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

Progress

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

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

End of Year 2023 Review

Current Action through January 2024

  • Finish laying the track for the last quarter of the Grand Jct return loop and staging
  • Redraw tracks for Coors/Golden branch in CADRail
  • Change wiring to reflect direction of trains (currently wired as a loop)
  • Test and run main line trains
  • Prepare to start building kits and/or scenery
  • Finish building South Denver kits

Progress to date and 2024/25 Action Sequence

  1. Coors Brewery and Golden Branch:
    • Cork laid  
    • Track laid
    • Kits built
  2. Glenwood Springs Industries: Cancelled
    • Cork laid Cancelled
    • Track laid Cancelled
    • Kits built Cancelled
  3. Craig Branch:
    • Cork laid Completed
    • Track laid
    • Kits built
  4. North Yard Locomotive facilities:
    • Cork laid Completed
    • Turnouts laid
    • Track laid
    • Kits built
  5. Cargill, Alpine and RG Motorway Industries:
    • Cork laid  Completed
    • Track laid
    • Kits built
  6. Denver Union Stockyards:
    • Cork laid Completed
    • Track laid
    • Kits built
  7. Commerce City Industries:
    • Cork laid  . . . Use Kato Set-Track
    • Track laid
    • Kits built
  8. Ford Motor & East Denver Belt Line Lead Tracks:
    • Cork laid
    • Track laid
    • Kits built
  9. Repair the Joint Line Return Loop & South Denver Module:
    • Repair track
    • Finish building kits
    • Wire New Control Panel
  10. Denver Union Station – C&S Trackage
    • Cork laid  
    • Track laid
    • Kits built

Ongoing Progress:

Actioned since May 24, 2023:

  1. Laid NO-OX on PD2 & PD5 track.
  2. Applied CRC Di-electric grease to track just in front of every new Locomotive added to the layout. The Locos are held on the grease for 30 seconds or so, so that the Loco wheels get a good grounding.
  3. Successfully test run a number of locomotives pulling trains.
  4. Laid feeder wires to T424 to T427 on PD4.
  5. Connected BUS wires to G001 to G008 Gore Canyon track. Successful without any real dramas, including on the ballasted track.
  6. Locos can run on T428 & T429, meaning that the connection to the Grand Jct. loop is achieved. However specific feeder wires must be connected to the BD-20s on the control panel.
  7. Maybe found a couple of people to install decoders for me and to troubleshoot problem Locomotives.
  8. Purchased a Kato double crossover for DUSTY and two Kato single crossovers for yard planning.

Immediate Action:

  1. Finish connecting feeder wires to PD4 control panel.
  2. Cut gaps in PD4 white track as they currently light up for multiple blocks
  3. Test run a train over PD3 & PD4, returning to North Yard over PD2 & PD5 track.

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 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.

Daily Progress & Error Blog

Actioned tonight:

  1. Finished fixing the BUS wiring for PD4 tracks T315-T317 inclusive.
  2. After cutting new gaps in the White side I Installed plastic insulators in the gaps.
  3. Filed down and tested ok.

Notes:

  1. Loco moves very hesitantly over the Winter Park tracks.
  2. Needs a more thorough clean.

Immediate Action:

  1. Finish the BUS wiring for PD4.
  2. Fix or replace sticky point motors: P313;315;317;318.
  3. Checkout the actions request to fix the South Denver PD.

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.

Daily Progress & Error Blog

Tonight’s Cockup:

  1. Wired T415;416;417 white side. Red already wired and attached to Red BUS.
  2. Wired the white wires of T416;417 to their BD-20s.
  3. Wondered why up to 3 LED lights on the BD-20s lighted up at the same time.
  4. After a while I realised that the gaps had been cut in the RED rails – but not in the white.

Solution:

  1. Cut gaps in the white rails as well.
  2. That should fix the problem and will be a lot easier than re-wiring the Red wires through the BD-20s.

Then carry on with the schedule . . .

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.

Daily Progress & Error Blog

Actioned since 29 April 2023:

  1. Installed wiring from the Command Station to the two PD4 control panels.
  2. Installed the PD4 BUS from Winter Park to Grandby.
  3. Wired Turnouts P313, P314, P319 & P320.
  4. Stuck on P318 — point motor seems to be stuck.
  5. Tested the Big Loop from DUSTY (Denver Union Stock Yard) to Grand Jct loop. Runs ok sometimes. Locos seem to stall on a number of the turnouts when ran at low speeds. Speeds over NCE 20-30 do not stall. Significant problem.
  6. The “short” problem running with lighted passenger cars occurred when two locos passed each other on the Kato crossover section. They both stalled.

Immediate Action:

  1. Fix sticky P318 point motor.
  2. Need to finish wiring P315;316;317
  3. Need to finish the BUS wiring for PD4.
  4. Need to investigate stalling problems with Big Loop turnouts.
  5. Solve “short” problem running lighted passenger cars.

Ongoing Action:

  1. Complete laying track from Bond to Craig and temporarily wire.
  2. Design PD4 control panel diagrams with Visio and install switches and LEDs.
  3. Lay all of the Grand Junction return loop tracks.

Daily Progress & Error Blog

Actioned tonight:

  1. Installed wiring from the Command Station to the two PD4 control panels.
  2. Installed 40% of the PD4 BUS.

Immediate Action:

  1. Finish laying the PD4 BUS.
  2. Need to investigate stalling problems at P266 & P303 turnouts
  3. Solve “short” problem running lighted passenger cars.

Ongoing Action:

  1. Wire track feeders from Winter Park to Bond to the PD4 BUS.
  2. Wire PD4 turnouts to temporary connections on the control panels.
  3. When complete lay track from Bond to Craig and temporarily wire.
  4. Lay all of the Grand Junction return loop tracks.

Daily Progress & Error Blog

Actioned tonight:

  1. Cleaned Grand Jct. loop track with just Scotties micro clothes – no liquids – then ran tests.
  2. Two locos (5644 & 6001) ran well except both stalled at P266 & P303.
  3. Need to investigate problems at these two turnouts and to solve “short” problem running lighted passenger cars.
  4. Otherwise looking good for the next phase.

On going Action:

  1. Wire track & turnouts from Winter Park to Bond to temp connections in the control panels.
  2. When complete lay track from Bond to Craig and temporarily wire.
  3. Lay all of the Grand Junction return loop tracks.

Daily Progress & Error Blog

Actioned tonight:

  1. Continued testing locomotives on small circle of track (aka Denver Union Stockyards).
  2. Found loss of power fault and fixed.
  3. Reset Atlas S2 #117 to factory settings – it is now working ok.
  4. Found problem re capital letter to start phases of groups, etc.

Immediate Action:

  1. Continue testing locomotives, creating consists and speed matching.
  2. Clean Grand Jct. loop track and run tests.
  3. Investigate and solve “short” problem running lighted passenger cars.

On going Action:

  1. Wire track & turnouts from Winter Park to Bond to temp connections in the control panels.
  2. When complete lay track from Bond to Craig and temporarily wire.
  3. Lay all of the Grand Junction return loop tracks.