Passenger Trains > Zephyrs at Dotsero, CO

Both the eastbound and westbound California Zephyr trains were close to on time in central Colorado today (September 5, 2024).  I caught them at Dotsero, CO where the mothballed Tennessee Pass line to Pueblo joins the route to Denver via the Moffatt Tunnel.  The wye appears to still be fully connected - note the ballast regulator on the east leg in the second shot.

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Great photos, Evan.
What was the time between the two "arrivals"?  
Were you able to drive to that elevated location, or did you hoof it?
Do you live nearby?
Thanks, Tim Costello

tgcostello Wrote:

> What was the time between the two "arrivals"?  

No.5 came by about an hour and twenty minutes after No.6.

> Were you able to drive to that elevated location, or did you hoof it?

These are drone shots - I was over on the north side of the Colorado River.  I had chased a great set of power on No.6 to Dotsero earlier this year without a drone and came away with the fairly unsatisfying hard-lit image below, shot from the freeway overpass with the wye all but hidden in the background.  I concluded that I needed to come back properly equipped!

> Do you live nearby?

No, just passing through.

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Thanks for sharing your first photo attempt at the Dotsero location ...
the drone perspective certainly adds to the overall scene.  Nicely
done!

Cheers,
Odyssey
Evergreen, CO

Great photos!

The compound curve off the turnout in the first picture really tells the story of how the switch has been reconfigured to favor prevailing traffic over the cutoff.

Great photos and text.  Thank you.

Wondering if the wye sees much activity?
Does UP occasionally hi-rail beyond the wye on the TP line?

Great photos Evan. Looks like you picked up expert drone operation very quickly!
Regards, Jim Evans

FiveChime Wrote:

> Looks like you picked up expert
> drone operation very quickly!

Thanks Jim, but full disclosure, I’m not showing you my failures…

ThunderMountain Wrote:
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> Great photos and text.  Thank you.
>
> Wondering if the wye sees much activity?
> Does UP occasionally hi-rail beyond the wye on the
> TP line?

UP runs the "minturn" local to gypsum once/twice a week a few, 20ish  miles up the line, and sometimes trains even clear up there. Amtrak has wyed there when the tracks were blocked to

Evan_Werkema Wrote:
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> tgcostello Wrote:
>
> > What was the time between the two
> "arrivals"?  
>
> No.5 came by about an hour and twenty minutes
> after No.6.
>

Which suggests to me that No 5 and No 6 met around Bond, Colorado that day.  In olden days, they would often meet further west in Glenwood Canyon.

Hakk

often meet at range

Very enjoyable series!

Larry

Evan_Werkema Wrote:
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> The wye appears to still be
> fully connected - note the ballast regulator on
> the east leg in the second shot.

A wye can be very useful. “Wye” would you get rid of it?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/06/24 19:45 by NYP.