See Links to track washouts pictures
Steve, thanks for the pictures. Now I have seen the causes of the detours that I went through two weeks ago this coming Tuesday when I was on my way east, and day before yesterday when I was coming back home.
I had been told that a washout in Wyoming prevented detouring across Wyoming eastbound, but, from the pictures, the washout was actually in Greeley–and I did not notice anything when we went through Greeley Friday. I did notice quite a bit of dirt that had washed down to the track here and there in Wyoming.
Has anyone heard any progress reports on the repair of the Moffat line west of Denver? Any “best guesses” as to when the line might re-open? My upcoming (Oct 11) Amtrak trip from Denver to Glenwood Springs has been changed to a bus trip. It was to be my grandkids first rail trip thru the mountains but it’s unlikely that it’s going to happen as I had planned. Phooey!
Yesterday’s Zephyrs took the Wyoming detour for both directions. It does seem like it is taking a good deal of time to repair the washouts. Does anyone have an update?
Just musing here, but what is the condition of the Tennessee Pass route? I think it’s still intact but would probably need considerable work before being usable.
It is basically usable now, but the signal system is history. (Will be 49MPH TWC ( Dotsero - Canon City)
The snow and rain is also now creating rockslide conditions (mechanical weathering)
Tennessee Pass in poor condition. Yes - the tracks are there, but it would take millions dollars I would guess to get it up and running. I was up looking around Minturn some time last year and the signal system has been vandalized, the signal houses have been broken into - I suppose people trying to steal the copper wire. The one signal house I looked into the old glass enclosed relays were still there. The UP could turn all the signal heads and run on track warrant I suppose. Don’t have a clue to the condition of the grade crossing signals - they would have to be in operation.
Steve
As much as I would have liked to have gone over Tennessee Pass twice last month, it would have been extremely difficult, as was noted above. There are other considerations, which are minor in comparison to the fact that the roadbed needs much work before it would be usable for a passenger train.
There is no connection to the south from the Denver station; of course access to the Joint Line can be gained by backing to 20th Street and then proceeding south.
It is true that the Wyoming detour adds 43.7 miles to the route between Denver and Salt Lake City–but going over Tennessee Pass adds 175 miles! And most of the Wyoming detour can be run at 79 miles an hour; the maximum speed on the Joint Line is 55 mph, and that is allowed for only about a fourth of the distance.
In Pueblo, unless there is a connection that does not show on the SPV map, the train must be turned (it does have to be turned in Salt Lake City, and this can be a time-consuming process). The SPV map of Denver East does not show the connection of the former Belt Line with the UP line up to Speer that made it possible for the train to continue on north.
On the Tennessee Pass Sub, the track from MP 159.2 to MP 171.9 is owned by the Canon City and Royal Gorge, and the maximum speed allowed for the first 2.4 miles is 29 mph; thereafter it is 20 mph.
In 1963, the Royal Gorge took about five hours more to go between Denver and Glenwood Springs than the California Zephyr did. The detour across Wyoming t
In Pueblo there is a connection between the SB Joint Line and the WB Tennessee Pass Line that shows on Google Earth (2012 image) at: 38°15’52.91"N 104°36’3.93"W
Also the connection between the Denver Belt Line and the Speer line is shown at:
39°47’38.90"N 104°57’4.16"W
Mike- It’s called “Canon Junction” in Pueblo, “Beltline Connection” in Denver.
Running trains thru Pueblo Junction and Canon Junction on the same move would get you pointed in the correct direction. (They didn’t call it the loop line for nuthin!)
Mike, MC, thanks for the information. I have learned not to trust SPV 100.000 per cent, but I do find their maps to quite useful. Is Beltline Connection what SPV calls "DRY Jct.? In Pueblo, I was looking at the ATSF line, and not the D&RG line. SPV shows the ATSF track as being the southbound track from Crews on down; I presume that passenger trains going west from Pueblo crossed over to the D&RGW track at Bragdon?
Eleven days ago, as we were leaving Denver, I had trouble following where we were going until I saw the Utah Junction sign, and it seemed to me that the UP line up to Speer does not have a direct connection to the temporary station, and so we had to go out that way. Back when the CZ ran through Cheyenne, I did not pay close attention as to how we left Denver, but I am confident that after the engine was put on what had been the rear we went straight out–and when returning East, from Cheyenne we ran right into the Denver station.
Incidentally, the temporary station is perhaps just the right size for people boarding there; it was strained when the entire trainload for #6 was inside. As it was, the bus that I rode from grand Junction was held up by extremely slow traffic coming into Denver–and it arrived at the station (after having to go several blocks to get to a parking lot where it could turn around to be on the right side of street at the station) just in time for its first class passengers to show their transportation and then board.
It was there that I was given a boarding pass that had been printed for the Pioneer and the Desert Wind; my accommodation (room number & car number) was handwritten on the
On youtube there is a video from a guy standing on the r.o.w. of a 2 track line when all of a sudden a huge amount of fill and roadbed drops down from under the track. The hi-rail truck is on the other side of the washout. There are some swear words in the video so I won’t post a link to it. But the video is stunning to watch as probably 1000 or more tons of roadbed just drops out of sight in seconds.
This was on the Grand Junction News - Tracks are repaired - But a backlog of Freight Traffic
http://www.nbc11news.com/home/headlines/Tracks-are-fixed-but-Amtraks-still-derailed-227077591.html
Steve
Boyd, would you mind sending me the link to the YouTube video in pm? I could use a good laugh right now
Search on Youtube with “Landslide under railway track” and you will find it. Swearing towards the end but I think I’d let out a bad word too if I was there.
Guy doesn’t rattle easily, eh: “We saved a couple of lives being here by chance. I can feel the ties move underneath me so I guess I’m gonna move.”