Steam & Excursion > June 22, 1997 memory

The UP844 took the Tennessee Pass route 25 years ago today...

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tolland Wrote:
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> The UP844 took the Tennessee Pass route 25 years
> ago today...

And I doubt the pass will ever see another train. ​Truly the end of an era... Still, at least UP sent off the pass in grand style with this steam excursion.

EDIT: Or should I say, "Grande" style. ;)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/22/22 14:19 by DRGWMark.

I heard it was an impossible chase!  Thats the problem with some of these events.  If you cannot get a ticket, and chasing is a disaster you are out of luck!
I wonder how I did as well as I did in the old days....Oh I know....no internet!!!  Seriously there was none in 1997 either and it was crazy.
Greg

gregscholl Wrote:
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> I heard it was an impossible chase!  Thats the
> problem with some of these events.  If you cannot
> get a ticket, and chasing is a disaster you are
> out of luck!
> I wonder how I did as well as I did in the old
> days....Oh I know....no internet!!!  Seriously
> there was none in 1997 either and it was crazy.
> Greg

Why does one always have to chase?  I never chased steam locomotives.  If I wasn't riding behind them, I picked one spot to take photos.

Girl waved to UP 844 on the Joint Line at USAF Academy, Colorado, 30 October 2011.  The Tennessee Pass excursion was a memorable opportunity.  Two lane road made chasing an impossible feat.

Thanks for reminding us it was 25-years ago when UP steam graced the Tennessee Pass line.

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This was taken looking east at Tennessee Pass. Notice the wye bridge is still standing in the left background, but the depot is long gone, demolished in the 1950s.
The State Patrol ran "roadblocks" north of Buena Vista and that held the pack back for a little while. I heard that on my scanner, so we went way ahead and got off the road at the top of the pass. I'll never forget what that FEF-3 sounded like coming up the grade, only to be silenced a few minutes later when they went into the tunnel. Then it was all the sound of wheels on rail.
It's only 23 miles from Tennessee Pass to Minturn, but it took 2 hours to get from Mitchell to Minturn due to the mob scene...thousands of cars. Some guys that parked overlooking Rock Creek Canyon couldn't get back across the road to get back to their cars, I noticed Jack Thode in that situation. There was no way to get into Minturn, so we gave up and went ahead. I heard Steve Lee calling and calling and calling, trying to raise the UP dispatcher that was not used to having a train movement west from Minturn. Finally they got clearance and a high green. We went ahead into Glenwood Canyon and picked a classic spot. I waited until dark but gave up when the train didn't show up, and nothing on the scanner... went to eat at Glenwood Springs. When we were done, there was 844 at the depot whith a huge crowd way after dark, but that "would have" made a classic night photo but there was no way to even get off I-70 due to traffic.
Eddy.

tolland Wrote:
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> The UP844 took the Tennessee Pass route 25 years
> ago today...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/22 10:29 by Lightning_Slinger.

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Arghhh!  I had a chance to either ride or chase that trip, and passed. A major regret. 

Thanks for posting. 

You guys had a balst, I can't wait to get the Pentrex Copy of this, from the previews I saw it looked like it was a well fun day!