Western Railroad Discussion > Rocks along Tennessee Pass Line in CO

UP's Tennessee Pass line railbanked trackage has a few rock slides that have damaged the track.  Boulders from Lionshead Rock fell March 2014 and remain on the damaged right of way on the Tennessee Pass Subdivision at Minturn, Colorado, near the cemetery 8 Jan 2021.

3rd image-Rocks noted on track west of Wolcott, CO, 8 =15.600000381469727pxJanuary 2021.

---

---

---

Big rock slides...and there much more to come down...

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

Dynamite! 

To quote the noted geotechnical engineer, Ira Gershwin:

“In time the rockies may crumble, Gibraltar may tumble, they're only made of clay.”

Yup. It’s only a matter of time. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/21 08:20 by march_hare.

Yawn.  I know several former D&RGW track guys.  Years ago, I watched two of them rig dynamite charges to a couple of rocks bigger than these.  Boom!  There wasn't a piece of rock left bigger than a bowling ball.  A Pettibone loader was brought in and had the remanants of the rocks pushed off the track in less than 45 minutes.  Four track guys with some equipment had the track repaired in less than two hours.  Total train delay time--about 4 hours.  Just another day in mountain railroading.  That was fun--seeing real railroaders work.  Lazy snowflakes need not apply.

Don’t think you’ll be welding that broken rail in 45 minutes. That first big rock did some real damage on the way by. 

Some ties, stick rail and a few bonds get you back in business after blowing up the rocks. If it could be done 30 years ago, then it can be done today.


march_hare Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Don’t think you’ll be welding that broken rail
> in 45 minutes. That first big rock did some real
> damage on the way by. 

SP4360 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Some ties, stick rail and a few bonds get you back
> in business after blowing up the rocks. If it
> could be done 30 years ago, then it can be done
> today.

And car of ballast and a tamper and regulator...
 

Those are given. Point is, these boulders than be dealt with rather quickly.

MP555 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SP4360 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Some ties, stick rail and a few bonds get you
> back
> > in business after blowing up the rocks. If it
> > could be done 30 years ago, then it can be done
> > today.
>
> And car of ballast and a tamper and regulator...
>  

Rock slides and boulders on the track is a lot easier to deal with than washouts.  While impressive to see in the ROW as previous posters have said, not a huge deal to get rid of.  

MP555 Wrote:

> And car of ballast and a tamper and regulator...
>  

In an emergency, some track jacks (and, if handy, a backhoe) and hand tamping can get the track back in service temporarily.  I've seen it done a number of times--with  loaded 105-car coal trains running at restricted speed over the repaired track.  Of course, that was back when Roadmasters, Section Foremen, and track workers were used to doing "field engineering" to get the railroad back in service.  Sort of like rerailing 100-ton cars with re-railing frogs and oak blocks.  Yesterday's railroaders:  "Ahhh, this ain't that bad.  Let's get to work."  Many of today's railroaders: "We can't do this without [list out an exhaustive inventory of equipment and manpower]."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/21 14:53 by WW.

WW Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Of course, that was back when
> Roadmasters, Section Foremen, and track workers
> were used to doing "field engineering" to get the
> railroad back in service.  Sort of like rerailing
> 100-ton cars with re-railing frogs and oak
> blocks.  Yesterday's railroaders:  "Ahhh, this
> ain't that bad.  Let's get to work."  Many of
> today's railroaders: "We can't do this without ."

There’s no longer the labor to do that kind of work. 3-4 man sections is normal.

> Some ties, stick rail and a few bonds get you back in business after blowing up the rocks. If it
> could be done 30 years ago, then it can be done today.

I'll bet those houses weren't there 30 years ago...  BT-DT  You'd better know very well what you're doing.

Dano
Montana