Photo ID: 107451 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, May 6, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West Sage Gypsum, CO 1284 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Rio Grande, Union Pacific Looking toward the westbound signals at West Sage, we see the siding diverge from the main track. It is interesting to note that Sage has not spent the entire past 20 years seeing zero traffic. On more than once occasion, UP has used Sage for temporary storage of cars (typically hoppers). Sage is located just seven (or so) miles from the "active" part of the west end of Tennessee Pass. The Minturn Local, out of Grand Junction, still makes weekly trips to the American Gypsum drywall plant in Gypsum, which is just over six miles east of Dotsero. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107450 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, May 6, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West Sage Gypsum, CO 1251 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Rio Grande, Union Pacific The signal on the mainline stands tall at West Sage, although it has not been active in twenty years. You can just barely make out the word "Sage" on the silver control box. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 107449 Date Shot Photo By Sunday, May 6, 2018 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West of Sage Gypsum, CO 1188 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Rio Grande, Union Pacific Looking west from Sage, the westernmost siding on Tennessee Pass, we see a little foliage amongst some very old ties and rusty rails. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105355 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed West Minturn Minturn, CO 2187 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific This shot looks toward the west end of the Minturn Yard. Westbound, having descended the steep 3% grade, would continue west for the 38 miles to Dotsero along a fairly consistent 1.3% grade. The tracks follow the Eagle River until it connects with the Colorado River at Dotsero. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105354 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Minturn Minturn, CO 2174 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific Toward the west end of the yard at Minturn, the tracks lay relatively unobstructed from weeds. The jointed rail of the siding and the yard tracks add to the dynamic of this rather sad sight. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105353 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Minturn Minturn, CO 2493 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific, Rio Grande The Minturn Depot still stands along the mainline, but it is now boarded up with limited access. The main is closest to the depot, with the 10,660 foot long siding sitting next to it. The other tracks in the shot are all apart of the yard. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105352 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Minturn Minturn, CO 2085 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific If, by some miracle, freight traffic were to ever return to Tennessee Pass, I have a strong feeling that the residents in these condos would be among the first to complain about the noise! For now, they have nothing to worry about, as the yard lays empty and quiet. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105351 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Minturn Minturn, CO 2413 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific, Rio Grande A classic view from the yard in Minturn. Minturn was ground zero for eastbounds ready to start the assault on the 3% grade up the west slope of Tennessee Pass. Up until the closing of the line in 1997, helper sets were stationed here, ready to assist any train that needed it up the mountain. As many as nine mid-train swing helper would be cut in to eastbound coal loads! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105350 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Minturn Minturn, CO 2153 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific In order to make life easier for residents, the city of Minturn has flat out paved over all the tracks (including the main) at the east end of Minturn. I cannot help but wonder if they spoke with Union Pacific about this first, or if they just took it upon themselves to pave over, assuming it would be no problem. That said, it isn't a problem insofar as there hasn't been a train here in nearly 18 years, but one still wonders... Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105349 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Minturn Minturn, CO 2265 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific Crossing signals still stand near the east end of the yard in Minturn. I would be interested in seeing if the lights and bells are even still operable if a train were to somehow come through! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105348 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Belden Eagle County, CO 2132 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific A closer look at the rock slides that have come down on the siding at Belden. A good portion of the siding is completely buried in rocks or dirt. In terms of clearing the tracks (if that were ever to be done), Belden would likely be some of the hardest work on the line. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105347 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Belden Eagle County, CO 2323 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific One of the most interesting features of the siding of Belden is that the main and the siding run on opposite sides of the canyon from one another! There was not enough room on either side of the canyon for two tracks, so Rio Grande just built tracks on both sides of the canyon. As you can see here, the siding is in very rough shape. Multiple rock slides have come down on the rails, completely blocking the siding. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105346 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East of Belden Red Cliff, CO 2429 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific This impressive bridge carries U.S. 24 high above the Eagle River and the tracks. It is one of only two steel arch bridges in the state of Colorado. It was built in 1939 and 1940 and opened for traffic in 1941. $3.6 million was put into repairing the bridge in 2004. It has been entered in to the National Register of Historic Places, so very few changes were made to the look of the bridge. The lower bridge leads to the small town of Red Cliff, CO. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105345 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Belden Red Cliff, CO 2034 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific A close look at one of the rock slides that is now blocking the siding at Belden. The rocks have been lying along the tracks for so long, plants are starting to grow up through the rocks! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 105344 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East Belden Red Cliff, CO 2108 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific The siding of Belden is just shy of being two miles long. It is also difficult to see most of the siding as it runs along the Eagle River deep in a canyon. The east end can be viewed from above from U.S. 24. looking down toward the canyon. Due to the grade, eastbounds holding the siding would sometimes have to make multiple attempts to depart! If they could not get sufficient traction, they would stall out and back down into the siding at try again. Here, you can see a couple of rock slide, covering portions of the siding! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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