While I’ve long read both Trains Magazine and the forums here, this is my first post.
This past Saturday, I finally did something I’ve want to do for about 15 years. I drove the length of Tennessee Pass! Well, not quite the entire length. The journey was from Canon City on the east end to Minturn on the west end. This covers the inactive part of the line, save for about 40 miles west of Minturn.
When it comes to Tennessee Pass, there are those that believe freight will once again roll over the line at some point in the future. While I’d be the first to cheer if that happened, I am the eternal cynic. Save for the possiblity of some type of commuter line, I suspect the only other future Tennessee Pass has is to be abandoned and scrapped. Here’s hoping the future proves me wrong.
My cynicism was strengthened on Saturday when I saw the condition of the line. Setting aside, for a minute, the condition of the rails, ties, and ballast, mother nature is working hard to reclaim the line. Certainly the parts of the line at lower elevations. At various places, there are bushes that are anywhere from 3 to 10 (yes, 10!) feet tall along the tracks or even in the middle of the tracks. In some places, you cannot even tell tracks are still there.
Rather than go in to great detail in this post, I decided to do something a little different. I created a digital publication covering the days journey. An online mag
A really nice set of photos. Nice to see the area after so many years, but so sad to see the run-down condition. What a waste of good trackage! Thanks for posting.
This set of photos and your documentation should convince those who think (wish) the UP would again open the Tennessee Pass line. Its days as an operating RR are gone.
Great photos! Every time we travel that route, I wish the line were still active. We live in Canon City so at least we get the Royal Gorge Route trains and the Front Range Aggregates traffic from Parkdale.
For many years we lived in southwestern New York state near the old Erie mainline which had some large trees on the tracks - now that line has been re-activated. We also lived in Virginia near Roanoke where 611 sat gathering dust. So perhaps there is still hope.
The Tennessee Pass line was passed, and checked out for a ways, some years ago, and it was in remarkably good shape for being mothballed.
It seems UP’s favorite tactic is to let a line just sit. Probably in 200 years the public outcry will be so much the government will just tell the railroad to pull up the tracks, without hearings or anything.
The Phoenix Line of UP, the western part, has had a similar tactic, but the difference is all the signals disappeared.
So, the Tennessee Pass line and the Phoenix Line’s western section seem to be having a similar thing happen. A time machine would be a wonderful thing to have right now, to see if both lines are still mothballed 50 and 100 years from now …
First of all, I want to thank you for your effort here and also your photos on Colorado Railfan. I would strongly recommend that others take alook at the website.
Second, we just concluded our vacation to Colorado and I used your website as a resource for my limited railfanning (my wife was quite generous with the trains as she is considerate of my passion for the rails). We spent time in Minturn then drove to Leadville for the night and learned to fly fish just south of Leadville at the borrow pit/park just south of the overpass. I walked south of the road (to the park) and took a look at the signal.
We also followed the line from Salida to Canon City and then rode the Royal Gorge train up to Parkdale. As we were driving east on US50 there was a string of coal hoppers just west of Parkdale and I got all excited about the possibility (extremely slim) that a train would be on the line. Obviously the coal cars are parked due to the downturn in coal business (which isnt good for the Rio Grande lines).
I think the line can be placed into service again…but only if there are extreme reasons to do so. Hey, lets consider the positives:
The track is still in place.
The westbound grade is reasonable.
I can foresee a situation where the line is used directionally (westbounds) to alleviate conjestion on other lines. However, with no UP connection at Pueblo other than round about, it will be difficult (but not impossible).
A year ago we were all wondering how the rails will handle all the freight that appeared. Then the oil tanked and coal is getting shut down. Now (suddenly) there are issues with business levels (downturns) and capex budgets are being reduced. UP and BNSF are not handling nearly the amount of coal and oil is flat. Merchandise freight is a little lower.
My guess is that UP simply is holding on to 1. Kee
didn’t UP abandon and tear up the inside route ( wendal ? ) line after its service stopped on Tennessee Pass ? Is it possible that the ROW agreement that SP signed has provision that all ROW dirt needs to be put back to prior condition before RR ? Also remove any HAZ MAT ? Would that require that washouts be repaired after a certain time. That may be reason for continuing resurecting rumors ? Maybe a hi-rail every certain number of days ( ?) MC ?
"what is the State of Colorado’s stance on the rail line? "…The bus people at CDOT could care less. There is not a qualified railroader on staff. (They keep a handful of grant administrators around for light rail $$ from Washington. Bus people are obsessing over Bustang which is predestined to fail.)
Their one attempt at freight railroading was mis-handled and is now threatening economic disaster in part of SE Colorado.
I’m not as quick to write off the line as some here and the trails advocates are dumber than CDOT and won’t be able to come up with the $$$$.
What is the “inside line”? Is that the former MP route E of Pueblo, which was sold to a shortline operator whose main business is scrapper?
UP received approval from EPA to remediate the Leadville branch contaminated ballast, by paving it over for a bike trail. This method has been approved in other situations, and could be used for the main Tennessee Pass line.
Wow! You have done a wonderful job of documenting your subject. I thank you for your effort. I like you drove the route from Canyon City to Salida. However, as we were heading to Alamosa, we left the line at Salida. I always wondered what we would see had we chosen to head North. Now I know. If you were a student, you would get an A+ for your work Perhaps Trains would be interested in a condensed article submision. Again, Thank you.
I’m putting together a proposal for a commuter train service along the Tennessee Pass route using DMU equipment. Hopefully UP will be willing to lease the tracks for this.
I will post the full proposal in a few weeks.
Here is a summary:
Proposal for a Tourist-Commuter Railroad over Tennessee Pass from Salida to Eagle, Colorado
By Christof Stork
Summary:
This route is 120 miles through a very scenic mountainous area. It serves two separate tourist valleys that combined see high winter and summer tourism allowing strong year round revenue. New light weight diesel multiple unit rail equipment (DMUs) provide the key capabilities of speed, comfort, and low operating costs.
The main challenges for this railroad are acquiring track rights from Union Pacific, startup funds for purchasing the DMUs and repairing tracks, maintaining the tracks, safe operation for the grade and winter weather, and marketing the destinations along the route.
This railroad is likely to be viable for these reasons:
Good luck on your proposal. I certainly would ride that train.
Kevin…I somehow missed your “publication” but had looked at the photos on the website. Today I saw the link and really enjoyed your work. It was depressing seeing the railroad, knowing there have been no trains for years. Next trip out I want to go to the summit/tunnel area. Meanwhile, I am looking thru my old railroad magazines on anything about Tennessee Pass and Colorado.
I was thinking that the rail line does not get within walking distance of either Vail or Beaver Creek ski areas, but then I remembered that when I skied at Beaver Creek about 20 years ago, day skiers had to park near the tracks and take a 2 mile shuttle ride to the ski area. Vail was talking about creating another base area in Minturn, but that was dependant on UP selling the railyard real estate to the resort. Perhaps a trial service between Eagle Airport and Mnturn would be a reasonable start.
Thanks for the hard work in putting this together. You brought back many memories from my college train chasing days in the late 80s. It saddens me to think that I will never again hear the awesome sounds of 8 locomotives crawling up the 3% on the west side of the grade, a sound I will never forget.
What does it mean that it was mothballed? I feel like UP hasn’t torn up the tracks yet bc they will bring it back. If not someone will purchase it and turn it into a commercial line since it’s pretty historic and the scenery on the line is amazing.
NEVER say NEVER. Remember that Stevens Pass was reopened after being closed for many years as a bypass or traffic into the Seattle area. BNSF thought it worth the cost of reopening and maintaining it, so who knows.
