D&RGW GP9 5912 at Glenwood Springs, May 1973 (Beyer Patton) A hello at Glenwood Springs, May 1973 (Beyer Patton)
Simply 'Grande! I wonder if that 5912-led coal empty was going to wye onto the Aspen Branch, which could be the wye leg seen at right.
Maybe. But if it were being wye'd, or headed up to Woody Creek, I would think they would have entered the east, leg you can barely see in the back ground, and back down onto the MT where the locos are pictured, thataway they wouldnt be backing their train up hill. That is a great picture. That 3101 was pretty new!
Tom, I've only been to Glenwood Springs once, and didn't explore much. The Aspen branch was still in place in 2005, if memory serves, and I missed it...
Went through on the train last year. This was the road repairs going on Interstate 70 after the landslides last summer not far from Glenwood Springs. Plenty of rafting folks and fishermen mooning the train as we went by but will not post photos here.
GW has gone through a bunch of changes. Also, if you look closely at the front of that GP9, You can see the air operated pin lifter that was added at Burnham so the BKMN could pull the pin without getting off the steps. You can see the angle cock just under the outboard Stantions on the front.
New Orleans Public Service 923 at the corner of Perdido & Carondelet, Early 1970s (Beyer Patton) NOPS 907 passing the Tulane University campus, Early 1970s (Beyer Patton)
Nice urban scene. It could be any downtown area from about that era. The cars are amazing. Like the 1960-ish Chevy with the rain gutter in the middle of the trunk, in the distance. And "Wallace for President"? Could either be his 1968 attempt as an independent or 1972 as a democrat. 1968 seems right, making that red station wagon next to the trolley brand new. Right under the No Parking sign...
The RGZ at Glenwood Springs, May 1973 (Beyer Patton) The 25th Anniversary CZ RGZ at Glenwood Springs, March 23, 1974 (Beyer Patton)
Still a busy place. Wish I had ridden it back when those photos were taken. I almost did about that time. I was going to ride Amtrak to Denver then Rio Grande to Salt Lake City to go skiing with friends. Ended up riding up in an RV that a friend borrowed. I don't remember much about that trip. Would have a ton of memories had I ridden the train, Drat.
The 25th Anniversary CZ RGZ at Grand Junction, March 23, 1974 (Beyer Patton) The RGZ at Denver, January 1974 (Beyer Patton)
D&RGW Dome-Obs. 1145 "Silver Sky", Glenwood Springs, CO, March 23, 1974 (Beyer Patton) UP Business Car 111 at night, Salt Lake City, UT, December 1975 (Beyer Patton)
A freight with SD40T-2 5351 in the lead as seen from the dome of "Silver Sky", December 1975 (Beyer Patton) Winter Park, CO, Early 1971 (Beyer Patton)
There was a ski train back in the day on the Canadian Pacific's Laurentian line, Le Petit Train du Nord, that went up north to ski resorts around Val-Morin, Val-David, Ste-Adele, etc. It was a much more comfortable way to go up north in winter. The peak years were from 1920-1940, with 1935 the most traveled year with 40,000 skiers using the train to go enjoy the slopes up there. The line was abandoned from St-Jerome all the way up to Mont-Laurier in 1989, and it was all pulled up in 1990. The highways in the Laurentians were much improved ever since the 1960s, so both passenger and freight traffic dropped off until the line was no longer viable. A darn shame. I would have loved to make a round trip to Mont-Laurier on that line.
The Milwaukee Road had the "Ski Bowl" trains to Snoqualmie Pass back in the 30's thru the 40's. Dropped you off right at the base of the slopes! Pulled by Bipolars no less!
