Western Railroad Discussion > Sherman Hill?s

Me and a friend of mine were trying to figure out a few things about the Sherman Hill area, so here goes a few questions. Was the alignment that has the #1 and #2 mains that go through the Hermosa Tunnels built before or after the #3 track which goes to the south? Which alignment has tougher grades, and what are the grade % for all three tracks? Lastly, how is traffic typically routed over this area? Is there any directional running patterns? Thanks

Tracks 1 & 2 through the Hermosa tunnels are the older lines. Basically they are near the original 1868 right of way at this point, but there was a line change in 1901 which put the alignment on its current location at Hermosa. Second main was added here in 1917.

The #3 track via Harriman was built in 1952-53 as a "low" grade option to the steeper original alignment. It is a fair bit longer and is used mainly for westbounds.

Tracks 1 & 2 via Sherman have a maximum grade westbound of about 1.55%. At Hermosa a westbound train is actually descending at that point. Track 3 via Harriman is nearly constant at 0.82% compensated.

Between Hermosa and Laramie are also two routes, the original via Red Buttes and the 1901 cutoff via Colores. The original route has grades up to 1.9+%, while the 1901 line also has 0.82% compensated grades. This line is now considered tracks 1 & 2, with the second main being added in the mid-1970's. The original main here is now considered #3.

By using a combination of the Harriman line (#3 track) for westbounds and the Colores line for eastbounds (#1 & 2 tracks), either direction is a max of 0.82% grade for Sherman Hill. While the steeper sections exist, they can be used for downhill trains or for short, fast overpowered trains.

MAB hit the nail on the head, everything is right on. In my days in Laramie, I have seen two trains take #3 EB out of Laramie, one was the ZOACS...actually probably the ZOAG1 maybe at that time, or could have still been the OACSZ, I would have to back track my records. The other was the EB Pioneer one day. I was sitting at east Laramie, saw #26 I think it was pull to the depot on #1, and he promptly went from #1 to #3 at east Laramie, unfortunately, I did not chase him. I think I have heard one or two other EB's take #3 on the scanner every once and awhile while in Laramie, but it is not too frequent, you would have to have a decent WB lull and a high HP/ton train to do it. I cannot remember the last time there was a derailment on #1 and #2 between Hermosa and Laramie, but that would be about the only time. In that case, it would be possible to have helpers at Laramie and shove some EB's up #3 ( in fact, this has happened in the past five years if I remember right, no dates however).

I have never seen an EB down #3 from Dale Junction to Speer into Cheyenne, but I know in either 96 or 97, a derailment near Buford on #1 and #2 had a few EB's running down #3 to Cheyenne.

I have seen WB's going up #1 and #2 west of Cheyenne, an approx 1.2% to 1.55% climb. It is almost always just intermodals with enough HP/ton, but work windows on #3 have necessitated helpers on WB manifests and higher tonnage trains out of Cheyenne in the past.

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R. Cody Erben
erben22@rmci.net

While shooting photos for my UP Cheyenne West Book, one Z train ran e/b down the #3 track from Dale Jct to Speer. No reason, no MOW, just dispatcher whim.