Moffat Tunnel - West Portal - O Scale 1:48
Moffat Tunnel - West Portal - O Scale 1:48
Dimensions: 12.01" Width x 8.69" Depth x 9.77" Height
Historic Moffat Tunnel – West Portal
Bring one of Colorado’s most famous railroad landmarks to your layout with this Historic Moffat Tunnel West Portal scale structure. This detailed model captures the distinctive appearance of the western entrance to the legendary Moffat Tunnel on Colorado’s famous Moffat Route, making it an ideal centerpiece for mountain railroading scenes and Rocky Mountain layouts.
Originally built for the Denver & Salt Lake Railroad and later operated by the Denver & Rio Grande Western and Union Pacific, the Moffat Tunnel remains one of the most recognizable railroad engineering landmarks in the American West.
Model Scenery World’s Moffat Tunnel structures are proudly showcased on the HO scale layout at the Moffat Museum in Granby, Colorado, and on the N scale layout at the Forney Museum of Transportation in Denver.
Model Features
• Detailed scale recreation of the Historic Moffat Tunnel – West Portal
• Designed to accommodate modern NMRA clearance standards
• Ideal for mountain railroading, tunnel districts, and Rocky Mountain scenes
• Adds authentic Colorado railroad history to your layout
• Compatible with popular model railroad scales and layouts
Complete your scene with the Model Scenery World Moffat East Portal, available in multiple configurations along with supporting structures.
About the Historic Moffat Tunnel
The Moffat Tunnel is a historic railroad and water tunnel that cuts through the Continental Divide in north-central Colorado. Named after railroad pioneer David Moffat, the tunnel first saw official railroad traffic in February 1928.
Located approximately 50 miles west of Denver, the tunnel created a critical western rail connection through the Rocky Mountains. Before its construction, trains had to cross Rollins Pass, which included steep 4% grades, switchbacks, and severe winter conditions that made rail operations extremely difficult and costly.
The railroad tunnel measures:
- 6.2 miles long
- 24 feet high
- 18 feet wide
- 9,239 feet elevation at the apex
- 0.8% grade
Today, the tunnel handles approximately 15 trains per day and remains one of the most important rail passages through the Rocky Mountains. The parallel water tunnel continues to supply part of Denver’s municipal water.
The Moffat Tunnel is currently the fourth longest railroad tunnel in North America and stands as one of the most significant engineering achievements in western railroad history.