D&RGW in San Luis Valley

This is a photo collection featuring the different types of Denver & Rio Grande Western freight car models I have. I am modeling Denver & Rio Grande Western in San Luis Valley during the 1950s and 1960s. I have also included ART reefers and tank cars from Conoco since they were very important for the traffic in the valley.

I have included information about the manufacturer of model and any improvements I have made to the model.

Please give me feedback if you discover anything that is wrong or unclear.

PS-1 box car.

InterMountain undecorated kit. Custom paint with Champ decals.

12-panel box car in the famous “Cookie Box” paint scheme.

The InterMountain model is of incorrect height. It's only 10' 0" internal height. The correct height should be 10' 4". I have kitbashed a straight sill and exchanged the ends to make it correct. Custom paint with Champ decals.

50' box car with plug doors.

E&C factory painted kit. The roof on this model is incorrect so I replaced it with a roof from Accurail.

Double sheeted 36' box car.

Sunshine resin kit.

PS-1 50' box car.

Kadee ready-to-run model.

PS-1 50' box car.

The InterMountain kit was painted orange so I repainted it box car brown which is the correct color. The doors are kitbashed from 8’+8' to 7’+8'. Decals from Kadee.

Double door 40' box car.

Sunshine resin kit.

Fowler 40' box car.

Westerfield resin kit

My version of a 67000-series box car.

It is kitbashed from a Sunshine kit for a 40', 12-panel box car. The sides are scratch built with doors from Kadee. Homemade decals. There is an article in the Prospector, Volume 12 Number 2, describing this project.

Baby Hy-Cube 40’ box car.

Hi-Tech Details undecorated styrene flat kit. Custom painted with Microscale decals.

40' 12-panel box car.

This model has the correct internal height, 10'4". Sunshine resin kit.

12-panel box car.

The InterMountain undecorated kit is of incorrect height. It's only 10' 0" internal height. The correct height should be 10' 4". I have kitbashed a straight sill and exchanged the ends to make it correct. Custom paint with Champ decals.

12-panel box car.

The InterMountain undecorated kit is of incorrect height. It's only 10' 0" internal height. The correct height should be 10' 4". I have kitbashed a straight sill and exchanged the ends to make it correct. Custom paint with Champ decals.

Insulated 50’ box car.

Athearn ready- to-run model.

Insulated 50' box car.

The Walthers model is ready- to-run but comes without walkway on the roof. The car had walkway during my era. I added tall ladders and a walkway.

General American 50' RBL.

Moloco ready- to- run model.

General American insulated 50' box car.

Branchline Trains painted kit. Delivered with the correct typ of overhanging roof.

General American insulated 50' box car.

Atlas bought Branchline Trains rolling stock business and re-released the same model again as ready to run model, but in the original paint scheme. Atlas changed the roof and didn't deliver the model with overhanging roof. I replaced it with the correct type from an unbuilt Branchline Trains kit.

50' plug door box car. Too modern for my era, built 1971.

Athearn ready-to-run model weathered by me.

ACF 2980 cuft 2-bay covered hopper.

InterMountain ready-to-run model.

PS-2CD 4427 cuft low side covered hopper.

ExactRail ready- to-run model. Walthers makes a cruder version of this car.

PS-2CD 4427 cuft high side covered hopper.

Life Like Proto 2000 painted plastic kit.

PS-2 2003 cuft 2-bay covered hopper.

Kadee ready- to-run model.

PS-2 2003 cuft 2-bay covered hopper.

Atlas ready-to-run model.

2-bay covered hopper.

The Kato kit had incorrect color. I stripped the paint and airbrushed it gray plus added new decals.

ACF 1958 cuft 2-bay covered hopper.

InterMountain ready-to-run model.

PS-2 2893 cuft 3-bay covered hopper.

Walthers ready-to-run model. I have cut away the ladder steps and grab irons and replaced them with new parts made from wire.

AAR 50-ton design flat car.

Life Like Proto 2000 painted kit
.

Bulkhead flat car.

The bulkheads in the Walthers kit are too tall. I have cut them down to correct height and added cabinets to the A-end.

End view of the cabinets on the Walthers bulkhead flat car.

Drop bottom 40' gondola.

Red Caboose painted kit.

70000-series drop bottom gondola.

This is a 3d-printed kit. I added some wires to enhance the look of the brake system. I also cut away the corner steps and replaced them with scratch built metal steps.

Composite sides drop bottom gondola.

Red Caboose painted kit.

4-bay hopper.

Walthers painted kit.

3-bay hopper.

Stewart painted kit with new wire grab irons.

3-bay hopper.

Stewart painted kit with new wire grab irons.

Stock car.

Athearn painted kit. Removed lettering boards and replaced them with new boards in correct position. New metal running board.

Stock car.

Walthers Trainline kit. Removed lettering boards and replaced them with new boards in correct position, new scratch built door and metal running board.

ART 40’ reefer.

Amarillo Museum painted kit made by InterMountain. This model represents the second paint scheme, correct for the 1950s and 1960s.

ART 40’ reefer.

Amarillo Museum painted kit made by InterMountain. This model represents the third paint scheme, correct for the 1960s.

ART 40’ reefer.

Amarillo Museum painted kit made by InterMountain. This paint scheme is correct for the 1940s and 1950s.

Conoco tank car.

Life Like Proto 2000 painted kit.

1100-series wood caboose.

Overland brass model, painted and decaled by myself.

1400-series riveted end cupola caboose.

Overland brass model, painted and decaled by myself.

1400- series riveted end cupola caboose.

Overland brass model. Delivered with 4-pane windows. I rebuilt it to single pane windows. Painted and decaled by myself.

1500-series wide vision cabooses.

The model to the left is an Overland brass caboose, painted by a friend. The caboose to the right is a kitbashed Walthers model with new paint and decals.