Hello- Well, I guess that we've all known this day way coming - certainly for the past few weeks anyway! As you've probably seen in other posts, the Ski Train left Denver, CO for the final time on Friday, May 8th. It is off to Council Bluffs on UP and then on to Canada on Canadian National after that. The timing of the departure from Denver worked out REALLY well, because I had just enough time after work to get the kids and get some dinner. The train left North Yard around 5:15pm. The clouds played an interesting roll in the evening. Blocking out the sun a lot of the time, but providing for some nice storm effects at other times. Here is the 75 miles journey from Denver, CO to Nunn, CO along UP's Greeley Subdivision..... ====================== 1. The Ski Train crosses over York Street on the Belt Industrial Lead. The bridge, just like the car, is still lettered for Rio Grande! 2. One last shot of the Ski Train with both the Denver Skyline and the Rocky Mountains all in the same shot! 3. A little bit of sunlight at Hazeltine as the train stops to wait for a southbound manifest. 4. The MNPNY streaks past in the background as we get a nice closeup shot of SKTX 283 (soon to be AMBX 283). 5. At Brighton (the next siding to the north), the Ski Train waited for the ZLADV to come south.
6. A little creative cropping, getting rid of the grungy UP leader on the train! This shot was just north of Ft Lupton. 7. This shot just seemed like a mandatory! The Ski Train is off to Canada, so here it passes underneath Old Glory in La Salle, CO. 8. The last 15-20 minutes before sunset were the best. The sun broke completely through the clouds and setup some REALLY dramatic lighting. This is just north of Greeley, CO. 9. I really like this shot. It is almost my favorite of the day. Really shows the Ski Train zipping away to new adventures!
10. "Riding away into the sunset" -- okay, more like alongside the sunset, but you get the point.... 11. The last shot of the Ski Train (in its current form) that I will ever take! As seen from the US-85 overpass just north of Nunn, CO, about 20 minutes after sunset. ====================== I'm glad it is going to the Algoma Railway and not the scrap yard! It'll have a good home there. Fairwell, old friend! I have several more shots on my website here: http://www.coloradorailfan.com/gallery/gallery.asp?on=20090508&by=KM Thanks for looking! The train will definitely be missed!
Kevin, I hope these pics will last for posterity. Have you considered doing an article for TRAINS of similar mag which would include these great shots? A sad day for those of us who grew up with the Ski Train, but I suppose it was inevitable and the fact that they are not scrapping her should be of some consolation.
Salute! Thanks for sharing your pictures with us. Somehow, I wish there had been another way and the train could of stayed in Denver. We say good bye to another piece of history and we thank Anschutz for doing what he could to keep it running....for as long, as he did. When the final curtain called the train rolled off as gracefully as she entered bidding us adieu. To answer other curtain calls. Salute!
Thanks for the comments guys! There's no doubt that I will miss this train more than any other that could have possibly gone away. It will be sorely missed!!
