News & Current Events

This page shows interesting railroad happenings as well as breaking railroad news.   Check it often as you may learn the location or schedule of some interesting equipment in time to go out and get some great photographs! If you do go photo 'fanning, please share your pictures with and contact News Page Webmaster Wally Weart.

Photo specs: 800 X 600, max of 1024 X 800 72 dpi or ppi is standard for the web. GIF or TIF is preferred as these are considered lossless versus lossy  (A lossy compression (JPG) method is one where compressing data and then decompressing it retrieves data that may well be different from the original). I reduce some pictures to 559 x 380 if I put them side by side.

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BNSF

A Kyle locotive

Eastbound Kyle RR Utah Railway 5002, MK50-3, worked Flagler, CO, Monday, November 22, 2021. ©2021 Chip

A really interesting picture

A new car at the Pikes Peak Historical Street Railway Foundation museum.

The ski train is back for the 2022 season with fares starting at $29

Both pictures  ©2021 Walter Weart

All aboard the Amtrak Winter Park Express — your ticket between Denver and the foot of the slopes at the Winter Park Resort, voted North America’s best ski resort and Colorado’s top adventure town.

The ski train will run each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, from the weekend of January 14 - 16 through the weekend of April 1 - 3. One-way fares start at $29, with kids fares (aged 2-12) starting at just $14.50.

Pack your skis as a carry-on for no additional charge. During boarding, skis will be placed in a dedicated baggage storage.

While onboard, you’ll enjoy a trip in Coach class — featuring wide, reclining seats with a big picture window, ample legroom, and no middle seat. Be sure to visit the bi-level Sightseeing Lounge — offering panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains and Moffat Tunnel upstairs and café service with snacks and drinks for sale downstairs.

The Winter Park Express travels between Denver Union Station (DEN) and Winter Park Resort (WPR). To book a trip, use these station codes in the fare finder above (or download the Amtrak app).https://www.amtrak.com/winter-park-express

A different train for a different kind of trip

Train Cars Repurposed; AREA 420 marijuana grow operation. Former Southern Pacific 1043 caboose, class C-40-1, built 1937. Ex-RPCX 1043. Sold by Iowa Pacific bankruptcy trustee from Alamosa, CO, collection. Five railcars have been purchased by Whitney Justice for AREA 420 Train. Moffat, CO, November 8, 2021. ©2021 Chip AREA 420 Train includes former Southern Pacific (SP) caboose 1043 - SP built 50 Class C-40-1 #1000 - 1049 in 1937. The production C-40-1's were 35' 7/16" over striker castings. As originally built, they had large underframe mounted toolboxes which were removed in later years, and replaced with battery boxes or possibly fuel tanks. Caboose roof walks and end ladders were removed on some, and some cabooses even had windows plated over. Due to their longevity they received marker light and radio antenna upgrades. Pre-war lettering style was simply the road name initials, post-war SP decided to spell out the company name in Roman script. In 1955 saw the introduction of 'Billboard' or block lettering and painting of the end walls or bulkheads in Daylight orange. AREA 420 marijuana grow operation is located at Moffat, CO, west side of Highway 17, November 8, 2021. Other cars; UP 904276, nee-UP 5751 postal storage car and ex-Missouri Pacific 894 dome coach car last used on Minnesota Zephyr Dinner Train named St. Croix.

A Canadian Veteran

CB&Q No. 638

C&S No. 638 still looks good on November 4^th in the early morning.  It was on December 16, 1962 that Mickey Hanson, C&S Road Foreman of Engines, took No. 638 and the six-car train on the last excursion of this venerable Consolidation to Trinidad.  The 2-8-0 stayed in that city and has been preserved as seen here.  No. 638 led many Club excursions in the 1960s.  ©2021 David Goss

 "Foreign" locomotives in Denver

Fiery sunrise at Barr Siding, CO, BNSF 5329 East on the Tacoma, Washington, to Omaha, Nebraska, train S TACOMA1-09D. 18 October 2021. Copyrighted ©2021 Chip	BNSF 3679 at Denver Locomotive Shop and Amtrak train 5, the California Zephyr, passed each other 8:20 AM, Denver, 19 October 2021. Herders making moves with BNSF 3679 ©2021 Chip .
The Royal Gorge Route CRRX 603, ex-ESWR 603 SD40-3, was along the Arkansas River east of Parkdale, Colorado, October 17, 2021. The 17-car train now sports a uniform paint scheme-! There was only one locomotive on the west end unlike in the past where a locomotive was on both ends of the train. The SD40 six wheel adhesion works better in the Royal Gorge-! Since August 2021 The Royal Gorge Route trains have not operated to Parkdale, CO, area. Concerns about wheel wear due to an out of service rail grease device prompted The Royal Gorge Train to reverse their trains near milepost 168 near the abandoned pump house. ©2021 Chip

Rocky Mountaineer

I tried the Rocky Mountaineer 10-car train with UP 5105 and 5107 units. My trip started at Moab, Utah (7-Mile Siding on UP’s Cane Creek Subdivision), for the two day trip to Denver, CO, October 11, 2021. Train came off the Cane Creek Subd at Crescent Junction, Utah, with the Book Cliffs in the distance. ©2021 Chip	BNSF’s Market Street Job had BNSF 521 and 559, B40-8W, working near Sand Creek Junction at Commerce City, CO, October 7, 2021. Local departs BNSF’s 38th Street Yard at Denver five days a week. ©2021 Chip

News from Nebraska Part 2

October , 2021, Hastings, NE. Near downtown, is the abandoned UP yard and freight house.  It appears to me that when the UP began shipping Powder River coal, they rerouted their  line to the east skirting the eastside of town to  avoid all the street crossings through town.  ©2021 Larry Dilts	OMLX 3149 was being used for power on the NKC west of Holdrege, NE. It was parked on the west side of Loomis, NE. Trains are not run west of Loomis anymore except to moved stored coal gondolas and 2 bay covered hoppers. ©2021 Larry Dilts
At Norton, Kansas on October 8, 2021, an eastbound Kyle mixed freight, with Utah 5005, leading was crossing South Archer Avenue. ©2021 Larry Dilts	October 8, 2021 east of Dresden, Kansas was a Kyle mixed freight with B&P 3333, 3319, and 3344 providing the power. On the Kyle, it is unusual to see a pure set of any railroads locomotives and in the same paint scheme no less. It has been rumored that the Kyle was getting rid of all the former SP T2s. I haven’t seen any for quite sometime. It is not common to catch two trains on the Kyle either. ©2021 Larry Dilts
In Hastings, NE two tracks are filled with stored UP SD70Ms.b©2021 Larry Dilts	On October 8, 2021, BNSF 2122, 6463, and 1482 are still stored in Holdrege, NE. The units are in poor condition. They have been stored there for at least 10 years  ©2021 Larry Dilts

President Roosevelt stops in the Royal Gorge

In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt had his picture taken at the Hanging Bridge in the Royal Gorge.The gentleman who has portrayed President Roosevelt for over 20 years has retired.  His retirement
party was a chartered car on the Royal Gorge. The highlight of the trip was recreating this picture so a few reenacters with period correct clothing recreated the scene as closely as possible.

The original 1905 picture of President Rossevelt in the Royal Gorge, Note the 3 rail track in place at this time. Photographer unknown	The 603 awaits the reboarding of the special passengers before continuing on its journey. ©2021 Walter Weart
While there were no ladies in the original picture, Don wanted the include those who had worked with him in the past. ©2021 Walter Weart	The men are awaiting the photographer's instructions. The gentleman in the center is taking over the role of President Roosevelt.  ©2021 Susie Weart

News from Nebraska Part 1

The Nebraska Central is spread out over several former UP and BNSF branch lines, but they service the units at the old UP Freight house and shop located in Grand Island, Nebraska. On October 7, 2021 NC 8118, 8123, 6330, 6795, and 1024 were at the shop. Although the shop is in the UP yard and off limits, it is not hard to photograph units through the chain link fence next to the road.  ©2021 Larry Dilts	Nebraska Central 908 was in the NC yard at Central City, Nebraska, October 7, 2021.©2021 Larry Dilts
Gavilon 76 works the elevator at Clarks, NE next to the UP mainline. Photographed October, 7, 2021. ©2021 Larry Dilts	The Kaapa Ethanol Plant east of Axtel, NE uses An SW1500 numbered 2452. October 8, 2021.©2021 Larry Dilts
Cooperative Producers Inc. of Funk NE operate an SW9 at their elevator. When not in use, it is kept inside a one stall engine  house. October 8, 2021. ©2021 Larry Dilts	On October 8, 2021, CHS at Loomis, Nebraska had three units at their elevator. They are all leased from DLCX. Number 6051 was preparing to leave on the 8th. Number 3138 was its replacement. Number 2000 is out of service but being repaired so it can be returned to DCLX. ©2021 Larry Dilts

Action on the Coors "railroad"

Coors SW-1200 (?)  C998 leads a string of "Hops" covered hoppers un the  McIntyre St. viaduct.  Note the 5 chime air horn which really sounds great. ©2021 Walter Weart	The yard is full of BNSF boxcars which I guess Coors is storing  or the railroad since they don't ship much beer by rail. There are also a few cryogenic boxcars as well. Also note three of the old Coors tanks cars waiting for ? ©2021 Walter Weart

A "beerless" Beer train

At Como

South Park trees were peaking October 2, 2021. The Denver, South Park, & Pacific Historical Society held their last Saturday work session on October 2, 2021 Como, Colorado. The new water tank got painted with primer (white paint). ©2021 Chip	The Denver, South Park, & Pacific Historical Society held their last Saturday work session on October 2, 2021 at Como, Colorado.  Steam locomotive Klondike Kate #4 had her boiler washed out next to the turntable. ©2021 Chip

On the San Jaun & Rio Grande

PRLX #4685 north bound through La Jara, CO on 09-30-2021. ©2021 Keith Jensen

The name lives on

Action in Kansas

At Cornerstone Ag in Colby Kansas, NS 1131 and 8130 were making up their train for the trip back to Oakley.	Passing through Mingo, Kansas was UP (C&NW) heritage unit 1995 working as distributed power.
Dropping downgrade at Mingo, Kansas was NS 1131 and 8130 headed south with the unit grain train loaded at Cornerstone Ag.	Distributed power unit UP (C&NW) 1995 was crossing a timber trestle south of Mingo, Kansas.
Recently, Crab Orchard and Egyptian Railroad covered hoppers have been showing up on grain trains loading at Cornerstone Ag in Colby, Kansas.

On the Moffat Sub

©2021 Erik Lindgren	©2021 Erik Lindgren
Rocky Mountain Golden Week and the Rocky Mountaineer. Aspens in full peak line the Moffat Road under the Great Divide.  9/24/21 ©2021 Erik Lindgren	East Portal at 1345 the Rocky Mountaineer is wrapped in Aspen Gold at Moffat Tunnel on the Moffat Road. 9/24/21  ©2021 Erik Lindgren

PV Charter Club dome lounge and business car St. James Place were on Amtrak train 5, the California Zephyr. Train climbed  UP's Moffat Tunnel Subdivision at Coal Creek Canyon, CO, Tuesday, 21 September 2021. The Charter cars are based at Milwaukee, WI. ©2021 Chip	Union Pacific 5107, SD70M, and UP 4413 on the Rocky Mountaineer "˜Rockies to the Red Rocks" amongst aspens at Winter Park, CO, September 22, 2021.©2021 Chip

Walsenburg station and caboose

On our way back from Monte Vista, we did a bit of railfanning in Walsenburg

A "red" D&RGW caboose? maybe this the primer? Needs paint for sure. ©2021 Walter Weart	The Walsenburg station's west side ©2021 Walter Weart
Walsenburg station's east side  ©2021 Susie Weart	The truck loading dock of the Walsenburg freight house  ©2021 Susie Weart
The freight car door. ©2021 Walter Weart

Sugar Junction

On our way home, I saw the sign "Sugar Jct." so Susie shot both pictures. This is the connection with the fabled San Luis Central.  A Google Earth review shows most of the track intact and it appears there is some business. The SLC is owned by  Rail World, Inc., which is controlled by Ed Burkhardt.   ©2021 Susie Weart

Surprise findings at Monte Vista

We were going to look at the Monte Vista passenger when I spotted what I thought was the freight house. Susie suggested a route and because of this, look at what we found.  ©2021 Walter Weart	Directly across from the south side of the  freight house. a D&RGW baggage car, appears to be a reasonably good shape. ©2021 Walter Weart
Beyond the  baggage car is a  RGS coach and short D&RGW caboose. The coach is too far gone but the  caboose could probably be saved. ©2021 Walter Weart	RGS 254?  ©2021 Walter Weart
Your guess is as good as mine. Needs a motor, transmission and on and on ©2021 Walter Weart
A standard gauge flanger on the north side of the station ©2021 Walter Weart Another flanger thtaloks to be in good condition. Note the roller bearing trucks. ©2021 Walter Weart Lost in weeds across the flangers are two narrow  gauge box cars and gondolas. Shame to see these rot away. I'd love one in back yard as a shed by my HOA wouldn't allow it :-(  ©2021 Walter Weart

An Officer Train near East Portal

The Rocky Mountaineer at the Moffat Tunnel

For the September 14 meeting

Amtrak Southwest Chief between Trinidad and Santa Fe ©2021 Bechtold	El Paso  ©2021Bechtold

4014 on the move

Union Pacific 4014 Big Boy passed the miniature train at the fairgrounds leaving Sharon Springs, Kansas, Sunday, September 5, 2021.  The 4014 was on the Limon Subdivision headed for Denver with stops at Kit Carson, Hugo, Deer Trail and Strasburg, Colorado.  Large crowds welcomed the Big Boy across eastern Colorado.   ©2021 Chip	Westbound Union Pacific 4014 Big Boy met eastbound loaded unit grain train from Cheyenne Wells, CO, at the Jim, Colorado, siding September 5, 2021.  The 4014 was on the Limon Subdivision headed for Denver with stops at Kit Carson, Hugo, Deer Trail and Strasburg, Colorado.  Last leg of 4014's 35-day outing was September 7th Denver to Cheyenne, WY. ©2021 Chip

A contrast of motive power

The ADM Shuttle Wagon assigned to Oakley, Kansas was moved temporarily to Monument, Kansas. On September 4 it was switching the grain elevator at Monument. Monument is located 8.7 miles west of Oakley.  ©2021 Larry Dilts	Saturday September 4, 2021, Big Boy passed through Collyer, Kansas on its way to Denver.  ©2021 Larry Dilts
Saturday September 4, 2021, Big Boy crossed Monument Creek trestle west of Monument, Kansas.  ©2021 Larry Dilts

Stored power in Denver?

Fire destroys old D&RGW car shop building

A fire gutted the former Denver & Rio Grande Western RR Burnham Shops coach shop (UP Building #3) once used by the Ski Train at Denver, CO, early 30 August 2021. The property is now owned by the Colorado Department of Transportation as of 1 June 2021. Union Pacific RR closed Burnham Shops 14 February 2016.  ©2021 Chip Coach Shop (Caboose Shop) This building is the oldest remaining structure on the site. Company records list a 1901 construction date, but there is some evidence that the building incorporated an earlier 1881 or 1885 wood-clad Paint Shop inside the north-south wing. The 1901 building is a lofty 1-story industrial building with an L plan, 240 feet on its south elevation, 225 feet on its east elevation, and 20 feet high at the eaves. The building is constructed of load- bearing brick walls and a wood interior post-and-beam roofing system, with regularly spaced tall, narrow, 24- light wood windows on its west and east elevations, large railcar doors on its south elevation (some infilled with concrete blocks), and 3 large modern roll-up railcar doors on the east end of its south elevation (see photo), which were added in the early 1980s. The roof is a shallow-pitched cross-gable clad in composite materials with intermittent vents along the east-west and north-south ridgelines. The roof once included a series of skylights that are filled in but still evident through the framing system visible inside.

Boreas Pass days

New power for the Royal Gorge

The Royal Gorge Route painted recently acquired CRRX 601, SD40-3 ex-Escalante Western 601, and had it run on their train August 23, 2021. On August 24th they pulled it off the train and sent her back to their Cañon City shop. ©2021 Chip	CRRX 603, SD40-3 ex-Escalante Western 603, made some moves past the former Denver & Rio Grande Western RR depot which now serves as the Bank of the San Juans. Cañon City, CO, August 24, 2021. Great to see ‘new’ power on The Royal Gorge Route. ©2021 Chip

RGS 20 on the Cumbres & Toltic

The Rocky Mountaineer

On August 22, Your webmaster decided to get out and do some railfanning. I took 4 pictures of the Rocky Mountaineer at the 80th st. crossing. Sorry for the quality of this shot, sun or train was in the wrong location :-) ©2021 Wally Weart	The leased motors "show off"  the wrap to place the RM logo and name on them. ©2021 Wally Weart
The cars show off the RM paint scheme  ©2021 Wally Weart	As neither of the locomotives have HEP equipment, the RM supplied a power car. ©2021 Wally Weart
Rocky Mountaineer added nose logos to the leased Union Pacific motors. UP 5107 is shown Sunday, August 22, 2021 at UP's 36th Street Yard. ©2021 Chip	Rocky Mountaineer passed the almost completely demolished Interstate 70 viaduct Sunday, August 22, 2021. UP 5107 and 5105 departed UP's 36th Street Yard, Denver. ©2021 Chip (Editor's note: RTD would not "allow" the Rocky Mountaineer to use DUS causing this circuitous route to reach Utah Junction. Why?)

Great Western "dinkies"

August 5, 2021, Ovid, Colorado. GW 0-4-0 dinky was donated to the City of Ovid and is displayed in the city park.  ©2021 Larry Dilts	August 6, 2021, Sterling, Colorado. GW 0-4-0 dinky was donated tothe city and is display in a small park by the water tower.  ©2021 Larry Dilts
August 6, 2021.  One GW 0-4-0 dinky is owned by Western Sugar and is displayed at the Western Sugar plant in Fort Morgan, Colorado.. It came from the Loveland plant and was the last GW Colorado dinky to operate. ©2021 Larry Dilts	Fort Morgan, Colorado. Another GW 0-4-0 dinky is owned by the City of Fort Morgan and is displayed at the Fort Morgan power plant. It was the first Fort Morgan dinky. There was until a few years ago another GW 0-4-0 dinky  displayed in Fort Morgan at the museum/library but has since been moved to Gering, Nebraska for display. Fort Morgan was not able to keep the locomotive in good condition so they disposed of it. It came from the Brighton plant.  ©2021 Larry Dilts

On the Brush sub

Pictures from Nebraska and Colorado

Rail 1320, 1321, 1322, and 1323 were stored at Huntsman, Nebraska, August 6, 2021. They have been stored for several years and are out of service.  ©2021 Larry Dilts	Farmers Elevator Company Chappell, Nebraska, August 6, 2021. They use this GP9 to switch their elevator.©2021 Larry Dilts
Amalgamated Sugar’s trackmobile at Ovid, Colorado, August 6, 2021. Amalgamated Sugar stores sugar at the former GW plant. ©2021 Larry Dilts	UP northbound local past through Sedgwick, Colorado, August 6, 2021. This former UP mainline now only serves a few customers mostly in Sterling. ©2021 Larry Dilts
HERZOG 167 was on a work train on the BNSF at Brush, Colorado, August 6, 2021. ©2021 Larry Dilts

20 on the move

Rio Grande Southern #20 was loaded up on 12 August, and headed for Antonito for a special event.  Along the way, it spent two days on display in Cripple Creek, where it had run from 1899 to 1912.  Images by Dave Schaaf  ©2021

Pictures from Kansas

The Mountaineer on the Moffat sub

The Rocky Mountaineers’ 10-car train was parked next to the Glenwood Springs, CO, depot, August 15, 2021. Passengers  enjoyed the Canadian company’s hospitality on the first leg (Denver to Glenwood Springs, CO) of their two day train ride to the Moab area of Utah. The luxury train will make 56 trips between mid-August 2021 and mid-November 2021. Next year the Rocky Mountaineer plans to begin operations in April 2022. ©2021 Chip

Rocky Mountaineer lettering wrap was applied to the cleaned up Union Pacific 5107 and 5105, SD70M, units leased to the luxury train. The first revenue westbound train was reflected in water at Bond, Colorado, Sunday, August 15, 2021. Train had 10-cars on its UP 36th Street Yard, Denver, to Glenwood Springs, CO, run. ©2021 Chip

PVs on Amtrak

PV's Berlin and Frank Thomson on Amtrak train 5 at Fort Morgan, CO, August 12, 2021.  Train was running 5-hours late account BNSF freight hit someone back east near Chicago 11 August. ©2021 Chip

Private Varnish (PV) Frank Thomson ex-PRR 8423 and sleeping car Berlin were on 4-hour 30-minutes late Amtrak train 5, the California Zephyr, August 12, 2021 at Fort Morgan, CO. Amtrak train 5 was running late account a BNSF train had a pedestrian fatality incident near Galesburg, IL, the previous day. ©2021 Chip PV Berlin was built in 1956 by Pullman-Standard in Lot #6958 to Plan #4198 as Union Pacific 11-DB sleeper PLACID LAKE. Today it carries reporting marks RPCX 2263 - named Berlin sleeper.

4014 on the move.

Lodgepole NE Four photos ©2021Erik Lindgren	Leaving Sidney, NE Four photos ©2021Erik Lindgren
Leaving Julesburg, CO Four photos ©2021Erik Lindgren	East or Ogallala, NE Four photos ©2021Erik Lindgren

Union Pacific's 4014, Alco built 4-8-8-4 Big Boy, began their month-long trip from Cheyenne, Wyoming, August 5, 2021. The huge steam locomotive will visit numerous towns and cities including Kansas City, Missouri, Houston, TX, and New Orleans, Louisiana. ©2021 Chip	Union Pacific's 4014, Alco built 4-8-8-4 Big Boy, stopped at Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, August 5, 2021. The huge steam locomotive ran well and ahead of the first day's schedule making stops at Kimball, NE, and overnight at Sidney, Nebraska, August 5, 2021. ©2021 Chip
Union Pacific's 4014 engineer Ed Dickens ran the massive 4-8-8-4 Big Boy. Special stopped at Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, for service and an inspection August 5, 2021. The month-long trip will visit Denver in September 2021.©2021 Chip	Union Pacific 4014, Alco Big Boy 4-8-8-4, at Sidney, Nebraska, passed by UP 1983 Western Pacific heritage unit on train from Roper Yard, Salt Lake City, Utah, to North Platte, Nebraska. 5 August 2021 - ©2021 Chip