Did any coal trains that came off the Craig branch ever end up heading westward to the Tennesse Pass Junction to Pueblo and then connection from there. The tracks only head east toward Denver but I was curious if maybe the cut the power off once on the Moffat line and do a run around and then head west to TP which is only 30 miles and then onto Pueblo.
To me, this would seem logical to as they would not clog up the Moffat or Joint Line with Pueblo-bound coal,.
I’ve never seen the Joint Line clogged … or hardly anything on the line.
Thirty years ago I don’t recall any east wye connection at Dotsero, CO. The fact that there is an east connection now tells me what you asked about probably use to take place.
I’ve never seen any videos or heard of any movement on the leg of the wye that connects TP to the Dotsero Cutoff (Moffat Route), even in DRGW days.
Only once in a blue moon. It increased crew costs by 50 percent, utilized power badly, and the runaround move at Bond tied up track space and introduced chances for difficulties with air tests and power.
RWM
The east wye connection at Dotsero was constructed when the Dotsero Cutoff was constructed in 1934. The Joint Line is frequently clogged.
RWM
Would anyone happen to have a video or pictures of that leg of the wye in use. I’m curious to see what type of train it was, what line it originated from, and what the purpose of it using that leg was.
Almost every video I see of the joint line - It’s backed up like hell. Slow underpowered coal drags with manifest not even a mile behind. BNSF and UP trains moving like thick molasses.
Mr. KPH must live a charmed existance[%-)]
(and then there is the squirrelly local terrain issue at Bond/Osterod)
Several years ago, I saw an Amtrak car set out on the connection from the TP to the eastbound line at Dotsero. I know nothing of the details.
to quote mudchicken: “(and then there is the squirrelly local terrain issue at Bond/Osterod)”
I expected you to weigh in on this first, but RWM got there first with quite a bit (a la Nathan Bedford Forrest)
I have not personally examined the terrain there, but from what I have seen in passing on the CZ, it could be interesting.
By the way, how do you pronounce “Orestod?” I know it is “Dotsero” (which is of river, not railroad, origin) spelled backwards.
ORE-es-STODD
RWM ought to know that place…he worked for that outfit in a past life.
Do we have any DRGW conductors or engineers in this forum that could weigh in?
I’d say you have all the authority to proceed in the statement from Mudchicken referencing Railwayman![angel][yeah]
I believe the Joint Line was the subject of a Trains magazine ‘‘Hot Spot’’ railfanning article about 10 - 15 years ago, and also a Pentrex video in the same time frame - you might want to see if either of those shed any light on the question.
I thought this one might have the result of arousing or resurrecting RWM . . . [swg] Good to see that we haven’t lost him entirely from here.
Didn’t know that’s what RWM stood for. As you can tell, I’m not too familiar with the members here.
On one of Maurie KLiebot’s - Chicago Railroad Club Steam to Colorado and then narrow gauge trips our special was routed from Denver to Alamosa via Bond and the wye with a stop at the Royal George, so I rode the wye. This was the summer of 1961or 1962, probably the latter.
Zorro and the figure “Z” across the hills (Moffat(Rollins)/Tennesee/LaVeta) 3 times…on a standard gage rollercoaster.