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N Scale

Recording the progress of building the Denver’s RailRoads N Scale layout

All genuine posts are welcomed and will be acknowledged. Please submit your first post by email to: dennis@denversrailroads.com

At last — I have finished laying turnouts!

Progress since last update:

  • Finished laying all of the turnouts on the Denver Union Stockyards section.
  • Just got to realign the Kato track and turnouts in Commerce City.
  • Then on to Flatirons scenery and kit building.

Actioned since 14th January 2024:

  • North Yard Locomotive facilities — All turnouts laid.
  • Cargill, Alpine and RG Motorway Industries — All turnouts laid
  • Commerce City Industries — Kato turnouts and track partly laid
  • Denver Union Stockyards — Two of six turnouts laid

To be actioned in the immediate future:

  • Finish laying turnouts at Commerce City and Denver Stockyards
  • Ballast track between Big 10 Curve and Crescent Siding
  • Install Flatirons scenery
  • Start building kits

Action Plan

Due to the size and complexity of the new enlarged Coors Golden branch the sequence of track laying has been changed to the following:

  1. North Yard Locomotive facilities
  2. Cargill, Alpine and RG Motorway Industries
    • Scenery can now commence for modules 7 & 8 between Utah Jct. and the Moffatt Tunnel East Portal
  3. Commerce City Industries
  4. Denver Union Stockyards
    • Ballasting and applying of scenic material for the Denver yards & Denver stockyards together with finalising the wiring and the control panels can now commence
  5. Craig Branch
    • Scenery can now commence for module 11 between the West Portal and Craig
  6. Repair the Joint Line Return Loop & South Denver Module
    • Rewiring of the control panel will be required here
  7. Denver Union Station – C&S Trackage
  8. UP Industries & small yard
  9. Ford Motor & East Denver Belt Line Lead Tracks
    • Ballasting and applying of scenic material for the DUT, Rice yard & industries together with finalising the wiring and the control panels can now commence
  10. Coors Golden Branch

Finished laying the Main Line — at last!

Finally finished installing all 7 staging tracks (holding 14 18 car trains) at the Grand Jct. return loop which means that both the Rio Grande and CB&Q/UP main lines have been installed, leaving only the track for 9 branches and industry groupings to be laid.

Removed part of the scenery divider thereby making it possible to expand the Coors Brewery trackage by 150% whilst eliminating the Glenwood Springs Industrial area which was not prototype based.

Before:

After:

Coors Brewery now has 8 separate buildings:

  • Coors Brewery Main Building
  • Power Plant
  • Brewing & Transload Operations
  • Rocky Mountain Metal Container Factory
  • Coors Porcelain Company
  • Bottling Plant
  • Distribution Center
  • East Silos Elevator

Phase 1 Action:

Going well. As at 19th November 2023 — Progress is as follows:

  1. D&RGW North Yard Classification tracks:
    • Cork laid Completed
    • Track laid Completed
  2. North Yard Locomotive facilities:
    • Cork laid Completed
    • Turnouts laid
    • Track laid
    • Kits built
  3. Cargill, Alpine and RG Motorway Industries:
    • Cork laid  Completed
    • Track laid
    • Kits built
  4. Denver Union Stockyards:
    • Cork laid Completed 
    • Track laid
    • Kits built
  5. C&BQ Classification Yard – using Kato #4 turnouts:
    • Cork laid  Completed 
    • Kato turnouts Completed
    • Track laid Completed
  6. Commerce City Industries:
    • Cork laid  Use Kato Set-Track
    • Track laid
    • Kits built
  7. Grand Junction Loop:
    • Cork laid  Completed
    • Kato 19″ Set-Track Curves Just started to lay
    • Turnouts laid
    • Track laid
  8. Craig Branch:
    • Cork laid Completed
    • Track laid
    • Kits built
  9. Glenwood Springs Industries:
    • Cork laid  
    • Track laid
    • Kits built
  10. Coors Brewery and Golden Branch:
    • Cork laid  
    • Track laid
    • Kits built
  11. Ford Motor & East Denver Belt Line Lead Tracks:
    • Cork laid Completed
    • Track laid
  12. Repair the Joint Line Return Loop trackage

Current Progress & The Immediate Future

Action since June 27, 2023:

  1. Connected feeder wires for T428 & T429 to PD4 track and control panel
  2. Sorted out the G004/G005 track wiring confusion
  3. Cut gaps in PD4 white track as necessary
  4. Started to test run a train over PD3 & PD4, returning to North Yard over PD2 & PD5 track
    • Need to fix up to 4 or 5 black spots that prevents the train running without human assistance

Immediate Action:

  1. Fix electrical black spots on the main line loop of track that prevents the train running without human assistance
  2. Update the Denver’s Railroads (DR) website with links to sites with extensive prototype data
  3. Change the timeframe on the DR website from 1947-1969 to 1962-1972
  4. Make the track laying change as detailed under “Planning Change” below
  5. Finish building the South Denver Kits and start building the DUSTY kits
  6. Continue gluing rubber panels on garage floor
  7. Send Kato drop-in DC locos to Peter Flower for DCC installation

Planning Change:

Based on a number of operational layouts I have been viewing on YouTube of late, in order to start operations earlier than currently planned, I should build the RG North Yard and CBQ 38th Street Yard next.

This would include building the DUSTY Stockyards, Commerce City and the North Yard industries. I have sufficient stock of track, cork and turnouts to complete this task without a significant expense. There are very few operational issues in this build and once complete would enable operations by using the already laid South Denver loop track as DUT and roots south.

Once complete this would enable an Operating Freight and Passenger Layout between Denver North Yard and Grand Junction Loop & Staging Tracks.

Once complete the following urgent actions would be:

  1. Install the remaining 6 tracks of the 7 loop tracks at Grand Jct . . .
    • Install BD-20s connecting to the UP/CBQ main line and the 7 staging tracks.
    • Build the Flatirons scenery on the PD5 module.
    • Build the Winter Park/Moffat Tunnel scenery on the PD4 module
  2. Lay Craig Branch trackage and wiring and then . . .
    • Build the Craig Branch kits
    • Activate the two PD4 control panels.
  3. Activate DUT, South Denver, Joint Line Loop & Staging Tracks
  4. Build the Layout Framework for the enlarged Joint Line Loop & Staging Tracks.
  5. Relay enlarged Joint Line Loop & Staging Tracks.
  6. Lay additional trackage for DUT area.

Ongoing Progress

Action since June 22, 2023:

  1. Glued down 20+ rubber panels on floor of layout room
  2. Test run Loco over PD4 & PD2 – electrical black spots problems identified

Immediate Action:

  1. Connect feeder wires for T428 & T429 to PD4 track and control panel
  2. Cut gaps in PD4 white track as they currently light up for multiple blocks
  3. Fix electrical black spots on PD4 track
  4. Test run a train over PD3 & PD4, returning to North Yard over PD2 & PD5 track.
  5. Continue gluing rubber panels on floor of layout room

Big Picture Tasks for Action — once the immediate tasks have been actioned:

  1. Install the Kato double crossover and industry tracks on the DUSTY small loop and then . . .
    • Build the DUSTY kits — its time for a change — and finish the South Denver kits.
    • Install all PD7 tackage and activate the control panel.
  2. Install the 7 loop tracks at Grand Jct . . .
    • Install BD-20s connecting to the UP/CBQ main line and the 7 staging tracks.
  3. Lay Craig Branch trackage and wiring and then . . .
    • Build the Craig Branch kits
    • Activate the two PD4 control panels.
    • Build the Flatirons scenery on the PD5 module.
    • Build the Winter Park/Moffat Tunnel scenery on the PD4 module.
  4. Lay the North Yard and CBQ Yard trackage.
  5. Enable an Operating FREIGHT Layout between Denver North Yard and Grand Junction Loop & Staging Tracks.

Next Phase: Activate DUT, South Denver, Joint Line Loop & Staging Tracks

  1. Build the Layout Framework for the enlarged Joint Line Loop & Staging Tracks.
  2. Relay enlarged Joint Line Loop & Staging Tracks.
  3. Lay additional trackage for DUT area.

Daily Progress & Error Blog

Actioned since 10th May 2023:

  1. Extended BUS wiring to second PD4 (Gore Canyon) module and control panel.
  2. Laid cork roadbed to Edna Mine, etc on the Craig Line.
  3. Began to install PD4 feeder wires.
  4. Laid NO-OX grease on PD6 & PD7 loop trackage.
    • D&RGW F7ABA runs very well on this track
    • Cleaned with a Peco block rubber all of the problem spots on PD2 & PD5 trackage in preparation for laying NO-OX on this track
    • Note that all testing has been conducted at NCE speed notch 10 (16 scale mph)
  5. Relocated BD-20s and Accessory point motor controls on South Denver PD11 loop.

Immediate Action:

  1. Lay NO-OX on PD2 & PD5 track and test the loop.
  2. Lay CRC Di-electric grease on PD3 & PD4 trackage and test with ATSF locos to be used at the AMRA show during June holiday weekend.
  3. Investigate and maybe fix the “short” problem running lighted passenger cars on PD2.
  4. Continue installing feeder wires on PD4 (Gore Canyon) module and test.
  5. Lay Craig Branch trackage and wiring.

Ongoing Action:

  1. Fix or replace sticky point motors: P313;315;317;318.
  2. Design PD4 control panel diagrams with Visio and install switches and LEDs.
  3. Build PD3 & PD4 kits and install scenery.
  4. Rewire South Denver PD11 trackage and control panel.
  5. Finish building South Denver kits.
  6. Test run trains from South Denver to Grand Jct. and return.
  7. Lay all of the Grand Junction return loop tracks.
  8. Lay DUSTY tracks and build livestock kits.
  9. Build kits for the layout trackage laid.

Daily Progress & Error Blog

Actioned tonight:

  1. Finished installing all of the PD4a point motors:
    • P319;320;314;316;319;320 work ok.
    • P313;315;317;318 have issues and may need to be replaced.
  2. Started using new DCC Concepts soldering iron with temp control and auto turn off. Pretty good results so far.

Immediate Action:

  1. Finish the BUS wiring for PD4.
  2. Fix or replace sticky point motors: P313;315;317;318.

Ongoing Action:

  1. Need to investigate stalling problems with Big Loop turnouts.
  2. Solve “short” problem running lighted passenger cars.
  3. Complete laying track from Bond to Craig and temporarily wire.
  4. Design PD4 control panel diagrams with Visio and install switches and LEDs.
  5. Lay all of the Grand Junction return loop tracks.

Driving the Golden Spike (aka Peco Pin)

At last I have finished laying all of the main line trackage and joined the east and west track at Bond as can be seen in the last picture. This is the Rio Grande main line from Denver through the Flatirons, past Pinecliff siding, though the Moffat Tunnel and on past Winter Park, Grandby and Kremmling to the Gore Canyon and Bond.

I now have to connect all of the feeder wires to the tracks. The point motors are already wired as I do that as I go. However I still need to connect the point motor wires to the front of the layout for easy connection to a control panel. I am in the process of doing this wiring as I write.

The first section after North Yard is what I call The Flatirons Module (actually modules 7 & 8 — see first photo below) and I have already created a control panel for that module. I plan to use that module as a test bed for not only wiring, but also scenery and signals. Once successful I will move on to the Winter Park and Grandby Module (module 11) followed by the Gore Canyon (already scenic-ed and wired) and Bond Module.

Then, with both the UP/CB&Q and D&RGW main lines in operation, it will be a case of working though the list of outstanding actions as published on the Layout Overview page of the main website at https://denversrailroads.com/DPoverview.htm. Note that the completed actions have been crossed out and that some changes have been made since first publishing the overview.

Note also that there is an updated version of the Denver’s RailRoads track plan after all of the photos.

Denver’s Railroads Track Laying Plan in the 6 phases:

Phase One — Modules 5 to 8:

  1. All of the track from Utah Junction though Pinecliff to the East portal of the Moffat Tunnel
  2. All of the main lines from Utah Junction to the East Denver Belt Line turning circle
  3. DRGW MoW Yard
  4. Denver Union Stockyards
  5. UP Main Yard

Phase Two —  Modules 9 to 12:

  1. The D&RGW main line from the East portal of the Moffat Tunnel to Glenwood Springs
  2. The 7 staging tracks of the Grand Junction return loop
  3. Golden and Glenwood Springs industries

Phase Three —  Modules 2 to 4:

  1. Denver Union Terminal (DUT) Main Lines
  2. CBQ Rice Yard
  3. CBQ & DRGW Coach Yards
  4. East Denver Belt Line industries
  5. CBQ Engine Terminal

Phase Four —  Modules 1 to 1a:

  1. Re-lay the Joint Line return loop track and industrial trackage
  2. Build the South Denver industry kits
  3. Build Burnham Shops kits

Phase Five —  Modules 2 to 5:

  1. DRGW & UP Industrial Branches in front of DUT and industries
  2. UP Pullman shops
  3. UP Coach Yard

Phase Six —  Modules 6 to 6a:

  1. DRGW North Yard
  2. DRGW industries
  3. Commerce City industries
The Flatirons Module (modules 7 & 8) is on the left, the Winter Park/Grandby Module (module 11) is in the center and Gore Canyon is on the far right
This is the Bond Module (module 12) with the Wye in the foreground. The Golden Spike was laid to the left of the picture. It joined the Gore Canyon tracks to the Grandby tracks
A view of the layout beyond Bond (in the foreground)
A close up look of the area where the Golden Spike is driven
The Golden Spike is hammered home
Updated Denver’s RailRoads Track Plan as at February 10, 2023.
See the hi-res pdf version at https://denversrailroads.com/Denver/DR-Layout/DR153A3.pdf