Great Model Railroads Volume 33: Doug Tagsold’s Denver, Front Range & Western

Get a great first look at the Denver, Front Range & Western model railroad layout of Doug Tagsold in this video. The DFR&W features trains from the Rio Grande, Sante Fe, and the Burlington Northern. The setting of this HO layout is the spectacular scenery of the Colorado Rockies, where Doug first became enthralled with big-time mountain railroading. This mountain excursion changed Doug’s model railroading life. He was so inspired 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.

Even though this layout was carefully planned and built, Doug has rebuilt or redone most of the layout. New ideas and techniques only add to his enjoyment of the hobby. Allen Keller alongside Doug claims this is one of the more dramatic models they have ever made a video about. To Doug, the drama of mountain modeling is the most important thing. His 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 sits in his basement where its double deck footprint takes up only 25 by 40 feet. The back of the lower level is 12 inches away from the wall to allow plenty of room for wiring and hidden staging tracks. The tour begins on the lower level of the layout at Pueblo.