A Review of the 2019 – Previewing 2020

I had actually hoped to post a few more entries before getting to this post, but the year is ending on me, and I have not even reached the end of the Moffat layout yet. So, let's have a little review.

Technically, the year began with some updates on the Central T-gauge Layout and its latest showing. And then my health took a bad turn. That layout sits as it did after the show last year, although it is showing a little bit of peeling of the backdrop, it is otherwise unchanged - and the annual show for its display is coming up. If you are in the Easley, South Carolina area on February 7th and/or 8th, please check out the Central Train Show.

I got back to blogging in June, 3 months after my surgery. Since then, I have focused a great deal on the design of a couple of layouts, including my future Moffat layout. With this post, I have posted 11 times in July, August, September, October and December, and every day in November. A whopping 88 posts since June 22nd.

As far as model railroading progress, I only have a little beyond the planning stages. I'm hoping to finish installing the bookshelves in my office over the winter break, as a prerequisite to the Olympia iN the Office layout, which you can read about beginning here.

In addition, I designed the signals for Bob Folsom's layout, and hopefully will see those operational this year. They will be coming to Shapeways in the New Year.

Beyond that, a lot of time has been spent on the entries describing the layout plan. This is a good thing, as the research to support the blog posts has led to more information about the layout.

So, what is the plan for 2020?

With the train show upcoming, I have a number of items I should tackle for the T-layout. These include:

• Installation of the pedestrian bridge;
• Repair of the backdrop;
• Installation of the roads;
• Weathering of the two viaducts;
• Painting of the buildings; and
• Starting the ground cover.

Finally, I should get the T in Central Blog going, so that the club can link to the blog specifically about the T layout.

On the Moffat Layout, I also have a number of things to do:

• Finish the blog about the design - I actually have a lot more progress than what I have described so far, so I am playing a little bit of catch up here; and
• Start prioritizing projects that will lead to parts of the layout.

And in general for my model railroading, I hope to:

• Select some short term mini-layouts that may either lead to the Moffat Layout, or will test out ideas for the Moffat Layout, or will just be fun, more on these to come as I also have some ideas floating around;
• Finish my HOn2z cars for the next NMRA regional meeting as part of getting my MMR; 
• Start designing the accompanying HOn2z engines; and
• Have fun.

In that spirit - here is something to share for the season.

So, in the mean time - Happy New Year to all, and may your Model Train Dreams be bright!

Cameron Turner

Wordless Wednesday Christmas Edition

Sitting in Winter Park, Colorado, the DRGW Private Car Kansas shows a little holiday spirit. Photo by Tom Brynas.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Cameron Turner

The Grade West of Winter Park

The approach to the western portal of the Moffat Tunnel is also the location of a tough 2% grade stretching  from Winter Park through Fraser to Tabernash. Helper were often added to trains headed for this grade, and continued on to Denver to Provide additional dynamic breaking capabilities. These are the swing helper jobs often used on the Moffat line.

Furthermore, Fraser has a short siding which is sometimes used to hold the Ski Train, and the train is usually turned at Tabernash and usually is held there on the siding. Thus, these two locations are important to model in the western slope if one desires to model the Ski Train operations, as well as the grade approaching the western portal and the swing helper operations.

Note that on some heavy trains, swing helpers might come from Bond or Phippsburg on the Craig branch. However, as I am rapidly running out of space for such destinations, so this increases the interest in getting at least to Tabernash, and doing so without stacking these towns on top of each other.

DRGW5371 an SD40T-2, heading east between Fraser and Winter Park. Photo by Nathan Holmes. 

DRGW5390, another SD40T-2 in the same train in February 2001. Photo by Nathan Holmes.

This area is scenery, and the idea of trees fading into the snow and clouds is very attractive, even if I am not sure that it can be fully pulled off. But I would like to try.

Track Plan west of Winter Park.

This area is simple scenery. Lots of trees, and a transition from falling snow to the bright sunshine on the clean snow that often follows these storms. I managed almost 12 feet of mainline between Winter Park and Fraser, not as much as I would like, but it will be longer than all but the longest trains, and since the siding at Fraser is only 4830 feet long, the shortest on the modeled layout, that meets at Fraser will be rare, with only passenger trains likely to be passed in Fraser, this is acceptable. Most long trains will have to travel between Winter Park and Tabernash without stopping.

Cameron Turner

The Snows of Winter Park

Its that time of the year when things can get awfully busy with the end of the school semester and the holidays eating up time. So, this post continues the story a little later than I had planned. Coming out of the Moffat Tunnel, trains emerge onto Winter Park. Here the Ski Train pauses to disgorge its passengers at the foot of the ski slopes.

The new Amtrak Winter Park Resort Ski Train emerges from the Moffat Tunnel onto the Western Slope. This train replaced the Ski Train to Winter Park. Photo from the Denver Post.

The main line emerges from the Moffat Tunnel and almost immediately crosses a short bridge before curving into Winter Park and the platform where skiers are disgorged onto the slopes.

The Ski Train at Winter Park. Photo by Mike Danneman.

As one of my main goals on the layout is to model the Ski Train, including Winter Park is a key as it is the destination. Furthermore, since seeing Brian Holtz's Panoramic Division model of the D&RGW in Model Railroader as a kid, I've always had a desire to include a snow scene. But, I also do not want the bulk of the layout to be a snow scene, and really liked Mike Danneman's idea of setting his layout in May when the foothills are green is very attractive to me. The rivers are running fresh and clear, and the leaves are coming out. Not quite as good as the colors of the fall, but at that point the rivers are not nearly as full. Furthermore, once the snow hits, that pretty much brings the colors to a close. So, I am thinking that an April/May time frame would be perfect. Late enough that you can get the greens of spring, but still early enough for a high country snow.

The last run of the 2002 season with the Ski Train leaving Winter Park. March 30, 2002. Photo by Nathan Holmes.

So, I would have an extended season for the Ski Train running it into March or April, but the ski season can sometimes last until June or even July. My thought it to model Winter Park as if snow is falling. This likely also means that I will model East Portal as if a storm is coming with dark cloudy skies and flat diffuse lighting. I may even obscure the mountain peaks in clouds. Winter Park also hosts a passing siding of 7110 feet in length.

Track Plan for Winter Park.

The track plan for Winter Park takes advantage of the space above Rennick Yard. Included is the West Portal of the Moffat Tunnel, the bridge just to the west of the portal, and the platform area, including the house track, siding and spur at Winter Park. The siding has a length of 176 inches, making it slightly longer than Cliff siding, just as in the prototype. The ski runs of Winter Park Ski Resort will flow into the backdrop, along with space for a representation of the ski lodge. While the siding is located at 76.5 inches above the floor, this elevation should enhance the feeling of looking up the slopes and make the ski lodge impressive, even if it is not as deep as the real thing.

Cameron Turner

Wordless Wednesday Doubleheader

DRGW5509 and 5505 leads an empty coal train over Mammouth Gulch Bridge in May 1985. Photo by John Shine.

A triplet of CSX engines lead a UP empty coal train west across the Mammouth Gulch Bridge 32 years later. Photo by John Shine.

Cameron Turner

Wordless Wednesday

East Siding Switch of East Portal Siding, October 5, 2019. BNSF 5042 heads east towards Denver. Photo by Joe McMillian.

Cameron Turner

Deck 3 Overview - Tunnel 23 to East Portal

Before continuing past the Moffat Tunnel, let's review the third deck to put these pieces into relative context with each other.

Deck 3 Plan - Garage Side.

The second deck ended with the passages through Tunnels 19-22 after the siding at Crescent. This trackage is shown in a light grey as the visible track for a lower deck in the drawing above. I started modeling the third deck at Tunnel 23, and proceeded through Tunnels 24-27 and ending with Tunnel 29 and the Bridge at MP 36.45 before entering Pinecliffe. Pinecliffe is about 8 scale miles by track from Rocky siding where the climb began in earnest. Trains continue through Pinecliffe, the neighborhood around Pactolus, through Rollins Canyon and Tunnel 30 before reaching Rollinsville. Leaving Rollinsville, the trains pass through Espy, where I have incorporated a hidden loop to further lengthen the run, into Tolland Canyon and to the siding at Tolland. Departing Tolland on the opposite side of the aisle from Crescent, the trains enter Mammouth Gulch, where scenery will screen their transit through the doorway back into the basement while operators navigate under the nod under formed by the east end of Crescent siding.

Deck 3 Plan - Basement Side.

Re-entering the basement for the first time since leaving North Yard, trains run through a hidden loop at Mammouth Gulch to add distance between Tolland and East Portal before coming back into view and crossing the Mammouth Gulch bridge. Trains proceed into East Portal and the Moffat Tunnel under the continental divide at James Peak. While East Portal is directly above North Yard, I think the wider aisle at North Yard and the lack of significant work at East Portal will prevent the need for crews to congregate in the aisle. Furthermore, the North Yard switch crews will likely be seated to do their work, while the trains at East Portal are nearly 4 feet over the yard.  The end of Deck 3 is marked by the Moffat Tunnel, whose 6.2 mile length is modeled by a 1.6 mile run through a helix that allows the train to exit West Portal into Winter Park at an elevation only 4 inches below that of East Portal.

One legitimate option here is for me to end the layout here. I could ignore Winter Park and the western slope altogether and simply run the Moffat Tunnel down the back side of the backdrop (above Rennick Yard) and into the helix to get to staging. But, as I have mentioned before, I do want to simulate the Ski Train operations, and at a minimum, that means including the stop for the Ski Train at Winter Park. So that is our next stop as we go Through the Rockies...Not Around Them in 1:160.

Cameron Turner

Moffat Tunnel

How do you model a 6.2 mile long tunnel? More importantly, how do you do it in a compact space?

Construction Photo of the interior of the Moffat Tunnel.

One approach would be to not model it at all. This is the Mike Danneman solution in his layout, where the Moffat Tunnel becomes the entrance to a helix to the staging yard. I considered this solution. However, I really wanted to include Winter Park and either Fraser or Tabernash (if not both) so that I could model the end of the run of the Ski Train. So, I wanted to model the West Portal of the Moffat Tunnel as well.

Another approach would be to use the room, perhaps wrapping the tunnel around the room on a narrow shelf. I considered this, but decided that I could do better. The third option I considered was to use a helix within a helix to provide length while first climbing, and then descending within the ascending helix. Thus, I could have the summit inside the tunnel, while making the elevation difference between the east and west portals only a few inches.

Eastern Moffat Tunnel Plan.

In the plan, the east portal leads to the outside of the helix. The track climbs, spiraling in until it reaches an elevation of 54.25 inches, 4 inches above the east portal entrance. The track levels off for 135 degrees, a length of 46 inches. Then, the track begins to descend on an inner helix. After almost three complete laps, the track emerges at the West Portal of the Moffat Tunnel.

Western Moffat Tunnel Plan. One intermediate lap between the eastern and western parts of the tunnel is not shown in the plans.

The result is a tunnel that ascends four inches, then descends 7.375 inches for a cumulative descent of 3.375 inches. The resulting tunnel is about 50.5 feet long or about 1.5 scale miles. The model representation of the tunnel is about a quarter of the prototype tunnel length. The summit of the tunnel comes to within about 8-9 inches of the ceiling. While I could add additional laps to the helix to climb higher before descending again and lengthen the tunnel, I think this length is reasonably proportional to the other tunnels in the layout. Operating such a long tunnel will be a little discomforting for many engineers, so the helix as is will need to be signaled to inform the engineers of the continuing progress of the trains through the tunnel. Such sensor systems are not unusual in similar applications.

Cameron Turner

East Portal

The last siding on the east side of the climb to the Moffat Tunnel lies just east of the eastern portal and is called East Portal. The siding is 5750 feet long, slightly longer than Tolland. One of the primary purposes of the siding is to queue trains waiting for the tunnel to ventilate. The 6.2 mile long Moffat Tunnel was built between 1924 and 1928 and also includes a second bore used to bring water from the western slope to the eastern slope. This water is fed into South Boulder Creek at the tunnel.

East bound DRGW train exiting the East Portal of the Moffat Tunnel. Photo from ClassicStreamliners.com.

I was able to use a combination of satellite images of the East Portal complex, and a set of plans published in the 1980s to create a scale plan of the site and the different structures. Based on the space available (the area above North Yard) I did need to consolidate the structures a little bit, but the buildings are full size. As a signature element of the layout, I want this facility to be an accurate model of the real location.

I recently found a video of a drone at the Moffat Tunnel which also gives some additional views and details.

With such a long tunnel, ventilation is a necessary consideration, particularly with the summit inside the tunnel. Both east bound and west bound trains have to climb while in the tunnel, and as can be seen by how dirty engines got on the Moffat Line, a ventilation system had to be installed in the tunnel. The door opens when an east bound train gets within 1500 feet of the tunnel portal and closes after the train departs the tunnel. The tunnel doors also close about 40 seconds after a westbound train finishes entering the tunnel. The fans ventilate the tunnel for approximately 20-25 minutes after the portal closes. It takes a train approximately 9 minutes 30 seconds to traverse the tunnel. The doors seem to take 10-20 seconds to close. I plan to model the operation of the door.

DRGW freight train entering the Moffat Tunnel. Photo by Jim Carr.

Helpers entering the East Portal. Photo by Jim Carr.

The Tunnel is not the only thing at East Portal. There is a wye that used to lead to the line over Rollins pass, and a number of structures, including a two stall metal train shed. I am not exactly sure what the purpose of the train shed is, but suspect that it is used to store tunnel maintenance and snow equipment.

View at East Portal looking east. The train shed and a storage shed are to the left of the engine. Photo by Jim Carr.

I tried to capture most of these features in the track plan for East Portal. The siding is 111 inches long, a little longer than Tolland.

East Portal Track Plan.

In addition to the siding, I have included the wye, bringing the third leg of the wye out over the aisle for North Yard. This should work for most operators, as the benchwork should be approximately 77" above the floor, so most people will walk right under the wye. Given the elevation, I tried to keep the track accessible, and to the front of the benchwork. However, it will take a step stool to work East Portal. I've been able to include many of the structures, including the tunnel and the associated ventilation system. As the main line enters the tunnel, like the prototype, it begins to climb.

Cameron Turner

Wordless Wednesday

West of Tolland, The California Zephyr threads through the colors of the fall. Photo by Joe McMillian.

Cameron Turner

Mammouth Gulch

Just west of Tolland, the valley once again narrows into Mammouth Gulch. Here, the trains actually disappear into the trees, before crossing over both East Portal Road and South Boulder Creek.

Mammouth Gulch Area. Photo from Google.

Approaching the Mammouth Gulch Bridge from the east in June 2014. Photo by Cameron Turner.

Looking back at the Mammouth Gulch Bridge from the west in June 2014. Photo by Cameron Turner.

At this bridge the tracks and railroad literally jump back into view from the road. From here, the trains are almost upon East Portal, leaving very little chase remaining before the Moffat Tunnel. I wanted to model this bridge, but I also needed separation from Tolland and East Portal, and the track will pass back through the doorway here, which meant that I had the upper limit of the doorway to negotiate.

Mammouth Gulch LDE Plan.

The resulting plan made use of my loop trick a third time, but this time I used it to gain elevation. The track leaving Tolland crosses through the doorway at 48.25" above the reference elevation. If the reference elevation (Prospect Junction) is set at 30", this places the height at 78.25", which will give me a little more than 2" of clearance through the door frame - enough for N-scale and without requiring any work to the door frame or its header. This is also well below the 96" ceiling height of the basement.

The plan calls for the tracks to disappear into trees as they approach the door frame. From there, the tracks turn left and loop around the helix, gaining height on the first lap to achieve a height of 50.25" at the cross over point. A second lap is made to extend the run at this elevation and the track then loops back out onto the visible layout, once again appearing through the trees, onto the fill and across the Mammouth Gulch Bridge over East Portal Road. The crossing of South Boulder Creek is through a culvert in the fill. The train reaches the east switch of East Portal Siding at an elevation of 50.25" above the reference point, or 80.25" above the floor. This section has a grade of 1.26% during the climb.

The combined effect of the double loop is to make the distance between Tolland and East portal approximately 40 feet or a about 1.2 scale miles. In reality, the distance is about 3 miles by rail. Nonetheless, this is sufficient to space out the two sidings in the model by several train lengths. Unfortunately, 29 feet of that run is hidden track, but then again, the railroad does disappear from the road between Tolland and East Portal. In operations, there will generally be about 1 train length during which the engineer will not have direct sight of the train (either the locomotives or the trailing end) during this run. However, the alternative would be to have the two sidings effectively next to each other where the train would be leaving one while entering the other.

One possibility it to eliminate the second lap, which would shorten the distance by about 14 feet, or one train length. However, I think at this time that I will keep the extended run, and could envision implementing a signal or camera system that would allow the operator to see their train making progress, and could even envision introducing some scenery to the area to provide for better continuity of operation for the engineer.

Cameron Turner