Showing posts with label MOW. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MOW. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

POTD - A Plow In Aspen Gold

Photo of the Day: James Belmont
With the weather turning colder again, it's only fitting for the mind to turn to the one thing that made Colorado winters famous--or infamous, to the minds of railroad presidents and their accountants: snow. First in the line of defense of the high mountain passes and deep canyons were the plows, of which the Denver & Rio Grande Western railroad's X-67 is one of very few built for them by the Russell Car & Snow Plow Company. Further, she was listed by the Rio Grande as a plow, rather than a plow and spreader. Nevertheless, she looks fantastic sitting in Minturn on a relatively hot spring day in June 1981, awaiting the call to action in a fresh coat of Grande Aspen gold with wide-vision caboose 01509. Since Tennessee Pass has been dormant for 20 years now (grrr!), X-67 has been summering in Glenwood Springs, not a bad way to spend one's time!⚒

Friday, July 8, 2016

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 4th,” 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.⚒

Thursday, August 28, 2014

POTD - Morning Rays Make Magic Even More Rare On UP Westbound

The rising sun is one of the best ways to color your photographs. During maybe a  half-hour at most, the sun shining through more of the atmosphere than any other part of the day as a natural filter, bathing everything in a golden, almost fiery glow. This is especially true on the Front Range because mountain shadows make evening shots with that natural glow next to impossible.

Aiming into the morning sun
Photo of the Day: Mike Danneman

Trains magazine Sept 2014
Mike Danneman is no stranger to POTD. Also his brother Tom Danneman had a single-photo, double-page spread on pages 36 and 37 (sample at right) in September's Trains magazine. So you might say it runs in his blood. His consistently good work has him sitting near rock star-status (if there is such a thing in the railroad photography world). Why are rock stars famous? Because they take something that is difficult and make it look easy. Today's Photo of the Day is a perfect example.

The Union Pacific sends its track inspection car over the Rio Grande's Moffat Route from Denver. Fair enough, except that the Moffat is west of Denver, putting the locomotives and the train heading west in the morning in their own shadows. But Mr. Danneman has shot the Moffat often enough to know that, in a quest for altitude, the track layers of over a century ago reversed direction to run the rail around the tongue of a mesa. This reversal is now called Little Ten Curve and Big Ten Curves, ten referring to their curvature. In that one spot, the westbound train would be facing geographic east. Be there at the right time and the rays of the sun will bathe the yellow train in a golden glow! Mike met the train in that 30 minute window and we see the magic results. 

He makes it look easy.◊

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Colorado Flooding: First Looks At the Devastation

"The problem with this event is that it affects every road of the county," "It’s a sinking feeling to know that if someone calls 9-1-1, we’re not going to be able to reach them," and "We don't know what we don't know," said by Joe Pelle, Boulder County Sheriff of one of the affected areas. These are words you don't want to hear when you have loved ones in the path of destruction.

Loveland, Ft. Collins, Greeley, Lyons, and other smaller towns are severely impacted by the flooding. The Big Thompson River, the same that flash flooded in 1976 and killed 143 people, has destroyed everything near the narrows of the canyon. Other portions along the river are not as bad, but portions of missing highway are isolating more people where it's the only way out.

In Longmont, portions of railroad served as levy and dike to protect some neighborhoods, while other sections of railroad (and neighborhoods) lay completely underwater. See the raw footage:



If the weather cooperates, I'm speculating the damage to railroad infrastructure and the counties' roads will take months to fully repair. I hope, for Colorado's sake, that I'm wrong. That's not nearly as bad as the potential cost in lives, which stands at 3 but could definitely climb in the next few days and weeks. I'm praying the break in the weather holds.◊

Friday, September 13, 2013

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.◊

Thursday, June 28, 2012

BNSF To Protect Joint Line With Fire Train

According to Trains Magazine's News Wire, BNSF is sending a "fire train" to assist with protecting sections of the Joint Line threatened by the Waldo Canyon fire, which is currently threatening several communities, most notably Colorado Springs. The sections of the Joint Line under threat are actually owned by Union Pacific, which inherited the originally narrow-gauge main line of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad in the UP-SP merger September 11, 1996. Despite this, BNSF's trackage rights go back to the USRA and World War I, and keeping the line in service is paramount to keep Powder River and Yampa coal flowing south to Texas.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Tennessee Pass Update: Rust, Dust, Weeds and Little Else

If you wonder, like I sometimes do, what Tennessee Pass looks like about now, with all the aspens aglow and fluttering in the early fall breezes, head on over to Colorado Railfan and check out Kevin Morgan's pictures taken just last Saturday. The rails are 15 years rusted and the signals are shot, but the colors are beautiful!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

POTD - Has Anyone Seen My Right-of-way?

It's hard to believe that only 10 years before this photo was taken, this right-of-way was part of a well-maintained transcontinental railroad system, a vital national link carrying goods and commodities from Pueblo and points east to Salt Lake City and points west. In 2006, It's hard to see it among the weeds as nature attempts to reclaim the land for its own use.

A ballast train eases itself along the weed-choked main at first is east of MP 325
east of Eagle,Colorado on June 29, 2006. Rusted rails makes you go slow as snails
Photo: Todd Busse
PS: If you'd like to see more of Todd's trip, he posted some of his photos on RailroadForums.com.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

New Railroad Construction In Denver

It's always a good sign when your friendly neighborhood railroad, usually BNSF or Union Pacific west of Chicago, starts adding capacity in your region. It could be a second main line between two points only a few miles apart, or it could be a third or (wow!) fourth main for 20 miles or more. After a century of contraction and abandoned routes, railroads are cautiously upgrading and adding rail routes.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Highball! First Run of Passengers Over Lobato Trestle From Chama To Osier

It is all over the narrow gauge world out there this morning that Lobato Trestle on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic is finally back in service! While there were photos and videos of the trestle with the C&TS diesel switcher and a MOW car with ballast for the abutments, there was no official word when the trestle will be ready for daily service with the two regular trains ...until suddenly yesterday morning when a train loaded up and quietly left Chama, full of passengers.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Lobato Trestle Nearly Complete - Planned Opening Prior To Season Start

Important: See update at end of post

Chama is back!

The Lobato trestle is nearly completed and is projected to open mid-week, only days before opening weekend. Once in place, trains will once again roll from Antonito to Chama and back again, without having to halt progress at Cumbres Pass.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Friends Bring $121K Check For Lobato Trestle

The Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is a volunteer support organization that works to preserve the rolling stock and most of the equipment of the Cumbres & Toltec. Last year on June 24th, the trestle at Lobato burned in a spectacular nighttime blaze. No one was injured, and the investigators have ruled out arson. Even while the embers were cooling , the Friends have taken on the work of soliciting donations for the rebuild, hopefully in time to restore service from Chama this coming season, which starts May 28th.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Cold Weather Can Cripple Railroads

With the temperature at 15 degrees below zero outside and the winds at 20 MPH, we had a wind chill near 42 below last week! It got me to thinking,  we all know how Colorado's snow can snarl a railroad, but what cold weather problems can railroaders face? Aside from the obvious frostbite, which can occur in as little as 5 minutes in these conditions, what else can extreme cold do to make work on a railroad even more difficult and strenuous?

Thursday, October 14, 2010

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:

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Lobato Trestle Possibly A Total Loss, C&TS Looks For Alternatives

The news out of Chama is not good.

On Thursday, June 24th, the Lobato Trestle on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad burned, raining flaming timbers from its steel frame onto the underbrush and evergreens below, charring 2 acres before being extinguished. That Saturday, structural engineers from HNTB in St. Louis did an emergency assessment of the trestle, and produced a preliminary report by July 1st.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Royal Gorge Route Revamps Routine, Rigs Re-moisturizing Railcar

Happy Fourth of July Weekend, everyone!

It is a happy Fourth for the Royal Gorge Route and their riders. According to their representative, they're back in business. In fact, they said,

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Opportunity To Assist With The Lobato Trestle Restoration

Following up on the previous post on Lobato Trestle. I received the following message from Tim Tennant, President and CEO of the Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, a non-profit dedicated toward preserving the history of the C&TS equipment. He states,

Monday, June 28, 2010

Lobato Trestle Burns, Is Chama's Season Over?

UPDATE 6/21/11: Lobato Trestle is rebuilt and in use

What happens when you mix creosote-soaked, wooden ties, the right amount of heat and air, lots and lots of air? A very bad day for the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad.


Saturday, June 26, 2010

Gorge Train Continues Self-Imposed Suspension of Operations

As of 6:00 PM yesterday, the Parkdale Canyon fire is considered 100% contained, although smoldering fires and underground hot spots still remain. Instead of resuming train operations this morning as anticipated, the Royal Gorge Route railroad has voluntarily continued its self-imposed moratorium until the owners are sure that the route is safe to continue without risking a repeat of Monday. In a statement released today, owner Mark Greska, said,

Friday, June 25, 2010

Royal Gorge Route Temporarily Closed By Wildfire

The Parkdale Canyon fire posted yesterday is 85% contained with full containment expected by tomorrow (Sat). The fire started Monday just after noon, with some witnesses claiming the flames started shortly after the Royal Gorge Route passed nearby on it's 12:30 p.m. run.