Modeler's Page

Museum members can now submit photos of their modeling efforts for display on this page. The photos must be submitted via email in jpeg or tiff format to ridgwayrailroadmuseum@gmailcom. Each modeler is limited to two photos. All photos are the property of the modelers listed below and may not be reproduced without written permission of the modeler.

1) The RGS is narrow gauge 1:20.3 scale, with 215 Laggas Creek track. The main line has about 40 feet of level track.  There’s 160 feet of 2% grade up and 160 feet of 2% grade down. Jo Ann and I have been busy “working on the railroad” since our 2021 update.  We’ve made a lot of progress with scenery, plants and rail.  Plants have a dramatic ability, turning rough scenery into complete landscapes.  Jo Ann has done an excellent job of selecting the right plants to blend rock faces into believable scale scenic vistas.

2) The late Keith Koch has modeled in a number of scales. The left photo is a 1/24 scale model of the RGS Plow Flanger 2 while the right photo shows his Nn3 diorama of Red Mountain Town. This diorama is now located in the Ouray County Museum.

3) The late John Weiss did his modeling on his friend Eddie Carroll's layout which appeared on page 82 of the May/June 2010 Gazette. John took the photos below.

4) John and Mike McKenzie model the RGS in Sn3. You may have seen their portable layout at a National Narrow Gauge Convention. The photos here are Vance Junction on the left and the West Durango yard on the right. They are Business Members: http://mckenziebrotherstimberco.com/

5) Craig Brantley has a freelanced D&RGW / RGS model railroad in O scale. Visit Craig's railroad web site: http://www.drgw-sd.com.

6) Don Paulson models in HO/HOn3 with a 40' x 30' layout loosely based on the RGS/D&RGW. The left photo shows the Ophir tram house and station while the right hand photo shows a night shot of the Salida station. You can visit Don's railroad web site at https://denverandsouthwestern.com

7) Craig Symington models in HOn3. His photo below shows Vance Junction. You can visit Craig's railroad web site at http://www.riograndesouthern.com/

8) Scott McLeod models the Rio Grande Southern in HOn3. Scott lives in St. Paul, MN. From Scott: "I am now in the process of building my dream HOn3 RGS layout in the basement of a new home.  This is my fourth and final layout of the RGS.  I started the layout in August of 2016 prior to the National Narrow Gauge Convention here in the Twin Cities of Minnesota.  I’ve attached two photos taken back in January of 2020 of my version of Ridgway after I completed the hand-painted backdrop.  At roughly 42’ long,  I am able to model the entire length from engine facility all the way down towards the wye area. I'll send more photos as the layout progresses"

9) Norm Delucchi models the RGS in Sn3. Here are two photos of his model of the Pro Patria Mill in Rico

10) Ken Neufeld models the RGS in Sn3. Below are shown photos of No 40 and No 41 at Vance Junction and Motor No 4 at Dallas Divide.

11) Craig Raymond models the RGS in Sn3. The photos below show Ophir in 1939 with full S-scale bridge 45-A and Vanadium with full S-scale Vanadium Mill.

12) Mark Evans models the RGS in Sn3. The first photo shows the current progress on the yard looking from the wye towards the depot. The engine terminal will be located just beyond the depot in the corner. The yard is 35 feet long. Mark has recreated many of the RGS outfit cars in S scale. The second photo shows a scratchbuilt model of RGS plow-flanger 02.

13) Tom Caldwell models in Sn3 and plans to build a layout based on the Colorado Narrow gauge. The false front building is a Wild West Scale Model builders kit, the ore bin is an Anvil Mountain Models kit and thefreight wagon is a Grizzly Mountain Engineering kit.

14) Bob Meyer's O-scale layout is 34' x 24' and models the D&RGW standard gauge in the late 40s-50s era very loosely based on the section in Utah from Helper to Soldier Summit. The photo below shows a Rio Grande standard gauge M-68 4-8-4. These were the Rio Grande's last new passenger locomotives and built by Baldwin in 1937. Next to the M-68 is narrow gauge K-28 No. 478

15) Bill Busacca shared his Sn3 scratch built Motor No. 1. It received first place in the internal combustion category at the Houston Narrow Gauge Symposium a few years ago. Also shown is Goose No. 4 in Rico on Bill's layout.

16)  These photos are from Bob Dunlap’s Rio Grande Southern and D&RGW scale 1:20.3 garden RR. 

17) The following photos are from David Zolnierek's HOn3 railroad. The models are scratch-built.

19) Jim Van Houton models the RGS in HOn3. The following photos show town views on his layout.