{"id":663,"date":"2022-09-19T16:20:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-19T06:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/denversrailroads.com\/blog\/?p=663"},"modified":"2022-09-19T16:25:09","modified_gmt":"2022-09-19T06:25:09","slug":"a-change-of-direction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/denversrailroads.com\/blog\/2022\/09\/19\/a-change-of-direction\/","title":{"rendered":"A Change of Direction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  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.<\/li>
  2. Wiring individual DCC accessory decoders for 40 turnouts is a long soul-destroying job.<\/li>
  3. I use solid wire which has many advantages. The one major disadvantage is that the one strand can easily break.<\/li>
  4. For economic reasons most of the turnouts have been re-used from previous layouts. This has led to questionable trackwork.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    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.<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"\"
    Loop of track used for Loco testing and incorporating the wye track used to reverse passenger trains (to this day) into Denver Union Station.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
    \n
    \"\"
    The Golden Spike is finally installed. Once power is connected it will be possible to run a train from the Grand Jct. Loop to the South Denver loop.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
    \n
    \"\"
    The track from the test track loop to Utah Jct. at the north end of North Yard.
    The UP main line is on the left and the CB&Q and Rio Grande main lines are on the right.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
    \n
    \"\"
    The test track loop, which also forms part of the Denver Union Station wye, and into which will be built the Denver Union Stockyards<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
    \n
    \"\"
    Utah Junction – looking west to Grand Junction.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
    \n
    \"\"
    The CB&Q and UP main lines. To the left is the risers for the Rio Grande line through the Flatirons (see the A3 photos pinned for reference).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
    \n
    \"\"
    The CB&Q\/UP main line continues. The cork on the left is for the Rio Grande main line to the Moffatt Tunnel.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
    \n
    \"\"
    The track on the left is for the Rio Grande main line coming in from Bond to the Grand Jct. loop. After reversing the loop, the trains will go past (or stop if a Passenger Train) the Glenwood Springs station. The two tracks on the right are a continuation of the CB&Q\/UP main line.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
    \n
    \"\"
    Looking back from the Grand Jct. loop to Utah Jct. at the end of the baseboard.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
    \n
    \"\"
    A close up of the crossover to the Rio Grande main line at Glenwood Springs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
    \n
    \"\"
    Another view looking back from the Grand Jct. loop to Utah Jct. at the end of the baseboard. The A3 photos of the Flatirons on the right.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
    \n
    \"\"
    Another view of where the Rio Grande main line will run through the Flatirons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    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: I wired all of the block detectors with the baseboard in a “pop-up” vertical position and did not take […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-n-scale"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/denversrailroads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/663","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/denversrailroads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/denversrailroads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/denversrailroads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/denversrailroads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=663"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/denversrailroads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/663\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":679,"href":"https:\/\/denversrailroads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/663\/revisions\/679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/denversrailroads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=663"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/denversrailroads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=663"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/denversrailroads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=663"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}