Home | Open Account | Help | 321 users online |
Member Login
Discussion
Media SharingHostingLibrarySite Info |
Nostalgia & History > Just wasn't quite the same.Date: 05/23/20 06:16 Just wasn't quite the same. Author: Roadjob I had a particular love for Colorado, and the front range in particular. Having done a year in the Air Force there in the late 60s, and back three times after that, it was a fantastic area to watch trains. The Rio Grande held the warm spot, but Burlington/BN, Santa Fe, and UP were all great wing men to the Grande. The highlight of any visit was the area from Tabernash east to the dramatic east portal of Moffat tunnel. It was a great stretch of A Plus railroad. Eastbound coal had a dramatic assault on the grade up to the West portal of Moffat, with an interesting operation involving helpers cutting in at Tabernash. Traffic was decent enough in those days that you could work the line for a day and be very satisfied. Fast forward to 1993. This would be the last time I was in the area. I had business in Denver, and allowed myself some, by then, rare railfanning time. Looking around Denver, the changes were evident on the Grande. North Yard had a lot of SP power, courtesy of the Grande "taking over" SP. The coal was still funneling through toward the Joint Line, and UP was still active. The missing piece was the Rock Island, that had pulled up stakes long ago at this point.
I allowed my self a full day to work my old run starting at Tabernash and working back to Denver. Traffic was ok, but what was not was the lack of Grande power. I love the SP, but not there! There was barely a black unit all day long in any consist. I enjoyed that day, just being able to be there. But I knew, that would be the last time...and it was. These two shots are from that visit. top...HIghlight of the day was this eastbound near Winter Park. Fascinating lashup! bottom...Cool, but just didn't look right. Bill Rettberg Bel Air, MD Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/23/20 07:14 by Roadjob. Date: 05/23/20 06:53 Re: Just wasn't quite the same. Author: refarkas That lashup in photo one is one of those "There's a prototype for anything" lashups that many model railroaders would not believe without a photo.
Bob Date: 05/23/20 07:06 Re: Just wasn't quite the same. Author: Railbaron Photo 1 is a wild consist! That 2nd and 3rd unit combination looks like one of the hump sets from Eugene after they shut the hump down.
Date: 05/23/20 08:33 Re: Just wasn't quite the same. Author: tomstp Same feeling here. When I used to take Colorado vacations I would see a Rio Grande train and know that all was good. Never could agree with the Rio Grande buying SP and becoming SP. Last time in Colorado I did not do any railfanning.
Date: 05/23/20 14:43 Re: Just wasn't quite the same. Author: PHall tomstp Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- > Same feeling here. When I used to take Colorado > vacations I would see a Rio Grande train and know > that all was good. Never could agree with the > Rio Grande buying SP and becoming SP. Last time > in Colorado I did not do any railfanning. That's like the railfans in the 50's who would not waste film on diesels. Something that has come back to haunt us... Date: 05/24/20 06:50 Re: Just wasn't quite the same. Author: Milwaukee I think the 2733 and 1012 mother/slug combo spent a lot of time in Tuscon, AZ. It looks like they must have been on vacation in Colorado as I think SP kept the 1010 series slugs in Eugene, Roseville or Tuscon.
|