Photo ID: 111561 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Manitou Springs Manitou Springs, CO 75 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Manitou and Pikes Peak Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway This two-car consist was only needed for a single run today. The other three units on the mountain will take care of the remaining demand and departures. The two-car consist is being put away for the rest of the day. The snow plow is also done for the day. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111560 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Manitou Springs Manitou Springs, CO 60 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Manitou and Pikes Peak Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway Unit #18 was just the lead unit for a trip down the mountain. Now, the engineer has moved to the opposite unit and is taking the train away to be put in storage for the rest of the day. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111559 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Manitou Springs Manitou Springs, CO 52 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Manitou and Pikes Peak Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway We are nearly back at the depot in Manitou Springs. There is no occupancy on the main track (no CTC or ABS). However, there is some form of occupancy on the power switches to prevent them from throwing underneath a train. The signals show green when they are aligned for the main route and yellow when they are aligned for the secondary route. A red light appears when there is occupancy detected on the switch. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111558 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Manitou Springs Manitou Springs, CO 71 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Manitou and Pikes Peak Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway We are almost back to Track 1 at the depot in Manitou Springs. The snow plow that we met earlier when we were on our ascent has been placed on a storage track, its work complete for the day. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111557 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Manitou Springs to Minnehaha El Paso County, CO 60 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Manitou and Pikes Peak Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway We are continuing the descent on the 25% grade, with only a mile or so remaining until reaching the depot at Manitou Springs. Much of the tracks on the railroad are on the north side of mountains, meaning much of the railroad had quite a bit of snow throughout all of the winter months. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111556 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Mountain View El Paso County, CO 54 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Manitou and Pikes Peak Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway We are coming down a 25% grade on a straightaway, facing an uphill train that will hold the main at Mountain View. We will run through the siding at Mountain View, which you can just barely see, to the right and slightly ahead of the uphill train. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111555 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Mountain View to Windy Point El Paso County, CO 63 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Manitou and Pikes Peak Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway A look out the front of Unit #18. Engineer Trey is in control of the brakes, keeping the speed of our descent at 8 MPH or less. The wheel that looks like a steering wheel is actually a brake wheel. Turning it in one direction or another, increases or decreases the amount of brakes applied. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111554 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Inspiration Point El Paso County, CO 56 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Manitou and Pikes Peak Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway At a location known as Inspiration Point, we have an amazing view of Colorado Springs and the plains off in the distance. We are descending toward timber line, and will soon be surrounded by pine trees once again. Timber line varies, but in generally somewhere around 11,500 feet (3,500 meters) above sea level. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111553 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Mountain View to Windy Point El Paso County, CO 49 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Manitou and Pikes Peak Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway In the 15 minutes since an uphill train passed this location, wind has already covered the railhead of one of the three rails. By the end of the season, the snow on the uphill side could be 12-to-20 feet deep. I love this view of Lake Moraine to the right, as well as the plains (including Colorado Springs) in the distance. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111552 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Windy Point El Paso County, CO 57 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Manitou and Pikes Peak Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway A three-car uphill train has taken the siding at Windy Point. The train is stopped and waiting for our downhill train so they can continue up to the summit of Pikes Peak. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111551 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Pikes Peak to Windy Point El Paso County, CO 62 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Manitou and Pikes Peak Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway After an on-time 2pm departure from the top of Pikes Peak, we are looking out the front of our train as we make the steep descent down the three-rail cog railway. You can follow the path of the tracks down until they disappear around the bend in the distance. Amazing to consider that this railroad was originally built in 1889, and ran with steam engines for several years. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111550 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Pikes Peak El Paso County, CO 59 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Manitou and Pikes Peak Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway We have reached the summit of Pikes Peak! We are at an elevation of 14,115 feet (4,306 meters) above sea level. Over the course of the nearly nine-mile climb, we have gained 7,585 feet. Here at the summit, the temperature is 15°F. The wind is blowing at a sustained 30 MPH, and is gusting between 50 MPH and 70 MPH. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111549 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Windy Point to Pikes Peak El Paso County, CO 111 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Manitou and Pikes Peak Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway After meeting a downhill train at Windy Point, we continue the climb toward the top of Pikes Peak. You can see the alignment of the cog railway ahead, cutting across near the top of the peak. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111548 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Windy Point El Paso County, CO 115 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Manitou and Pikes Peak Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway We have taken the siding at Windy Point, waiting for a downhill train. As you can see, we are now well above timber line, at an elevation of 12,130 feet (3,700 meters) above sea level. In 6 1/2 miles, we have gained 5,600 feet. This means the average grade has been 6.1% since departing the depot. It has reached 25% is certain locations, such as "Son-Of-A-Gun Hill". Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 111547 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, December 28, 2024 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed Mountain View to Windy Point El Paso County, CO 58 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Manitou and Pikes Peak Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway A look back at the tracks, which are weaving back and forth a bit on the climb. We are getting high enough now that you can start to see the plains in the distance. On October 29, 2017, the railroad shut down operations for maintenance. However, it was discovered that a significant amount of maintenance was required. In March 2018, the railroad was shut down "indefinitely". Many believed the railway would have to shut down and be abandoned. However, an amazing investment by the Anschutz Corporation, estimated at $100 million, allow the entire railroad was completely rebuilt. Every tied and rail on the mountain was replaced. After nearly three years, the railroad reopened on May 20, 2021. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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