Simpson’s Peak
The San Juan extension of the Denver and Rio Grande West (D & RGW) Narrow Gauge reached Durango in 1881. Two lines were built north from Durango, one to Silverton, which still exists today and forms the World famous Durango & Silverton Railroad, the other to Simpson’s Peak. The period for the layout is set from the 1930’s until the 1950’s. The Rio Grande Southern (RGS) and the Colorado Southern (C & S) also run trains into the Depot.
The line to Simpson’s Peak diverges from the mainline just north of Durango and follows the course of the Rio Florida River to just below the foothills of Simpson’s Peak. Here the Rio Florida Lumber Company connected with the mainline.
The line was in decline, until coal was discovered in the hills around Simpson’s Peak, this enabled the owners to expand the line and tap into large resources of coal and wood. The coal isn’t heavily mined but the new areas of forest the lines reached are producing good quality wood, which is in demand.
However, money was never readily available for minor work and the line was in generally poor condition. The small Depot at Simpson’s Peak is right on the edge of town and some of the town can be seen at the end of the depot. This includes a gas station, bar, bakery and some out buildings.
The Local logging company, the Rio Florida Logging Company or RFLC runs a large network of lines around Simpson’s Peak with their only interchange being at the Simpson’s Peak Depot. It should be noted that the RFLC has running rights on the D & RGW, to its own sawmill down the valley. They are served by a short spur, which means all loaded wagons have to come into Simpson’s Peak to be added to trains for departure to the rest of the system.
The RFLC and the D & RGW Share the yard and facilities at the depot, but it should be noted that the workshop belongs to the RFLC. The RFLC also has its Permanent way base at Simpson’s Peak and some unusual vehicles can be seen from time to time. The Roundhouse and turntable are owned by the D & RGW, but are used by both companies and by the Rio Grande Southern and Colorado Southern.
Trains for the RFLC depart the yard with the locomotive pushing, this is because of the steep grades and the number of switch backs the line uses to gain height. This also limits the number of wagons which can be pulled / pushed up the grades. Unusually for a logging line, the RFLC uses cabooses on all its trains. Including some small four wheel, shed type vehicles.
The line to Simpson’s Peak was never built, but the place is real, as is the river, I have just used modeller’s licence.
The layout is 20 feet long and 3 feet 6 inches wide made of conventional 2” x 1” framing with 9mm MDF tops. Some boards have two sheets of MDF to aid with the different heights on the layout.
Legs are made from 2 x 1 softwood, with all edges routered and then the wood sanded and painted black
The scenery is made up of polystyrene, cut to size, covered in filler with rock moulds added and the areas blended together to form the contours for the railway. Woodland scenic and Set Scenes scatter materials are used and varies colours are mixed together. Loads of trees are required and will be added as the layout develops.
The track used is Peco O 16.5mm narrow gauge crazy track, with all points electrical controlled with SEEP point motors. DCC is used to control the locos, were as normal switching is used for point control. The layout is wired for cab control, should either the DCC fail or a short is detected, each section can then be switched off. Most locos are fitted with DCC chips and at present 17 locos are fitted with sound. The sound can be switched off if needed.
Stock used on the layout is mainly Bachmann, Broadway, MMI or Precision Craft ready to run, but kits from Backwoods Models, Smoky Bottom Lumber Co., EDM and Chivers Finescale are used.
Steam Locomotives are generally fitted with sound, these include a Bachmann Mogul, all the Broadway C16’s, the Bachmann Shay’s and Climax’s and the Precision Craft Geese. Sound is being fitted in the smaller locomotives, mainly in the boxcab diesels. Most of the Shays are fitted with a custom Tsunami sound chips and all the Climax’s are now fitted with this chip set. The Bachmann Consolations are also fitted with Tsunami sound chips from Soundtraxx. Loksound chips are being fitted in the diesels, two are now fitted.
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