Western Railroad Discussion > A Question about the Moffat Tunnel East Portal

I hope someone can answer a very simple question about the Moffat Tunnel East Portal area.

The three photographs I've included here are from Google Earth Pro, and are dated like this:
May 31, 2006.
September 23, 2011.
October 9, 2015.

My question is, what are all of the automobiles/trucks parked there on the north side of the tracks?

I was out in Colorado many many years ago, and followed the road up to the East Portal. But I don't remember seeing any other vehicles up there, certainly not like what the photographs above are showing.
I do remember talking with a guy that was High Railing that area.
I asked him 1) How long is the tunnel, 2) Any trains close, so I could see a train, coming out of the tunnel, or one entering the tunnel.

Lucky for me there was one that was going to pass through the tunnel in an hour or so, so I waited around and watched an eastbound empty coal train come out of the tunnel.

Ron

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Hey Ron,

I was up there last year and spoke with a guy who was hanging around in the parking lot. Most of those vehicles belong to hikers. Apparently, there is at least one popular trail up to the divide thst begins there.

Troy

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CSXMAC is right there is a bunch of hike trails to behind the tunnel that work there way up to the top of the divide. Also I have seen people fish the creek to the south of the tracks. If you go east a bit past the wye toward Rollin pass you will see an area where people camp and then that is also the start of the rollin pass road which is another way up to the divide. Its a beautiful area not just for trains but obviously the trains and the tunnel add to the area for people like us.

Hikers and in the winter cross-country skiers. They are the reason for all the fencing and security cameras on the camera bridge over the tracks. Before the area became more popular, you could walk and indeed even drive directly in front of the portal. Now it's even difficult to get close enough for a decent photo, and tough to get on the south side where the sun usually is. === === = === JLH

The fences are there for a good reason, and I witnessed why. Some years back, I was photographing at the tunnel--from a safe distance. Hikers, though, were wandering all over the tracks, right up to the tunnel portal--even when the warning sounded and the tunnel doors opened for an eastbound train, a 105-car loaded coal drag with swing and rear DP power.

Well, about a half dozen hikers moved over to right in front of the ventilation "duct" to the side of the tunnel. The ventilation fans, at that time (and maybe still) did not run when the East Portal doors were open. The hikers were milling around, wondering was this "thing" was, even touching the soot-covered chain-link fence in front of the horizontal ventilation shaft. They seemed completely clueless about what they were looking at. So, the EB train exited the tunnel and a minute or so later then east portal door closed. I knew what was about to happen, but the hikers were still clueless. When the ventilation fans started up--which, to those unfamiliar with the tunnel, sound like a jet engine spooling up--the hikers held their ground, amused by the warm air buffeting them out of the tunnel. That is, until the "plug" of clean air in the shaft of the ventilation system was exhausted, and then the jet black effluent from the exhaust of 7 half-oxygen starved big AC's gushed out of the ventilation shaft, totally engulfing the befuddled hikers. They managed to struggle out of the cloud of diesel exhaust, but looked like they had rolled around in a pile of coal soot, except of oilier consistency. So much for clean mountain air. Today, they would probably sue the UP for damages . . .

9/11 was a big impetus for change, after that Eisenhower tunnels bathrooms were closed, Denver water board started closing the dam road at Dillion etc.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/18 14:59 by dan.

Okay, Thanks Guys!!!

Hikers.....  okay.

I can remember being there once, but I'm thinking I was there another time, too.  I know the time that my memory is holding on to I could drive almost right up to the East Portal. Nobody there chasing anyone away. It was pretty quiet up there. But I can recall reading/hearing about the area becoming a "Don't Even Think About Coming Here" area not too long after I was there.

It's kind of Ironic that so many locations around the US are off limits.

Back when we had MAPS, usually State Maps, each state put out a yearly map that included new roads, closed roads, Historic Sites, and Points of Interest. This area was so prominently pointed out on the Colorado State Map as a Historic Site. You would think that if it was a noted Historic Site, it would be open to visitors, or at least to people that wanted to see the area.

I do remember being told about the old railroad right of way that went up over Rollins Pass, before the Moffat Tunnel was built. I'm thinking on my first trip there I talked with a fellow that was hi-railing. He might have told me about the old ROW that could be driven, with a 4X4 though.

I know you could see the old grade where it turned and headed up the mountain, just east of the East Portal.  Is the Rollins Pass Road built on top of the old ROW, or just near it?

During my first visit I left headed back east and went north up through Estes Park, and eventually reaching Winter Park, and the West Portal. Boy that was a long way around to get to the west side, but for someone who has never seen mountains, it was a great trip.

I do remember one time following I-70, and driving up to Winter Park that way. It was winter time, I don't remember how much snow was on the ground, but that was one trip I don't think I'd ever do again, back and forth across the mountain side, winding two lane road, looking over the side to a long drop. But it was interesting, though.

I've been through the Eisenhower Tunnel four or five times now, I'm thinking the last time was back in 2003. It was after they completed I-70 through Glenwood Canyon.  Looking at the map now I see Rifle, Colorado. I stayed there one night in a little motel on the side of the road. About froze our butts off there!!

And again, Thanks Guys!!!

Ron

Ron Wrote:
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> I do remember being told about the old railroad
> right of way that went up over Rollins Pass,
> before the Moffat Tunnel was built. I'm thinking
> on my first trip there I talked with a fellow that
> was hi-railing. He might have told me about the
> old ROW that could be driven, with a 4X4 though.
>
> I know you could see the old grade where it turned
> and headed up the mountain, just east of the East
> Portal.  Is the Rollins Pass Road built on top of
> the old ROW, or just near it?

The Rollins Pass road is directly on the grade of the old Denver & Salt Lake right-of-way, except for a few locations where it was necessary to detour around obstacles. When I was there last over 20 years ago, it was closed to vehicle traffic between Needles Eye Tunnel (above Yankee Doodle Lake) and Corona Summit because of debris.

D F W