Wordless Wednesday

July 13, 2014 sees UP1982, the MP heritage unit lead an empty salt train into Rollinsville. Behind UP1982 is a NS engine, bringing a little classic black back to the UPized Moffat Line. Photo by John Shine.

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

Rollinsville and Rollins Siding

Rollinsville is the first town to the west of the Tunnel District, and the location of the 8320 foot Rollins siding. Rollins siding is the longest siding between Denver and Tabernash, located at MP 66.0 west of Denver. Rollins is an very interesting spot, with lots of interesting buildings.

Rollinsville, Colorado. Photo from Wikipedia Commons.

Rollinsville is bisected by Colorado Highway 119, which connects to Colorado Highway 72 west of Pinecliffe. This provides access to the railroad from Denver for crew changes in most weather conditions. With a long set of sidings, and highway access, Rollins becomes an important meet location on the line.

Looking eastward along Rollins Siding. Photo by HiveMiner.

Helper Unit UP7260 and its crew await a pickup at Rollinsville, CO in May 2010. Photo by Mark Hinsdale.

UP7249 enters the west end of Rollins siding in 2013. Photo by Erie Limited.

Rollinsville is a siding and a substantial house track. Line with Pinecliffe, I have chosen to add a little bit of local industry to Rollinsville in the form of a team track off the house track and a small industry, probably a wood furniture manufacturer. 

Track Plan for Rollinsville.

Rollinsville is located along the length of the left peninsula in the room. The siding of Rollins runs the length of the peninsula, and has a length of 224" making it the longest siding on the east side of the Moffat Tunnel. The trains emerge out of Rollins Canyon, past Gamble Gulch, and through downtown Rollinsville. The siding curves up the valley, and loops back on itself with another Belina drop at the end of the peninsula. Modeled inside the loop is one of the ponds that were used as ice ponds in the area called Espy. Only the foundation of the ice house remains in my era, but by carefully arranging the backdrop, the siding wraps around the end of the peninsula. Rollinsville is located at an elevation of 48" above the reference elevation, making it another 1.5" above Pinecliffe and about 15" above the railhead height of the second deck below it.

4 Days, 4 Posts to Go.

Cameron Turner