Rio Grande HO models which are close/correct with dates purchased & main usage, and notes where appropriate:
COVERED HOPPERS
- Proto 2000 & Exact Rail PS-2CD 4427 cu ft high side 3-bay covered hopper (gray D&RGW '67 & 3/68 barley & petroleum coke)
- Walthers 50' 4800 cu ft 2 compartment air slide covered hopper (orange D&RGW 11/71), gray D&RGW-ends are slightly different, 8/69 sugar beats)
- Walthers PS-2CD 4427 cu ft 3-bay covered hopper (gray D&RGW 1964 potash)
- Concor PS2 3-bay covered hopper (gray D&RGW 1959 cement)
- Tangent Scale Models
www.tangentscalemodels.com PS-2CD 4740 cu ft 3-bay covered hopper (orange D&RGW LO series 15400-15499 7/71 grain & minerals). This model is offered 12 road numbers accurately painted for DRGW. These models have many more details and finely scaled parts than most HO models.
- Athearn PS-2CD 4740 cu ft 3-bay covered hopper (orange D&RGW LO series 15400-15499 7/71 grain & minerals) The gray model produced by Athearn was bogus.
- Athearn 52' ACF CF5250 3-bay covered hopper (orange large D&RGW LO series 15500-15559 3/73 grain) incorrectly has the angle iron stiffener - alternative is to use Accurail's car and convert to 4-bays and replace roof walk with older style
- Walthers Gold Line RTR 2893 3 bay 2893 cu ft PS2 (D&RGW Gray LO series 18197-18224 1959 cement) these cars appear to be an excellent match to the prototype.
- Athearn RTR PS-2 2893 PS (gray D&RGW Greenville series 18020-18099, 7/61 freight loading type not listed) This Pullman Standard based model can only be considered a stand-in because it does not match the Rio Grande Greenville covered hopper roof. The sides have the end channel posts and correct number of ribs, however, the roof on the prototype has evenly spaced hatches while the model has paired hatches on either end.
- Athearn RTR, upgraded MDC FMC 4700 cu ft 3-bay low hip 3-bay covered hopper (orange D&RGW series 15600-15669 11/73 grain)
- Intermountain PS 4750 cu ft 3-bay covered hopper (orange D&RGW '74,'79 wheat, barley, potash, perlite)
- Athearn RTR 34' PS2 2003 2-bay covered hopper (gray D&RGW series 18325-18349 1956 cement) The Athearn car is an upgrade MDC model and appears to be a good representation of the Rio Grande prototype although the end treatment is still a bit crude and thick)
- Athearn RTR ACF 2970 cu ft (D&RGW gray series 15993-15999 cement) The Athearn model appears to match the Rio Grande prototype except for the horizontal rib stiffener along the upper side sill.
- Kadee PS2 2003 cu ft 2-bay covered cement car (gray D&RGW 2/56 & 12/56 cement ) Atlas's model is a close stand-in
- Front Range ACF CF2980 2-bay covered hopper (gray D&RGW 7/77 cement) decorating by FR is wrong for this class car.
- Intermountain ACF CF2980 2-bay covered hopper (gray D&RGW 7/77 cement)
- KATO PS/GA 1958 cuft 2-bay covered hopper (gray D&RGW 1946 & 5/49 cement) gray is on the dark side
- Bowser PS 1958 cu ft 2-bay covered hopper (gray D&RGW)
- Eastern Car Works/Concor/Walthers 2600 cu ft single compartment air slide
COAL CARS
- Stewart 3-bay Bethlehem 70-ton 12 & 14 panel (black small D&RGW 14P 1957/58, 12P 1960/62/66)
- Bowser 3-bay 100-ton built by C&O Raceland shops (reporting marks only - no stacked logo, acquired 2nd hand in 1990 from UMP)
- Walthers 4-bay Bethlehem 100-ton hopper (D&RGW small logo 5/64, large logo 1968/69/71 and 72), model has angle iron stiffeners on the upper side-sill - standard on the early orders.
- ExactRail 4-bay 3483 cu ft Bethlehem 100-ton hopper (D&RGW large logo 1974/75/77/78/79 & 82) the model has no angle iron stiffeners on upper side-sill, matching the orders from 1974 through 1982)
- Bachman Silver series 3-bay covered hopper (wrong paint scheme - should be restinciled plain cars, ex-N&W, acquire 2nd hand-date? Ex-UMP, same as C&O built cars. Model is almost two feet short in length.)
- Athearn RTR-upgraded MDC Thrall hi-side gondola (correct for joint UP/D&RGW Kaiser coal train cars 5/69, D&RGW owned only 5, UP owned 95 originally. UP purchased more Thrall gons later when demand increased). These Thrall gons are also appropriate for second-hand ex-COPX, DJJX, KCS, OGEX and PLMX coal gons.) Athearn has also offered Thrall gons with NORX and PCSX paint schemes. D&RGW Blue-end gons sold by Athearn were leased by DRGW 1981-1984.
- Walthers 4000 cu ft Bethlehem triple for the ex-AEPX cars and a very close stand-in for the ex-WP cars.
- Atlas Trainman close to a welded 3-bay class.
- LBF Coal Porter - rotary hopper is closed to PSCX unit coal cars delivered in 1985 adding to the Thrall fleet. The LBF car is about a scale foot too tall but otherwise very similar to the prototype.
BOXCARS
- Athearn 86' Greenville 4-door auto box car, two 10ft plug doors per side (orange large D&RGW logo 11/69 Ford service) Athearns car is welded but the prototype is rivited.
- Athearn 86' Thrall 4-door auto box car, four 10ft plug doors per side (brown small logo 6/64, large logo 5/67 Fort parts pool) Athearn car has wheel wells, prototype had straight side sill.
- Walthers 86' PS 8-door auto box car (dark brown small D&RGW logo 7/66 GM parts, sold to UP in 1972)
- Atlas 60' ACF double door auto box car (brown large D&RGW logo 1966/70 GM parts, most to UP 1972)
- Walthers and Intermountain 60' single door PS auto box car (dark brown small D&RGW logo 1965/66)
- Athearn Genesis 60' Berwick waffle box car (brown large D&RGW 12/78)
- Athearn Genesis 50' PC&F 10'6" door box car (orange D&RGW 2/72) tack board wrong position, but very close otherwise.
- Eel River 60' PC&F RBL box car (orange D&RGW 4/72 beer service) needs flat roof and fill in side sill notches to stirrups).
- Walthers 50' FGE RBL single plug door box cars (orange D&RGW 7/71)
- Walthers 50' North American RBL flat rivited sides (orange D&RGW owned 1965-1972) roof is thick
- Walthers 50' North American RBL w/ rivited exterior post sides (not offered in RG paint)
- Athearn Genesis 50' NACC (same as above Walthers car but finer model)
- Details West/Athearn 50' Evans combo door box car (orange large D&RGW 1968 general service, wallboard & forest products) incorrect but may serve as a stand-in
- Kadee 50 PS dd box car (brown small D&RGW logo 1957, most sold to MA&PA in 1977, auto parts)
- Intermountain 40' PS single door box car (brown small D&RGW leased 350 2nd hand cars in 1966)
- E&C Shops/LBF 50' Gunderson Hi-cube Dread Naught ends boxcar (light orange D&RGW 1967)
- Branchline 50' North American single plug door box car (D&RGW GARX orange, black ends, silver roof, black lettering, green corner stripe. Early improved dreadnaught ends, overhanging diagonal panel roof, Blt 1954,1968 reweigh.
- MDC 50' North American single plug door box car (D&RGW NITX 3/64)
- Westerfield 66000-67499 series 40ft composite wood & steel truss
boxcar built by Pullman (not PS!) in 1916. These lasted in company
service into the 1980s!
- C&BT Shops 12-panel 40ft boxcar. (Change the side sill and you are
95% there for the 67500-67999 series.)
- High Tech PS 40ft high cube appliance boxcars, + Microscale decal set
- Front Range 50ft single 8ft door boxcar (notch side sill to match
64000-64099 series. (Branchline does a notched-sill model, but it
has a 9ft door.)
- Modeler's Choice ACF 50' combo door 63300-63499 series Precision Design box cars
- Modeler's Choice GATC 63000-63099 & 63200-63299 series box cars
(ALL 40' cookie boxes produced in plastic are bogus to date, no one makes the straight side sill Pressed Steel box car yet)