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Colorado Joint Line - Rio Grande, Santa Fe, and Burlington Northern

Division or location:   Colorado Joint line between Denver and Colorado Springs
Interchange Railroads:  Rock Island, Colorado and Southern, Union Pacific. 
Owner:  David Acheson
Size of Railroad:  37’ by 26’
Scale:  HO
Era:  1970’s
Throttle system:  CTC-80
Scale Clock Speed:  8:1
Length of Session:  24 Hours
Number of Crew:  10
Train Control:  Verbal track warrants with Radio Communications Radio’s Required
Listed Jobs:  Dispatcher, Yard Master, Assistant Yard Master, C&S Crew, Coors Crew, 5 road/switch crews.

This railroad features the runs along the Front Range of the Rock Mountains in 1974.  From Denver in the north through South Denver, Englewood, Big Lift, Castle Rock, Palmer Lake, and Colorado Spring it ends up in Pueblo on the South end.  The Rio Grand, Santa Fe, and BN share this north/south line.  24 trains are run which are mainly merchandise, coal extras, and a TOFC.  The Coors brewery at Golden features switching with an inside transfer table at the brewery.  Denver Rice Yards is modeled and is where all but the Rio Grande trains are worked.  The Colorado and Southern has its own small yard and works South Denver, Englewood, and a transfer runs to Coors.

About the layout owner:
Dave Acheson (also known as  "Achie-Bob")  was born in Chicago  (at the same hospital as John Breau...they later closed the joint).  Dave moved to Kansas City in 1977 and built layout #4.   With the help of Mark Davidson and John Breau, layout #5 was built to operate. Ten years later the house was expanded and the "Joint Line" expanded. 

Dave's son John (also known as "Achie - John") is building an "N" layout that should be ready for Prairie Rail 2006. 
 

Layout photos (click on thumbnail to enlarge):

	Dispatching Console