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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

I had planned to complete the South Denver module 1, aka as the Joint Line Return Loop & Burnham Shops, to operational stage. Unfortunately, the size of the wiring job has somewhat overwhelmed me, largely because:

1. I wired all of the block detectors with the baseboard in a “pop-up” vertical position and did not take into consideration access after it was lowered back onto it’s normal horizontal position.
2. Wiring individual DCC accessory decoders for 40 turnouts is a long soul-destroying job.
3. I use solid wire which has many advantages. The one major disadvantage is that the one strand can easily break.
4. For economic reasons most of the turnouts have been re-used from previous layouts. This has led to questionable trackwork.

After a period of indecision, while I spent my time testing Locomotives on the new test loop of track (see first photo below) I decided that I would build west from the test loop to the Grand Junction return loop.

What I have done, and can be seen in the following photographs, is build the CB&Q and UP main line from the test track loop all the way to a single loop of track, being part of the Grand Junction loop. I have installed all of the main line turnouts as I went so that I can build on from the main line as required.

The Woodland Scenics risers are great but I hate how white they look. I had brush painted the sub-roadbed but I needed to spray paint the insides of the risers to remove the “white” look. With hindsight I should have sprayed a diluted brown or black wash, which would have been a lot cheaper than rattle cans.