Prototype Research for Model Railroading

One of the most fun (at least to me) and important facets of prototype modeling, or even proto-freelance modeling, is undoubtedly one thing - research. Researching the prototype can even be a hobby in itself, and there are many ways to approach it. In this post, I'd like to talk about how I have gone about prototype research for the Ouray Branch, what sorts of material I've used and how they help and even how other modelers can use these tools to help with research for their own railroads. Now some of you may have heard this type of information before, especially if you are already a prototype modeler. There are many books and articles that have been written more or less on this very subject. I feel it is an important topic to discuss though, and one facet of the hobby I truly enjoy, so let's dive right in.

BOOKS - The first source of information that I find very useful are books. There have been literally hundreds, if not thousands, of excellent railroad books chronicling nearly every railroad out there (as long as they're not too obscure) and every imaginable railroad subject. If you do a little searching, I'm sure in most cases you can find at least one book relevant to the prototype you wish to model. Relating to the Ouray Branch project, here are two books in particular I have found very useful thus far:

"Gunnison: From Marshall Pass, Lake City and Crested Butte through to Ouray" has a section toward the back on the Ouray Branch, with some text but mostly photos and a couple of maps. 

"Colorado Rail Annual #11" on the other hand, has a section spanning the second half of the entire book dedicated to the branch, with lots of text covering the history on the line and a following section full of maps and photos. Many railroad books will include such material, and even the most minute amount of information or even a single photo in one of these books can provide a treasure trove of knowledge to help you with your prototype modeling. Go ahead, if you haven't already, start a search for books on your favorite railroad or a subject you are interested in. What information they can provide is often worth every penny spent!

MAPS - Often books will contain maps, but other sources may be available for maps which may assist you in your modeling. One source commonly used by model railroaders are Sanborn fire insurance maps. These can be used to determine what certain buildings are in the area you are modeling along with other useful information. Most of these maps that are currently available online are quite early however, and in my case, the available ones for Ouray are at best from 30 years or more prior to my era. However, some areas may change more than others, so even these early maps may be useful, especially in more rural locales where things tend to change more slowly. Here is a link to some 1908 Sanborn maps of Ouray.

A common saying these days is "Google is your friend." In this case, Google Maps or Google Earth can be useful, especially if you are modeling railroads in the present day or lines that still exist or even if the right of way is still visible. Much of the Ouray Branch right of way is still quite visible, even today, and so I have used Google to place some locations from photos that I didn't know exactly where they were, normally using the surrounding terrain as comparison tools. Here is a satellite image from Google Maps, showing the Cow Creek trestle (still standing today) and the right of way on both sides of it.

There are other sources of maps as well. ICC Valuation maps are particularly useful but can be difficult to find. Often, at least in the case of the Rio Grande, these maps more accurately show the track layout of certain areas than non-railroad maps do. Railroad track charts can also be found for many railroads. Take a look, these are incredibly useful tools.

RAILROAD DOCUMENTS - The railroads themselves can be incredibly useful resources. Employee timetables can be used to research not only the lines a railroad operated, but can give some insight into how they operated those lines. There are many examples of employee timetables for many railroads that have been scanned and are available online. Here are a couple pages from D&RGW Alamosa Division timetable #122:

Another document I have personally found interesting is a Condensed Profile of the D&RGW RR System from 1945. This document contains profiles of many of the Rio Grandes' lines, both standard and narrow gauge, as they were in 1945 including stations, watering facilities, grades, rail sizes and year said rail was installed, curvature, etc. Note the 45 and 30 pound rail between Ridgway and Ouray!

Train registers, valuation maps, track charts and all kinds of other material can be found. Do an online search or look around on eBay or at a local train show. There are all kinds of materials out there from the railroads that can provide immense amounts of information.

PHOTOGRAPHS - This is the really fun one for me. I have spent hours going over and compiling photographs of the Ouray Branch and yet, I continue to find photographs I haven't seen before. Google Images is a good starting point for this, but often you will get a lot of photos you aren't looking for. Ebay is a good source for photos if you want to pay a little for a photo. Often times for older photos on eBay, these are scans of slides or the slides themselves.

Photo sites more specifically tailored to railroads, especially if there is one for the railroad you wish to model, are the best in my opinion. For my subject, the Friends of the Cumbres & Toltecs' collection of photos, particularly those from the collection of Richard Dorman, have been immensely helpful for finding photos related to the D&RGW as well as the Rio Grande Southern. Dorman Photo Collection

Another source I have used is the digital photo collection of the Denver Public Library. This site contains all kinds of railroad photos, notably photographs taken by Robert W. Richardson and Otto Perry. Denver Public Library Photo Collections

There are many photo sites like this. If you do a little searching, you should have no trouble finding some kind of helpful photo.

OTHER RESOURCES SPECIFICALLY FOR MODELING - Lastly, you might find other resources that have been compiled specifically for model railroaders. Drawings, plans, maps and all kinds of other information may be available from other modelers and railfans that have been tailored toward model railroading. Many railroad historical societies have such material for modelers to use, take a look!

Mike Blazek is well known in the narrow gauge modeling community for his plans and so-called "Narrow Gauge Workbooks." The later is a compilation of information, maps, drawings and whatever else may be useful to the modeler grouped into workbooks, each in regard to a different location on several Colorado narrow gauge railroads. Mike also has plans available for these in HO, S and O scale and even some for the 2 foot gauge Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad in Maine. I have his Ouray and Ridgway workbooks as well as the plans for both depots, and they are a real gold mine of information.

This has been just a very basic look at prototype research for model railroading, what I have used for my own research and what you can use to research your own railroads. You can go as lightly or as deep into research as you want, but it is an essential tool for prototype modeling and truly can be a hobby in itself. I personally find it very enjoyable and it has helped immensely in the planning of my layout, which will be the subject of an upcoming blog post. If you would like a deeper look at some resources you can use for your research, TSG Multimedia made an excellent video with Master Model Railroader Jack Burgess on this very subject, and I highly recommend taking a look: Model Railroading With Jack Burgess Research Methods (On a side note, I visited Jacks' layout during the 2019 National Narrow Gauge Convention. It truly is among the best model railroads I have ever had the opportunity to visit.)

See you all down the 3 foot gauge track! Enjoy your research, it's well worth the time.