Trivia: Railroads Used Alpine Lakes To Climb Higher

Here's a bit of trivia for you. In Colorado, two railroads circled a lake to gain altitude for their main line, one narrow gauge, the other standard gauge. Probably the better known among the two is Trout Lake, which was circled by the narrow gauge Rio Grande Southern. What other railroad circled a lake in Colorado to gain altitude?

Comment in with your answer! Or, if you don't know, check back on Thursday to view the answer.◊

Lessons from 1993's Wreck of the Sunset Limited

Amtrak's "pointless arrow" in 1993

I watched the following about the 1993 Sunset Limited disaster* that killed 47 people near Mobile, Alabama. What I want to know is how long, how many disasters it will take before alignment sensors are put in place to guard the rails? We're nearly 20 years on, and the only fix implemented was regional. What truly chills me is that this could happen anywhere, even in Colorado, given the perfect storm of conditions.

My essential point is: Alignment-based derailments are too common to not be fixed.




* Spoiler: A loaded Amtrak passenger train at speed rammed a defective bridge truss that was knocked off its 84 year-old gravity-held mooring only 8 minutes before by a barge that was steered by an inexperienced pilot in dense fog. The Wikipedia article has more details for the those who don't have an hour to watch.

Moffat Tunnel In September

Skip Weythman posted a quick video of a westbound UP manifest freight at East Portal. Check out the beautiful aspen gold above the tunnel entrance. The trackside shed is missing a little paint and the concrete is showing it's age. Of course, everything ages faster at 9,240 feet ASL!

Georgetown Loop Oktoberfest Offer

If you like microbrews, the Georgetown Loop Railroad is offering beertasting and brats weekends until November 4 (view CR Events calendar). Here's more of the offer from their notice sent to Colorado Railroads.

How about these beers for the Beer & Brat tasting train!

• Great Divide Rumble Pilsner from Denver, Colorado
• Crabtree Serenity Amber Ale from Greeley, Colorado
• Upslope India Pale Ale from Boulder, Colorado
• Lefthand Brewery Nitro Stout from Longmont, Colorado

Dinner
Grilled Avalanche Ale beer bratwurst and all veal bratwurst, fennel sauerkraut, caramelized Granny Smith Apples, roasted red potatoes, and Dijon cream
Our bratwurst are specially prepared for us by the Continental Sausage Co. of Denver, CO

Book your reservation for the Beer and Brat train or the Dinner train.

Here's more from the site:

Oktoberfest

Oct 27, 28 & Nov 3,4
Question: What’s better than free hot dogs, bratwurst, and beer?
Answer: Riding the Georgetown Loop Railroad® and having free hot dogs, bratwurst, and beer. Ticketed passengers get free hot dogs and bratwurst, and you get to sample different micro brews or root beer. If you are lucky you might catch a glimpse of our new bighorn sheep herd that has just relocated to the south side of I-70. You've heard of moving up town, how about our “Bighorns” moving up track. Last week they were standing in the middle of Loop Drive by the High Bridge, Wow.

Sounds like a good time! Now, I just have to find my lederhosen.

OPINION: Reflecting on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic's Experiment

A lot has happened this year and particularly this summer for Colorado's heritage railroads. Nowhere more than the San Luis Valley.

American Heritage Railways, the company that owns and operates the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad had it's first season operating the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. This marked the first time since the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad abandoned its San Juan Extension in 1970 that the two remnants have been operated by the same company. Since the contract was announced in October last year, AHR's management of the railroad has not been an ideal fit with it's government-owners. As a result, AHR has largely bowed out of the contract, choosing to allow one AHR management employee, Ken Matzick, to report directly to the railroad's commission. It's hoped that this will simplify the situation and save the Commission money. Whatever happens, the impact of the change is likely not going to show very clearly for the riding public, especially if the Harper's statements about the commission and the C&TS culture are accurate.

It's not surprising that a private venture would have trouble operating under a government commission and a railroad that has been dependent on public funds for nearly it's entire existence. It's a problem as old as Keynes and Marx, capitalism and socialism. Worse, there is some entrenchment within the ranks of the C&TS Railroad. This isn't said in condemnation of the railroad. You try surviving in Antonito for more than a month without some form of assistance and trust me, you'll find your trenching tools fast. Nonetheless, neither of the two issues loan themselves to capitalists who like to innovate. Something tells me that of the two railroads, Gen. William Palmer, founder of the D&RGW Railroad, would find it slightly easier to recognize the physical plant of the C&TS, and find much easier to fit himself within the operating model of the D&SNG. Could it be the irony of the high iron that in seeking to preserve the history of the Rio Grande narrow gauge, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic commission, the Friends, and the employees have actually lost something far greater?

If the C&TS commission attempts to bring back capitalism to the San Luis and Rio Chama valleys, it's going to have to sell to an enterprising young man who can grow, live, and possibly die with the narrow gauge. In valleys like these, no one is willing to risk that for an ideology, at least not so long as the government funds continue to flow. I really hope someone is willing to prove me wrong.