Gentlemen, The little woman and I took a road trip through Colorado last week where we stopped to admire the royal gorge bridge, we also took the ride to the bottom where the Rio Grande is still prominent as to the paint on the steel at the line. I digress some, the rails still see the Royal Gorge Railway for tourists but I was surprised as we continued along US50 to Salida there were so many old hopper bottom steel cars seemingly just parked in lots along the old main. I take it the main is being used to store ballast cars for now and is no longer utilized, I counted over two dozen 'consists' with the mix being Rio Grande, UP, BNSF, the wheels were rusty, the track rustier yet, the car bodies pretty rough. I thought the wife was photographing these at least a few for me but she was not, she does not have the same desires as to rail as I and we were on motorcycle so I did not press her for certain shots.
The obvious, can be the best clue. There was talk awhile back about UP wanting to use a small yard north of the Gorge, for storage of train cars. Seems the green weanies and gumbie residents didn't want any part of it. Threatening mitigating law suits. It would be like any railroad to then spot cars on any unused portion of their property including old main lines. I would of thought a small yard would be the perfect place but nobody asked me. Grin!
Those cars have not moved in a few years. I believe some used to be parked near the Eagle county airport near the junction with the moffat at Dotsero but do to complaining they moved them to the other side of Tennessee Pass via the moffat. The UP wanted to rehabilitate the line from Dotsero to Minturn on the western end in order to store coal cars in the Minturn Yard closer to the point of use but Minturn officials got upset. Funny how the railroad that built there town wanted to reopen the yard there but the town said it would create crime and ruin its image! So now they are stuck on the eastern end where there are less people. Currently the track from Parkdale to Salida is a parking lot and the rest is dormant besides the every now and then high rail inspection and I dont think that will change any time soon. Alex
Seems such a shame, the lack of use of the rolling stock and then the lack of use a very picturesque main line. Actually looks to have been a very good route for winter or summer vacationers to the Rockies.
I have always wondered how a short line railroad between Dotsero and Parkdale with trackage rights to Pueblo would do. Commuter train service serving Eagle airport with stops in Eagle, Gypsum, Edwards, Avon (which already has shuttle service/ Gondola service to Beaver Creek), minturn (shuttle to Vail) and up to Leadville where many resort workers live. A Ski train from Pueblo, and serve as a bridge line for the UP and the BNSF with also local freights as needed. And the name for my dream railroad would be somewhere along the lines of Eagle, Tennessee Pass and Arkansas Valley Railroad. :tb-biggrin: Alex
Just did a scan on the old D&RGW maps, quite extensive system they once had, was surprised to see such extension to all the now major tourist trap areas for skiing, old roadbeds are still semi prevalent on Google Earth with many converted to regular roadways. Still a shame they could not keep it alive intact but our highway and aviation systems did draw a death knell to oh so many rail systems.
