set the layout in 1952, shortly before the H-bomb was first tested. Part of the theme of the layout would be that the line serves and provides transportation of military-grade equipment and materials needed for the nuclear arsenal. Were this equipment goes exactly is a little bit more of a mystery, but there are rumors of a secret town hidden in the northern mountains of the west. And there are rumors of a mysterious black train that runs at night delivering personnel to this location, the so called "Black Goose." Most locals laugh at the legend of this train which does not exist, but train crews are always wary to clear the line when the goose is making its mysterious run...although none can say that they have ever seen it.

In my imagination, the line begins at a port town. The port itself is known as Port, and the town as Porthmadog. Out of this terminus, runs a branch to the town of Gladhaven, a fishing and lumber town. The main climbs to summit its first range at Furlow Pass, and descends into the major terminal of Gorre. Gorre is the major terminal on the line, and from Gorre run a number of branch lines to various destinations. The line leaves Gorre, and climbs a second summit with the twin stations of Alpine and Tundra, before descending once again to a standard gauge line at Kaybeck.

The standard gauge connection could be any of a number of railroads, and might change to fit my fancy. And the branches may be operations of other lines, such as the Alpine, Kaybeck and Tundra (AKT), the Alpine Central (AC), the Gorre and Northern (GN), the Big Water and Tall Timber (BWTT), the Devils Gulch and Helegon (DG&H), The Gorre, Daphetid and Northernly (GDN), etc.

Along the way, we would see sights that resemble, the Georgetown Loop, Forks Creek, Ophir, Lizard Head Pass, Trout Lake, the Highline on the RGS, the Highline on the Durango and Silverton, Vance Junction, Windy Point, Cumbres Pass, spectacular bridges, and mines, mills, logging, and livestock. Power would be a mix of steam and diesel, and the cars would e an eclectic collection of long gone roads. Roads are not penetrating this tough country, at least not easily, and thus the railroad is the lifeline. Some say that the military has something to do with that, preferring the lack of roads and the resulting isolation to becoming a well trafficked area. Basically, the railroad would be my favorite everythings.

I don't really have LDEs for this line. It is the most freeform and undefined concept I have. I've always kept it that way so that I can imagine it in whatever space I have. I have looked at it as both a home layout empire, but also as a portable railroad that I could take to train shows. But it would not be a display layout, as much as an operating demonstration layout. However, I have also thought of it as a starter layout. Something small, that can begin operating in say 12 months, and brought to completion in 2-3 years - that would give me something to enjoy, while the larger layout was pursued, and would give me something that could live beyond the larger railroad empire.

A Freelanced Rio Grande

I obviously like the D&RGW. I love the tunnels and canyons. The mountain parks and the snowy scenes. I like the isolation, the little pockets of humanity, immersed in a sprawling wilderness full of scenic grandeur. I love the high mountain lakes, the quaking aspen, and the mountain meadows. But if there is anything missing - I find most of the bridges boring. Frankly, the D&RGW has very few notable bridges. There are a few steel trestles hidden in Rock Creek Canyon, the hanging bridge in the Royal Gorge and several smaller river crossings. There was a significant bridge near Glenwood Springs (now gone) and another significant bridge at Green River. There are two very nice bridges near Bond as well, just before the Yarmony Tunnel. But otherwise, the standard gauge D&RGW has very big notable bridges. Too bad, as I like bridges.

Green River Crossing

So, if I had my way, I would have more bridges on the D&RGW, and obviously from the last few posts, I love a lot of things about different parts of the line. Could I pull these elements together into a freelanced D&RGW line? And if I did, what might that line look like?

Okay, if I imagine it, how would I logically combine the elements I love into a freelanced railroad. Well, I think I would start off at a big city, call it City A. There would be some local industry, a grand passenger station, and a major classification yard. There would be interchanges with at least the UP, BN/BNSF, and maybe at least one other road. I'd also have at least one major industry, perhaps a brewery, a steel mill, a refinery or a power plant. Heading out of the city, I would approach the mountains, maybe passing through one or two smaller towns, call them B and C. B could draw elements of Kremmling, Tabernash, and Price. C might be a little larger, and host a helper station and a branch line. Along the way, we cross a couple of long bridges. I could even put the Power Plant here, tucked into the canyon mouth.

Continuing out of C, I'd enter a canyon. Tight, twisting lines, low level bridges, isolated industries and a small town having seen much better days, call it D. Coming out of the canyon, I would have a junction to another branchline and a town located in a valley, call it E. The line would then climb out of the valley, using curves to gain a hold on the hillsides, and enter into a series of tunnels as the line desperately climbs. Tunnels become punctuated with high bridges and the occasional siding as the line climbs into higher canyons. As the line nears the top, the canyons open up into mountain parks, perhaps with one or two small towns with small industries, call them F and G. In G, the line finds a tourist railroad that operates a branch out of town.

The mountain park opens up to small mountain rivers, and number of mountain lakes and marshlands. Ahead, another town appears, with a junction to a substantial branchline originating coal. And a few miles further up the line we reach a summit tunnel. On the otherside of the summit tunnel, we enter a snowbound ski area. The line, now double track, descends through the snow, passing through several tunnels, and snowsheds, over additional bridges to arrive in Town H. Here, the helpers would come off, and the train would continue its descent, heading further towards the end of the line. Crews would change here, and while there is a small yard, it is not a major classification yard. Instead, a small regional railroad operates a former pair of branchlines out of H to reach several isolated but valuable mines.

I guess I see City A as an amalgam of Denver and Pueblo. Town C is a bit like Helper, combined with Minturn, combined with Canon City. The Canyon near C is an amalgam of the Royal Gorge and Eagle River Canyons, with Town D being something like Red Cliff. Town E, might be something close to Salida while F and G are probably amalgams of Pinecliff, Rollinsville, Hot Sulphur Springs, Nathrop, and Buena Vista. Town G may also be a little like Granby. This makes the line between E and F very much like the tunnel district, albeit without the uniqueness of the flatirons.

The summit tunnel would be very much like the Moffat, although the approach may draw a lot more from the approaches to Tennessee Pass. The ski area is a lot like Winter Park/Fraser, and the descent may resemble elements of the Gilluly Loops and the Price River Canyon. Town H, would be a blend of Bond, Malta, Leadville and Utah Junction/Helper. Ultimately, the line leaving H would dive through a pair of tunnels (like Thistle), perhaps with an approach like that to the Yarmony Tunnels.

Okay, the idea has some merit - but I am having a hard time getting over the modeling the D&RGW while freelancing the line. Perhaps if I moved towards a Proto-Freelanced version - maybe the Rio Grande Northern or something like that. I just have a hard time seeing the Rio Grande locomotives, but running through a town that is a mix mash of several other places. But maybe the idea has merit. They are after all, my trains.

The nicest thing about the plan is that it really focuses well on one side of the climb. The final descent is intended to be a lot more minor, so almost all of the climb is on one side of the trip. Yet, it is also designed to go through an entire crew district.