One final look at the eastbound Amtrak special as it makes its way through Barbara's Gulch eastbound. Was pretty cool to see the Amtrak Cascades trainset here in Colorado. The trainset is headed to Pueblo for testing at the TTC. After testing is complete, when the trainset is ready to head to the Pacific Northwest, it might just head back west on the Moffat...
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Posted By Terry Ten Eyck On Friday, July 25, 2025 At 4:57:09 AM (PT)
Kevin has made a great image of this unique trainset in what, in 1903, was called Steam Shovel Cut. Orman & Crook were the contractors for construction of this big excavation, mostly east of State Highway 93. This cut is through the divide between Barbara Gulch (earlier known as Artesian Gulch - then later North Leyden Gulch) and the main Leyden Creek drainage, enroute to Rocky (initially called Plateau, then later Arena). Cross country mobilization of steam shovels was tedious and is described in an April 8, 1903 Rocky Mountain News article. Orman & Crook’s first (east) steam shovel began work on April 21, 1903 and their second (west) shovel started about 40 days later, on about May 31, 1903. Engineering Data: 2,340’ long. ICC data shows 117,700 yd3 cut. North side of cut air slacked (collapsed) ≈ Aug. 19, 1903, which delayed track laying for 52 days.
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