Both covers of this Dispatch were captured by the lens on our friend Sam Furakawa's layout up in Kirkland, Washington. This layout is a great example of what can be accomplished in a very short period of time when two or three guys with a specific goal in mind combine their time and talents to bring something into being: The goal: Create a super detailed, fully operational model based upon the scenery and operations of the Rio Grande Southern. And to do it in record time.

Thus far, aside from not the inconsiderable time spent researching and fitting a workable track plan into the alloted space, these guys have little more than twelve weeks total in the project.

Our front cover shows R.G.S. #42 crossing Bridge #145 with a typical R.G.S. freight in tow. The locomotive and cars, ( with the exception of the caboose ) are all P-B-L products; The far backdrop is a photo mural. Sam built the trestle, and along with our own Jimmy Booth plus Bill Banta, this railroad has gone from the thoughtful concept and planning stages to reality in less time than it would take most of us just to gather the stuff together to pull it off!