RTD Fastracks Overview

Recently found this Fastracks overview by Railway Gazette from June helpful, if a little hard to read because of the tiny font. Still worth reading if you want to catch up on the generalities of what RTD is planning.

More News at DRGW.net

ND Holmes of DRGW.net has news about D&RGW 315, a BN rotary (!), and narrow gauge odds and ends as of Sept 17th. Go check it out.

Georgetown Restaurant Owner Seeing Red

It's an unfortunate story, but one that seems to be dominating railroad news. Georgetown Loop Railroad's abysmal season has affected Clear Creek county's tourism in such a way it's making shop owners nervous. It's disappointing to see Mark Greska, the former operator of the Loop, so accessible to the media. At best, it looks like he's gloating over the failed season. Observers of the situation will note that neither the CHS or Railstar has been especially adept at managing affairs, but Greska's sour grapes doesn't exactly sweeten the chill air off of Clear Creek. Greska's on top of his game at Royal Gorge with his standard gauge diesels, but he's going to need to find a home for those five narrow gauge engines he has. They're not getting their proper use at the Colorado Railroad Museum, and when D&RGW 346 returns to the grounds, there will be--oddly enough--a surplus of power there. Questions remain:

1. Will Railstar and CHS make the changes necessary to improve reliability and lessen or even eliminate downtime in 2008? I hope so.
2. Will the businesses of Georgetown and Idaho Springs recover from this difficult season? Probably, but only if the point above is sufficiently resolved.
   
3. Will Greska tack down a third rail and run narrow gauge through the Royal Gorge to Parkdale for the first time in nearly a century? Or will he sell them off and hope they don't end up in the hands of his rivals? There's only so many places that want Shays, and the Loop is one of them.

None of the questions will likely be answered before March 2008, when preparations for the summer begin. Until then, it's going to be a cold winter in the valley.

Taking a Garden Railway Seriously

Dick Maddock is living a fantasy, and I envy him. Imagine running and maintaining your own private railroad, with a working, coal-fired locomotive to boot! I was especially gratified to see that he and his son "play trains" on weekends. This is what trains are all about for me, bringing fathers and sons together. Nothing is more worthwhile.

D&RGW 315 at Railfest

I'm still awaiting word on whether the D&SNG ran the D&RGW 315 as announced (PDF) at their 9th annual Railfest. This being the last day of Railfest, we should hear something about it soon.

UPDATE 9/23: No such luck, but there's a rumor about it being available for a fall color special or two.

Colorado State Fair Express Chase

I could post all the footage and photos I got of UP 844 as it came south from Denver to Pueblo, but I would be hard pressed to keep up with Kevin Morgan of ColoradoRailfan.com. Seeing him near Larkspur and again in Pueblo, I saw how easily the pros drift through the amateurs and somehow make it all look so easy.

I still might post a few. I'll have to recover my ego first. In the meantime, I'm offering an editorial, although it will likely just add to the consensus of the railfan community at large.

I was reminded yesterday that mainline steam tends to bring out the very worst of railfans. I will spend little time citing what's wrong, but it's still worth noting that:

• Slowing traffic to a crawl on a major Interstate highway just so they can pace a train that is still 100 to 200 feet away from them causes active and thorough resentment from not only the general public, but other railfans trying to get to the next photo location
• Walking in front of the photo line to get their own shot reveals just how unprofessional and ridiculous some railfans can be, especially when the same person shows up in shot after shot after shot. His wearing a pale yellow T-shirt makes it all the worse

On the positive side, I appreciated so many of the fans finding discrete places to photograph the train. Positioning themselves in the bushes, below the grade or generally out of the way, many of the photographers were decent to each other and respected each other's desire for the perfect shot. Following the golden rule--even in a hobby--by talking with folks already set up about where you can go to stay out of their way helps everyone feel respected and yields some good rewards. The challenge of catching a locomotive at speed is challenging enough without climbing all over each other to do it.

While it's not unique to railfanning the events, there is a great opportunity for connecting with others. Among railfans, you can easily spot loyalties and what sub-category of railfan they find themselves in. There's the big steam fan, the narrow gauger, the local historian, the obscure short-line fan, the camera geek and the dabbler, to name a few. One usually finds a mixture of two or three interests in a single railfan, but there is usually a chief love, proudly proclaimed somewhere about the person on their shirt, cap or jacket, making it easy to spot each other. Striking up conversation about such a love is easy and opens up roads to long and true friendships.

Speaking of great loves, I was gratified at the UP's surprising good taste in letting the Rio Grande Heritage unit, UP 1989, assist the 844 over the Palmer Divide. It's always a beautiful sight to the eyes to see the flying Grande in gold and black on home rails, especially the joint line. It was 136 years ago, before Colorado was even a state in the Union, that the Rio Grande's founder directed the Grande to build south from Denver. When so many "& Pacific" railroads were going east-west, Palmer was the true entrepreneur, defying convention and running north-south to tap the riches of the Colorado piedmont on the way to Mexico City. That he never made it past Raton is dwarfed by the fact that his work still survives today.

UP 844 To Lead Colorado Mountaineer

Don't forget this great opportunity for Front Range railfans!

http://www.coloradostatefairexpress.com/

By the way, the UP 844 will be substituting for the 3985. While we won't see an articulated in action, it should still be worth the time to see it. Here is the schedule.

Back In One Piece -- Unlike Georgetown Loop

After a brief hiatus, I'm back. Summer got the best of me and boy, am I tired! My apologies, especially to Kevin.

*Rummaging around desk*

Ah, here's one item you might not have heard yet, but it was predictable. The Georgetown Loop Railroad has closed its doors. The banner at the top of its site says quite plainly, "No trains until further notice." Heedless, the Denver Post includes it as a "one-tank trip" in its August 11th issue. The blame can be thrown everywhere you want, but I think I could speak for the businesses of Clear Creek county when I say, with some sadness, that things were better before with the previous operator.

Who should fix this mess? It's my opinion that it should certainly not be the same people who created it. They've had plenty of time to salvage the situation. No one wanted this situation, including those responsible, and they should do the right thing and step aside as legally and quickly as possible. Some things just don't work well together, and now the jewel of Clear Creek is sits shuttered.

HT: drgw.net

Operation Lifesaver in Delta

Operation Lifesaver will be pairing up with Union Pacific Railroad to promote grade crossing awareness in Delta, Colorado in early July. Visit the Delta County Independent for more details or tickets. ColoradoRailfan.com has speculated that it might involve UP's Rio Grande Heritage unit, 1989.

All Systems Go

Denver's 9News reported yesterday that the test on #12 went okay and it may just salvage this summer's season for Georgetown, Silver Plume and the rest of Clear Creek county. Most telling is the interview with one store owner that says that it's been dead without the steam on the loop.

Meanwhile, I've received a tip that the management of the loop has not been particularly spotless and that the blame placed on the Colorado Historical Society is not fully justified. Obviously, neither entity is willing to speak their corporate mind, being that they hope things resolve internally. One only wonders what will happen at the end of the five year term of the contract.

Denver's Watching the Loop

From the Denver Post in today's briefs section:

Georgetown - A mechanical problem has sidetracked the Georgetown Loop's only working steam engine, postponing the train's summer opening and leaving the town without its signature tourist attraction for this weekend's Railroad Days festival.

Ongoing repairs to the axle broken on the antique engine, No. 12, in August means the unique corkscrewing narrow-gauge line won't start running until June 15.

The delayed opening gives fodder once again to critics of the Colorado Historical Society, which three years ago dropped its relationship with the train's former operators after 30 years and awarded a contract to New York-based Railstar Corp., which has been beset by operating problems and diminished passenger loads.

Like I said, hopefully the test goes well today or tomorrow.

Signs of Life At Silver Plume?

The latest on the Georgetown Loop is that they will open next weekend, June 15th. I've heard from at least one source that C&S No. 12 is going to be steamed up this weekend, presumably to run tests. Hopefully, we'll have a live locomotive and a lively season. If not, there will be a lot of finger pointing.