Ski Train Revival Takes Another Step Toward Reality

Iowa Pacific Holdings, the parent company of the San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad and the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad, both of Alamosa, took another step toward reviving the Ski Train. The Denver Post explains,

In a letter last week to the Denver Union Station Project Authority (DUSPA), Winter Park Resort president Gary DeFrange and Iowa Pacific president Ed Ellis said: "It is our understanding that DUSPA had plans to fund as well as accommodate the parking, loading and unloading of the Ski Train near Coors Field on a temporary basis during the redevelopment of Union Station."

Noting that the station authority intended to assist the Anschutz-owned train with the temporary platform, Ellis and DeFrange said Iowa Pacific hoped "to step in and operate a new version of the Ski Train this upcoming winter" with railcars that hold more than twice as many passengers as Anschutz's cars, thus making a temporary station easier to build.

By starting a relationship with DUSPA, Ellis and DeFrange are addressing one of two relationships that must be in place for the Ski Train's revival. The other relationship is with Union Pacific Railroad, the company that owns the tracks from Denver to Winter Park. Once those two are in place, we could see a Ski Train, in some form, later this year when ski season starts.

The real work is still ahead. Neither DUSPA or UP have any obligation to a new operator and rates for platform space as well as trackage rights to Winter Park could be so exorbitant that the ticket price, already likely to go up, would be well out of reach for most skiers. When Anschutz sold the Ski Train, he cited rising costs above and beyond what he was already paying to keep the operation going, something no one expected a new operator to take on.

On the other hand, no one expected an expanded, standard gauge passenger train over La Veta Pass a few years ago, but the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad has made it a regular, daily operation. A lot of people can start up a railroad service, but fewer can keep it running year-in, year-out, especially in this economy. Something tells me that Iowa Pacific is serious enough about the Ski Train. The question is, will DUSPA and UP listen?

More to read:

• DP: Fond Farewell to Ski Train
• CR: The Ski Train
• Rio Grande Scenic Railroad
  
• DUS: What is DUSPA
• Winter Park Resort
• Old Ski Train site
  

C&S 71 On YouTube From 1988

In 1988, Colorado & Southern #71, a 2-8-o narrow gauge steam locomotive, operated for a time in Central City. The following video shows some action, along with a tour guide talking about mining technology in the early days and some brief action. Thanks to mspeterson for converting this video and uploading it!



Opinion
While no one can complain about the tax dollars contributed to Colorado's economy, much of the history of the Central City, Black Hawk and Cripple Creek areas has been obliterated and drowned out by the gambling hucksters who mine the pockets of the middle and lower classes. So much has been lost in these historic towns, not the least of which is a functional C&S #71.

Rio Grande Scenic Railroad Trip Report

I found a trip report that you might find interesting, although I also rode the same route this year. Nascent rail fan, Rod (BlakeCO20) of my hometown of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, has produced a trip report on the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad over the La Veta Pass route. His pictures are worth the click alone.

Looking Back 40 Years At the San Juan Extension

Forty years ago, it was still possible to travel from Alamosa to Silverton via narrow gauge rail. Today, it's all a distant memory. Yet, looking back, Durango was a town that stood to lose much if the Denver & Rio Grande Western abandoned southwest Colorado's San Juan Extension. As it turned out, not all of the rail was pulled up, but the narrow gauge circle, which was already broken, quickly vanished after August 1969.

Steam on the Loop?

I'm not getting my hopes very high.

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.

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!

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.

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)

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.

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.

Riding The Rails, Skiing The Trails

Thinking of skiing this winter? Take a train, the Denver Post advises.

D&SNGRR Offers Annual Pass

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad will offer annual passes for the first time in its 28 years operating the railroad between its namesake cities. Annual passes were nothing new in the days of Otto Mears, whose Rio Grande Southern Railroad connected with Durango and issued its annual passes in solid silver for a brief time. This time, no silver. But you will part with a nice C-note to grab one of the adult passes and half that for the half-pints. Visit the site to find out more.

D&SNGRR Ridership Down But Evens Up By Cutting Expenses

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad released that its ridership was down 11% from last season. Pre-emtively, the railroad scaled back operations earlier this year by removing its fourth train from the schedule. The move helped keep their budget on track this year. For more information, view the article from the Durango Herald here.

The D&SNGRR begins its winter schedule later this month on the 26th with runs to Cascade Canyon.

Christmas Trains

I have updated the Colorado Railroads Special Events Calendar to include the Christmas trains slated to run this season. The Colorado Railroad Museum, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic, the Rio Grande Scenic, the Manitou & Pikes Peak, and the Durango & Silverton all plan to run trains this year. Only C&TS's Cinder Bear train is scheduled to run during the day.

If you have kids ages 3 to 10, I'm sure they'll get a kick out of riding a Christmas train. Prices are much reduced from the regular season fares with many running at $10 per child and $20 per adult. Hear the sleigh bells yet? You will.

Article On Former Great Western Decapod #90

Way back before Denver's suburbs ever thought of going past Northglenn and Thornton, folks on the northern part of the Front Range were treated to a rare sight: a 2-10-0 Decapod steam engine operating over the Great Western Railway. Today, #90 is the newest and strongest in the stable at the Strasburg Railroad in Pennsylvania. (Read the article)

Shank You - Creede Wins Anti-Train War

Love him or hate him, Donald Shank has fought all he could to bring a train from the San Luis Valley into Creede on the rails of the former Denver & Rio Grande Western. Now, finding himself sliding from a pitched legal battle into a ravine as steep and deep as the canyons of the Creede river, Shank has quit and says that he will begin salvage operations to pull the rails up within Creede city limits.

The Valley Courier quotes Donald Shank,

Our historical foundation, whose mission it is to preserve Colorado’s rich railroad history, is charged with the dismal task of removing what was so difficult to bring to Creede ... the rails that built the town. ... And so it will be with a profound sense of loss that I will pull the first spike, unbolt the first track bolt and lift the first rail ... The biggest loss will be to history.

The impact of this announcement is yet to be felt. Of particular concern is this month's scheduled trip over the Creede branch by the Rocky Mountain division of NARCOA (North American RailCar Operators Association is a group of track speeder afficianados, a railfan sub-species).

Opinion
What is truly disappointing is that this comes in the face of the apparent success of the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad operating out of Alamosa in the heart of the San Luis Valley. On the other hand, every cloud over Creede has a silver lining. Depending on a lot, there is the off chance that a deal could be struck in the future for the RGSR to operate or purchase part of the line between South Fork and--just outside of--Creede. Plenty of mountain scenery awaits those travelling to the stomping grounds of Soapy Smith, and a standard-gauge steam engine already operating nearby could do the pulling. Who knows what the future brings, but some residents of Creede will fight it tooth and nail, to Donald Shank's dismay.

Colorado-based GrandLuxe Ceases Operations Tomorrow

Colorado-based GrandLuxe, formerly the American Orient Express, has folded. The luxury train operator has officially pulled the plug making tomorrow the last day of operations. Current ticket holders for future trips are left with the option of taking the ticket charges up with their credit card companies or to wait and see if the company can get a new lender or partner.

Reasons for the closure, other than financial difficulties, have not been disclosed by management. Trains magazine states,

It is not clear whether GrandLuxe will actually declare bankruptcy or what will happen to the equipment, which presumably will deadhead back to the company's Fort Lupton headquarters tomorrow.

The closure has taken some off guard, including some of their employees who showed up to work unaware of the announcement. This closure comes in the face of a popular standing among patrons and industry insiders. According to the LA Times, "earlier this year [GrandLuxe] was named one of the world’s Top 25 trains by the Society of International Railway Travelers."

Durango Railfest 2008

Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad's 10th annual Railfest concludes today. Both Galloping Goose #5 from Dolores and the 315 of the DRHS made appearances this weekend. Hopefully, someone will e-mail me with pictures I can link you to.

Durango Herald Online article