The Future of Colorado's Front Range Ties To Passenger Rail

For over 25 years, I have heard rumblings of expanded passenger rail service happening for the state of Colorado in various forms. From relocating freight rail out east along with a new "superslab" highway that got filled with more lead than Soapy Smith, to the ill-fated Rocky Mountain Rail Authority's intention to route rail both north-south and east-west through the state and never drove one spike, let alone a train, they were all disappointments. 

This time, I have a bit more hope for Colorado's longsuffering citizens. We have real funding passed and in place. Additionally the builders are focusing on one, realistic route in the area most likely to need it most by then. From a brief conversation, Nancy Burke, representative for Front Range Passenger Rail, said, "We are expecting a portion of the passenger rail corridor for service along the Denver-Boulder-Longmont line to begin in 2030." 

My thoughts are that this might be optimistic, but it certainly could happen if they get moving. If they do turn a steel wheel on a steel rail, they'll do more for Colorado than any of their predecessors, at least since the Kite Route stopped. 

FRPRs 2-minute promotional video follows below.⚒

Rocky Mountaineer - Rockies to the Red Rocks of Moab

Something that railroads do much better than roads or airways is taking many people to a common destination while letting them see the country in which they're traveling. It combines the rugged beauty of driving with the ability to get up and stretch one's legs, interact with and meet more people than you would normally. We've lost touch with that. Luckily, the Rocky Mountaineer is giving those who can afford it a chance to travel from Denver to... wait, Moab? Let the RM make its case.

; 

Jeb Brooks takes you on a 30 minute tour 

I won't say this is a renewal of the Rio Grande Zephyr by any stretch. The RGZ was more old school passenger train than this train crew ever dreams about. Nonetheless, it is inspiring to see the Rocky Mountaineer opening up the western slope to those minds looking for something more than the next Ibiza or Parksville.⚒

Thoughts On Don Phillips' Loss of Mobility

Pagosa Springs in October is pretty, but can you live there? // Milan Suvajac

For over 12 years now, I have been plowing my way through Trains Magazine's Complete Collection*, taking notes on American railroading from 1940 - 2010. I have made it all the way to 1993, reinforcing the old notions that slow and steady wins the race, and eating an elephant is accomplished one bite at a time. My collection of notes numbers in the thousands for this magazine's articles and advertisements alone. 

There, in July's issue, sandwiched between an ad for Erie Lackawanna VHS cassettes and an ad for FastTrack, a video magazine subscription that predated vlogging by a mere 20 years, was a column that could have been written yesterday. Don Phillips, for all his east coast swagger, nailed down a plight. This plight is both near to my heart and yet so far from a possible solution that will likely never see a resolution to my satisfaction. It is the plight of everyone who lives in Colorado's rural counties and towns. 

"What?" say the rural denizens of Colorado. "We're okay." Yeah? Hand me your drivers license. Still ok? No, and why not? Because your four wheels (or sometimes two) are your ticket to American freedom. If you handed over your precious Colorado drivers licenses, you would be cut off from work, from home, from your leisure activities and your grocery store, pharmacy and your doctor when you are sick. Any trip in America and especially Colorado nearly always begins with the private vehicles we own.

We own vehicles? Not all of us. But let's consider: Cars are the required luxury. The essential option. The one thing everyone is free to decline at the peril of losing everything. If you have made it past 60, you know that your insurance premiums are rising and will rise until you eventually cannot afford them or you voluntarily surrender your life on four wheels. You either die before you reach that age or you must surrender your freedom. Oh, that will never happen to you. 

Others have never driven a car, but most of us don't know them, couldn't relate to them, or actually ignore them. These are the people who know bus schedules, rely on programs and family members to care enough to meet their transportation needs. But try living near Springfield, Craig, Sterling, or Cortez without a license to live drive. What if next week or next year something happens and you're forced to join their ranks? You're just one heartbeat, one blackout, one prescription away, but best not to think about how thin your lifeline really is.

As we found out in 2020, being stuck at home is no fun. Telecommuting, even if you have great internet service, has its limitations. Even the American workplace, for good or for ill, is beginning to require attendance from their employees again. In fact, it's hardly a secret that most of rural America has been languishing since the 1950s. Even in periods of massive growth, such as the teens, multiple Colorado counties have experienced double-digit loss percentages. Why? I'm not sure, but I have a feeling that losing the local train has something to do with it.

The local train? Local train, as in not intercity, not hub-and-spoke, not long-distance. I won't re-say what Mr. Phillips skillfully wrote nearly 30 years ago now, but let me say that I sincerely believe he is right in this case. Please click or tap to view the article.

So, what do we do? Do we just click our tongues and click our mouses (or swipe or scroll) on to the next story? Or do we start thinking about the idea of making things local again? Do we make a point of shopping locally if we can. Heck, what about just trying to remember our neighbors' faces and names? What about remembering the checkout person at the store, or the cleaning person emptying the trash for us? Connecting locally can change everything, especially our living patterns.

I don't have an easy, ready-made solution in the offing for the small town shrink-down, but it all starts with a mindset. Just because it isn't "our problem" doesn't mean it's not worth our time and effort to fix. It needs our attention before the price of groceries goes any higher.  Or did you think these problems weren't linked to yours? ⚒

* The collection is now obsolete, superseded by a deluxe subscription to the magazine, which allows online access to the entire back catalog of the magazine including the last 12+ years. 

A Non-Travel Vlogger Takes Amtrak's Southwest Chief

I've been watching Alec, a vlogger--I hate using that word, but it is what it is, and his channel called Technology Connections for more than two years now. He has a knack for asking the questions I've always wondered about American technology like, 

• What's with the holes in the tines of US plugs? 
• Are extension cords more dangerous than we've been led to believe? Hint: yes! 🔌
• Are LED stop lights really that much better than incandescent? 🚦
• Why is High the first setting on most fans? 
• Was VHS actually superior to Beta? Oooh, he's meddling in an old format war! 📼

Alec took a cross-country trip on Amtrak this past August and, being an Amtrak newbie, he splurged and bought a roomette ticket. He admits he's not a railfan or a travel blogger, so it's not like he has all sorts of tips and tricks. You can get those elsewhere, one might hope, anyway. His route was from Chicagoland to sunny San Diego by way of LA and the Southwest Chief.

En route, Alec posed some very interesting thoughts and--this is why I watch him folks!--he nailed one of the main reasons why long distance rail has struggled in America. Nevermind that passenger rail was usurped by an independence-minded but vastly inefficient technology like rubber tires-on-asphalt. Nevermind that Amtrak was never supposed to make money--he got that right too, however. He said essentially that while the cost of a sleeper ticket is mostly out of the range of most Americans, additionally, working people in the USA are too time-poor to be able to splurge 3-5 days on travel. If you want to make a trip to the east or west coast from Colorado, you book it through DIA and not DUS not because "getting there is not half the fun!" but because your damnable HR policy only gives you one weeks vacation the first three years, if you're lucky! That's not right, and we all know it.

The USA is not in an emergency. We are not even trying to beat the Russians to the moon--we're just trying to get there sometime soon. We're not even trying to keep someone else from subjugating the world, like we did in WW2. We are working ourselves to the bone and why? Our kids need us. Our families need us. Our lives need us. We last added a day to the weekend over a century ago and productivity soared! Doing that again isn't a terrible idea. Certainly adding some more time off would help. 

I'm not saying we overturn society. I'm not advocating a shift to communism. I'm saying we need to give our employees time to live a life worthy of the effort of living. The rest of the world gives their employees a much more sane consideration. It's time we do too. Until we do, reasonable rail travel will continue to be a luxury and worse, society will continue to slide downhill. No, I am very serious.⚒

Further Reading:

• CNBC - How Far Behind America Is In Paid Time Off (2018)
• Workest - How Much is Average PTO in the U.S.? (2021)
• US Bureau of Labor and Statistics - Employer Costs for Employee Compensation by Region (2021)

RTD Looks To Cut Services In Spring But Will Fix Come Too Late?

UPDATE: 12/9/19 via Denver Post: Any solution RTD may implement will not come until spring. Meanwhile "They want to just show up and have their trip,” RTD General Manager Dave Genova said of passengers.

RTD Failing To Protect Drivers and Riders Amid Growth

Published originally Thursday, October 24, 2019:

Sometimes growth and change isn't pretty, but with RTD, it can be downright ugly. Engineers of Denver's Light Rail have finally opened up to say they're fed up with long, grueling shifts, six-day work weeks, and careless disregard by management. Most people can relate to having worked a long shift once in a while, but the current manpower shortage at RTD goes beyond the occasional extra overtime. Engineers of trains report making mistakes directly attributable to their being on the clock for more than 12 hours, a condition that is illegal for engineers of freight railroads. Innumerable studies have been done showing the detrimental effects of overwork, long shifts and extended work weeks.

Fear of retribution has kept engineers from openly speaking out about the problems, but concerns about safety for the engineers and their riders have prompted them to come to the media to seek change. "[We are] not safe. We're all worked to death," one engineer said anonymously.

Jeffrey Beall

RTD engineers in the course of their duty are expected to drive their light rail trains through crowded city streets, over grade crossings and next to highways and roads throughout the Denver metropolitan area, in situations requiring attention, caution, and awareness, attributes that are dulled and even nullified by fatigue and exhaustion. Just as a tired driver of a truck or other vehicle is a danger to themselves and the others around them, engineers who are tired can make operational mistakes costing time, money, and even human lives. For example, an engineer who is inattentive--even momentarily--could miss a signal and plow their massive light rail train through a crowded intersection, causing destruction and manslaughter. Another example, an engineer could take his train through a sharp turn (like the one near Colfax and Auraria) meant for a train going 10 miles per hour at a speed of 50 miles per hour or more, causing a tragedy not unlike the 2015 Philadelphia Train Derailment that took the lives of 7 people.

Employee turnover and a general feeling of disrespect and resentment are not helping matters. Though a spokesperson expressed managements' awareness of the issue, they did not present specifics on efforts to remedy the situation. All of this occurs as RTD ridership plummets.

Opinion

Clearly, RTD is not taking the situation as seriously as its engineers. If they were, they would take effective steps to find and employ the engineers necessary to meet the needs of Denver's riders. Offering competitive compensation packages, incentives and training for applicants would go a long way toward resolving this problem, along with improving the work environment for their current engineers. Until they do, RTD and Denver are courting tragedy of the worst kind. ⚒

POTD - Main Line Steam at LaSalle

John Hill captured Union Pacific legend No. 844 as it crested the slight grade at LaSalle, Colorado, on her speedy way from Cheyenne to Denver on Thursday, July 19, 2018, to pick up her passengers for the Cheyenne Frontier Days special. Since its revival in 1992, the Denver Post has chartered the special to haul nearly 800 passengers from Denver over the Wyoming state line for a day of catered meals, dancing, live music, socializing, and games, and that's just the fun onboard. There's still a rodeo to watch when they get there!

Photo of the Day: John Hill

Union Pacific 844 leads diesel 1943, The Spirit, an SD70ACe painted in a unique livery celebrating the nation's armed forces and its 5 branches. The diesel commemorates a U.S. Army Air Corps B-17 bomber, The Spirit of Union Pacific, purchased in 1943 by employee war bonds to support America's winning role in World War II.

The CFD Special would not complete this year without incident. On July 21st, two days after this photo, the train clipped a woman standing too close to the rails at a crossing near Henderson, killing her on impact. Her death halted the train and passengers were bused from Henderson to Denver 2 hours later. On its site, Union Pacific requests the public keep a minimum distance of 25 feet away from any track. ⚒

POTD - Cheyenne Frontier Days Special Rides Again

It almost goes without saying. This year's Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo had a steam special run by Union Pacific. I say almost because, although it has been a regular trip for many years, a lot of planning, effort and money go into making this event happen every year. The citizens of both Wyoming and Colorado owe a debt to The Denver Post, Union Pacific, and the many staff and volunteers who invest their time and effort to making the CFD Special happen. Without it, the rodeo wouldn't be as popular and the economic impact would be profound. Highball, UP 844!

Photo of the Day: John H. Hill

Today's photo of the day is by Colorado Railroads' contributing photographer John Hill. He captured the Cheyenne Frontier Days Special high-stepping its way south through Weld County past Nunn and toward Carr and Denver Union Station on July 20, 2017 at 11:08 in the morning, led by Union Pacific's famed 844. A class FEF-3, oil-fired 4-8-4, it has never officially been retired, and since the 1980s it has served as the railroad's primary public relations dynamo. I can't fault them for it. If I had a horse this beautiful, I would show it off each chance I got! ⚒

End of the Circus Train

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is closing.

The last line of a T.S. Eliot poem talks of the earth ending "...not with a bang but a whimper."¹ The Greatest Show on Earth, for all its pomp and bombast, its hype and fanfare, will end not with a glorious round the country farewell tour that would last for years. No, instead it will creak quietly to a halt later this month and fold its tents forever.

Visit Trains Magazine's excellent
coverage including a free national
map of Blue and Red's final miles

When a decision by their parent company came down late last year to end 146 years of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, there were dates already booked--including one in Colorado Springs--that were quickly and quietly scrubbed. Thus, one last chance to photograph the circus train, red or blue, is no more. If you want to see any circus move by train, you will have to travel east to one of the remaining dates in the next two weeks.

I remember seeing an incarnation of this same circus in 1977 with my mother and grandmother, watching the elephants and tigers and taking in all the sights and sounds. Had I known they had arrived by train and lived aboard it, I don't think my mother could have gotten me home!

And yet, when I ask myself, if I had such good memories, why didn't I take my own kids to see the circus, I'm confronted with some of the reasons the circus had fallen on hard times. After years of connecting with my kids through animals and educating them about wildlife, why was I uneasy about explaining an elephant's role in the circus? Somehow, the long, unrelenting push of animal rights activists had chased my family and me out of the circus tent.

That is the same reason behind the circus owners' decision. After bowing to relentless pressure from animal rights activists and retiring their elephants last year, ticket sales dropped as the owners anticipated. But they didn't just drop; they tanked, forcing Feld Entertainment to pull up stakes, leaving a lot of people with mixed feelings.

On the other hand, unmixed and plainly clear is my regret at not getting a last look at a unique American institution that is quietly dying along side its reason for existence. The Red and the Blue Trains, for all their aluminum-gray patchwork, were a rolling community, a total of 124 passenger cars traveling from one city to the next, more often than not at the mercy of a freight railroad to get there. Residents of this community had one foot in the 19th century circus and railroad traditions and the other foot in the 21st century technology, with satellite TV, DVRs and smart phones all as mobile as they are. Maybe a lot of things got mixed, especially toward the end.

But that's a circus for you.

I just wish a lot more of us got a chance to say goodbye before they left.⚒

Rock Slide Briefly Closes the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic, Service Resumes Next Day

Some trouble on July 4th kept the morning run from Antonito, CO from reaching Osier that noon for the traditional lunch stop, but that's life in the Rockies, it would seem. A rock slide occurred near Rock Tunnel, one of only two tunnels ever made for the narrow gauge Denver & Rio Grande Western.

As you can see, this is the west side of Rock Tunnel by the top of the Garfield Monument in the left center background. Photo CATS RR

From the west looking back towards the tunnel mouth. Even though there's only 3 feet between the rails, that doesn't make the rocks any less massive or difficult to move! Photo: CATS RR

Obviously, this was not just a bit of granite that they could just kick aside! Extra effort by work crews made sure that the slide would not interfere with the next pair of trains the following day, and the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic let everyone know that they are back in full operation with its press release below.

ANTONITO, CO   JULY 5, 2016    All routes on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad (C&TSR) are once again open as of the morning of July 5, 2016, following a rock slide that temporarily closed the railroad between Antonito and Osier Station on July 4.   “We apologize to all riders who were not able to enjoy the complete line on July 4, but these things happen when you run the most authentic steam railroad in the nation,” said John Bush, C&TSR president.

 Jointly owned by the states of Colorado and New Mexico, the Cumbres & Toltec is the highest and longest steam railroad in North America, running 64 miles from Antonito, CO to Chama, NM, crossing state borders 11 times. The rock slide which sent several large boulders down on to the tracks occurred sometime before 10 a.m. on July 4, 2016 near Rock Tunnel.  The slide prevented the train departing from Antonito to make it to the Osier Station for lunch.  That train was able to turn around at Toltec siding and return back to the Antonito Depot.  The train departing from Chama was able to get through to Osier for lunch, and passengers were then returned to Chama.  No one was injured in the incident and crews were able to work throughout the day to clear the huge boulders from the tracks.  All trains and routes were in full operation as of 9:15 a.m. on July 5, 2016.
 The C&TSR was built in 1880 and climbs to Cumbres Pass at 10,005 feet elevation and chugs through Toltec Gorge, 800 feet above the river below.   “When you offer Rocky Mountain scenery such as we do, sometimes Mother Nature plays a role.  We apologize to any passengers who were disappointed with shortened runs on July 4^th,” Bush said.

The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad runs America's longest narrow gauge passenger trains over 64 miles of well-maintained--and usually rock-free--rails that pierce two tunnels and crest the summit of 10,022 foot Cumbres Pass.

Tickets are still available for runs over the high country the rest of the season of 2016 by visiting their site or by calling 1-888-CUMBRES / 888-286-2737.⚒

Colorado Legislature Shows Support For Reviving the Ski Train

Last month, the Colorado State Legislature, in what could be termed a show of support for the growing interest in resuming the Ski Train, put forward a grant to build a platform for service, aimed at resolving Amtrak's objection for direct service to the slopes of Winter Park.

Amtrak? Not that Amtrak?

Yes, that Amtrak, although there has been nothing to indicate that Amtrak has the initiative to begin its service or when. If and when it does, it could be a partnership between Amtrak and the state as in North Carolina, Maine, or California.

Whatever form a revival will take, it probably won't be like the old Ski Train, because the old Ski Train lost money. The new service, if it comes at all, will likely not run all season, and it will likely be a tighter fit for those riding in coach. Will it be better than running the gauntlet that is I-70 in winter? Oh yeah! But I guarantee it will be different (and likely more expensive) than the old way under Ansco. Amtrak and Winter Park are likely to have differing ideas about rail service to Winter Park, especially in terms of dates and times of service. Hopefully, riders will have more options than under the old system, and service will run frequently and fast.

How many years did the Ski Train run both summer and winter? The glory of summer day trips to Winter Park to escape the heat of the city made the summer runs a special treat for residents of the Mile High City. Artwork: SkiTrain.com

In the video above, Walt Loevy gives us a brief show of a Ski Train in its final 2009 season. There is nothing like the unmistakable sound of an EMD F40 whipping by! Watching it, I can't help but remember another Rio Grande train, the Rio Grande Zephyr, with a similarly painted EMD F9 on the point and single level cars whipping by. I think Ansco did that on purpose. ;)

Here's one last video, click for a look at what the coach service was like in summer 2007.⚒

Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus Train Passes Through Monument

On Monday evening, Walt Loevy caught the UP-led Ringling Bros, Barnum & Bailey circus train on it's way north through Monument on the west side of the grade with dusk approaching. Be warned: the flange noise on the curve is pretty loud! He catches up with it at Greenland, well after sunset for a final look. https://youtu.be/o9rn4klHKT8



By the way, the RBBX train--the longest privately owned train in the world--was featured on the single season of Extreme Trains. The hour long episode is here.◊

POTD: Piercing The Flatirons With Silver and Gold

In 1978, more years lay behind the Rio Grande Zephyr in its brief existence than in front of it. A truncated version of a prestigious and luxurious train, passengers bemoaned the state of rail transportation where the RGZ was, if not a dimming reflection of the glory days, a reminder of the past that was herself quickly fading. Certainly, she was the last survivor of intercity passenger rail that was not swallowed up in the Nixon-Ford era Amtrak.

Running tri-weekly it was possible to use one train set and run it between Denver and Salt Lake City, Thursday, Saturday, and Monday, and Salt Lake City to Denver Friday, Sunday, and Tuesday, and never on Wednesday, which was when the cars received their maintenance. Only 5 years from the snap of this picture, Rio Grande would pull the plug on this last, tri-weekly gasp of private passenger rail service. Had she lived to be a hundred, I don't think anyone would have found the Zephyr to be worse than her successor.

Photo of the day: James Belmont

Photographer James Belmont says of this photo, "One of my all time favorite photos of the Rio Grande Zephyr..."     He went on to add that the fill the train is crossing over was washed out during the floods of September 2013. This washout disrupted service over the Moffat Route from Denver to Grand Junction for 17 days, and considering it's location, it's a testament to the maintenance and repair crews how fast they got the work done!

Interested in the Rio Grande Zephyr? Check out my friend James Griffin's very artful web treatment of the Silver Lady's last days.◊

POTD - A Silver Lady Passes Her Castle Gate

Drew Jacksich makes his debut here with Photo of the Day. Mr. Jacksich gets around if a quick tour of his flickr site is any indication. His photos appear in Wikipedia articles, and with good reason, because not only do they have some historic significance, but the bulk of them have some real beauty.

Photo of the Day: Drew Jacksich

Such is the case with his photograph of the Rio Grande Zephyr at Castle Gate, Utah in June 1975, just 40 years ago this year. The last remnant of the Silver Lady and the last privately controlled inter-city passenger train was 4 years into her proud, tri-weekly service following the demise of the popular California Zephyr, begun in 1949 by the Burlington, Rio Grande and Western Pacific railroads as a Chicago to San Francisco train timed to view Colorado's Rocky Mountains in the daylight.◊

POTD - Snowy Rails in Middle Park Wash the CZ in Wintry Wonder

Amtrak killed the Ski Train in a blatant fratricide. So why is it still the subject of a Photo of the Day award, especially in a place its victim once called home? Because art and reality can be separated at times and because it can be unprofessional to let a grudge get in the way of artistic triumph.

Photo of the Day: Steve Brown (sjb4photos), Amtrak in the snow - Colorado 

Amtrak Train No. 5, the California Zephyr, makes its way through Middle Park approaching Fraser, Colorado in March 2003. It is presently four hours late due to the recent snow storm and when it leaves Frasier, it will be seven hours late due to freight congestion on the Union Pacific's Moffat Route brought on by the same storm. Not the worst delays ever seen by Amtrak, but it certainly doesn't help Amtrak's sorry reputation for poor timetable performance.^1,2,3 That may have been why a grinchy Amtrak never could abide the Ski Train service from Denver to Winter Park and back that was seldom if ever so late.◊

POTD: A Classic Reborn and Lit With Elegance

Denver's Union Station was almost slated for a date with the wrecking ball in the early 1980s. Then, someone responded to the call and formed a group called Save Our Station. And thank God they did! After millions of passengers, Union Station was due for an overhaul and RTD needed some way to tie FasTracks into one neat bow. Look no further than the Beaux Arts classic great room of Denver Union Station.

After millions of passengers, Union Station was due for an overhaul and RTD needed some way to tie FasTracks into one neat bow. Look no further than the Beaux Arts classic Denver Union Station.
Photo of the Day: Christopher May 

Looking for all the world like a cross between a wedding cake and a grand library, the inside of Denver Union Station is something to behold. Christopher May captured the newly restored, antique elegance that rivals any rail hub of any city anywhere. The great hall has never looked better! The timed exposure almost leaves the impression that the area is deserted. Always open, even late on a summer night for this photograph, Union Station may never close again.

A great place for ColoRail to have a party! They are, after all, the ones who inherited Save Our Station.◊

Mike Armstrong's Steam Galore Annotated For Colorado Railroad Fans

Mike Armstrong is a photographer and videographer, posting on YouTube as CoasterFan2105. His body of work has grown quite a bit. So, as a showcase, Mr. Armstrong has put together a compilation of his steam videos and called it Steam Trains Galore! At the time of this writing, it has over 2.1 Million views. (You read that correctly.)

For 2 million pairs of eyes, the video is chock full of Colorado narrow gauge action (and a bit of RGSR's standard gauge engine 18). Thus, I've produced a small collection of notes detailing the different segments with links so you can skip to the parts that interest you. Honestly, my first impulse is to just let it run and see if you can identify the segments yourself. Just in case, however, I put the cheat sheet below.




Note: clicking the time links below will open the video in a second window (after an ad, which I have no control over, unfortunately)

• 0:01 - 0:12 Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge RR (D&SNG) Eureka & Palisade engine 4 "Eureka" crossing Animas  River south of Silverton
• 3:03 - 5:46 Denver & Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) engine  315, which was restored by Durango Railroad Historical  Society, at work pulling various specials on the D&SNG.
• 8:13 - 11:43 C&TS and Mudhen 463
  • 8:13 D&RGW 463, one of two surviving "Mudhens,"  leads a double-header on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic RR  (C&TS) along with D&RGW 487 on a mixed photo freight  over the 63 mile line.
  • 8:43 passing the tank at Lava
  • 9:06 entering the bottom of Tanglefoot Curve below  Cumbres Pass
  • 10:38 exiting the top of Tanglefoot Curve immediately above the entrance
  • 11:08 decending the 4%  grade toward Chama, NM (love the through-truss shot!)
• 11:44 - 12:03 D&RGW mikado 484 on the C&TS rounding the  balloon loop at Antonito, turning the train for the  return trip to Chama.
• 15:38 Intro photo of San Luis & Rio Grande SL&RG railroad  standard gauge engine (former LS&I) 18 descending  towards La Veta, CO with a consist for SL&RG's passenger arm the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad (RGSR)
• 15:48 - 17:50 SL&RG 18 eastbound from Alamosa across the  San Luis Valley then climbing the grade toward La Veta  Pass and topping the grade at Fir, CO. Finally,  descending the east side of the pass nearing La Veta, CO
• 17:51 - 19:57 SL&RG 18 returns with the same consist  climbing dramatically back over La Veta Pass to Alamosa.  Notice the wheel slip by locomotive 18 starting at  19:10. Don't get stingy with the sand now!
• 20:03 - 22:05 Eureka & Palisade number 4 idles for water  at Hermosa then departs northbound for Silverton.  (several beautiful shots)
• 22:06 - 22:10 Photo of the west side of Durango's Narrow Gauge Avenue (yes, technically a street)

Of course, Mike has put together a sequel called--what else?--Steam Trains Galore 2! It contains more of Colorado's railroads and engines for you to discover.

Great videos, Mike!◊

Steam Generator Cars Legacy Lives On In UP Yellow

Union Pacific's EMD E9 #949 idles at Denver's North Yard with the Howard Fogg, a steam generator car in from Cheyenne for repair to the car's wheels. Photo: John Hill, contributing photographer

Contributing photographer John Hill captured Union Pacific's historic EMD E9  in Denver with car #209, known as the Howard Fogg. It is the last boiler car for the UP. The car is comparable to former Alco PB #6002 that the Rio Grande renumbered 253 when they converted it to generate steam for passenger trains like the California Zephyr, the Rio Grande Zephyr and the Ski Train. Nathan Holmes of DRGW.net explains the reason behind steam generator cars. In practice, the former diesel engines like the Alco were easier to convert because they were already built to MU (multiple unit) control standards. Therefore, they ran between the engines instead of behind them like the Union Pacific. The Howard Fogg must ride behind the engine lashup and not within it.

About Howard Fogg, the Painter

Named for the renowned railroad painter in 1996 after he passed away on October 1st of that year. Fogg issued numerous paintings of locomotives at the end of steam and the heyday of cowl-bodied diesels. This was during a period when American railroading was arguably the most colorful and diverse.

Examples of Fogg's paintings can be found illustrating many published works, including some editions of the definitive Rio Grande book, Rebel of the Rockies by Robert Athearn, as well as his own books. His works come on calendars, playing cards, porcelain platters and even things you can hang on your wall with frames. Most recently, Richard and Janet Fogg have published Fogg In the Cockpit, a book and a blog about Richard's father. Colorado railroads and narrow gauge were a favorite theme among Fogg's many paintings.

Legacy of Steam Power Survives To See a Big Boy

Given today's wireless and electronic gadgetry, it is a bit ironic that the power cars are indispensable for present passenger special operations using equipment made to run when steam was not just an option, it was the only way to power the cars in your train. Eventually, however, the standard for car power changed when Amtrak took new Amfleet and Superliner cars that relied on HEP, or Head End Power, based on the ready supply of electricity from today's diesel-electrics. Yet nothing seemed capable of killing off the last vestige of steam from the surviving vintage passenger cars like those of Union Pacific.

Inconspicuous to a fault, the Howard Fogg blends in with the passenger consist, ahead of the first dome and behind tool car Art Lockman and #6936, this time speeding through La Salle, Colorado, on its northbound jaunt to Cheyenne Frontier Days.
Photo: John Hill

Finally, in 2000, the car was upgraded to include HEP. The boiler still supplies the steam heat as needed for consist, but HEP provides the power for the high voltage needs on the train. Cars can be electric or steam, but everything from tools and bench work to AC, cash registers, and reading lights depend on the Howard Fogg. Union Pacific needs the Howard Fogg as a support car for the move of Big Boy 4014 from California to Wyoming, presently underway, which Kevin Morgan has confirmed is in Las Vegas, NV on April 30th.◊

Train Star: Amtrak is moving back to Union Station soon!

Train Star: Amtrak is moving back to Union Station soon!: But not as soon as originally hoped. Friday, February 28 (time?) California Zephyr returns to Union Station. This date has already been dela...(continue at Train Star)◊

Denver Union Station Set To Re-open Spring 2014

For nearly a century, Denver's Union Station, situated at 17th and Wynkoop Streets in LoDo (map), served as Denver's gateway. After suffering neglect in the 60s and 70s, a group called Save Our Station came forward to save Denver's landmark and stood in the gap until LoDo's redevelopment in the 90s. Today, with FasTracks and a "project authority," Denver Union Station is primed to become the city's transportation star once again, juiced with hospitality and shopping opportunities that Denver's founders would dismiss as flights of fancy.

ColoRail, Colorado's primary passenger rail advocacy group, reports that Denver Union Station's project under DUSPA is nearing completion of several steps in its renovation. For approximately 30 months the historic building, parts of which date from the 19th century, has been gutted, busted up, and besieged by earth-movers and construction cranes, but not for much longer. From ColoRail's latest brief,

While an exact date has not been announced, Amtrak trains, ticketing and baggage handling are expected to be back at the historic Denver Union Station building by mid-February 2014. Here is the line-up of events as it appears today:

⊗ Mid-February 2014, in a blizzard of track-work, the "cut-over" will take place, re-connecting Tracks 4 and 5 with the national railway network. Amtrak trains currently use Track 8. Station activities will be moved into the historic building. This will begin a new period of awkwardness, due to the surrounding construction activities, with special efforts needed to define safe pedestrian routes.

While RTD is mainly concentrating on the next step, national interest is focused on the Amtrak move, after relocations in both Miami and St. Paul were fouled up. One ColoRail member riding on the Southwest Chief found himself being grilled by his sleeping car attendant as to whether Denver would be able to handle this in a timely manner or not. ColoRail board members receive many questions along the same lines.

At this phase, customers should have access between the 16th Street FREE MallRide and the Wynkoop entrance to the historic building, or a 3-block walk up 17th Street for Market Street Station connections with skyRide and Boulder-Longmont buses. Thruway buses will have to park along Wynkoop Street during this stage of the project.

⊗ On May 9th, a big grand opening ceremony will be held for the Bus Concourse, which is to link the thousand foot walk between the historic building and the relocated light rail platform.

⊗ On May 11th at 2:00 a.m., the Market Street Station will close forever and the Union Station Bus Concourse will open for business. The significance for rail travelers is that it will be possible to walk under cover from the Amtrak facilities to the plaza at the Millenium Bridge light rail station. This change will also bring numerous bus connections closer to Amtrak trains, including:

• Amtrak Thruway bus connections for Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Walsenburg, Trinidad, and Raton.
• CDOT sponsored bus connections for US 40 points including Winter Park-Fraser and Granby
• CDOT sponsored bus connections for US 285 points including Salida, Gunnison and Alamosa
• RTD FREE MetroRide bus connections for Civic Center Station and the Denver Bus Center
• RTD Regional bus connections for US 36 and North I-25 points, including Boulder and Longmont
• RTD skyRide bus connections for DIA
• A variety of Local, Express and Regional RTD routes

For the future, at least two other bus companies have expressed interest in serving the station. On the other hand, residents of Lower Downtown, recipients of millions of tax dollars in the form of a landscaped plaza in front of the historic building that replaces the taxi and bus loop, are objecting to "increased" bus traffic. Actually, there is no LoDo increase, but the project changes which streets are used, as buses would no longer be going to Market Street Station.

⊗ On or about October 1st, CDOT expects to begin interdistrict commuter bus service between Fort Collins, Denver and Colorado Springs, with stops at Union Station.

⊗ In 2016, three commuter rail lines are due to begin service, including the DIA/East Line, the Westminster Line, and the Gold Line (Arvada - Wheat Ridge). These would replace several Express bus routes in Union Station, as well as the Rte AF skyRide coaches. Also improved would be connections to Aurora, via the I-225 light rail extension. Aurora stops will be accessible either via an East Line transfer at Peoria/Smith Station or via a C/E-Line to H-Line transfer at I-25 & Broadway Station.

⊗ In 2017, it is possible that commuter rail service to Thornton will begin.♦

With the completion of the West line earlier this year, Denver Union Station already ties the Light Rail lines together. Once Amtrak and the commuter lines are active, it truly will be the regional hub envisioned by FasTracks.◊

Front Range Flooding Affects BNSF, UP

There have been widespread road closures due to flooding, including I-25 in both directions from Denver to the Wyoming state line. In my experience, any disruption that affects a road will affect a railroad to some extent, with an emphasis on proximity to the source. This holds true for this week's craziness. Greeley--I've just learned--is inundated.

Colorado's Woes Owed to Historic Rainfall

While Colorado has had occasional and rare stretches of showers and overcast skies, the rainfall this week has shattered records. In some places, over half a year's worth of rain fell in a few short days. No one I know can recall this kind of flooding ever happening here. Ever.

Erosion fascinates me. Water under pressure does amazing things. Canyons thought to form over millennia can happen within days, as witnessed on Mt. Saint Helens, given the right pressure, viscosity and debris. Dams thought secure can overtop and within minutes begin to tear open. And as witnessed this week on network TV, roads can be eaten out from under cars while people sit inside unaware and in grave danger.

Considering the weight of locomotives, cars and cargo, imagine what a pair of rails need to stay solid. Railroads are only as good as the ballast beneath them. Still, there's something else I noticed today.

Colorado's cities (red) and railroads (dashed lines). Quick and ugly map created on nationalatlas.gov
The northern half of the Front Range Urban Corridor is highlighted.

When you look at the state's railroads, perhaps the most densely developed railroad corridor is the northern Front Range, the piedmont between Denver and Wyoming, and ground zero for our disaster. Clearly, the worst place to have a flood in Colorado--as far as rail is concerned--is right there. It's development fueled the 19th and 20th century economies for Colorado and the rest of the mountain states. History runs thick. This area saw the first rail connection for Denver and the then-Territory of Colorado with the rest of the nation on the Pacific railroad. These rails served the introduction for thousands of travelers making their way to Colorado for a holiday or a new life to settle as a pioneer.

Ironically, Amtrak's Pioneer traveled the same rails, but in the opposite direction from Denver northward to Seattle until the early 90s. Since then, only the California Zephyr continues to grace Denver's presence. While Amtrak hasn't issued any information regarding the status of the daily Zephyr, both Class I railroads in Colorado have issued statements.

Class I Railroads Affected

Union Pacific issued a statement yesterday regarding the impact of the storms, indicating a likely delay of 24 hours for the affected areas including Limon, Colorado Springs, Commerce City, Rolla and Greeley.

BNSF issued a more detailed statement today regarding specific locations, saying,

The track at South Colorado Springs, Colorado is out of service due to washout. South Colorado Springs, Colorado is approximately 72 miles south of Denver, Colorado. The main track is expected to return to service later this evening, Friday, September 13, 2013.

The tracks at Boulder, Colorado and Loveland, Colorado are out of service due to multiple washouts. Boulder, Colorado is approximately 30 miles northwest of Denver, Colorado, and Loveland, Colorado is approximately 52 miles north of Denver, Colorado. No estimated return to service has been issued yet. Customers between Broomfield, Colorado, and Dixon, Colorado, will not be serviced until track is restored.

You can bet the MOW gangs are going to have a time making the weak sections solid again.

Stay dry, folks! Hopefully, we've seen the worst of it.◊