Making Ethel’s Cafe, part 5

: result of the washes

I’m trying to duplicate the whole town of Cisco, Utah in N scale. Here, I represent the making of Ethel’s Cafe.


As you can see below, the color of earth differs depending on your point of view. The color of ea..

Paint Shop – 95 : Monon Railroad Boxcar 1722, part 2

: MON1722

Here are the data of the car and a belief history of the railroad.

MON 1701 – 1750 series boxcars:
The group #1701 to #1750 series cars were built by Pullman-Standard in April 1957.

The Official Railway Equipment Registe..

Going, Going, Gone part 3 − Street Running

: Michigan City, IN. Sep. 5, 2019
: Grand Junction, CO. Sep. 11, 2017

The blog “Boxcar Red Collection” marked the 10th anniversary February last year, before even I noticed it. Also is that many things are going or gone in this decade b..

Going, Going, Gone part 1 − Pedigree Geeps

The blog “Boxcar Red Collection” marked the 10th anniversary in February last year, before even I noticed it. Also is that many things are going or gone in this decade before I hardly noticed it. So, let me look back at what we’re missing o..

Cisco, Cisco, Cisco, part 3 – Cisco, Illinois

: 1956 USGS Aerial Photo of Cisco, IL

I’m trying to build the N scale replica of the town of Cisco, Utah circa 1970. Accordingly, it’s my routine to search “Cisco” on the web, but it goes wrong most of the times bothered by “San Francisc..

SP MWT #SPMW-5810, MWTK #SPMW-4256, MWTK #SPMW-63113, and MWF #SPMW-509473

: SPMW-5810

These former SP maintenance of way (MoW) equipment are found at Grand Junction, Colorado.

MWT #SPMW-58(10) is the tool car for UP Grand Junction Wreck Outfit. It once sported large speed lettering and “TOOL CAR HOUSTON DIV..

Reminders of the 70’s along Rio Grande 91 − Rainbow Lodge and Grocery, South Fork

: South Fork CO. Sep. 6, 2017

Rainbow Lodge is located at the center of South Fork, Colorado, on the junction of US Hwy 160 and State Hwy 149. Rio Grande Creede Branch once ran the backyard of the facilities along the namesake Rio Gr..

Surfaces - Everyday Life in the Early ’70s

Here, I introduce scanned images from my dad’s slides mostly taken in the early ’70s. 1964 Oldsmobile was our only choice for means of the family trip to as north as Fairbanks, AK, or to as south as Oaxaca, Mexico: we never used airlines...

Two-Lane Blacktop, Part 5 – Symmetry on the US Highway 6

: Syracuse, IN. Sep. 5, 2019
: Corunna, IN. Sep. 5, 2019

The word “symmetry” is a useful word to put the structure shortly. The two are tightly tied up just as they are regarded as symmetrical, even if there is little relation between t..

Utopia – Quest for the Perfection, part 1

: Gary, IN. Sep. 5, 2019

Last summer, our family visited several places in the United States where it thought to be utopias.

Here, utopia means a commune that quests for the perfection of economy, government, and/or justice through or..

Japanese at Cisco

: the 1900 Census of Cisco

As we can read on the hood of UP locomotives, the word “build” seems more suitable than “find” for the American continent. According to the Trains News Wire, Chinese railroad workers who worked for building Cen..

Grand Junction Locals, part 3

: Sep. 11, 2017. Westbound BNSF Local

As of Dec. 4, 2018, Trains News Wire, the introducing of Precision Scheduled Railroading at Union Pacific will be implemented by the middle of 2019.
It is already announced that MNYRO/MRONY was swi..

Grand Junction Locals, part 2

: Sep. 11, 2017. out(west)bound Landmark Local

The dairy trains MNYRO/MRONY serving Grand Junction were switched to tri-weekly MNYGJ/MGJNY in Dec. 2018.

These might bring some changes to the local traffic at Grand Junction and its vi..

Grand Junction Locals, part 1

: Sep. 11, 2017 Grand Junction, CO

The Rio Grande relied on bridge traffic. But, as we viewed in the previous posts, the Rio Grande at Grand Junction had quite a number of customers; industries or businesses served by the railroad at sid..

Grand Junction Industry Trackage – part 6

: Mesa Feed & Farm Supply Co. facilities

Here are some of the industries formerly served by the Rio Grande at Grand Junction. The industry trackage is long gone but several structures still retain the memory of their rail-served days. ..

Grand Junction Industry Trackage – part 5

: ZTS 728 Team Track
: ZTS 041 Depot #1 Track leased to BNSF

Here are some of the Rio Grande original facilities remained along its route in Colorado; industry trackage at Grand Junction.
　　
　　
As of Dec. 4, 2018, Trains News Wire, t..

Grand Junction Industry Trackage – part 4

: ZTS 775 looking north from the D Rd

Here is one of the Rio Grande original facilities remained along its route in Colorado; industry trackage at Grand Junction.
　　
　　
As of Dec. 4, 2018, Trains News Wire, the introducing of Precisio..

Grand Junction Industry Trackage – part 3

: ZTS 765 crossing 4th St
: Western Metals Recycling
: ZTS 765

Here is one of the Rio Grande original facilities remained along its route in Colorado; industry trackage at Grand Junction.
　　
　　
As of Dec. 4, 2018 Trains newswire, th..

Grand Junction Industry Trackage – part 2

: ZTS 701 looking west from S 9th St

Here is one of the Rio Grande original facilities remained along its route in Colorado; industry trackage at Grand Junction.
　
　　
As of Dec. 4, 2018, Trains News Wire, the introducing of Precision ..

Grand Junction Industry Trackage – part 1

: end of the lead at S 5th St

These are the Rio Grande original facilities remained along its route in Colorado; industry trackage at Grand Junction.


The Rio Grande only defined the term "siding" in its Rules and Regulations of the ..

East Grand Junction Classification Yard

: West Yard
: East Yard
: 1963 Track Chart of the yard

This is one of the Rio Grande original facilities remained along its route in Colorado; classification yard at Grand Junction.


Grand Junction was one of the strategic points a..

Grand Junction Rio Grande Motorway Depot

This is one of the Rio Grande original facilities remained along its route in Colorado; the Rio Grande Motorway depot at Grand Junction[1].


Grand Junction was one of the strategic points among D&RGW route between Denver and Salt ..

Grand Junction Freight Depot

This is one of the Rio Grande original facilities remained along its route in Colorado; the freight depot at Grand Junction.


Grand Junction was one of the strategic points among D&RGW route between Denver and Salt Lake City. Acco..

Grand Junction Utility Building

This is one of the Rio Grande original facilities remained along its route in Colorado; the Utility Building at Grand Junction.


Grand Junction was one of the strategic points among D&RGW route between Denver and Salt Lake City. A..

Grand Junction Depot

: postcard maybe printed in the '10s

This is one of the Rio Grande original facilities remained along its route in Colorado; the depot at Grand Junction.


According to Denver & Rio Grande Western Depots Volume 1 by Clive Carter, ..

D&RGW MWW #028, MWM AX-3330 and MWC X-3275

: DRGW #028
: DRGW AX-3330
: DRGW X-3275

These former D&RGW maintenance of way (MoW) cars are found at Grand Junction, Colorado. These cars and the former SP tool car #5810 form the UP Grand Junction wrecker derrick outfit.

MWW #028..

D&RGW MWC X-2574

: DRGW X-2574

This D&RGW MoW equipment is found at Grand Junction, Colorado. It appears to be marked as D&RGW X-2574.

According to Rio Grande Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment (MSCG), this car seems one of the MoW equipme..

Reminders of the 70’s along Rio Grande 90 − El Palomino Motel, Grand Junction

: Sep. 10, 2017

El Palomino Motel was located at the center of Grand Junction, Colorado, on 2400 North Ave facing old US Hwy 50 & 6. Palomino means white horse in Spanish.

Robert and Elberta V.(1919 – 2013) Senn purchased the motel in..

Reminders of the 70’s along Rio Grande 88 − Mesa View Motel, Palisade

: Sep. 11, 2017

Mesa View Motel is located at the center of the town of Palisade, Colorado on 424 W 8th St facing old US Hwy 50 & 6.

Robert Randal(1927 – 2016) and Vera Lois(1929 – 2010) Kittel built the motel in 1953 and operated it ..

D&RGW XM #68998, #68635, and #unknown

: DRGW 68998

This D&RGW boxcar is found at Monte Vista, Colorado.

Here is a sample of pre-war D&RGW 40’ all-steel boxcars: according to Rio Grande Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment (MSCG), 4/5 Dreadnaught end proves the ..

D&RGW XM #67924

: DRGW 67924

This D&RGW boxcar is found at Del Norte, Colorado.

Body style, barely read letterings “6*924” on end and “EXW 10’-8, IL 40’-6” on its side suggest this car as D&RGW XM #6*(7 or 8)924.

Rio Grande Color Guide to Freight..

Hooper Depot

This is one of the Rio Grande original facilities remained along its route in Colorado; the former depot at Hooper now moved to South Fork.

According to Denver & Rio Grande Western Depots Volume 1 by Clive Carter, Hooper depot was ..

Section Tool House near Wagon Wheel Gap, Colorado

This is one of the Rio Grande original facilities remained along its route in Colorado: the section tool house near Wagon Wheel Gap.

This picturesque old boxcar shed is found on former Rio Grande Creede Branch. Even though the bran..

Colorado River Bridge

: Sep. 11, 2017 Grand Junction, CO

This 730 feet 5 span Parker(camelback) through truss bridge spans the Colorado River at Grand Junction, Colorado[1]. It seems built in 1903 to haul by-then D&RG narrow-gauge route between Montrose and G..

Water Supply at Cisco, Part 2

: Colorado River at Cisco Landing

Residents of Cisco practically relied their water supply on Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad[1]. The railroad supplied the water since the establishment of the town and to the 50s.

The source of t..

Reminders of the 70’s along Rio Grande 87 – Dunham’s Fruit Stand, Green River

Dunham’s Fruit Stand is a roadside stand selling melons and watermelons. The stand is operated by Dunham Farm. According to Utah Division of State History Historic Building Search, this Bungalow style commercial building was built in 19..

Thompson Hill, part 2

: 360° view of the Thompson Hill

“Thompson Hill” is located about two miles east of Thompson, Utah: on milepost 526 at Rio Grande track charts. It lies next to the Rio Grande's highest point between Grand Junction, Colorado and Green Riv..

Rio Grande System Telephone Directory

Rio Grande SYSTEM Telephone Directory
Issued May, 1963
Issued February, 1965
Issued May, 1967
Issued January, 1973
Issued July, 1977
Issued July, 1981

These must have been one of the printed matters depots or section houses k..

An Expression Derived From Cisco − “Thelma & Louise”, Part 2

: a scene at youtube

Another scene is not found in the final shooting script; Louise and Thelma stop for a rest at a deserted town. There, Louise encounters an old man with the white beard and a hat in front of a shack next to the old ga..

An Expression Derived From Cisco − "Cisco Clifton’s Fillin’ Station", Part 2

: hodge-podge Cadillac

Here, I extract lyrics representing the town and people of Cisco from the song:

Cisco Clifton had a fillin' station
About a mile and a half from town

Regular gas was all that it sold
Except tobacco matches ..

Post Office

: Cisco, UT Sep. 11, 2014
: Cisco, UT Sep. 11, 2014

I’m trying to duplicate the whole town of Cisco, Utah in N scale. This post introduces one of the structures in the town.


A few businesses survived along US Hwy 50 & 6 at Cisco ..

D&RGW Telephone Booth (Outhouse)

: Cisco, UT. Sep. 11, 2014

I’m trying to duplicate the whole town of Cisco, Utah in N scale. This post introduces one of the structures in the town.


On the north side of Railroad Street/US Hwy 50 & 6 along the town of Cisco existed ..

Gas and Power Line Through Cisco

: Cisco, UT Sep. 11, 2014

Cisco was truly a railroad town. It relied on the Rio Grande for its establishment and survival: I wrote before about how the town relied on the railroad for the water. But utilities other than the railroad also..

Telephone Line Through Cisco

: Yanahara, Okayama, Japan

Cisco was truly a railroad town. It relied on the Rio Grande for its establishment and survival: I wrote before about how the town relied on the railroad for the water. But utilities other than the railroad als..

Some Southwestern Shorties – Southwestern Railroad, part 1

: Dexter, NM. Sep. 12, 2015

We happened to see several short lines during our vacation in New Mexico. Here is the one:

Former ATSF Carlsbad Sub from Clovis, TX to Loving, TX is leased and operated by Southwestern Railroad (reporting m..

Highway Through Cisco

: old US Hwy 50 & 6 near Cisco, UT Sep. 10, 2017

Cisco, Utah was truly a railroad town. The town relied on the Rio Grande for its establishment and also for its survival. But utilities other than the railroad also made some contribution ..

Rio Grande in Color Volume 2: Utah by James Sandrin

: cover

“Rio Grande in Color Volume 2: Utah” by James Sandrin, 128 pages, Morning Sun Books, 1998

This book introduces Rio Grande Utah Lines westward starting with Grand Junction. Era concerned dates from transition era and ends up wi..

Reminder of the 70's along Rio Grande 47 – Junction General Store, Junction, Utah

: Junction, UT Sep. 15, 2014
: Junction, UT Sep. 15, 2014

Junction General Store is located at the center of Junction, Utah on 70 S Main St (US Hwy 89).

According to Utah Division of State History (UDSH), this one part block commerc..

Reminder of the 70's along Rio Grande 46 – Post Office, Junction, Utah

: Junction, UT Sep. 15, 2014
: Junction, UT Sep. 15, 2014

Post Office was located at the center of Junction, Utah on 60 S Main St (US Hwy 89).

According to Utah Division of State History (UDSH), this one part block commercial buildi..

Reminder of the 70's along Rio Grande 45 – Junction, Utah

: Main & Center, Junction, UT Sep. 15, 2014

Junction, settled in 1880, is a town in Piute County, with a population of 135 according to 1970 Census, 191 according to 2010 Census.

The town is named after the location where Sevier Rive..

Reminder of the 70's along Rio Grande 25 – Crescent Junction Service Station, Brendel, Utah

: Brendel, UT Sep. 11, 2014
: postcard maybe printed in the 60’s

Crescent Junction Service Station was located at Brendel (or Crescent Junction) Utah on 20 E Old Cisco Hwy (old US Hwy 50 & 6), next to Rio Grande main.

Charles Edwin(..

McCoy’s Service

: site of McCoy's Service

: Cisco, UT. Sep. 11, 2014
: Cisco, UT. Sep. 11, 2014

I’m trying to duplicate the whole town of Cisco, Utah in N scale. This post introduces one of the structures in the town.


A few businesses survived ..

Denver & Rio Grande Western Depots by Clive & David Carter

: cover

I came to find these books at Amazon while I was looking for the picture of Cisco depot.

“Denver & Rio Grande Western Depots Vol. 1, Colorado” by Clive & David Carter, 156 pages, Createspace, 2013
“Denver & Rio Grande West..

CBC Caboose #1

: East Carbon, UT Sep. 10, 2014

This bay window caboose is found at East Carbon, Utah on 125 Whitmore Dr. East Carbon is located about 18 miles east of Wellington. This car is Carbon County Railway #1.

CBC #1 is a caboose built in 196..

Pacific Rim - 07

: Kamioka, Gifu, Japan. Aug. 8, 2013

When I first wrote my Pacific Rim column, I wrote that I was trying to paint out the edge of the Pacific Ocean by visiting the countries there. Japan is of course laid on the edge of the Pacific and I..

Duke's Service

: Cisco, UT. Sep. 11, 2014
: Cisco, UT. Sep. 11, 2014


I’m trying to duplicate the whole town of Cisco, Utah in N scale. This post introduces one of the structures in the town.


A few businesses survived along US Hwy 50 & 6 at ..

Cisco Automotive Service

: Cisco, UT Sep. 11, 2014
: Cisco, UT Sep. 11, 2014


I’m trying to duplicate the whole town of Cisco, Utah in N scale. This post introduces one of the structures in the town.


A few businesses survived along US Hwy 50 & 6 at Ci..

Preceding Studies of Cisco

: identified townscape filled in 1974 USGS aerial photo
: ICC valuation map, courtesy of Utah State Archives
: Plat, courtesy of Grand County

As the town is now declined into a ghost town, we have little information on how it was in th..

Cisco, Utah 84515

: Cisco shown in 1969 Texaco Touring Atlas (our travel route traced in yellow)

The town of Cisco lay in the middle of the barrens of southeastern Utah, along the US Hwy 50 & 6 between Grand Junction, CO and Green River, UT. Our family we..

Virtual Trip with The Guide – 10

: San Francisco St. Santa Fe in 1971
: San Francisco St. Santa Fe in 2015

The trip continues.
From South Rim of Grand Canyon, I can take Santa Fe train. Train No. 15 leaves Grand Canyon station at 6:30PM and arrives at Williams Junctio..

Virtual Trip with The Guide – 09

: deserted land west of Grand Junction

The trip continues.
It changes dramatically, from timberland to deserted land, as I move toward west along Rio Grande (actually route 6) from Denver. En route of Rio Grande, Denver, Glenwood Canyon..

General Traffic Department Circular

: front page

“RIO GRANDE FREIGHT TRAFFIC GUIDE” by Tramway Press, 99 pages, 1983

This is a reprint of the Shipper Guide/Directory issued by Rio Grande.

According to the Rio Grande rulebook, letter “B” following the name of statio..

Paint Shop - 03; Savannah & Atlanta Boxcar 947, part 3

SA 947

Here are the data of the car and a belief history of the railroad.

SA 900 - 999 series boxcars:
The SA series 900 to 999 boxcars were built in 1962 by American Car & Foundry.

After the description of UMTRR by George J. Irw..

Under frame components 01

: propane fuel carriers maybe made by Waukesha installed on SOU 25

I bought a passenger car roof and underframe accessories set by American Limited Models to detail Rio Grande dynamometer car produced by MTL.
As I have little Knowledge..

SYSTEM TIME-TABLE (D&RGW Employee Time Table)

: cover of ETT

"SYSTEM TIME-TABLE No. 2", 55 pages, 1974

This is the employee time table of Rio Grande.

As usual, we can find the train schedule. Here, the Rio Grande dispatches 12 westward trains and 6 trains eastward west of Gr..

Wheels on Wheels 02 -Brillion & Forest Junction Railroad trailer

: Brillion & Forest Junction Railroad trailer

This trailer with a cute pig on the flatcar was owned by Brillion & Forest Junction Railroad. As I didn't know at all about this short line, I supposed the carrier to be carrying forest produ..

Rio Grande Secret Places Volume 1 and 2 by R.C. Farewell

; cover

"Rio Grande Secret Places Volume 1" by R.C. Farewell, 160 pages, Colorado Railroad Museum, 1997
"Rio Grande Secret Places Volume 2" by R.C. Farewell, 206 pages, Colorado Railroad Museum, 1999

Vol. 1 geographically follows t..

CABINS, CRUMMIES & HACKS by John Henderson and Henry Maywald

: cover

"CABINS, CRUMMIES & HACKS VOL.1: NORTH & EAST" by John Henderson, 128 pages, H&M Productions, 1991
"CABINS, CRUMMIES & HACKS VOL.2: THE SOUTH" by John Henderson, 80 pages, H&M Productions, 1991
"CABINS, CRUMMIES & HACKS..