Vol. 33: The Denver, Front Range and Western
In this series we take an in-depth tour of Doug Tagsold’s HO scale Denver, Front Range & Western. The DFR&W model railroad layout features trains from the Rio Grande, Sante Fe, and the Burlington Northern, and is set in the spectacular scenery of the Colorado Rockies, where Doug fell in love with big-time mountain railroading.
Doug was so inspired by the rails in the Rockies that when he got home from his trip, he tore down his old layout and started on this double decker. The line duplicates the Rio Grande Main from Denver to Grand Junction, and the Rio Grande and Santa Fe joint line from Denver to Pueblo. Allen Keller calls this layout one of the most dramatic models he’s ever filmed.
Doug’s goal with this layout was to try to recapture the drama he witnessed when he saw Rio Grande trains running through the front range of the Rocky Mountains. The layout’s double-deck spans only only 25 by 40 feet of Doug’s basement.