Wordless Wednesday

Eastbound CSDU Unit Coal Train entering the Moffat Tunnel on April 22, 1995. Photo by HardhatMak.

 Cameron Turner

Wordless Wednesday

 

DRGW5365 Emerges from the Western Portal of the Moffat Tunnel in 1996. Photo by Jason Lee Davis.

Cameron Turner

Wordless Wednesday

The Ski Train loading at Winter Park.

Cameron Turner

Wordless Wednesday

Am abandoned trestle on the original Moffat Line above Winter Park. The old Denver and Salt Lake Mainline touched the top of the world on this route. Photographer Unknown.

Cameron Turner

Wordless Wednesday

An SP unit leads the Skit Train east out of Fraser for Winter Park. Photographer Unknown.

Cameron Turner

Wordless Wednesday

An Amtrak led Ski Train awaits its return trip on the western slope. Photo by John Crisanti.

Cameron Turner

Wordless Wednesday

Amtrak passes through a winter wonderland outside of Fraser, CO in 2003. Photographer Mike Danneman.

Cameron Turner

P.S. I just found out this photo is another one of Mike Danneman's great work. See more of his work at his flickr site.

Wordless Wednesday

The last Winter Park Ski Train of 2020 due to COVID-19 - 3/14/2020. Photo by Chip.

Cameron Turner

Deck 3 Overview – The Western Slope

So, it has been a while since I talked about the plan for the dream layout. And there is a reason for that. The morning of the Central Model Train show, we had flooding in the crawlspace accessed in the upper right hand corner of the drawing below. While there was no damage, we identified that the sump pump in the space had failed, and that some of the equipment in the crawlspace is in need of annual maintenance. Surprise!

The previous owner had not told us that the crawlspace items needed annual maintenance and thus regular access. So, it looks like I will need to rework the plans to allow easier access to this opening. Pity, I really liked how this plan had come together and had gone so far as to detail all the buildings, roads, water, and even signals into the layout. But alas, the next iteration will be even better.

In the meantime, I figure I can finish going through the plan as it stands now...or as it stood. 

Deck 3 - Western Slope Plan.

So, here is the western slope as modeled. From Winter Park, the line descends through Fraser and into Tabernash before exiting the layout to through the upper reaches of the Fraser Canyon and entering into the helix. The helix would provide access to staging, and would connect back to the mainline at Prospect Junction - allowing for continuous restaging and continuous running when desired.

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