Seeing Green at Rennick Yard

Rennick Yard is one of those LDEs that I debated including in the layout. While it is not the railroad that I am modeling, or where interchanges are made between Burlington Northern (BN) and the Denver and Rio Grande Western (DRGW), nor even the major BN Yard in Denver, it is a scene that was always a transition space between Prospect Junction and entering North Yard. I wanted that pause in a train running from Union Station towards the mountains. You can see the relationship of these elements in the map below.

Map of Denver showing the relative location of Renneck Yard.

In reality, my research shows that Renneck Yard primarily service the Globeville Intermodal Terminal on the east side of North Yard. So, most of the traffic is intermodal with some containers and a lot of trailers. The Gloveville facility is something I plan to include as I construct my rendition of North Yard, albeit as a "joint" facility with the DRGW and BN.  Below is a satellite view focused on Renneck Yard (with North to the right).

Satellite View of Renneck Yard in Denver.

Since the area available for the BN engine facility and the throat of the BN 31st Street Yard is fairly limited in the area near Union Station on my model (as indicated below), I decided to change the function on my version of Renneck Yard. The space I had available for the 31st Street Yard is quite narrow, and would feed trains into the platforms at Union Station. Trains bound for North Yard would never appear on this stretch, but would instead appear as if from staging. So, the BN 31st Street yard would not function like the prototype in this space. Further, even if I simply modeled the engine facility here, it would be cramped and very quickly end up against the backdrop. As this was undesirable, I decided to move some functions to Renneck Yard.

Initially Conceived BN 31st Street Yard Location.

So, my version of Renneck Yard is intended to serve the following functions:

• BN locomotive servicing;
• Local Industry switching by the BN;
• Switching the Globeville Facility;
• Supporting local BN operations on the Golden Branch (if modeled); and
• providing interchange with the DRGW.

Of these five functions, the first may largely be cosmetic. I don't have room for Burnham and its associated facilities, which given the fueling tracks and facilities at North Yard, are somewhat redundant, so I wasn't going to include it in the layout. Switching local industries by the BN is realistic, as there are a number of industries served by the BN in the area, but it also provides either an extra layout job, or something that can occur asynchronously. Switching Globeville, could be done by either BN or DRGW or even both, and the interchange with DRGW prototypically occurs at North Yard. So, I could just leave it so, and have BN train run out of staging, drop of cars for the DRGW, and pick up cars for the BN. Finally, the Golden Branch, which ran out to my hometown and serves Coors Brewery, is definitely something I would like to model - and even if I cannot, I would likely work it in as a staging yard, so there will be some BN overhead traffic between Prospect Junction and C&S Junction. Having Renneck Yard take on these duties, allows that operation to be almost visibly staged. With the jobs of making up the locals to the Golden Branch, running transfers to/from North Yard, receiving cars from North Yard on DRGW transfers, switching a few industries, and running some BN overhead traffic, there is a quite good job on the layout. Of course, these jobs could all also be eliminated if crews were not available, but I like the idea of having them. At the very least, Renneck Yard provides some scenery and a reminder that Denver is a major hub of railroad interchange.

Renneck Yard Plan.

So, my representation of Renneck yard has a joint double track mainline shared by DRGW and BN, running down the front. Behind that are seven double ended yard tracks with a runaround on each end. There are isolated yard leads on each end, although on the north, that lead also serves as a switching lead and connection to Globeville. On the south end, there are four tracks for the diesel shop and four for the car shop. A dummy line comes off the main from the joint line, intending to suggest that there is more yard beyond the backdrop. Total yard capacity is 190 cars, (95 cars at 50% capacity - my desired operational capacity) excluding the shop tracks. At the north end of the yard, I have also included Fox Junction, a pair of crossovers between the dual main lines. It is a significant yard, but it is not overly large, and I think it should be about right for its envisioned usages. I don't have the industries planed out at this point, but that will come together later after the other major features of the plan are worked together.

Layout Concept Plan.

So, looking back at the overall plan, this brings us around the top side of the peninsula on the right side of the plan. On the opposite side is North Yard, the main yard of the layout, and the next LDE to be incorporated into the layout.

Cameron Turner