Skitching In Silverton

So, it's the day after Christmas. The presents are all open and you're getting through the annual post-Christmas hangover. Depending on your weather, it could be 70 degrees and gorgeous or 20 below, gray and ugly! If that's your lot this Sunday, what to do? If you've got a model layout to work on and materials to use, you're all set. If modeling's not your thing, there's always DVDs and YouTube.

Rio Grande Reading For A Sunday Afternoon

For the folks that aren't able to make it to the train show this weekend, or who, like me, went but can't get enough of trains and railroads, I've found a couple of articles for interesting reading. Mark Oehlert is a painter, writer, and artist whose interest in the Rocky Mountains is more than a passing thing. He's put two articles up on Suite101.com that, if a bit romantic, still paint a good picture of the Rio Grande. His Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad History and Origin and Demise of a Railroad Legend: The California Zephyr might be enough to sate you, or they may just whet your appetite for more! Good Sunday afternoon reading, regardless!

Great Train Expo In Denver This Weekend

Due to a glitch, I just found out that the events calendar was missing a very important date. I fixed the glitch, but just in case you missed it, here's the announcement:

The Great Train Expo will be in Denver, Colorado this weekend. One of the larger train shows in the Rocky Mountain region, the expo will have vendors selling all things rail related, especially model railroads, as well as modular clubs in scales G, O, HO, N and Z, all showing their latest builds and acquisitions. Combine it with a trip to Caboose Hobbies, and you've got a high chance of getting what you're looking for.

New Mexico Antes Up For Lobato Repairs, Could Complete By Opening Day 2011

The Lobato Trestle on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, which burned in a fire in late June, could possibly be back in service by next season's opening day! Long time New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson directed the state's Department of Transportation to direct $1.2 Million in federal funds toward the trestle reconstruction.

Lobato Trestle Op-Ed in ABQ Journal

Bill Hume, board member of the C&TS Railroad Management Company wrote an Op-Ed piece for the Albuquerque Journal regarding the Lobato Trestle rebuild project. In it, he covers the history of the actions taken since the fire in June.  Of note:

Firemen School on the C&TS

The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad continues their school for different roles on steam operated freight trains. This week, they've got 6 firemen students training. The video is from Monday where they spent half the day in the classroom and half the day making up the train they planned to use on Tuesday.

Featured Photographer - Gary Morris

Aside from the photo aggregate sites like  railpictures.net and rrpicturearchives.net, it's hard to find photographers with high-quality railroad photographs of the 60s, 70s and 80s in Colorado. That's why I got a bit excited when I found Gary Morris' site and his section on the Rio Grande Railroad earlier this summer. He's got his collection organized in HTML by railroad, but you can still find a few BN and UP shots in Denver if you dig for them.

Fall Colors Approaching Their Peak In Southern Colorado

It's September, and that means the fall aspen colors are making their annual appearance in the high country. Usually they are in evidence the first week after Labor Day in the north of the state to as late as the first or second week of October in the far south near New Mexico. I say usually because there is no sure fire way to predict how the aspens will change. Sometimes they peak in color quickly, in what seems like a few days. Other times, the peak is more than a week in some areas. By peak, I mean that the traces of green in the leaves are almost totally gone but all or nearly all of the leaves are still on the trees. Some years, there isn't a peak, and that's depressing!

Crash on Pikes Peak Tangles Operations Over Cog Wheel Route Friday

A helicopter crashed on Pikes Peak on early Friday morning, with all four aboard injured but alive. The debris field closed the Manitou & Pikes Peak Railway, also known as the Cog Wheel Route, along with the toll road running from Cascade to the summit. The four passengers were treated and released from the hospital in nearby Colorado Springs. The railway still operated trains on a shortened route and restored service to the summit house today. The toll road is also re-opened.

You Forgot Your What!?

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad recently completed Railfest 2010, and the fans have some pretty unique souvenirs for their money. I found this picture while browsing their Railfest photo gallery. I've seen worse, but I think most folks would agree that when a person is giving a whistle demonstration at said Railfest, it's important--nay, crucial that they bring adequate ear protection. Regardless, the show, or the demonstration, must go on.

Trains Magazine Features Colorado's Distributed Power

I got my October issue of Trains on Saturday. Did you?

Trains Sept 2010

The September 2010 issue of Trains Magazine features diesel engines using distributed power in Colorado. The cover  boasts, "Ultimate Motive Power, 6 Locomotives [under] 1 Engineer, How distributed power changed the way railroads run big trains." The main article by David Lustig features a double page spread of the Moffat Route through Little Gore Canyon to start the article, another from the Front Range sub north of Palmer Lake, and yet another from the west of Denver above the Big Ten Curve west of Clay, Colorado, which is also where the cover was shot (see at left).

Tiny Town Railroad Derailment

Seldom does a tourist railroad lead the nightly newscast for something other than a major disaster, a miniature railroad doubly so. Wednesday, August 11th, a morning train making it's trip around the 15-inch gauge Tiny Town railroad was northbound along the roadway through South Turkey Creek Canyon toward the northern end of the park with 30 passengers aboard. Heading into a curve, the train derailed, spilling the 2-6-0 live steam engine #10 and ending with five of the six cars on the ground. The last car was a caboose loaded with children.