Beyond Tunnel 10, the Moffat continues its climb up South Boulder Creek Canyon by cutting through numerous ridge lines that run down into the canyon. The first of these tunnels is Tunnel 11, a 230 foot tunnel piecing a rocky ridge on the northwestern side of Eldorado Mountain.
After a few hundred feet, the mainline encounters another ridge of Eldorado Mountain, and penetrates it with the curving 429 foot Tunnel 12. While the eastern slope is very steep and rocky like Tunnel 11, the western side of the ridge is much more rounded.
Tunnel 13 penetrates yet another ridge off the western side of Eldorado Mounatin. Tunnel 13 lies to the west of a long curved fill and to the east is another curved fill leading to Tunnel 14. The combination of curves and grade pose a significant test to trains climbing through the Tunnel District. Crews report that trains that successfully make it through to Tunnel 14 are usually successful for the rest of the climb.
Tunnel 14, like Tunnel 13 has two faces. The eastern face is steep, and rocky, while the western side is rounded, covered with grass and trees. Tunnel 15 penetrates the last ridge running from Eldorado Mountain, and brings the main line into the South Draw. The bore of Tunnel 15 is 427 feet long. To the west of Tunnel 15, there was a deep drop into the depths of the South Draw drainage. This trestle location was filled in using materials from Tunnel 9, and the original Tunnel 17, leaving a long fill.
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| Western portal of Tunnel 15 with DRGW3015 emerging with a westbound into the South Draw. |
The plan for this stretch of tunnels wraps around the first peninsula of the layout over Arvada and C&S Junction. Because of the Belina drop hiding the end of the peninsula on the lower level, the end of the peninsula on the second deck appears all on its own, with no lower deck to fight for attention.
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| Track Plan for Tunnels 11-15. |
Again, the tunnels are proportional in length and spacing. Tunnel 11 is 16.5" long, Tunnel 12 is 36.5" long, Tunnel 13 is 20.6" long, Tunnel 14 is 27.4" long and Tunnel 15 is 22.5" long. From the west portal of Tunnel 10, to the East portal of Tunnel 16, the main line is just over 20' long, and climbs from 32.5" to 35" (above the zero reference point). Most of the climb lies between Tunnel 12 and Tunnel 14, where the grade reaches 1.5%, while navigating the 18" radius curve between Tunnels 13 and 14. This curve mimics the tight curve on the fill found tot he west of Tunnel 13 in the prototype and should test trains just like this stretch of track does in the prototype. However, there is still some grade between these points.
One modification to be made to this plan is to replace the tangent track between Tunnel 12 and 13 with a curved track as in the prototype. While I am not sure I can achieve the reverse curve seen in the prototype and still work around the end of the peninsula, I am sure I can add curvature here to mimic the prototype.
Beyond Tunnel 15, the tracks enter a bowl called the South Draw, where the train curves around and through Tunnel 16 as it continues up the canyon and through 3 more tunnels before finally reaching the siding of Crescent and the first real break in the climb since Plain siding. At this point, Plain siding is nearly 2 scale miles behind and 8.5" below the current main line elevation. Crescent is almost another scale mile ahead with another 3" to climb. Now that is a helper grade between two sidings that will feel like traveling somewhere.
15
Days, 15 Posts to Go.
Cameron Turner
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