D&RGW • C&S • CB&Q • UP • AT&SF • CRI&P + SP • MP • WP

Denver's RailRoads Blog Page

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

Daily Progress & Error Blog

Actioned tonight:

  1. Wired T503 & T504 with Loops to the BD20s. Tested ok.
  2. Replaced screw terminals for P264-P267 with a solder terminal strip. Easier to access.
  3. Wired 24vDC CDU to local control panel.
  4. Wired P264 – tested ok.

Outstanding Actions for current phase:

  1. Finish wiring turnouts P265-P267.
  2. Find fault of sticky track over P264 & P267.
  3. Reinstall turnouts P311 & P312.
  4. Test UP/CBQ loop for freight running and run test trains on both the UP and DRGW trackage ahead of NMRA meeting on Sunday.
  5. Buy Black Mat Paint and other supplies for the NMRA working bee on Sunday.

Daily Progress & Error Blog

Actioned tonight:

  1. Wired T505 and tested ok.
  2. Connected 9vDC power to solder board for T503 & T504. Only loop wiring and testing still to be done.
  3. Added Brother Labels as required.
  4. Installed screw terminals for P264-P267.

See yesterdays blog for lists of outstanding actions.

Daily Progress & Error Blog

Tonight’s ActionWorking on Power District (PD) 3 being the RG main line from Denver to the Moffat Tunnel on Module 8+7

  1. BD-20 for T407 defective. Negative lead #2 to external LED failed – zero volts. Swapped for a new BD-20 and all is ok now.
  2. Replaced 4 x AAA batteries in CAB 02.
  3. Track cleaned with ACT-6006 on 6th April needed cleaning again. Used CRC-26 this time. We shall see.
  4. Ran the 3 test locos (2110; 3008; 5654) over T505 to T412. Ran ok after a fashion. I think the locos need more running in.

Action Problems:

  1. Wire T505
  2. Connect BD-20s to T504 & T503
  3. Connect turnouts group starting with P264 to control panel
  4. Check sticky power to P264 & P267
  5. Test UP/CBQ loop for freight running (passenger running requires significant changes in wiring) and run test trains on both the UP and DRGW trackage

On going Action:

  1. Clean small test circle track and commence formal running-in of locomotives
  2. Maybe Speed Match
  3. Wire track & turnouts from Winter Park to Bond to temp connections in the control panels
  4. When complete lay track from Bond to Craig and temporarily wire
  5. Lay all of the Grand Junction return loop tracks

Daily Progress & Error Blog

Tonight’s Action: Working on Power District (PD) 3 being the RG main line from Denver to the Moffat Tunnel on Module 8+7

Wired all 6 of the block occupancy LEDs on control panel that are linked to the BD20s.

All worked except T407.

Battery in CAB 02 appears to have failed.

Going forward: The clear yellow LEDs display much better than at first thought. Clear yellow LEDs should be swapped for all of the normal yellow LEDs used for turnout direction in the control panel for Module 8+7.

Daily Progress & Error Blog

Tonight’s Action

Fixed P305 Turnout. Problems found:

  • Yellow common wire broken
  • Orange wire broken
  • Push button not working – replaced

Swapped P302 yellow for clear yellow LED. Looks ok but not worth swapping any more.

PD3 on Module 8+7 Action still required

  1. Install block occupancy LEDs on control panel – linked to the BD20s.
  2. Extend wiring to blocks before and after T407-T412 for testing.
  3. More through loco testing including real trains with consists.
  4. Repeat PD3 action on PD5 (Booster #3) UP/CBQ main line.
  5. Test thoroughly and then start to add scenery.

Daily Progress & Error Blog

Working on Power District (PD) 3 being the RG main line from Denver to the Moffat Tunnel on Module 8+7

  1. Track successfully installed for all of the track blocks T407-T412. All wired and trains run ok.
  2. NCE BD-20 track detectors installed for all 6 blocks. 3 loops of solid feeder wire used.
  3. After a lot of time waste due to the 9cDV polarity supply being incorrectly identified they all now correctly light on the board when the block is occupied.
  4. 2 blocks overnight lost power due to inadequate solder connections. Resolved and all ok now.

Previous completed work on PD3 on Module 8+7

  1. Control Panel constructed, plan drawn and all turnout DPDT switches and LED lights installed.
  2. Preference would have been for SPST momentary contact switches + Gaugemaster GM500 latching relays. However GM500s failed to work after many attempts and different relays. Gave up and reverted to DPDT switches + push buttons for power from the CDU.
  3. All DPDT turnout switches now installed and all working ok except P305.
  4. Track cleaned on Tuesday 04/04/2023 with ACT-6006. Appeared to immediately work ok – no stalling. However locos often need a big 5 nudge to initially start.

Next Action on PD3 on Module 8+7

  1. Install block occupancy LEDs on control panel – linked to the BD20s.
  2. Extend wiring to blocks before and after T407-T412 for testing.
  3. More through loco testing including real trains with consists.
  4. Repeat PD3 action on PD5 (Booster #3) UP/CBQ main line.
  5. Test thoroughly and then start to add scenery.

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

Building the Rio Grande line to Glenwood Springs

A while ago I finished building the UP/CB&Q/AT&SF/C&S/ROCK main line North and East from Denver to the return loop at the end of the layout. By and large the track will be concealed from viewers by way of either a gully or a tunnel, so it is not very exciting, but its a way of moving trains in and out of staging (the return loop) for the Denver’s RailRoads listed.

However the main attraction is going to be the Denver & Rio Grande Western main line thru the Moffat Tunnel from Denver to Glenwood Springs. This line will provide passing sidings, industries and spectacular scenery, including the Flatirons, the Moffat Tunnel and Byers and Gore Canyons, together with mountain grades and eventually a branch to Craig.

Work recently commenced as can be seen in the following photographs.

This is the beginning of the Rio Grande line with the Big 10 curve on the left then rising up thru the Flatirons and Tunnels 2, 3 & 4 to the East Portal of the Moffat Tunnel.
This is the view of the track exiting from the West Portal of the Moffat Tunnel.
A close up view of where the West Portal will be installed. The tunnel entrances have already been 3D printed and just await installation.
The track past the Winter Park station and the Alpine Lumber Company Granby Branch, which has decided to add an industrial rail spur to improve deliveries of timber and related products.
Following the prototype the line is double tracked between Winter Park and Granby.

That’s it for now. The next job is to lay a crossover ahead of Granby Station and spurs to the Granby Sawmill, Independent Propane Co and Granby Auto Parts, all existing industries that have decided to add a connection to the Rio Grande Railroad in order to improve the efficiency of their operations.

What’s on my Workbench

This is both my computer workbench and with the addition of another small table my detail (e.g. decoder or coupler) installation workbench
My kit building workbench. Also the workbench I use when testing turnout motors.
My portable workbench for general projects. This 6′ table is on wheels and can be moved around the layout.
This is my portable track laying workbench – built on top of an old hi-fi speaker cabinet with wheels.
My small tool storage cabinet.

Another “Final” Track Plan

A while ago I decided to replace the East Denver Belt Line on Module 8 with the Rio Grande (D&RGW) main line from Denver to the East Portal of the Moffat Tunnel which previously had been mainly hidden trackage. So far so good.

However, I really did want to keep the industries of The East Denver Belt Line (aka Northwestern Terminal Railroad or NTR), a sprawling group of Denver industries between Utah Jct. at the north end of the D&RGW North Yard and Commerce City as can be seen in the map shown at Denver-Belt-Line-Map.pdf (denversrailroads.com). However, many of these industries were not established in the 1950’s and 60’s so I am really only concerned with those industries that were in existence back when Denver’s RailRoads is set (1947-1967), including:

  • Conoco (Continental Oil) Refinery. Built 1930.
  • Brannan Sand & Gravel. Est. 1906. Manufactures Aggregates, Asphalt Paving and Concrete.
  • Weyerhaeuser Distribution Center. Est. 1921. Suppliers of building materials.
  • Eaton Metal Products. Est. 1924. Fabricates a wide variety of vessels & tanks.
  • Kopper’s. Est. 1923. Manufactures treated wood products
  • Central Fibre Products Co. Est. 1931. Manufactures of packaging solutions.
  • Denver Union Stockyards including:
  • Denver Union Stock Yard Exchange Building. Built 1881;
  • The Colorado Packing and Provisions Company, aka Armour & Company. Built 1917;
  • Swift & Company, who began operating in the McConnell Building in 1951.

In the event it was not too difficult a task as the Rio Grande North Yard is on the west side of Denver and the Union Pacific’s 36 St. Yard and Pulman Yard were on the east side. As the East Denver Belt Line ran from the west to the east planting these industries between the two made geographical sense and will create a natural scene divider. I had no choice but to use modelers license and extend the Belt Line, with three of the industries, into Burlington territory where there was some free real estate.

If you are familiar with Denver city, you will know that the CB&Q 38 St. Yard is also located between the D&RGW and UP yards. But apart from the lace of space it would be one yard too many for a model railroad. Consequently, the CB&Q will have to share space with subsidiary Colorado & Southern’s Rice Yard which in the 1950’s was located adjacent to Denver Union Station.

To view the latest “final” track plan go to document (denversrailroads.com).