Mountain Model Railway Scenery on the Colorado Western
MRA EditorsDescription
Building a layout with convincing model railroad scenery is the goal of most hobbyists, but few have succeeded in creating one in such a spectacular way as Lee Nicholas. His Utah Colorado Western HO Scale layout is the subject of this month’s Allen Keller series on great model railroads and it promises to be enlightening, educational and entertaining!
Lee and friends have been working on the UCW for the past twelve years, with a major revision just a year and a half ago. It’s built in a 30’ x 33’ space with traditional L-girder construction.
As a stickler for not running through barren layout, Lee’s team has created sensational model railroad scenery of mountains and backdrop, and will share their secrets of how it was created in later episodes.
Lee tells Allen that the UCW is always looking for a way to be more efficient in its operations , and utilizes a computer to control signals and a Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) machine whose software was created by fellow modeler, John Robinson. The UCW represents a major bridge line between Denver and Salt Lake City and interchanges with the Southern Pacific (SP), Durango & Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) and the Western Pacific (WP), so there’s always plenty of action – and fun – during monthly operating sessions.
Sit back and enjoy some mountain running with a purpose – and amazing model railroad scenery – on the UCW!
The Utah Colorado Western of Lee Nicholas is a 1960 road built for operation. Lee and his friends were always willing to improve car movements when they find a better way interchanging with the DNRGWSP and WP make the monthly operating sessions more fun. In spite of Lee's fame as an operator, He refuses to run drains through bare bench work and is a stickler for beautiful scenery. His friends, Kelly Newton and Robbie Spangler have created some of the hobbies best mountains and backgrounds. The UCW uses a computer to control signals and the centralized traffic control machine. John Robinson designed the electronics and software for both. Hi, I'm Allen Keller, and this is Lee Nicholas, the financer of the Utah Colorado Western. Hi, Allen. Welcome to the UCW, our version of the major bridge land care between Denver and Salt Lake. How long have you been building the railroad? Well, we've been in construction down down here on this layout for about 12 years, and with a major revision in the last year and a half. The Utah, Colorado Western is an HL bridge line from Denver to Salt Lake City. It occupies a 30 by 33 foot space and is built on L-girders and laminated I-beams. The hidden yard, or mold, represents both Denver and Salt Lake.
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