illecillewaet Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi gang. I've recently discovered the Monarch
> Branch in the Fall 2010 issue of Classic Trains
> and have become quite interested in it. I'm
> thinking about building an HOn3 layout of it but
> have not been able to find and track arrangements.
> I've found plenty of photos on the web but that
> isn't enough to do justice to the branch. Here's a
> list of the questions I have. If any of you can
> provide track layouts or direct me to where I
> might find them, I'd be very grateful.
>
> Was there a wye at Maysville? A couple of the
> photos I've found appear to show one.
>
> Where was the wye at Monarch? There had to be one
> but I haven't seen a photo.
>
> Where there two mines at Monarch?
>
> Was there a siding at the bottom of the
> switchback? One photo that I found was identified
> as the bottom of the switchback and shows a
> siding, but it is the only photo I've seen that
> does. Perhaps the photo was misidentified.
>
> Thanks in advance for any assistance.
>
> Doug Mayer - Lonely Rio Grande enthusiast in the
> Great White North
> Revelstoke, BC, Canada
There was a wye at Maysville which was installed in the 40's, up until it was installed engines would run backwards from Monarch to Maysville if they had multiple turns to make to Monarch. Once the wye was installed they would turn at Monarch on the wye and again turn at Maysville prior to the next turn.
There was a siding at the base of the Garfield switchback which allowed descending loaded trains to put the two 14 car sections together as one train for the journey to Maysville or Salida.
There was a wye at Monarch and only one breaker which was used above the tipple where the gons were loaded.
I'll see about rustling up some photos that help make sense of all this. Also recommend getting one of Greg Scholl's recent DVD's called the Rio Grande 3rd Division which documents the Monarch operations and barrel transfer very well.
William
aka drgwk37