Here’s a question some of you Colorado folks might help me out with. On a recent trip across the state, I followed the former Tennessee Pass trackage along I-70/US6 from Dotsero thru Eagle toward Minturn. The only activity I saw were hopper cars in the vicinity of the gypsum operations at the far west end, and the railroad name and place names were painted out on the crossing signs and trackside structures. Who actually owns the line now, and does this portion of it see any current use? Are there any plans for operating it in the foreseeable future? Thanks!
I heard that Union Pacific plans to reopen it 2007, it may or may not happen.
Supposely right now the UPRR is using it for storage of cars not now presently needed.
I had a great idea. Why don’t all of us who contribute to this forum scrape enough money together and but the Tennessee Pass from the UP. We could make improvements to the line and turn it into a “Toll Railroad.” Anyone who wanted to use would be charged a user fee, we could also charge maintenance fees, and we could … .
No really, we could!
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If we paint all of our engines in Milwaukee Road colors you can count me in!!!
We might as well string catenary, then. Doesn’t Deer Lodge have a Joe they aren’t using? Could you sneak it out of there in you pickup truck (throw a tarp over it so no one notices)? Let’s see, I think I have some extension cords around here somewhere…
Count me in as long as the engines feature oscillating Mars lights, and we install Union Switch and Signal Lower Quadrant semaphores along the lines!!
Riprap
Count me out of such a ridiculous scheme, but maybe you can persuade FM to put his money where his mouth is.
C’mon, CSSHEGEWISCH, we’re all just having fun here, fantasizing about how cool it would be to do this. Don’t be such a sourpuss.
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BTW, when I win the lottery, then we can get this plan going. But I want to be the engineer. Some of the others here that have more financial education than I can do the managing.
Oh, and I want SD40-2’s, F&E units, and some passenger cars.
Is Concord Junction = West Concord MA, scene of many hours of my misspent youth?
You know what I think you’re right.
I’m on it. I may have to upgrade my truck from a 3/4 ton spring to a 1 ton. I’m sure that once I get going she’ll roll right along. Maybe I could lock the trucks on the Joe with a few tacks from the welder and tow it.
Just think. The Milwuakee Road reborn over the highest railroad grade in the United States.
WOOOOOOEEE!!!
I’m with you! Can I be the chief #1 police man on this newly reborn Milwuakee Road RR?
Sure why not. Once we start running 80 revenue trains a day over the pass I am sure we’re gonna need some security.
What’s UP’s asking price?
Because if we could buy it for scrap value as a toll railroad, and let UP sell it as such without an actual cash outlay (UP would simply deduct from the selling price each time it runs a train over the line, until enough trains have passed over to zero out the balance), then it might work in the MRL mode. Doesn’t the line connect with both UP and BNSF at Pueblo, and with UP and BNSF trackage rights at Dotsero? Thus, UP and BNSF would probably be our sole customers. But both UP and BNSF would benefit from such a transaction - UP gets rid of the ROW ownership hassles but still gets to run it’s trains over it for free for the first few years, and BNSF gets a secondary main over the Central Corridor.
So all we need now is the cash for the electrification. Maybe GE will cut us a deal if we use their locomotives. Perhaps we could even run the electrics on the point as remote controlled units from a nice air conditioned office in Aspen (snow bunnies, jacuzi’s, you get the picture!). Then we wouldn’t need over the road engineers, but of course we’d still let certain folks man the cabs, maybe sell cab rides to willing thrill seekers. Rich guy Branson would concur.
BTW - I’m assuming Pueblo is a normal crew change stop, but is Dotsero a normal crew change point, or would we need to run the electrification on down to Glenwood Springs or beyond?
I’ll check to see if I have enough extension cords-but right now I’m looking for bungee cords for Solzrules’ pickup. If he’s beefing the springs up to 1 ton, I don’t want that Joe bouncing out if he hits a pothole-unless there’s a camper top on it?
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Ok listen up. I had a dream that I won the mega-gagillion dollar lottery. So, I need all of you who contributed to this thread to line up so I can dish out jobs. I need all manor of railroad “experts” too apply. Since I have no knowledge of railroad management or maintanance, I’ll need all manor(used this word twice, ha ha) too step forward and be counted. So, step forward and name this new RR, apply for a job and lets go RRing!
From the bits and pieces I read late last year regarding the UP…
Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong. UP wants to hang on to the line for strategic reasons. With more merger moves predicted for the future from its competition and our constant economic flux (which inspite of rumors…is still healthy) management still views this line as a viable piece of real estate even though it has been a challenging (and expensive) route to maintain throughout its history.
So you mean its not for sale?[:(]
Along way from Colorado but yes, Dave, indeed it is…I take the Fitchburg line train to work in Boston regularly from Concord Center or, occasionally, West Concord (=“Concord Junction” until 1928). The intersecting New Haven (ex-Framingham and Lowell RR) line was essentially out of service when I came here in 1982, but the crossing “diamond” and several artifacts are now preserved in a small park next to the station.