Moffat Tunnel East Portal

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I’m modeling the modern day moffat road. I’m including both moffat tunnel portals. I can pre-order the west one, but the east one needs improvement. How can I scratchbiuld all the side structures in an inexpensive and rather simple way? Or if you may know any manufacturers that make a complete East portal for HO scale please let me know.

2

Welcome to the forum.[:)]

I’m a Rio Grande fan and have been to the East Portal, but far from an expert on the Moffat Route. You’re in luck on the portal itself, made by Model RailStuff:

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/506-1270

It’s even in stock.[Y]

If you go that route, check it out and try to match the rest of the installations there to it in terms of texture and paint. It’s a painted, plaster casting. I suspect that may be what you have and are wondering…

So what about everything else that’s at the East Portal? Depends very much on what year you want to model. A little research will turn up lots of pics, the Denver Public Library’s Western History Photo Collection is a good resource for this.

http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/

I suspect that plaster molds to make up the basic forms of the fan house, etc would be best, but plastic may work, too. Plastruct and others will have shapes and other industrial “textures” that should supply what you need for details.

I’ll put in a plug for our historical society:

http://www.drgw.org/

And a darn good email list where you can get whatever you need I haven’t covered already:

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/DRGW/

3

Thank you very much!

4

OMG! I didn’t even know they made the Moffat portals, holy crap this is awesome!

Thanks Mike!!

5

The major renovations to the East Portal including the gate, building renovations, and standby generator were started in 1982 and completed in 1985-1986.

I worked for the contractor invoived in this work and the new gate was made of Corten Steel and the standby generator for the fans is a standard 3000hp EMD 645 diesel engine.

There was a major lawsuit on this project and the railroad was found liable, and although the railroad refused to pay, they eventualy did or the merger with the SP could not have gone through.

Rick J