What's A Drylander?

Railroading may figure prominently in the Northern Drylanders Museum in Nunn, Colorado, but it still makes me wonder what a drylander is.

Knowing The Facts About Trains

Trains Magazine has an article online backing up this month's cover article. The cover article itself posed an interesting question. You're at a party when, wonder of wonders, someone discovers that you're a train geek and they start talking about the "little known facts" of railroading, which actually could be myths. Do you know which are true facts and which are mythical falsehoods?

• Standard gauge came from the width of a horses backside/a Roman chariot
  
• Rails-to-trails and then trails-to-rails actually works
• A passenger train's carbon footprint is less than the number of fully-loaded automobiles
  
• Trucks are losing the battle against freight trains
• Money-losing Amtrak costs more than highways or airlines
• A mile of railroad costs more than a mile of highway
• Maglev will never be more than a novelty

Are any of these true? You'll have definitive answers to these issues and more if you read the current issue of trains. Next time you're at a party, you might save yourself with these answers. Or maybe you'll just smile and nod as they go on in their ignorance.

Brief Video of Rio Grande Scenic Railroad's Steam Engine 18

Taking advantage of the ticket sale for the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad, I headed down to Alamosa on May 23rd to catch the San Luis & Rio Grande #18. Using my small hand-held, I captured this video of the steam engine pulling up in front of the Alamosa depot. I hope to have a modest trip report available soon, conditions permitting. For now, here's the brief video.



By the way, can anyone explain what the lever is by the air compressor? I'm looking at the thing that is clicking as it rotates.

ColoRail Filing Suit To Halt Current Union Station Plan

The Colorado Rail Passenger Association, one of the pro-rail advocacy groups in Colorado, is filing a lawsuit aimed at stopping the current plans of the powers at work re-developing Denver Union Station. According to the ColoRail press release,

ColoRail finds the proposed plan short on transportation services that were committed to in the earlier planning processes and published documents. Specific concerns include the lack of expansion capacity for future transportation services, including planned passenger rail on the I-70 and Front Range corridors; insufficient passenger convenience and connectivity; and proposed project design features that are excessively costly to construct, will seriously disturb the neighborhood, and entail unnecessarily high operation and maintenance costs that have yet to be fully explained to the public.

ColoRail got its start 20 years ago when Denver Union Station was threatened with being demolished. The group's original name, Save Our Station, was changed when they accomplished their goal. Their mission has since expanded to advocate state-wide and inter-regional passenger rail service. It seems they're returning to their roots when they seek to preserve the vitality and centrality of Union Station from the greed of land developers who treat rail like an afterthought.

I know that RTD has a real penchant for underestimating demand. In 1995, I cruised the parking lot at I-25 and Broadway forever looking for a parking space, even after emergency arrangements for "unpaved parking" in adjacent lots had been made. They never expected that their baby light rail line would be so wildly popular and their future growth was stunted because of inadequate planning.

That same year of 1995, Denver International Airport opened, replacing the old Stapleton International Airport. It's triumph was that it would likely never run out of concourse space like Stapleton did, as Concourses A through C were straddled on a straight line, connected by a tram system (why not more efficient rail vehicles?) that could be extended as far as necessary to accomodate future concouses farther out. With the forward thinking the planners used, we will be able to accomodate future generations of aircraft beyond the A380.

I can't help recalling Stapleton and RTD's failure to plan as I look at the present plans which freeze off any similar expansion possibilities with two massive ice cubes of buildings. ColoRail is right to file this suit and should be supported. In 50 or 100 years, DIA will definitely be in use. We should be able to say the same about Denver Union Station, but we won't unless these plans are stopped in their tracks.

More about DUS and the future of rail in Colorado

• Latest coverage by Joel Warner of Follow That Story
• Trains News Alert (subscriber service)
• What would a big city project be without union labor?
• RTD's FasTracks Denver Union Station page
• Bob Brewster Op-Ed In DBJ: People Must Be Heard
  
• Colorado Rail Passenger Association
• ColoRail President Ira Schriber Op-Ed On DUS Dilemma
  
• Rocky Mountain Rail Authority
  

Denver HO Model Railroad Club Feature On Colorado Getaways

Since the 80s, KCNC Channel 4 in Denver has worked to boost Colorado tourism by producing features like Colorado Getaways. They recently profiled the Denver HO Model Railroad Club, the layout that's been in the basement of the Colorado Railroad Museum for over 40 years. Take a look at their video segment here. Want to visit the layout when it's open? Happen by the first Thursday evening of every month.

Greeley Museum Opens

The Greeley Freight Station Museum has finally opened! Read more here...

Colorado Midland Roundhouse Renovated For New Occupant

For over 50 years, Van Briggle Pottery had its home in the old Colorado Midland roundhouse located at US 24 and 21st Street in Old Colorado City in Colorado Springs. Now, Van Briggle has relocated to South Tejon and a new client is renting the space. Carmichael Training Systems, most famous for coaching seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, has moved in after an extensive renovation. From the article in the Colorado Springs Gazette,

Griffis/Blessing spent $2.5 million renovating the 122-year-old building, which once housed the Colorado Midland Railroad's locomotives and is on the National Register of Historic Places. A few railroad artifacts, including rails and spikes, turned up during the renovation, while the building received a face-lift and massive new windows covering the arched entries where train engines once rolled

On a brief inspection, the roundhouse is still intact. You can still tell its original purpose, although the turntable pit location is masked by the parking lot. It's good to see the building retain its appearance and character while remaining useful and functional.

Some railfans may not recognize the Colorado Midland Railroad. Indeed, it was a major player in the Colorado railroad boom of the 1880s and the Midland Terminal, a remnant, survived until after World War II. A synopsis is available at Wikipedia and a "brief history" is at Richard Stamm's homepage.

Kyle Railroad Sold To Rail America

In 1984,14 counties from Colorado, Kansas, and southern Nebraska came together to form the Mid States Port Authority to take over the Kyle Railroad in Kansas and Colorado. The former Rock Island line from just northeast of Salina, Kansas to Limon, Colorado parallels I-70 (old US 40). It continues to serve 35 customers, include Scoular Grain, with a grain terminal in Salina, Kansas and Tamko Building products in Phillipsburg, Kansas. Now, Rail America, long a client of the Kyle, is buying it outright from the MSPA for $1. Read the full story...

Statue of Palmer Used for Suicide Attempt

The statue of General William Jackson Palmer, founder of the Denver & Rio Grande railroads and of the city of Colorado Springs where the statue is displayed remains undamaged after a man drove into the base in a suicide attempt early Friday morning. 

Rio Grande Heritage Unit At First Light

Thanks to Kevin Morgan and his willingness to get up early on a Friday morning, we have some great shots of Rio Grande Heritage unit UP 1989 to go with our coffee. Thanks, Kevin!

Suicide By Train Leaves Path Of Destruction

It's been said that suicide is the ultimate act of selfishness. It's hard to disagree with that, especially when someone chooses to do something like this:

LOVELAND — Investigators say a woman struck and killed by a train committed suicide by lying down on the tracks.

The Larimer County Coroner’s office says 46-year-old Sherry Sowers of Loveland died from multiple blunt force injuries and that her death was a suicide. It happened Monday afternoon when she was hit by a BNSF Railway with two locomotives moving between 20 to 30 empty cars.

BNSF Railway spokesman Steve Forsberg says Sowers may have been lying on the tracks.

What happens to the crew of the train? They had no choice in being captive witnesses to her death. Their memory of her death will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Whatever the problems this woman faced, suicide by train was one of the worst solutions she could have picked. My prayers are with the crew and their families, as well as the family of Sherry Sowers.

Ride La Veta Pass For $18.78!

On June 22, 1878, the Rio Grande reached Alamosa in the San Luis Valley. The Rio Grande Scenic Railroad is drawing inspiration from the date.

Kicking off the 2009 season over Memorial Day Weekend, May 23 - 25, the train is offering a special daily ticket price that harkens back to 1878, the year the train’s route to La Veta, Colo. was first established. Throughout opening weekend, roundtrip tickets are just $18.78 per person. Passengers can board the train in either La Veta or Alamosa.

Please note, I checked with the office and this fare is for round-trip, not one-way. Interested? You can visit the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad web site and click the link at upper right to buy tickets or call 877-726-RAIL (877-726-7245).

Have a great time on the newest steam mileage and let them know you saw it on Colorado Railroads blog!

Early Railroad Photography Exhibition In Denver

Early railroad photography consisted mostly of advertisements for the railroads, which hired photographers like William Henry Jackson. In Jackson's case, the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad even provided a special 3-car train with a mobile dark room to develop the plate glass negatives he used. Jackson used a combination of photography and lithography, providing eye-catching color advertisements in an era of black and white.

The Colorado Historical Society is displaying these advertisements in an exhibition at the society's Byers-Evans House Museum, 1310 Bannock Street in Denver. The exhibition is free and will run through the end of May. Visit the CHS site on the Byers-Evans House for more information.

One Last Look At The Ski Train

Kevin Morgan of Colorado​Railfan.com has done an excellent job following the Ski Train under Ansco's ownership. He has some real talent and we couldn't have asked for a better photographer to document her last years. Here are all of Kevin's photos of the Ski Train, starting with his most recent, when he visited Burnham Yard yesterday to take one last look.

James Griffin, a published Rio Grande historian, built his own un-official home of the Ski Train. It's present incarnation at sisna.com is its best-looking thus far. He's modeled the Ski Train for years and published a bit of a how-to on the same site, as there was no ready-made set in HO scale.

The Denver Post has compiled a slide show of Ski Train photos taken over the years. Additionally, people have been responding to the Denver Post's editorial on the newspaper's discussion page, similar to a neighborhood meeting. There have been some good comments and observations. Here are the other DP articles on the Ski Train's departure:

• Ski Train sold, to leave Colorado
• Ski Train heads to Canada after sale ends 69-year run
• Plan had been in works to relocate Ski Train

One good note that came out of that last article above was that the name and the logo were not sold with the equipment, meaning that we could conceivably see a revived Ski Train in the distant future, or some other rail-related endeavor. Whether this includes the flying Rio Grande seen on the cars and engines is undetermined

Here are some other links regarding the Ski Train, in no particular order:

• CNN Travel - The Ski Train: Colorado's Quiet Treasure
• CBS4Denver.com - Ski Train Service To End ("Toot Toot"? what a pathetic headline!)
• 5280.com - Short blog with photo of Ski Train in station
• Raible Designs - a dad blogs about his trip last year
• Boulder's Daily Camera - Ski Train departs Colorado for good
• Examiner.com - Historic Ski Train sold, ends 69 years of service between Denver and Winter Park (includes Kevin Morgan photo and Youtube version of Ski Train promo video)
  

Farewell, Ski Train, for now.

Dispute Involves Railroad History

I suspect there's more to this land dispute than meets the eye, but the fact remains that the property in question is historic.

How Does A Cog Railroad Work?

Visitors looking to do something to do along Colorado's Front Range don't have to look very far to find anything. Yet there is something that is uniquely Colorado right in the middle of the Front Range. Long before there was a state called Colorado, or even a Denver City, people knew of a mountain far into the Kansas Territory called Pike's Peak. The cry of the 1859 Gold Rush was, "Pike's Peak or Bust!"

Today, Pikes Peak presides over the 2nd largest city in the state, Colorado Springs. Like the settlers of 150 years ago, it is the first landmark that people from the east look for in their trek westward across the plains. Early visitors could hike to the top, and later a burro train would carry folks to the top. In 1889, Zalmon Simmons (as in Simmons mattresses) started the Manitou and Pikes Peak Railway. Using a Abt rack system to climb the mountain in a fraction of the time and distance it would take a regular adhesion locomotive and cars, the railroad first began carrying passengers to the top in 1891. The cog railway saved so much time it was possible for any tourist to make the excursion to the top a day trip, turning it into the first-rate tourism attraction it is today.

Maintaining and operating a rack system makes for some interesting workings, interesting enough for Trains Magazine to use their fledgling TrainsTube service to show their subscribers and the world how the Cog Wheel Route actually works, starting with a view from between the rails at how the cog mates with the track. The video also shows one of the most curious workings: how the switching works when you have a rack in the middle that must synch up with the teeth that it connects to. It's worth the time to take a look at this Swiss and American technology that continues to prosper on Pikes Peak 120 years later.

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.

Train Shows In February

The cold weather of winter can't reach indoors to many a model railroad pike. Most modelers make a lot of progress on their layouts during the winter months and train shows during these months are sure draws, both for the exhibitors and the shoppers in search of those hard-to-find items they need. Two such shows are on the Front Range in the next two weeks.

Rails in the Rockies
This weekend, Estes Park will host Rails in the Rockies. Offered by the Estes Valley Model Railroaders, this show will run this Saturday (Valentines Day) 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Conference Center at the Holiday Inn in Estes Park. Adults are $5 and kids under 12 are free with an adult admission. Visit the EVMR site for more information, including maps, floor plan, and photos from previous years.

Add Rails in the Rockies to your calendar:

Saturday	Sunday

The Great Train Expo
Next weekend, the Great Train Expo pulls into Denver at the National Western Complex, 4655 Humboldt St, Denver, CO. Saturday, February 21 and Sunday, February 22, the doors will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. Admission for adults will be $7 and kids under 12 are free. This is a large event that pulls in exhibitors and hobby shops from several states around the Rocky Mountain region.

Add the Great Train Expo in Denver to your calendar:

Bring your wallets and your cameras to capture the magic of model railroading, where old railroads never die and new railroads and railroaders get their start.

Proposed Red Cliff Mine Will Need New Rail Spur

Rhino Energy and CAM-Colorado, LLC are planning a new coal mine north of Loma, Colorado (near Fruita) and they plan to build a new railroad spur to service it. The Red Cliff mine will need 14.5 miles of new rail over BLM and private land to connect with the former Denver & Rio Grande Western main line on the Union Pacific Railroad at Mack, Colorado. The rail is needed to handle the anticipated 8 million tons of coal produced each year. This is a separate affair from Rhino's McClane Canyon mine, which is currently served by trucks connecting with the Cameo coal plant in Grand Junction, scheduled to close September 2010. Planning is underway and construction will likely start in 2010. According to the BLM site, CAM would own the spur and UP would operate the trains on it.

Download a map (pdf) of the mine area and proposed rail route from redcliffmine.com.

Young Father Collapses, Dies While Clearing Moffat Road

Union Pacific lost a very well-loved employee this last week when Kevin McCoy of Yampa, Colorado, died of an undiagnosed heart defect. McCoy was working to clear a rock slide from the line near Toponas on the Craig branch of the Moffat Road when he collapsed with heart failure. A celebration of his life will be tomorrow (Saturday, January 31) at 1 p.m. at the McCoy School in McCoy, Colorado. Kevin, who would have been 26 on Sunday, leaves behind a wife and 18 month-old son, as well as an unborn baby due this September.

My prayers are with his family. May God bring peace in this terrible time of heartache.

WeCo NRHS To Host UP Locomotive Engineer As Guest Speaker

The Western Colorado Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (WeCo, NRHS) is bringing in a Union Pacific locomotive engineer for its February 4th meeting at 7 p.m. at the Glenwood Railroad Museum. This meeting is open to the public. Steve Wareham, 16 years an engineer for UP, has been active in Operation Lifesaver Colorado and will be on hand for a question and answer session.

DBJ: Future Denver Union Station May Squeeze Existing Services

When RTD purchased Denver Union Station as part of the FasTracks plan, it seemed a natural fit. RTD would be using DUS as a central hub for its Light Rail and Commuter Rail routes for the entire Denver metropolitan area. Without RTD, the future of DUS was at best uncertain. The facility was constructed when passenger rail was the main method of intercity travel. As the glory days of passenger rail faded, so did the glory of the station. The schedule of the Rio Grande Zephyr and later Amtrak's California Zephyr couldn't generate the funds needed for upkeep on a cavernous waiting room, underground concourse, and network of tracks.

Now, with the ownership of Denver Union Station comes the rights of RTD to make changes. According to the Denver Business Journal, Amtrak has expressed its concerns to Congress and the private rail excursion companies have their own needs to look after as RTD plans the 4 year overhaul of the downtown terminal. What passenger rail traffic flows through Denver is directly related to RTD's plans.

If Amtrak does not get adequate space and placement at the station for the California Zephyr and the proposed Pioneer service from Denver to the Pacific Northwest, could Amtrak passengers possibly be greeted to Denver by an Amhut like the one in Provo, Utah, a featureless platform with a generic shelter that offers no ticket office hours, no Quik-Trak hours, no checked baggage hours, and no help with baggage?

As the DBJ article also points out, what of Denver's love story with the Rio Grande Ski Train? 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.

There's also the future of high speed rail service along I-70 at least to Eagle-Vail and probably to Grand Junction and even Steamboat Springs and Craig. Skiers spending 8 hours--eight!--in a car for a day on the slopes is poisoning the future of ski tourism in Colorado. The Rocky Mountain Rail Authority continues to champion what remains a vital link to Colorado's future within the I-70 corridor. The RMRA is also exploring the possibility of regional service between Denver, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Walsenberg, Raton and beyond, along with Ft. Collins, and Cheyenne, all along the Front Range. With the axes of both routes crossing in Denver, accounting for such an expansion is imperitive. Most notably, Denver Union Station must have a functional southern entry and egress for regional trains to access the I-25 route. The snake-like light rail shoe-horned onto Denver's street grid would never fit a train designed for intercity service, much less high speed rail.

Finally, space has always been available for private car excursions to park their plush, often historic passenger equipment for extended stays in Denver. If RTD hangs out the No Vacancy sign, how likely is the business and tourism that result from such extended stays?

RTD serves Denver, but the Regional Transporation District needs to be thinking regional on a much larger scale than just the capital city and its suburbs. Denver prospers so long as the region prospers. Building national and regional facilities to meet the growing demand benefits RTD's tax base and will keep Denver on track in the next 50 years.

Molten Sulfur Tank Train Derails in Littleton Friday

Ed: Forgive the high number of posts yesterday and today. A lot of railroad news has happened lately, most of it noteworthy.

Kevin Morgan of Colorado Railfan.com captured pictures of the clean-up of a tanker train derailment in Littleton (AP story) that happened late Friday night, the 16th. According to Kevin,

BNSF's Bonneville, WY to Galveston, TX molten sulfur train (the GBNVGAT) derailed about 24 hours ago. The train runs down BNSF's Front Range Subdivision and then down the Joint Line. The derailment occurred in the "Littleton Trench" around midnight. The trench was dug in the late 1980's so the town of Littleton would no longer have to deal with grade crossings. Denver's Light Rail also uses the trench for its tracks. ... The derailment damaged the retaining wall separating the lines. It disrupted the roadbed beneath the northbound track for Light Rail and even dumped some debris on the track. Not sure how long it'll take before Light Rail will re-open.

Thanks to Kevin for the great pictures! AP couldn't do any better!

A Century of Railroads In Steamboat Springs

What does the railroad mean to you? An article from the Steamboat Pilot & Today describes what the railroad meant to Steamboat Springs 100 years ago when the first train arrived January 6th, 1909. It describes Argo's Squirrels, immigrant men who lowered themselves by rope into Gore Canyon to stake out a route for the young Moffat Road. It gives a historical perspective to a route that survives on the whims of the energy industry.

West Corridor Light Rail Officially Receives Federal Funding

Today, Denver's RTD officials will meet with Federal Transit Administration acting Administrator Sherry Little in Golden's Taj Mahal, also known as the Jefferson County Government Center, to sign over $308 Milllion in federal funds to complete the West Corridor light rail route. When completed, the line will link Union Station in Downtown Denver with Golden, Lakewood, and west Denver utilizing the old Associated Railroads right-of-way for much of the route. In 2012, the West Corridor Project is going to be the first to be completed as part of RTD's FasTracks program.

One Big, Black Mess

A derailment of 39 coal cars from a BNSF train near Manzanola yesterday is still in the process of being cleaned up. No injuries were reported, but several coal cars were damaged. An aerial photo of the wreck can be found in the story from the Pueblo Chieftain. The cause is still unknown.

Galloping Goose For Breakfast

Editor's Note: Happy 2009, everyone! Later this month, Colorado Railroads blog will celebrate completing it's 3rd year of posting news and items of interest to fans of Colorado railroading. Like you, I can't wait to see what the future holds!

Ronald Tallman, Executive Director of the Colorado Railroad Museum, made an appearance on Denver's 9News yesterday. He presented RGS Goose #7 and Goose #2 to early morning viewers and mentioned the Mother's Day Goosefest planned for May. Click above to play the video. Watch also for the dramatic helicopter shot showing Tallman by the restoration roundhouse on the museum grounds.