Artist and modeller Mike Danneman set out to create an N scale tribute to the Denver & Rio Grande Western’s Moffat Road that would both operate realistically and re-create the scenes he knew so well from years photographing the line. The layout occupies a finished basement room measuring 18 ft 6 in by 24 ft 9 in. It represents the Moffat line between Denver and the east portal of the Moffat Tunnel in Colorado. The intention was never to reproduce the entire district, but to distil its spirit through key locations, chosen as much for their scenic value as their operational role.
In the early stages, Mike sketched countless plans of the full Denver–Bond run, but when he and his wife bought their first home in 1997 the room dictated restraint. A section of low ceiling caused by heating ductwork naturally set Denver at the lowest point on the line, which climbs steadily on a 2% grade toward the Continental Divide. Modelling the ascent rather than the full division allowed the focus to rest where the prototype is most dramatic.
The layout was designed as a walk-in, around-the-walls plan with a central peninsula. Minimum radius is 18 in and maximum grade 2%. The main line runs for 133 ft, roughly four scale miles. Key sidings appear in their correct geographical order: Rocky, Clay, Plain, Crescent and Cliff. Within these lie signature locations such as Big 10 Curve, the Flatirons, and the Tunnel District. To keep both appearance and operation believable, trains are limited to three locomotives and about twenty-five cars, roughly 10 ft in length. Anything longer would overwhelm the scenery and outstretch the sidings.
Two operating eras are represented, the early 1960s and the early 1980s, depending on available stock. The line uses conventional direct-current cab control with radio throttles, proving that DC can still provide smooth and reliable operation.
Practical Planning
Once the basic geography was set, detailed planning followed. Every inch of the room was measured and drawn, with obstructions and clearances carefully noted. Wide aisles were a priority, both for comfort and to allow viewing and photography without damage to the scenery. Most aisles lie on the north side of the layout, matching the familiar viewing angles of the real Moffat Road, such as the Highway 72 view of Big 10 Curve or the eastbound perspective through Pinecliffe.
Benchwork heights were chosen to balance realism with practicality. Denver’s North Yard sits 42 in above the floor. From there the line climbs 20 in to the Moffat Tunnel at 62 in. The overall height range allows comfortable viewing while leaving room underneath for displays of railroad memorabilia. The benchwork is open-grid plywood, with ⅝ in subroadbed on cork, supported by metal wall brackets and a handful of 2 × 3 legs under the peninsula.
Accessibility was built in from the start. Behind Union Station, an open area behind the backdrop allows direct stand-up access. Big 10 Curve, which occupies a deep scene, includes a large hidden access hatch, and there are smaller openings at Clay and near the Moffat Tunnel. A removable scenery section provides access to turnouts at the east end of North Yard. These areas are disguised by terrain and backdrop so the viewer never notices them.
Staging and Operation
The Rio Grande’s Moffat Route was a busy bridge line, so staging was essential. Mike provided double-ended staging yards at both ends of the visible line, each on a constant 2% grade. The grades were deliberate, both to clear the upper deck and to gain vertical separation without lengthening the helix. East staging begins to drop immediately after Union Station, reaching 37 in at its lowest point. The two staging yards are linked by a continuous back track that allows through running and simplifies restaging between sessions. These yards are used only for complete trains with locomotives attached, so rolling stock does not risk running away on the grades. Consist changes are handled using a custom rolling storage case that can be placed in front of North Yard.
Matrix route control allows rapid staging moves, though Mike admits that if he were starting again he might opt for simpler serial staging with fewer turnouts and less wiring.
The Helix and Moffat Tunnel
At the western end, trains enter the Moffat Tunnel and immediately begin descending a 2% grade through a 4 × 5 ft oval helix to reach west staging, 16½ in below. To maintain the grade and minimum radius, the subroadbed was cut as a continuous spiral from plywood. Each turn steps inward slightly, producing a tiered structure resembling a wedding cake. Track centres are spaced 1⅜ in apart. The inner faces are lined with white mat board, both to protect stock and to give a clean appearance.
The helix is open at the rear for access and free of obstructing supports at the front. Although single-tracked, it is an accurate reflection of the prototype Moffat Tunnel, which itself is a single-track bottleneck. On the real railway, exhaust had to be purged after each train, limiting throughput to around two dozen trains a day. The model helix naturally reproduces that delay in miniature.
Construction and Scenery
Construction began in 1999 with the lowest elements, the staging yards. Each was completed and fully tested before any upper-deck work began. All track was laid on cork, with Peco Code 55 used on visible sections and Atlas Code 80 in staging. Peco’s robust construction outweighed its slightly non-North-American appearance. Benchwork is open-grid 1 × 4 timber, with subroadbed supported every 8 to 12 in. The backdrop and fascia are ⅛ in hardboard.
After the track was tested, backdrops were primed and painted blue before scenic painting began. Mike worked from his own photographs of the Front Range, painting many scenes before adding foreground relief. The Big 10 Curve backdrop in particular had to be completed early because of the depth of the scene.
Scenery construction uses extruded-foam insulation board in 1 in and 2 in thicknesses, carved with knives and hot-wire tools. The foam is lightweight, durable and easy to pierce for trees and poles. Surfaces were covered with Sculptamold mixed with a little carpenter’s glue for strength, and in some areas with Hydrocal cast rocks hot-glued to the foam. Once dry, the surface received a coat of tan-grey latex paint to eliminate white patches before ground cover was added. Mike used ground foam, real dirt and even tinted sawdust, including Highball’s old “sawdust grass” material.
Rock faces were tinted with acrylic washes and dry-brushed for relief. The tilted sedimentary strata of the Flatirons between Tunnels 2 and 8 were modelled by stacking sheets of foam on the same geological angle, carving them to match the actual formations. Tunnel interiors were completed and ballasted before being sealed under the next layer of foam. Access for track cleaning remains available from the tunnel mouths.
At higher elevations the scenery turns wintry. The snow scene around the Moffat Tunnel began as a simple experiment and grew into one of the layout’s most striking features. Snow was created by sifting Hydrocal over wetted scenery in layers, and ballasting the track with marble dust from Arizona Rock & Mineral. The snow was tinted back to pure white with thinned artist’s gesso after some of the marble dust dried yellow. Areas subject to handling were sealed with diluted matte medium for durability. Lighting shifts to cool-white fluorescent tubes, and the backdrop transitions from sunny foothills to a pale, overcast sky, giving the illusion of climbing into a storm.
Lessons in Design
Mike’s Moffat Road demonstrates that even a generous room and small scale cannot accommodate an entire prototype district, yet careful scene selection can still capture its atmosphere. The layout combines photographic composition with practical operation, and it shows the value of early planning, reliable construction and sensible access. A cardboard mock-up of Denver Union Station still stands in place years after its intended replacement, a reminder that temporary solutions often endure. Likewise, a “temporary” CTC panel continues to control the line long after construction finished. Both testify to a layout conceived with care and executed with lasting satisfaction.
More Information
- Danneman, Mike. “Painting a Scenic Backdrop.” Model Railroader, vol. 71, no. 10, Oct. 2004.
- Danneman, Mike. “Rio Grande in the Rockies.” Model Railroader, vol. 78, no. 12, Dec. 2011.
- Danneman, Mike. “Snowy Transition.” N Scale Railroading, no. 92, Nov.–Dec. 2015.
- Danneman, Mike. “Designing the Rio Grande in N Scale” Model Railroad Planning, 2016, pp. 14–23.