Photo ID: 105319 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East of Kobe Lake County, CO 2677 (1 Comment Posted) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific, Rio Grande Everything about this shot screams Rio Grande! The most common ballast found along Rio Grande tracks was a black volcanic scoria, which the railroad received from a mine near Crater on the Craig Branch. The sign with the "35" on it indicates that the maximum speed for all trains is 35 miles per hour at that location. While Southern Pacific started a program to add welded rail to Tennessee Pass, the line was closed before the project could be completed. As you can see here, the main line is cleared jointed rail. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105313 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 242 Buena Vista, CO 2233 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific, Rio Grande, CRM A few miles west of Buena Vista finds Tennessee Pass running parallel to the Arkansas River on one side and County Road 371 on the other. For 34 years, between 1886 and 1920, there were tracks where County Road 371 lies to the right. This is part of the original grade for the Colorado Midland. The two railroads paralleled each other between Buena Vista and Crystal Lake (just south of Leadville) prior to the shutting down and abandonment of the Midland. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105307 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Salida Salida, CO 2235 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific, Rio Grande As a general policy, I do not edit the content of the pictures I shoot. However, I didn't want the obscenity painted on the side of the hut to appear on my site. Based on the first letter and the blurred portion of the image, you can infer was is written. I included the shot because I like the classic Rio Grande milepost marker. Milepost 215...downtown Salida! We are a little over 7,000 feet above sea level. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105300 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed MP 201.4 Fremont County, CO 2411 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific, Rio Grande A set of intermediate signals sit quietly along Tennessee Pass. No power has been provided to these signals in nearly 18 years! The lower head on the signal to the right could only show a single color: lunar. When a westbound came past the signal (headed uphill), the upper head would turn red and the lower head (lunar) would illuminate. This would allow any following westbound to proceed past the red signal without stopping. At all other times, the lower head would remain dark. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105294 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Vallie Vallie, CO 2304 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific, Rio Grande This sign was a "blast from the past" for me. These D&RGW "No Trespassing" signs used to be a dime a dozen along the right of way. They have long since been replaced along active portions of the former Rio Grande (such as the Joint Line and the Moffat). But along Tennessee Pass, you can still find them! Time has taken its toll on this sign, as the paint has badly faded over the years. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 104625 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, March 8, 2014 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO 2270 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Union Pacific, Rio Grande More often than not, the engine assigned as the Colorado Springs switcher is a GP40-2. Indeed, a lot of the time, it is not only a GP40-2, but a former Rio Grande GP40-2! Such is the case on this day as UP 1349 (ex-DRGW 3128) sits idling near the Colorado Springs depot. I'm not sure where the time goes, but it has been nearly seven years since UP 1349 received a full repaint! UP's Drake coal train, with "CSUX" hoppers, slowly enters the grounds of the power plant in the distance. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 104624 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, March 8, 2014 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO 2106 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Colorado Springs (UP)/Pikes Peak (BNSF) Rio Grande UP runs a local out of Colorado Springs and the local will take a "shoving platform" (as it is known on the railroad these days...also known as a boarded up caboose!) with it. The shoving platform in the Springs used to be this nicely maintained Rio Grande caboose. However, it has since been retired by UP and time will tell where it will end up. Hopefully, not beneath a cutting torch! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 104565 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 23, 2014 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Colorado Railroad Museum Golden, CO 1982 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Yard Shots Rio Grande During the end of its active life, DRGW 3011 was relegated to "B-Unit" status. This essentially meant that the unit was not capable of leading a consist and could only be used as a trailing unit. While it certainly needs some work, the classic GP30 cab looks mighty fine from the side. Good to know that one of these will be preserved. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 104564 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 23, 2014 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Colorado Railroad Museum Golden, CO 1904 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Yard Shots Rio Grande Rio Grande GP30 #3011 spent 32 years on the active roster. It was built in May 1962 and worked until 1994, six years after the DRGW/Espee merger. It is now 52 years old and sits quietly next to the roundhouse at the Colorado Railroad Museum. One day, it'll have its turn at restoration! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 104563 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 23, 2014 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Colorado Railroad Museum Golden, CO 1823 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Yard Shots Rio Grande At the back of the long hood of GP30 DRGW 3011, we find a fan used as part of the cooling of the prime mover. Although in this case, it has probably been close to 20 years since this fan has been used! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 104562 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 23, 2014 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Colorado Railroad Museum Golden, CO 1985 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Yard Shots Rio Grande A lot of the components of DRGW 3011, such as the headlights, class lights, number boards and plow, have been removed. The team at the museum will keep them safe and out of the elements until such a time as the unit is restored to look like it did in its glory days! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 104561 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 23, 2014 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Colorado Railroad Museum Golden, CO 1913 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Yard Shots Rio Grande The gauge on the fuel tank of DRGW 3011 (on the conductor's side) has lost its needle! Not that it is needed as the 2,600 gallon tank is no doubt dry as a bone. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 104560 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 23, 2014 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Colorado Railroad Museum Golden, CO 2286 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Yard Shots Rio Grande The 16 cylinder EMD 567D3 of DRGW 3011 sits visible and silent as the doors along the long hood quietly creak due to a light morning breeze. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 104559 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 23, 2014 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Colorado Railroad Museum Golden, CO 1900 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Yard Shots Rio Grande 20 years ago, in 1994, Espee retired GP30 DRGW 3011. In 1995, they sold the unit to OmniTRAX who stored the unit in Wichita, KS until 2000. In mid-2001, it was moved to Loveland, CO where it sat for another year. In 2002, it was donated by OmniTRAX to the Colorado Railroad Museum. 10 years ago, in 2004, the unit was moved to the museum. For the time being, it sits on the east side of the roundhouse, awaiting its turn at restoration. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 104558 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, February 23, 2014 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Colorado Railroad Museum Golden, CO 1881 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Yard Shots Rio Grande Time always marches on and, as it does, change inevitably happens. When the Rio Grande Zephyr stopped running in April 1983, the future of Rio Grande's last few F9s was very uncertain. In 1984, they were used on slow, heavy slag trains in maintenance service. Fortunately in the end, DRGW 5771 (F9A) and DRGW 5762 (F9B) found a home at the Colorado Railroad Museum. There, they underwent a restoration project in which the four stripe scheme was applied to them. Ironically, neither had ever worn the four stripe scheme prior to arriving at the museum! 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