Narrow Gauge Dreaming

Me: I had a cool dream last night.

Wife: Yeah? What about?

Me: I dreamed that I was riding the narrow gauge into Telluride Colorado and there where all kinds of trains. #473 was there, but there were no air pumps on the front. It looked weird. Like when somebody shaves their mustache.

Wife: Your a nerd.

My Layout

Having my own layout didn't even cross my mind until early 2007. I went to a Model Railroad Show put on by Hoslters (Local club). That is when I saw it...a On30 K-28 #473. It was amazing. I grew up riding the trains in Durango and Chama and remember thinking that I would like to have a model that looked just like those trains. When ever I would go to a hobby store I would look for the any sort of a Mikado, but no luck. I was always disappointed when I would see train sets that would say, "Durango and Silverton set" and the locomotive was far from a true Mikado. In fact Durango's Gift shop sells a HO set that is a good example of what I'm talking about.

http://www.durangotrain.com/store/ModelTrains.htm

http://www.durangotrain.com/store/ModelTrains.htm

So when I saw my first real Mikado model I was so excited. I had earned some extra money doing some videography work and kept thinking about that Model Mountain Import K-28. When I bought it did not even have a layout yet, all I had was a piece of flex track that I could run it on. Our house has a mother in-law apartment so my wife agreed to let me build my layout in the kitchen.

Basic plans I drew

Before Construction


Before


Before


First Bench work piece

Bench work

Because space was limited and the required 26 inch radius needed for the K-28 I needed to build a duck-under.

Bench work

Always wear masks and goggles when cutting plywood!


Getting closer


I bought a bunch of flex track off eBay.


Track

When I first laid the track I thought I could get away with having a smaller radius for the curves...but I was wrong. When I ran the first test the locomotive would get stuck trying to go around the curves. So I tore it up and started again, but this time I made a cardboard template that was a little over 26 inches. The template worked like a charm and the locomotive had free reign of the layout.

Welcome

I really enjoy the Rio Grande and model trains. I model the Rio Grande in On30. (Narrow Gauge for O scale that runs on HO track) My wife teases me because I am only 27 and am already into trains and model railroading. I admit there is a stereotype that model trains is for the "older generation". I read an interesting bit of information today:

Back in 1999/2000 Classic Toy Trains, conducted a survey and according to their survey the “typical” toy train hobbyist is:

*A 52-year-old married man with children. He enjoys toy trains in his childhood and became involved with them again about 20 years ago. He shares his interest with at least one relative or friend.

*He is enthusiastic about the hobby. He reads related books and magazines and may even use his computer to help him enjoy it. His interest has not diminished in the past year; in fact, it may have grown.

*His major focus is on the Lionel O gauge trains manufactured between 1945 and the present. He considers himself to be both a collector and an operator of those trains.

*His home layout contains approximately 213 square feet and is either of traditional design or combines traditional and hi-rail elements.

*His anual income is approximately $73,500, and he spends about $1,500 on toy trains and realted merchandise.

From http://modeltraindepot.net/blog/?p=11

I see myself as a "Model Railroad Outsider" because I do not match the demographics of your typical model railroad enthusiast. I have been to a couple of local model railroad clubs and am by far the youngest by about 30 years. Anyway I will use this blog to show my layout and other various train pictures. I am always interested in web sites that are about the Rio Grande or model railroading so let me know of your favorites. Here is an old video of my layout.