I just found this on YouTube. Has anyone ever been there?
It looks pretty amazing and worth a visit some day.
I’m trying to find details of how it was built.
Flextrack or handlaid?
DCC system they use?
How they implemented CTC?
Thanks
If you are talking about the museum in Greeley, yes it is awesome. On my list of things to see next trip to Colorado. Model Railroader had a nice in-depth article about its creation in the December 2008 issue. (I went searching in the digital archives)
Hello All,
Yes, it is AMAZING!
Have you checked out their website? https://www.cmrm.org/
I live almost 2-1/2 hours away- -one way- -from Greely and I try and get there for their “special” occasions.
These events include a Rio Grande days, “Extreme” trains day, Star Wars, and dinosaur themed days.
Even on a normal operating day a scavenger hunt list is available. Things like, spot the bear, find the car wreck keep the little ones occupied.
On special themed days items are “hidden” on the layout. A crashed Millenium Falcon, legions of stormtroopers. A Trex invading a campsite.
There is even a forest fire scene complete with a smoke generator.
The DCC system they use is NCE (corrected). For days when they don’t have engineers, the layout is controlled by an automated computer system.
On “operator” days each engineer has a radio headset so they can communicate with the dispatcher. The dispatcher can give local control of the turnouts for switching duties or can control the turnouts from the dispatchers’ control board.
For extreme trains days, because of the length of the trains, mid-train helpers might be used. A second engineer will be assigned to operate them.
Flex track was used for the bulk of the trackwork.
I have become a member of the museum. For an annual fee of $40.00 I and a guest can visit the museum as often as we want.
On one occasion, I was watching a volunteer spot cars for the following days running. He noticed my interest; yeah, I guess we are just as obvious when railfanning a layout, and struck up a conversation.
Upon learning that I model in HO he gave me an impromptu behind the scene tour.
On slower days go to the dispatchers’ panel and ask if a tour is possible. If they have the time they would love to show you around.
To volunteer as an engineer, two mandatory training days are required under the supervi
I’ve watched some of the video’s - yes, very cool. Would love to see it in person some day.
This is one of my favorite videos to watch from the museum. It doesn’t hurt that it’s Santa Fe, too. [:)]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOXeNVgp6c0&t=552s
I hope I can get there someday, but it’s kind of a haul from Illinois.
Small correction. they use NCE for locomotive control. They use Bruce Chubb’s CMRI for the signalling with custom written code which will also run the automated trains during the weekdays.
They also have a fully functional CTC panel for the dispatcher.
This is correct (specifically code 83 for mainlines) and code 100 in the staging yard. Turnouts are a mix of handlaid (mainline) and commercial (industries).
Layout cost was in excess of $1 million and there are over 20,000 trees.
Also there is rockface that is approximately 23 feet tall.
Their staging yard is also pretty incredible. It is a pass thru yard with tracks long enough to hold 50+ car trains.
Its an amazing layout to see and operate. It generally takes anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 and half hours to have a train go around the layout once depending on how many trains are running at once.
I was there in December of 2008, having read about it in MR, just before they opened. David, the founder, was kind enough to let me in to see it. I also came back a year later to see it. It’s quite impressive. and, there are several You Tube videos on it as well.
I’ve visited the Greeley Freight Station Museum four times since opening. I’m not a member, but being one might be a good idea. When I lived in Casper it was about a 200-mile drive, but now it is closer to 500.
It’s a great museum with a great layout inside. Model Railroaders from all over the place come to work on and operate on the layout. There’s a full size caboose inside that guests can bunk in overnight.
There are a lot of videos available, many produced in the usual railfan style, but also many in the educational how-to style a la Luke Towan showing how the layout was built and scenicked.
One thing Dave (the owner) mentioned that has stuck with me is that human eyes are very good at noticing visual anomalies and repetitive patterns, no matter how small or innocuous. No idea why I bring this up, but like I said . . . it stuck with me.
Highly recommended.
Robert
Hello All,
Thank you for the correction.
It’s about 150 miles for me but worth the occasional pilgrimage.
When I was inquiring about becoming a volunteer engineer I mentioned that the travel distance was a hindrance to volunteering.
The volunteer I was talking with told me of a group of modelers that come from Arizona, stay a week in Greely, and run trains at the museum.
What a great vacation.
The museum is located right on the UP right of way. Several trains pass throughout the day.
On one visit I remember overhearing a museum guest comment, as an actual train passed by, “Wow, that sound is very realistic!” She didn’t understand that is was an actual train just outside.
Hope this helps.