The Branches: The Golden Branch

Another branch I wanted to include is not even a D&RGW branch, it is actually a former Colorado and Southern, later Burlington Northern, now BNSF branch from C&S Junction to my hometown of Golden, Colorado.

SD9 BN6226 was the assigned Golden Switcher in 1980. Photo by Mike Condren.

Over the years, I have seen everything from first generation power, to second generation power, to former coal drag locomotives, to modern warbonnets on the branch. There is typically at least two trains a day on the branch, a morning and an evening beer train. Trains often run 100 cars, so they are moving lots of traffic, primarily out of Coors, although there are other industries on the line.

BNSF4555 leaving Golden Yard in 2018. Image from Michael Harriman.

2009 brought BNSF8300 to the run. Photo by Olaf Junges.

Coors is obviously the biggest customer on the line, and would provide a lot of traffic to the branch. In my plan, I also included a number of the other industries. The branch is located above Arvada and below the middle tunnel district on the layout, and wraps back around to end with Golden Yard above Cargill and below Crescent siding.

Horton and Terrill Junction on the Golden Branch.

The line emerges from the helix and runs through a residential area of Wheat Ridge/Arvada before crossing Kipling Parkway. Past Kipling, I included several industries that sit alongside the branch. At Terrill Junction, the line to the East Yard at Coors breaks away from the branch near Mt. Olivet Cemetery.

Golden Yard on the Golden Branch.

After Terrill Junction, the branch passes several more industries before terminating in Golden Yard. On the prototype, Golden Yard also has a connection to the Coors North Yard, but I modified the nature of the yard to include items such as a Commuter Rail Station, a brick yard (there once was one in Golden) and I retained the Jolly Rancher Factory. The actual Golden Yard also does some car maintenance for Coors but I plan to use it more as a termination point for a local that will switch the branch and provide some "hot" deliveries from a Coors Packaging Plant to the Packaging Buildings at Coors. And of course, coming off Terrill Junction, I have a connection to a model of the Coors Brewery and rail facilities. But that is the topic of the next post. To Close, let me leave you with a video I found of a train leaving Golden Yard.

Cameron Turner