Elvas Tower: RGS Steam Ditcher 030 - Elvas Tower

RGS Steam Ditcher 030

Ditcher 030 was built by the American Hoist and Derrick Co for the D&RG railroad in 1919, and was assigned to the RGS in 1920. In 1939 the RGS traded 030 back to the D&RGW for K-37 455, and the D&RGW did not renumber it. The end of 030 is unknown, but it was known to still be in Gunnison in July 1944.

This series of ditchers was self propelled, as they had their own steam boiler, a steam engine and gear drive. 030 originally had side rods between wheelsets on both trucks, but these are removed in most pictures. The series was built with steam brakes, with the air brake line merely passing through the chassis, but 030 was later modified for air brakes by the addition of an air pump by the RGS.

030 was a J model which had a longer underframe than earlier models, and it’s jack points and rail hold down clamps were between it’s trucks instead of at the end of the underframe like the earlier models. It originally had a five foot structure extending from the boom end to rest the boom on the boom car when not in use, but this was removed early on. As a note of interest, it’s sister ditcher (D&RGW OX) was equipped to use a pile driver attachment on it’s boom. The idler car was a gondola with it’s sides cut down.

This TrainSim model was built from plans by R E Sloan published in A Century + Ten of D&RGW Narrow Gauge Freight Cars 1871 to 1981, and most of the above historical data was extracted from the same publication. Howard Saunders spent many hours working on the lettering, tweaking the texturing, and massaging the files. Herb Kelsey applied the rivets and lettering to the tender, and Derek Miller performed the Beta testing.

When making the consist, start by loading the Tender, followed by the Chassis, followed by the Idler car. Place the Cabin and Boom assembly (which does not display a thumbnail image) between the Chassis and Idler Car.

Hope you all enjoy it, Bill