Yeah, earlier the same morning, slowing to a stop. I had my thumb out and it picked me up for a ride.
Nice one, Russ! My oldest son and I spent 7 days in Colorado, with the express goal of catching a train between Occidental and Codo on La Veta Pass. We also chased ghosts over Tennessee Pass, spending 2 days in the high country, and hardly hitting the highlights of the route. San Luis & Rio Grande operates eastbound after 2130 from Alamosa, traveling the pass at night. From Walsenburg, they swap loads for empties and head west at daybreak. Here's a 9 minute time exposure of the eastbound, at 0106 dropping out of Lower Tunnel through Occidental. And at 0640, the westbound crawls up the 3% grade here at 5 MPH:
That's awesome! I've watched a few cab-ride videos of this, plus one to Alamosa. Great area to get away!
Pray-tell, which videos? Now I want them! Ken, For the difficulties of operating this line, it has plenty of traffic for its size. The main ones are potatoes, perlite, and others. I would have to check my books to see what all they ship. When the train went eastbound, although it was dark, I could tell there was at least 30 loads. The westbound was 10 empties. As far as the bankruptcy, that mainly affects their passenger business. The big sd90MACs in maroon and yellow are no more--they have those rent-a-wreck ex-CSX SD70s. It's notable they use such big 6-axles on this line with the extreme curves. In D&RGW diesel days, 6-axles were forbidden, although 2-8-8-2s were known to be used over the pass in steam days. The big MACs have those radial trucks, so that must mitigate the rail spreading issue.
We have ixfinity, and one night I just talked into the remote "railroads", and a bunch of stuff came up and I ended up watching one, which led to 2 more! It's literally called "Cab Ride over La Veta Pass"! One going up, one coming back, and the 3rd is a cab ride on an F40PH to Alamosa. Pretty cool ,can still see the dual guage tracks in places, but I'm thinking the videos are from the 90's? https://www.amazon.com/Cab-Ride-Over-Veta-Pass/dp/B004C8R5TA Looks like Amazon has the 2 DVD set.
24 years after the last eastbound assaulted Tennessee Pass from Minturn, CO, the siding is clearly distinguished from the main from the sand that accumulated here over a century of eastbounds digging into the ruling 3% grade to reach the Pass: Near this switchstand at Minturn Yard, strings of up to 10 D&RGW Geeps, 4-6 Tunnel Motors or 4 SP AC4400CWs rested between assignments. Hard to tell that by the look of the yard today.
Finally got the GTW heritage unit after so many misses due to work or being in the wrong place. CN 8952 shoving its empty ethanol cars into Big River Ethanol Plant’s yard in Dyersville, IA. The power ran light to Waterloo where today it ran back east on M338. August 4, 2021 Most people get drunk, others want sex but as for me, I go Railfanning.
Whenever I attempt train pictures by a highway, a vehicle shows up at the worst moment. I've given up with them.
Yup, after almost 69 years in Minnesota, I still love the looks of winter but HATE the feel and hassle of winter. Doug
Yep! The other thing I hate about waiting near highways or at grade crossings that that everyone driving by gives you the eye and in this era, some think you're up to no good. Then there're people who want to stop and talk, thinking something is going on.
Yup, especially after 9/11, I really tried to be incognito when railfanning and my occasional plane spotting-your automatically some sort of terrorist cause your taking pics!!
Happy trigger finger. I deleted two of them. And one of Ken's. The site is acting squirrely and does not post right away causing folks to click "post" again.