Rio Grande Ski Train Sold, Moved To Canada

It is with great sadness that I report that the Ski Train has been sold and will no longer operate in Colorado.

I'll let that sink in for a moment. The last remaining standard gauge operation that was truly a Rio Grande original is now gone. Started by the Denver and Rio Grande Western in 1940 as a means of getting the residents of Denver to their city-owned Winter Park ski area, the train operated over 69 seasons. It originated at Denver's Union Station and dropped skiers off for a day of skiing after emerging from the Moffat Tunnel, just 12 years old in 1940. The train would be wyed at Tabernash and wait in the siding at Frasier until the day came to a close, when it would return to the same curve and pick up happy and tired skiers for a relaxing ride home.

In 1984, Denver businessman Phil Anschutz purchased the Rio Grande and then in 1988, purchased the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP), merging the two under the larger railroad's name. As part of the deal, a subsidiary of Anschutz Company would buy the Ski Train and operate it as a separate venture. They continued losing some money in the venture, but it was something they "wanted to do," according to company spokesman Jim Monaghan.

As for the reasons leading to the sale of the historic train, it was a combination of things. Monaghan cited four problems faced by the Ski Train, in no specific order.

1. overall cost increases, particularly for liability coverage
2. operating issues with freight trains over the route owned by SPs successor, the Union Pacific railroad
   
3. uncertainty surrounding the redevelopment of Union Station and the Ski Train's place in that development (I blogged about this here)
   
4. a weakened overall economy

While no control can be exerted over issues 1 and 4, issues 2 and 3 should have been mitigated or resolved before the sale became an option. One could wonder if issue 2 was a monster of Anschutz's own making when the company sold SP to Union Pacific in 1996. The Union Pacific is no lover of passenger trains, as riders of Amtrak over the years can readily attest to. By losing ownership of the route, Anschutz lost control of whose trains get priority treatment. Additionally, recent maneuvers by the Obama administration and a Democrat-controlled congress have put pressure on the Big Four railroads to make Amtrak trains on their routes a priority, resulting in better on-time performance for Amtrak. This is all well and good, but could this well-intentioned maneuver by the government have lead to the California Zephyr taking the Ski Train's priority ranking over the crowded Moffat Route? It's a logical possibility, as the Amtrak effort coincided with the end of the 2009 Ski Train season. The sad irony is that by pushing state-sponsored trains, Obama and company are sending the capitalist private-sector trains to the scrap yard or, in this case, out of the country.

Issue 3 appeared on this blog back in January. As I said in the post,

RTD feels a "social obligation" to it, but that's different than a contractual obligation. Where do the skis, poles, boots and people go if the platforms are spoken for by the local commuter train to Brighton? Putting more cars on I-70/US 40 to Winter Park is not an option.

Now it appears that the non-option is the reality. Since the RTD announced plans for redeveloping Denver's Union Station, they never publicly specified where the Ski Train would fit in the plans. Translation: The Ski Train is not welcome. The cars on the pavement in Denver are now being moved to the mountains by the neglect of an agency designed to improve transportation in Denver. Parasite or patron, Denver has historically shown that it is for Denver's cause above that of Colorado in general, and this fits right in.

This is indeed sad news. At the age of 69, a wonderful train is being sold off, with no replacement in sight.

HT: Kevin Morgan

Ski Train Ends Run Forever

More information to follow.

Volunteers Needed

Happy Easter, everyone! He is risen!

The Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden needs volunteers to work in the office, on the track crew, in restoration projects in the roundhouse, in the library and as tour guides. I've volunteered at the museum before and it's a great experience! To step up, contact volunteer coordinator David Williams at 720-274-5147 or e-mail david@crrn.org.

Photography Tips and Techniques Special On Rio Grande Scenic Railroad

Have a budding photographer in your family that wants to brush up on their skills? The Rio Grande Scenic Railroad is planning a Photo & Video Tips & Techniques Special. From the site,

Spend the day with experts and learn the tips and techniques to obtain fantastic nature photography. One dome car will be assigned to each subject and the journey will allow time for a question and answer period and some one-on-one help.

Visit the site for more information or add this event to your Google calendar.

Here's the first run of steam on the RGSR back in 2007.

Railroad Museum Reopens After Blizzard

Donald Tallman, Executive Director of the Colorado Railroad Museum, caught these photos of the museum grounds the day after the blizzard that covered eastern Colorado and left it's mark on most of the state. The museum has opened today, offering its usual weekend rides around the grounds (extra ticket required). Spring snows don't hang around long, and it will likely be gone after Sunday.

Summer Goose Migrations On the C&TS

The Rio Grande Southern's Galloping Goose Motor 5 from Dolores will be running on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic railroad this summer 2009. Here are the dates, destinations and ticket prices:

• June 18 - Chama to Antonito - ticket price $90
• June 19 & 20 - Antonito to Osier roundtrips - $79
• June 21 - Antonito to Chama - $90

All prices include lunch at Osier.

The Goose will then be back in the fall for another series of trips. This should be when the aspens are around their best down south. Here are the dates, routes and prices:

• October 1 - Chama to Antonito - ticket price $95
• October 2 & 3 - Antonito to Osier roundtrips - $95
  
• October 4 - Antonito to Chama - $95
  

Lunch at Osier again is included in the price of a ticket. Call the Cumbres & Toltec ticket office 888-286-2737 for reservations for either migration.

Durango & Silverton Station Burglarized

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad station in Durango suffered a broken door and jangled nerves Wednesday (the 11th) at 1:24 a.m. when a thief tripped an alarm, apparently scaring them off. One of the doors on the east side of the station was forced and a door to the gift shop was left open. A search of the surrounding yard revealed damage to the doors of some outbuildings. (Full Story)

Our Rails Are Rusting

Of interest to all ferroequinologists is this article from Ft.CollinsNow.com. It discusses the local impact of so many railcars parked on sidings as the shipments nosedive from the deepening recession. Rusting rails may not be the only impact of the lack of use. Idle cars are an "eyesore" to residents nearby and the are also prone to vandalism, which includes not only graffiti but also theft or destruction of car components.

A crisis this long in the making may not have any easy answers. Rails that were still warm to the touch 18 months ago are sitting cold now. Has the light at the end of the tunnel been turned off? It's not looking too hopeful, but time will tell. One thing is for sure, as the article concludes, fewer trains are running and that means we'll see less of a good thing, even we ferroequinologists.

What Are You Doing This Summer?

Rio Grande narrow gauge cabooses (cabeese?) have square-shaped nuts and bolts. How do I know this? Years ago, I worked with Colorado Railroad Museum volunteers to help restore a caboose, replacing hex heads with the authentic hardware. It felt great getting to restore a bit of Colorado railroading history, and I connect with the caboose when I come through the museum.

Connect with history on your own by volunteering with your local museum, or consider working on one of the Friends of the C&TS worksessions this summer. But don't just connect with history, connect with a family member, a spouse, or even a friend over your work together. Meet some new friends and get out of the routine!

DP: Union Pacific Engine Examined As Possible Wildfire Source On Moffat in Arvada

The Denver Post is reporting that as many as nine wildfires were started by a Union Pacific train on the Moffat Route through Arvada. Grass fires stretched for five miles on Wednesday at 6:30 a.m. A Red Flag warning was issued by the National Weather Service for the area at the time, meaning that conditions were ripe for any wildfires to grow quickly. According to Scott Pribble of the Arvada Fire Department, numerous witnesses claimed they saw sparks from the train ignite dry grasses next to the tracks. The fires stretched from West 72nd Avenue and Oak Street to near the junction of Colorado 72 and 93, near Rocky.

The fires set by the train engulfed the home and barn of 92-year-old Margery Kusulas, who escaped with her daughter Angela only seconds before the fire reached them from the tracks, some 60 yards away. The fire burnt both structures to the ground and threatened the Pioneer Ridge subdivision before being extinguished.

While mechanical crews cleared the cars of both trains that were in the area at the time of any mechanical problems that would cause sparks or ignition of wildfires, they have isolated one engine that they want to get a better look at as the source of the fires. Union Pacific spokesman Marc Davis said that the two possible sources on a locomotive, arcing electricity from a bad motor or diesel flashover in one of the vents, were very rare. Union Pacific says they are already working with the parties affected, even while the investigation continues.

For more details with photos and the original story by Howard Pankratz, visit the Denver Post.

Kevin Morgan has pictures as well.

Great Western Trestle Fire Ruled Arson

Great Western, the short line on the northern Front Range that served the Great Western sugar plant, suffered a serious blow to its infrastructure when a trestle crossing the Cache la Poudre River northwest of Greeley caught fire the morning of February 9th. The fire was reported by an employee of Noble Energy. OmniTrax, which manages the short line, says it will be seven weeks before materials to repair the trestle arrive. The source of the fire, which started in some weeds next to the trestle and spread from there, is now believed to be arson because all non-human sources have been ruled out. A full beer bottle and a half-empty (half-full?) whiskey bottle were found nearby.


View Larger Map

The loss of the trestle has effectively severed the line from Greeley to Windsor. OmniTrax is working with area clients to find alternative shipping until repairs are complete, currently estimated to be in late March or early April. Damages are estimated at $1 million. Anyone with information about the fire should call the Union Colony Fire Department at 970-350-9500.

R2C2 Public Benefits And Cost Study Results

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) released the results of a Rail Relocation for Colorado Communities (R2C2) study on Tuesday, February 10th. The Public Benefits and Cost Study examined the cost and benefits of building a bypass routing through freight trains along the eastern plains of Colorado away from the Front Range cities of Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Denver and Ft. Collins. Such a move would leave local freight service to the cities intact while freeing up capacity for some type of commuter rail service.

The study concluded that while the project may cost between $1.0 and $1.5 Billion, the direct and indirect benefits would work out to between $2.4 and $16.3 Billion. The most likely scenario approximates the cost to be $1.2 Billion and the benefits to be $5.2 Billion, a benefits to cost ratio of 4.3 : 1. $3.8 Billion of those benefits would go to the public. While this isn't stellar, the jobs this project would create would have a positive impact on Colorado's economy, which is facing a major recession at best.

Union Pacific and BNSF, the state's competing Class I railroads, would partner with CDOT to build the new rail route, connecting Brush with Las Animas over 220 route miles. No official route has been announced. That will likely come after the RMRA issues its report on I-70 & I-25 high speed rail options.