I have belonged to this site for a little while, and even posted some replies on things I could contribute, but I thought I would share my layout build with this group. I hope you find it somewhat interesting and informative. I have built several small layouts over the years, but always wanted to fill a basement full of trains, and as I have some time and resources now, construction began in mid-January. The layout is based on the Denver & Rio Grande Western’s La Veta Pass Route between Pueblo and Crede, Colorado. Obviously a bit of selective compression is involved fitting approximately 200 miles of railroad into a 45’x14’ space, but I came up with an around-the wall point-to-point plan with several peninsulas for important features that I hope captures the flavor of the area and the operations a bit. I picked this area because it’s an interesting mix of terrain, operations and equipment. The San Luis Valley is the agricultural center of Colorado and long strings of vegetable reefers are important freight even today, but have also included freight such as silver ore, minerals, lumber, cattle, malted hops for Coors and petroleum products from the Gramps refinery. I have taken some model railroaders license by adding the Alamo Mine, which was on a branch out of Walsenburg , so I could run some coal trains, and left open a lumber operation that closed in 1915 so I could run Atlas Shays (if I can figure out how to DCC ‘em) and log cars. The Horseshoe Loop is about half the actual scale size and has the same 2% grade as the prototype, and since the ruling grade in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains is 3%, there is a 3% grade and relatively sharp 14-15” curves before La Veta. In fact, the curves were so sharp on this route that it was limited to 4 axle diesels, so no tunnel motors here, although I might cheat and run a PA set for passenger operations, which will extend well past the actual shut down date in the early 1950’s. Alamosa had extensive dual gauge track in the yard, and a dual gauge branch line ran from Alamosa to Antonito, but I haven’t decided if I want to mess with that. Would be very cool, but I will probably just leave it standard gauge and run it that way. Setting is the early 1950’s to the mid 1970’s, depending on what I want to run that day, as the industries and operations didn’t really change much during the time period. This should allow me to run steam, first and/or second generation diesels, and since Rio Grande was basically and EMD shop, lots of GP’s and F units. Operations are through freights from Pueblo to Alamosa, locals out of Pueblo Yard and Alamosa, and interchanges with the Southern San Luis Valley RR, the Antonito Branch, and the San Luis Central RR. There would also be a couple of passenger trains to Alamosa, and a couple of Santa Fe and/or a Colorado and Southern (CB&Q) freight runs through Walsenburg, with a mini staging line behind Pueblo for it. The Pueblo Yard is basically a visible, stub-end staging yard and where the prototype had interchanges with the Santa Fe, Mopac, Colorado & Southern and lines to Denver and Grand Junction via theTennessee Pass, I am just setting it up to stage the La Veta Pass Route. A large turntable and car shop area will try and represent the huge facility located in Pueblo. Construction of the layout has been designed for five phases, roughly a phase for each wall of the basement, a phase for Alamosa and one for the Crede Branch. The layout can be run after each phase is completed with some type of return loop or Y at the end. Control and power will be Digitrax with a mix of Tortoises, Caboose ground throws and Blue Point controls for turnouts. I have attached the overall track plan, and the detail plan and a couple of 3D views for Phase 1 as well and construction progress will be on a separate thread. Hope I haven’t bored you with this and that you might find it interesting to follow my progress. Comments and inquiries are always welcome. Todd View attachment 52532 View attachment 52533 View attachment 52534 View attachment 52535
That should turn out to be a nice layout! I like the track plan, plenty of industries to switch out but also plenty of nice long scenes to watch the trains pass through. Lookin forward to your progress.
Todd We have met once or twice at local shows. If you decide you can have a crew come do some work I know there are a couple of guys around that can help. I would love to come down from North Charlotte and give you a hand at some point. Or at least stand there and go "Man, you work really hard!" Anyway,glad to see you making progress.
Sure, model where I live while I model somewhere else. Looks like a good plan and lots of operations. If you come out through Pueblo, maybe we can get you into an ops session. All HO until another guy and I get a bit further along, but some outstanding layouts.
I look forward to this. We stop in Alamosa 4-6 times a year traveling between Colorado Springs and Phoenix. It sound like you have a handle on the history, but in case you didn't know, the gift shop in the Alamosa depot sell a big hardbound book on the history of La Veta Pass. There's two editions but I don't think you'd need the second if you're cutting off in the 70's. A second thing I didn't see you mention that I just discovered and that might be neat to fit in is it looks like in the 50's there was a narrow gauge museum in Alamosa. I don't know much about it or how long it lasted, but there are some images on the Denver Library site. http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cd...30coll21!p15330coll22/searchterm/narrow gauge Jason
Todd, Tega Cay? Where is that in SC? I am outside Charleston. You have a really nice looking layout planned there and I would love to see more. Not sure how much help I can be since I am sort of a newbie, but let me know if I can help!! Dean
Thanks for the kind words and best wishes. I am working on the first construction thread, and hopefully the stories of my adventures will help others avoid them or give them a few ideas. To answer a couple of questions, I do have the hardbound book, and it is my bible for the track plan. Another book I found is kind of a travel log of the excursion train that runs through the San Luis Valley, and it has some very nice pictures, maps and diagrams and it should help with scenery and landscaping. I have discovered the Denver library site and found some nice pictures in it, but I have just scratched the surface of that collection. We were planning a vacation through the Colorado Springs-Pueblo-Alamosa-Durango are last summer, but with the fires, we decided to wait until a better time. It is on our list of places to visit. Tega Cay is about 15 miles south of Charlotte, if you are even in the area, let me know. Ryan, I will contact you by PM and thanks. Todd
Todd, Wow, what a plan! I applaud your efforts to plan and buuild such a scenic yet forgotten portion of the Rio Grande. Many modelers build narrow gauge, Soldier Summit, Tennessee Pass or Moffat Route portions, but few attempt the SG part thru SW CO over La Veta Pass. I think you would be surprised that the curves at the pass could handle large locomotives such as a 2-10-0 1400-class engine: http://cdm16079.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15330coll22/id/79801 An SD90MAC at Fir: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2371789 A 3600-class 2-8-8-2 went over La Veta Pass too, this one is Alamosa: http://cdm16079.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15330coll22/id/79807. At any rate, I def am looking forward to more updates on this build!
Really nice. The only thing I'd change is on the far end where the big stub end yard is, I'd have 1 or 2 tracks,Whatever is there, have switches & track to come across the road back to the main to create continued running. This way you have option to sit & watch or get up & work the yard.
Looks nice. If you want suggestions, and you probably don't, I would consider using the length of that space to just have a center peninsula, to give you more straight track than all those little curves from the two short axis/cross room peninsulas. Seems like it would max out the space more, and make it even more realistic. Yes, I know it had sharp curves and even a horseshoe, which you should keep. But for most of the others, I think you could add the swag to represent it without full turn backs on at least one extra peninsula. Again, just my thoughts, but as always, you have done the research and are building the layout. Have fun!
I too applaud your efforts and may post some comments on your plan when I have time. Right now, just a small correction to the comment above: the F-81 class in the picture is a 2-10-2, not a 2-10-0. But Hemi's sentiment was correct; there were some mighty big locomotives that called LaVeta pass home. Best, Otto
Looks awesome!! That's one of the most scenic railroads in the country - gonna be fun to watch it unfold!
Good catch on my fat fingers.... Thanks, Otto! :-o I don't know how a SG engine could get to Alamosa without crossing La Veta Pass, so any SG engines in Alamosa would plausibly be safe to clear LVP. I like remote running on the wide open spaces. I'm not a big fan of switching, so any comments I might make on the plan might be biased towards running. There's a lot of scenic interest, and with the books you have, I'll assume you have selected the finest of them. There's a tunnel or 2 or 3 on LVP, and lots of curves. 3% WB out of Walsenburg, and 2.5% EB from Alamosa to the summit makes for a tough pull. Helpers, La Veta Turns, and loads of Geeps. Should be a great place to showcase your fleet!
It is kind of strange that 2-10-2's could be used on helper service and 2-8-8-2's on regular freight service, yet the curves were too tight for three-axle diesels. But now Kato is releasing an SD-90 in San Luis & Rio Grande livery, which certainly is a three-axle diesel running on the same track. Very interesting.
