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.
Denver’s Railroads Track Laying Plan in the 6 phases:
Phase One — Modules 5 to 8:
All of the track from Utah Junction though Pinecliff to the East portal of the Moffat Tunnel
All of the main lines from Utah Junction to the East Denver Belt Line turning circle
DRGW MoW Yard
Denver Union Stockyards
UP Main Yard
Phase Two — Modules 9 to 12:
The D&RGW main line from the East portal of the Moffat Tunnel to Glenwood Springs
The 7 staging tracks of the Grand Junction return loop
Golden and Glenwood Springs industries
Phase Three — Modules 2 to 4:
Denver Union Terminal (DUT) Main Lines
CBQ Rice Yard
CBQ & DRGW Coach Yards
East Denver Belt Line industries
CBQ Engine Terminal
Phase Four — Modules 1 to 1a:
Re-lay the Joint Line return loop track and industrial trackage
Build the South Denver industry kits
Build Burnham Shops kits
Phase Five — Modules 2 to 5:
DRGW & UP Industrial Branches in front of DUT and industries
UP Pullman shops
UP Coach Yard
Phase Six — Modules 6 to 6a:
DRGW North Yard
DRGW industries
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