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Photo ID: 105351
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Minturn
Minturn, CO
2481
(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!
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Photo ID: 105350
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Minturn
Minturn, CO
2224
(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...
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Photo ID: 105349
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Minturn
Minturn, CO
2344
(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!
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Photo ID: 105348
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Belden
Eagle County, CO
2198
(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.
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Photo ID: 105347
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Belden
Eagle County, CO
2418
(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.
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Photo ID: 105346
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
East of Belden
Red Cliff, CO
2501
(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.
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Photo ID: 105345
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
East Belden
Red Cliff, CO
2109
(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!
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Photo ID: 105344
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
East Belden
Red Cliff, CO
2199
(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!
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Photo ID: 105343
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Pando
Eagle County, CO
2186
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific
The tracks move from the (geographic) west side of U.S. 24 to the east side of U.S. 24 at Pando. The overpass offers a great view of the tracks both to the east and the west. This shot here is looking east. Would be a great shot of a westbound, particularly in the morning in the summer months.
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Photo ID: 105341
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Pando
Eagle County, CO
2113
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific
Here is a classic view taken at Pando from the U.S. 24 overpass. Many pictures were taken over the years of eastbounds attacking the steep grade from this bridge. Today, huge bushes (as tall as 10 feet high) have grown alongside and in the middle of the siding here at Pando!
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Photo ID: 105340
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Pando
Eagle County, CO
2097
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific
Pando is an 8,200 foot long siding located about six miles west of the summit of Tennessee Pass. It is in an open valley that was once home to Camp Hale. Camp Hale was a US Army camp built in 1942 to help train members in the armed forces to fight in winter conditions. the camp remained opened until 1965 when the land was given to the U.S. Forest Service. While it was open, soldier came and went by means of rail and a depot, now gone, at Pando.
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Photo ID: 105339
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
MP 282.5
Eagle County, CO
2157
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific
Welcome to the portion of Tennessee Pass that has 3% grades. This is just west of the west portal of the tunnel, near the location of the former siding of Mitchell. Tennessee Pass is roughly 220 miles long between Pueblo and Dotsero. It is somewhat ironic that the main reason the line is now idle is due to roughly 12 miles of 3% grades! Other than those 12 miles, the grade on Tennessee Pass is actually not as steep (on average) as the Moffat. Other than between Minturn and the summit, the grades on Tennessee Pass are all under 2%!
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Photo ID: 105338
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
West Tennessee Pass
Lake County, CO
2356
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific
A signal cabinet, with its door wide open, reveals that most of the wire has been removed from inside. Done so by Union Pacific, or by scavengers looking for things like copper, it isn't clear. What is clear that none of the existing CTC equipment left on Tennessee Pass will ever be capable of functioning again!
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Photo ID: 105337
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
West Tennessee Pass
Lake County, CO
2497
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific, Rio Grande
If, by some miracle, Tennessee Pass was ever put back in service, it would not be with a functioning CTC system. At least, not with the remaining equipment from the original CTC system! As you can see in this picture, this power switch at the east end of Tennessee Pass has been cannibalized. Such is the case with most of the equipment left behind on the pass.
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Photo ID: 105336
Date Shot
Photo By
Saturday, July 11, 2015 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Tennessee Pass Tunnel
Lake County, CO
2533
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Tennessee Pass (UP) Union Pacific
A look at the east portal of Tennessee Pass Tunnel and a straight shot through to the west portal. While a good sized tunnel at 2,550 feet, it would still take 12.5 of these tunnels lined up end-to-end to equal one Moffat Tunnel. One of the (arguably few) advantages of crossing the Continental Divide 1,000 feet higher up!
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