The “Northern Route” is a roller coaster and would require midtrain helpers between Belle Forsche and Rapid City to keep from busting the trains in two.
The “Central Route” goes straight into the Black Hills behind Rapid City and requires a helper district.
The “Southern Route”, as proposed leaves, the current main line where it crosses the Cheyenne River and follows it all the way into the PRB. No helpers needed. Eliminates the roller coaster between the Cheyenne River and Rapid City.
I just watched the DVD I ordered entitled “Union Pacific’s Era of the Colony Line”. From what I say portrayed there, the line is indeed somewhat roller coaster-ish, but not to the point of needing an overly expensive solution. UP/CNW used four unit SD’s up front for trains that looked to be about 70-80 cars long. For projected loaded coal trains, mid train DPU’s would probably be all that is required if that, and most such trains I’ve seen use helpers regardless.
The real problem would be through Rapid City and up the hill to Box Elder. It looks as if Rapid City is nothing but one street crossing after another, so a Northern route would require a 10 mile (give or take) bypass to the north of Rapid City along the Box Elder Creek watercourse.
The other reason I don’t feel the Colony line itself is such an operating constraint is that there is no mention of the profile being a deterrent to coal train operations in the 1997 news release. It only mentions that it would make the coal shipping route a bit longer than the Southern route, but would cost a lot less to build up. And since the DM&E loan rejection was predicated on it’s rather large amount of $2.6 billion, it begs the question of whether a smaller loan request per opting for the Northern route might have been accepted by the FRA, and we’d see construction starting this year?
One question - Am I correct that the Northern route would follow the Belle Fourche watercourse SW past Gillette, or was there a different proposed route down to coalfields?
Do you know where and how this route was proje
“I just watched the DVD I ordered entitled “Union Pacific’s Era of the Colony Line”. From what I say portrayed there, the line is indeed somewhat roller coaster-ish, but not to the point of needing an overly expensive solution. UP/CNW used four unit SD’s up front for trains that looked to be about 70-80 cars long. For projected loaded coal trains, mid train DMU’s would probably be all that is required if that.”
It would be rather costly to add mid train units in every train, and then remove them down the line.
“One question - Am I correct that the Northern route would follow the Belle Fourche watercourse SW past Gillette, or was there a different proposed route down to coalfields?”
“Do you know where and how this route was projected? Did it follow US Highway 16 or State Rt 44?”
There is a rough map in the 8-97 Trains (p22) showing the north route looping up from Colony and then approaching Gillette from the north. The central line is shown starting at Wildwood, SD, then following Highway 85 to the Four Corners, WY area before heading west.
I have seen a better map somewhere, I’ll try to remember where.
Nanaimo,
If there is ever train Jeopardy or Trivial Pursuit, you are on my team.
Gabe
Holy cow batman! That route just about needs helpers on the back of RV’s in the summertime! I can see why that one didn’t top the list.
I have to agree with Murph on this. No matter how ticked the owners of DM&E are at the BNSF and the UP, everyone has a price. After all in the end they are there to make money.
Bert
Why would they want to remove them “down the line”? They’d be a permanent part of the consist. BNSF runs it’s grain trains with DPU’s permanently attached, must be a reason they don’t remove them down the line.
Does BNSF remove it’s coal train DPU’s at Alliance for those running over Crawford Hill?
So that one follows a logical course.
Yikes!
Why would they want to remove them “down the line”? They’d be a permanent part of the consist. BNSF runs it’s grain trains with DPU’s permanently attached, must be a reason they don’t remove them down the line.
Grain cars don’t go through rotary dumpers. “Permanently attached”, as in weld them together (?), you sound like John Kneiling.
Are you sure about “Wildwood”? I’ve never heard of that. Is it possible they meant “Whitewood”, on the Colony line, between Sturgis and Belle Fourche? There i8s an abandoned line from Whitewood to Deadwood, which heads toward the Four Corners area.
But the locomotives do, right?
I don’t believe so. (?)
(Whitewood-yes)