ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.
While I was looking for an aluminum recycler in the Denver area I came across a real "loop" of track. For over 20 years I've driven by this and never realized it was a loop.
Enter the coordinates 39.809, -104.962 into google maps or the address 2129 E 62nd Avenue, Denver, CO. Put it in map mode. OR click here See if this link works!
While this would still be an HO 8'x16' layout or so, it reminds me of several of the track plans in 101 track plans, and Atlas #8. Double / triple track loop with a yard in the center, switch back to an engine house, and a couple "industries" on the lower left .....
This is really the power generation plant. They take full trains of coal in and ashes out. The coal unloader is just below the center on the right hand side. It is serviced by the UP from the track going off to the lower left and the BNSF by the track going off to the lower right (switch back style).
It is a multi track loop all right (to handle the unloading of unit coal trains for a power plant), but I wouldn't call it a "spaghetti bowl" - i.e a track plan with tracks running in every which way and crossing each other in all kinds of ways to shoehorn in as much track as possible, with lots of very short spurs and little if any room for buildings and scenery.
It's more an oval of tracks rather than a "spaghetti bowl". Looks more like a glorified balloon track which aren't all that uncommon for unloading unit trains.
Check it out on Bing Birdseye & you can see its a definitely a power plant. Looks to be hundreds of MT coal hoppers spread around the plant. And zooming in & out shows some loads.
I always thought that the railroads brought the coal in and left it on the centeryard" tracks. Now I'm guessing the railroads bring it in and just leave it on the left most double ended tracks and run the locos around the loop to exit. The power plant loco would then pick up the trains and separate them into strings on the inner yard to run through the dummper. After they go through the dummper the empties could be left of the loop for the railroads to come in and pull them out loco first without having to do back-up run-around move. I'm going to have to find a good vantage point and get over there and just watch for a day or two to find out for certain.
