The Fort Worth & Denver Build Thread

[Denver Road Doug]

Any update?   I wasn't active on this forum when this topic was posted, but I too model a *variant* of the Fort Worth & Denver in modern times so I'm very interested in what you create.   I think it's a great trackplan and concept.

I think both Atlas and Peco C55 are great options.   I like Peco for the ability to easily hand-throw the turnouts and it's pretty bulletproof.  Atlas looks better and seems to function well if you have the right wheelsets.

[Jguess733]

No real update yet. I've been home from sea for about a month, and I'm still getting settled into my new job on shore duty. After toying around in my son's room where the layout will be I'm trying to decide if I still want to do this trackplan (most desirable), or come up with my own smaller one. I'm afraid that this plan will over power my son's room by taking up all the real estate and leaving him with nowhere to play with his toys. Whatever I decide I definitely want to start construction this summer to take advantage of him being out of school and able to help. The Naugatuck valley plan has everything I want in a plan. Lots of staging, continuous running, and plenty of switching. I'm concerned that producing a smaller layout will force me to abandon some of my wants. Any advice?

[Jguess733]

Doug, I'm still a bit of a FWD novice. I'm trying to gather up as much "study material" as I can covering everything FWD. How modern is you FWD? Do you have any pics?

[Chris333]

Not that I really like it, but the original plan was built by David Popp using Peco track. With Peco turnouts you don't need a way to control them, they are sprung and you just flip them back-n-forth.

[Jguess733]

The only ones I need to control remotely is the one in the tunnel and the staging yard turnouts. If built the staging yard will be placed against a wall. The backdrop will be removable in case of derailments, but I don't want to have to pull every time I throw a turnout.

[Chris333]

"IF" you use the Peco turnouts you can just bury a piece of coat hangar in the foam to throw the points. They will still spring into place.

[Jguess733]

Well I'll be. Why are the solutions always so easy? Thanks for the tip.

[Chris333]

I just re-read and saw you will be putting the layout against a wall. Most of the staging tracks should be OK with a straight reach the the front of the layout. But that TO in the tunnel under the church might need something flexible to work. Like this:
http://ppw-aline.com/Blue_Point_Flex_Link.htm

Or some kind of direction change linkage link these:
http://www.proto87stores.com/p87stores/frtubw.htm

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Having the HCD stick out into the room will take up a bit of space, as you need at least 2' on the three sides away from the wall.
This could be fine, depending on what else is going on in the room.

If you want help coming up with a more effective use of space, then post a sketch of the whole room with dimensions.
Include doors, windows, "no fly zones" and things that have to share the room (like a bed, desk, etc.)

There are other options than a HCD, especially in a mixed-used room.
A 1'-deep shelf all the way around the room, for example, with a lift-up / drop-in section for continuous running, or along two walls to form an "L" with 24" "lobes" at the end corners for turnback loops -- both would minimize the layout footprint in the room and not crowd out your son's living/play space.

You could also keep the HCD arrangement and put his desk / toy storage underneath, too.

Food for thought.

[Denver Road Doug]

Doug, I'm still a bit of a FWD novice. I'm trying to gather up as much "study material" as I can covering everything FWD. How modern is you FWD? Do you have any pics?

I model the BNSF-era FW&D lines, circa 1998-2003.  At the moment my layout is a generic version of the Saginaw area...just a place to run trains.  See https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=23792.0 for more info and photos.  I hope to model North Fort Worth/Saginaw to Amarillo eventually.  Obviously the line to Plainview/Lubbock is long gone in my world.      You bet that if/when Kato does a Texas Zephyr I will have to have one for an excursion train!

There's plenty of study material out there...if you don't have "The Colorado Road" it's definitely required reading.  Steve Goen's FW&D Pictoral is also high on the list.   Outside of that, just lots of maps, Google aerials, and the like.  Guessing you're modeling early/mid 70's since you mentioned post-Amtrak takeover.

I love that layout plan but I'm having trouble wrapping my brain around the schematic as you have stated with Lubbock and Plainview Jct.   Seems like "Seymour" doesn't really fit in with that routing to me.   I would probably approach it this way:
1. North Staging is Lubbock.  You could have your passenger train staged there and a couple of freights.   Passenger train stops at Plainview station (D) then on to it's destination at Childress. (see below)
2. Dimmitt.  This is the switching area in front of staging.  (G, L, M, K)  Agricultural and chemicals and represents the other leg off of Plainview Jct.  It's geographically backward (I think) but don't think that's a huge deal.
3. Plainview Jct.   I would add a crossover under the overpass and that would serve a couple of purposes...a runaround siding for Plainview and THE junction to go to either Lubbock or Dimmitt.
4. Plainview.  I would probably add one more siding at Plainview (was Nagatuck proper) at the end of the passenger platform and otherwise leave it as-is.   They wye going into the tunnel represents the ATSF interchange, operationally as well as obviously providing a continuous run option.
5. Childress. (was Seymour)   I would trade the one industry for a very small yard in Childress...two tracks, maybe a short runaround/service track. Keep (F) which would be the gypsum loadout "relocated" from Quanah. (flatcars, boxcars, etc.)  I would then daylight the trackage back to staging, moving the tunnel portal to near where the church is.  Yes, a short tunnel but the effect is there, and it becomes another interchange (Quanah, Acme, and Pacific) for ops.  This also gives you some view of staging since accessibility is an issue.
6. South Staging is Fort Worth (or Denver).

Anyway, just some ideas...I'm not familiar enough with that specific area to know much more about the towns and industries so I will concede that my idea might be way off base.  I like the idea of a "Lubbock Section" of the Texas? Zephyr.   I can totally see Amtrak using an old FW&D E5 (still in FW&D/Q decor, of course!) as power for the section with a baggage car/RPO or two and a coach. (either heritage or one or two in new Amtrak paint)   Meets up with the full train at Childress being pulled by newly painted Amtrak units.   Nice....   Another option could be they purchased an old RDC from Rock Island and put it into service. (maybe as backup?)  Anyway, however you craft it, it should be a fun layout...looking forward to the updates.

[Jguess733]

Doug, you're modeling my old stomping grounds. I grew up in North Richland Hills, and my dad used to take us railfanning over at North Yard. MC. I'll get a room schematic drawn up in empire express and uploaded this evening.

[Jguess733]

Doug, the only book I have is Wendover, Acme & Virginia Point. It covers the line really well during the 1970's all the way from the Gulf to Wyoming. Unfortunately it only covers the Mainline and none of the branches in Central and West Texas. Would you happen to know which historical society I should join? CB&Q, C&S, BN?

[Jguess733]

Here is the room drawing. Unfortunately it's not to scale, I drew it in Excel. My wife wants to turn the bed into a loft bed so we can put his desk underneath, and put his tv and bookshelves under the layout.



My original idea was to place the layout in the southwest corner of the room with the staging yard area against the west wall and closest to the closet. This would give a 48" space to access the closet and the Naugatuck side of the layout. But then I realized that seven feet into the room there would be an island poking out.  My next idea was to flip the layout keeping the staging yard on the west wall with the Seymour side nearest the closet but two feet closer. I just don't have the room drawn in Empire Express or the layout outline to try out different configurations.

[Specter3]

Wow! Tough room. 70inch window opposite a 70 inch closet. My only thought is a narrower shelf layout on the right wall with a turnback lobe on the door end. In my mind there is a staging leg that is removable that obscures the window when installed. Staging can be sceniced or not but will store under the layout somehow.

[Denver Road Doug]

Doug, the only book I have is Wendover, Acme & Virginia Point. It covers the line really well during the 1970's all the way from the Gulf to Wyoming. Unfortunately it only covers the Mainline and none of the branches in Central and West Texas. Would you happen to know which historical society I should join? CB&Q, C&S, BN?

Funny, I looked for that book some time back and couldn't find it...now Amazon has a bunch showing.  So, I just ordered one. 

Well, I guess I didn't know there was a C&S historical society but I will look into that.   I belong to the BN group--Friends of the Burlington Northern Railroad Historical Society ( www.fobnr.org )--and while I highly recommend them, there's not what I would say is a ton of interest/expertise in the Fort Worth & Denver lines.  Although, we actually did hold the convention in Amarillo this year, and it was in Fort Worth about 10 years ago.  I'm probably one of the few *active* members with interest in the FW&D, but we would certainly be glad to add more!  If you are on Facebook, I help manage their Facebook page www.facebook.com/fobnr so you should check it out.   

I would venture to guess the CB&Q group would have more FW&D guys, but I don't belong to that organization so I can't say for sure.   Outside of that, I built a Yahoo group some time ago ( groups.yahoo.com/TheDenverRoad ) and while it's not very busy, there does seem to be interest we just need to get things rolling.  I have actually neglected it and I have plenty of topics I want to start there, but I would love to have you jump in and start firing away as well.