December 12 meeting in Barnes Hall at 7:30 pm ============ |
Our
guest presenter for the December 12 meeting will be Richard Farewell.
His short program will highlight the Alco diesels of the Chicago
& NorthWestern in the late 1970s. Rich found these first and
second generation units in the twilight of their service when they were
assigned to the lightweight rails out of Huron, South Dakota.
We may also have a look at some assorted images by other photographers. Photos above and below by Richard Farewell. |
 |
Notice of Annual Meetings The
annual meetings of the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club and the Rocky
Mountain Railroad Historical Foundation will be held on Tuesday,
December 12, 2023, 7:30 PM at Christ Church, 2950 South University
Boulevard, Denver, Colorado, and virtually through Zoom. These meetings
are called for the purpose of electing Officers and Directors for both
organizations. At these meetings the Club or Foundation may conduct any
other business as may properly come before these meetings. In
the December meeting, we will elect the board of directors and officer
positions for the 2024 year. Following this official brief Annual
Meeting, a short show will be presented and soda-pop and cookies will be
provided. We hope to see you there. The nominating committee would like to provide the following names for positions for 2024: Andy Dell President Dave Schaaf Vice President Keith Jensen Treasurer Steve Subber Secretary For a two-year director term: Jim Ehernberger Andrew Ludasi Debbie MacDonald Nathan Zachman Nominations may also be made from the floor at the December meeting. Membership Renewal for 2024 Renewal
season is now upon us. The cost of everything has increased
significantly in the last few years. Insurance costs, postage, printing,
storage fees and bookkeeping fees have all steadily increased during
the period of time since the last dues increase. The board of directors
voted in the October meeting to increase the dues costs by $5 per year
for regular membership, USPS mailed Rail Report membership and the
Contributing membership levels. This small increase may be substantial
to some but it is necessary to ensure the club does not operate in the
red and maintains a balanced budget. While all costs may not be fully
covered by this increase, the club has many generous individuals whom
are able to renew at higher levels such as the contributing, sustaining
and patron levels. The additional monies that are received from these
membership levels help to fulfill some of those deficits and allows us
to keep membership level increases to a minimum. Rocky Mountain Railroad Club � Annuaal Meeting Minutes 2021 December 13, 2022 The meeting was called to order by President Andy Dell at 7:35 PM. Minutes from 2021 meeting Tom
Klinger moved to dispense reading the minutes of the 2021 Annual
Meeting, copies of which were available for members. The motion was
seconded by Nathan Holmes and passed unanimously. Treasurers Report No presentation. Budget was in balance for 2022. Nominations Committee The report of the Nominating Committee: The slate of Officers endorsed for nomination were: President Andy Dell Vice-President Dave Schaaf Secretary Steve Subber Treasurer Keith Jensen As Directors (2-year terms): Nathan Holmes, Denny Leonard and Kirk Thode Nominations
were opened to the floor for additions. None being offered, Wally Weart
moved to accept the slate of proposed Officers and Directors for the
year 2022 The motion was seconded by Tom Klinger. Vote of unanimous
consent and passed. There
being no further business, Roger Sherman moved that the meeting be
adjourned. The motion was seconded by Nathan Holmes. The vote was
unanimous and passed. The meeting adjourned at 7:43 PM. The next Annual
Meeting will be held in December 2023 Respectfully submitted, Steve
Subber, Secretary |
Rocky Mountain Railroad Historical Foundation Donations Our
organization has helped preserve the history of Colorado railroads over
the years and continues preservation through our yearly grants. There
are many worthy projects for the Rocky Mountain Railroad Historical
Foundation to consider every year. Grant proposals will soon be
requested to be considered this spring. The importance of supporting the
Foundation is to keep our program viable. Preserving and educating
history is one of our principal club activities. Please
consider year end giving to the Rocky Mountain Railroad Historical
Foundation. Even small gifts add up. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3), tax
exempt, non-profit organization. Based on individual tax circumstances,
the donation may be tax deductible. Donations should be by personal check made out to “Rocky Mountain Railroad Historical Foundation” and sent to: Rocky Mountain Railroad Historical Foundation PO Box 2391 Denver, CO 80201-2391 |
Club Website News Photo Page in Search of New Editor The club would like to thank Wally Weart for his many years donated as the editor of the Clubs News and Events page! This
page can be found off our main webpage by clicking the Regional News
link. It contains various pictures and news write ups from both Wally
and other sources. Most of the pictures and articles relate to rail news
from Colorado. Wally retired in November 2023 from his position as the
webpage editor. We apologize for not placing this article in the
November Rail Report but we had some pending decisions that were not
finalized yet. The
board had another lead for a potential new editor and we felt it best
to not make an announcement in the November Rail Report until we had
confirmation. The potential replacement for the news webpage editor
ended up not working out and we are still looking for a new editor to
take over the news page. If
anyone has basic HTML experience with editing web pages, posting images
with basic text and would like to volunteer to take over this task,
please send an email to rails@rockymtnrrclub.org |
Union Pacific Steam Trips Announced for 2024 |
Ed
Dickens hosted the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club at the Union Pacific's
Steam Shop April 22, 2023. In 2024 Ed and his crew will embark on a
major tour around the UP system. ©2023 Chip |
World's Largest Steam Locomotive 'Big Boy No. 4014' Preparing for 'Four Corners' 2024 Tour Omaha, Nebraska - November 2, 2023 Union Pacific's famed Big Boy No. 4014,
the world’s largest steam locomotive, will return to the rails in 2024
for a tour celebrating the railroad’s deep history and connection to
communities, and it's employees. The tour is expected to reach all four
corners of Union Pacific’s 23-state system with anticipated stops in: - Chicago, Illinois
- Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas
- Houston, Texas
- Nampa, Idaho
- Portland, Oregon
- Roseville, California
- Salt Lake City, Utah
“As
we move forward at Union Pacific, we remember where we came from; the
Big Boy represents the history of Union Pacific and the United States,”
said Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena. “When No. 4014 comes to town, we will
celebrate with the communities where we operate, our employees and their
families. Together, we will marvel at how far technology has brought
us.” (Information courtesy Union Pacific RR) |
 |
Union
Pacific 4014 May 4, 2019 met a train at Speer, WY, on its trip to
Ogden, Utah, to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Golden Spike
event marking the completion of the transcontinental railroad.
©2019-2023 Chip |
Upcoming Events: - - -The Royal Gorge Route Polar Express starts November 19, 2023 and runs until December 24th (Christmas Eve). - - -
Amtrak's
Winter Park Express starts Friday, January 12, 2024. It will run
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Denver Union Station to Winter Park
Ski Area, Colorado. |
|
|
|  |
John Dillavou passed away in November. He was president of our Club for 3 years, 1987-1989.
He grew up and was married in Iowa, and he and his wife Barbara moved
to Pueblo, and then Denver. He was a Parks Planner Landscape
Architect for the City of Denver, and retired in 2002. He
was an enthusiast of both model and historic trains, Colorado’s ghost
towns and the history of the Southwest. With the Ghost Town Club,
he had served as Vice-President and President. John
served as the President of the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club, where he
got to travel on exclusive trains, documenting many of them through his
endless slides and pictures. He enjoyed building model railroads, with a
large personal layout, multiple traveling modules and a notable fleet
of locomotives. John
was President of the Club at the time of it's 50th Anniversary and he
helped arrange and coordinate many of the special events and
commemorative items like the belt buckle and dinner plate. Also,
in 1987, he arranged for the recording of conversations and memories of
five early Club members, Jackson Thode, Lillian Stewart, Jack Morison,
Ed Haley and Irv August. John had been a Club member since 1962, and his seniority number in 2023 was 13. |
- - - Sigi
Walker passed away on May 16, 2023 in Colorado Springs. She held
seniority number 224 and had been active in several clubs in the
Colorado Springs area as well as the Rocky Club. Sigi and her
husband Mike Walker have donated countless hours to the Pikes Peak
Trolley Museum and the Palmer Lake Historical Society and the Pueblo
Railway Museum over the years. - - - Michael
Bryans passed away on August 16th, 2023 in Vancouver, WA. Michael
held seniority number 192 having been a Club member since 1993. - - - Richard Willhardt of Evergreen, Colorado, passed away in November. He was a member for about twenty years. |
Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge RR K-28 Celebration October 2023 |
The Durango & Silverton operated a two-day photo mixed train on the 16th and 17th of October 2023 to celebrate the 100th
anniversary of the K-28s. The mixed train ran with a mid-train helper.
The last time that was done on the Silverton line was 1958. RAILFAN & RAILROAD magazine will publish an article that Jerry Day wrote with some of the photos in 2024. |
Durango & Silverton NG 476 was the mid-train helper on October 26, 2023 at US Highway 550 Hermosa, CO. ©2023 Jerry Day |
D&SNG
473, K-28, and mid-train helper 476 were along the Animas River for
rare mixed photo special marking the 100th Anniversary celebration of
K-28's service. ©2023 Jerry Day |
Cumbres & Toltec News in Late 2023 |
On
November 11, 2023 the C&TS Commission approved funding the purchase
of White Pass & Yukon Bombardier built DL535W diesel #114. The 114
will primarily relieve the existing GE Center Cabs and K-36s from use in
Maintenance of Way duties. This six-axle unit can also stand by in
Chama to reduce the need to keep a steam engine hot as a rescue
locomotive. This can extend the time between when steam locos need
their 1472-day inspections. Steven Butler is named as new General Manager Steven
Butler - A life-long rail enthusiast with a passion for preserving 19th
and 20th century steam trains, Butler’s family owned a railroad in the
Midwest. He has experience in almost every aspect of running a steam
powered tourist railroad. He has served as general manager and in other
management positions, and also as a machinist, fireman, engineer and
chief mechanical officer at various railroads across the U.S. Over
the course of his 30+ year career, Butler has worked in management
positions with Mt. Rainier Railroad & Logging Museum, Texas State
Railroad, Morton Locomotive & Machine and others. “We
are thrilled that Steven will serve as the Cumbres & Toltec’s
general manager,” said Billy Elbrock, Chairman of the four-member
Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad Commission. “He brings the varied
expertise necessary to run both a locomotive and a railroad, from
machine work to marketing. He knows this area and even worked briefly
for the C&TSRR and was at our neighboring San Luis & Rio Grande
Railroad in Alamosa for many years.” Since
the late 90s, he has been a member of the Train/Heritage Rail Alliance
Board of Directors, the National Board of Boiler’s Inspection Code
Locomotive Boiler subgroup, American Society of Mechanical Engineers’
Locomotive subgroup and the Engineering Standards committee. (Info
courtesy Cumbres & Toltec Scenic RR) |
 |
Steve
Butler takes over for Scott Gibbs, one of the railroad’s Colorado
Commissioners who had temporarily stepped in to run day-to-day
operations. |
South Park Rail Society Acquires Como Hotel |
Per Kathy Brantigan, President We're
planning for a larger (Como) campus that will honor and respect that
past by more effectively connecting the public to authentic early 19th
Century life in our mountain railroading community. In
fulfillment of our dream to one day have a more cohesive and expansive
rail campus in Como, my husband Chuck and I are happy to announce that
we have recently purchased the Como Hotel from David Tomkins.
We're so grateful to David for his team spirit and longtime care
of the hotel. We're excited to team with the SPRS, Denver South Park
& Pacific Historical Society, and the residents of Como to work
toward a museum that reflects a vibrant picture of this very special
town. Included
in the transaction of the Hotel Como property is the Historic DSP&P
Railroad Depot, while under lease to the Denver, South Park &
Pacific Historical Society, the lease expires in eight years.
(Courtesy Tom Lawson-Como Hotel News in The Como Headlight, Vol 2,
Number 5) |
 |
David
Tomkins has sold the Como Hotel to Dr. Chuck and his wife Kathy
Brantigan. Deal closed on Oct. 23, 2023. Photo at Como, CO,
June 2, 2020. ©2020-2023 Chip |
Colorado Pacific Acquired and Repaints BNSF SD70MAC's |
Colorado Pacific Rio Grande Railroad has started to repaint four BNSF units at Alamosa Shop, CO BUGX 620 ex-BNSF 9760; BUGX 707 ex-BNSF 9697; BUGX 209 ex-BNSF 9832 Colorado
Pacific Rio Grande RR acquired 10 BNSF SD70MAC's earlier in 2023. They
were all residing in Alamosa, CO, as of October 2023. Newly
painted CPRG units are expected to hit the road late 2023. Photo
October 19, 2023 by Chip |
Colorado Pacific Rio Grande Railroad sign has replaced San Luis & Rio Grande RR sign at Alamosa, CO. ©2023 Chip |
Amtrak’s Chicago Metropolitan Lounge ends free use for business-class passengers |
Amtrak business-class passengers no longer receive free admission to Chicago Union Station’s Metropolitan Lounge, although a $35 day pass is available. Enlarged
and reimagined at a new location within the sprawling facility in 2016,
the Metropolitan Lounge’s primary function has been to serve
transferring long-distance sleeping car passengers. It is a multi-level
place to relax, offering snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. The change became effective Oct. 1 � in part, Amtrak spokkesman Marc Magliari tells Trains News
Wire, because “the new Amtrak Midwest railcars have significantly more
seats in business class than we’ve been offering on the Amtrak Midwest
network.” (Courtesy Kalmbach Media) |
Cumbres & Toltec Scenic RR ran a Dak Dillon Photo Charter in October 2023 |
Cumbres
& Toltec Scenic RR relettered 463's tender with flying Rio Grande
lettering for Dak Dillon photo charter held October 18 & 19, 2023.
Photo freights were assembled at Antonito, CO. ©2023 Chip |
Cumbres
& Toltec Scenic RR operated Dak Dillon photo freight with flying
Rio Grande lettering on 463's tender. Train had stock cars, rider
boxcars and a caboose. Train took on water at Sublette, NM, water stand
pipe. Special operated to Cascade and returned to Antonito, CO.
©2023 Chip |
Dak
Dillon photo freights were held on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic RR
using engines 463 and 168 October 18 & 19, 2023. They
celebrated the Mudhens 120th birthday with a throwback freight of the
1950's. The 463's 11-car train had stock cars, rider boxcars and a
caboose that operated Antonito, CO, to Cascade, NM, and returned to
Antonito. The
second day, October 19th, the Rio Grande 168 pulled a short freight
train (first time 168 handled freight cars since its restoration October
2019). The train was dated to the World War I era. Train
had a tank car, boxcar, gondola, coach and a caboose. The sold out
excursions had perfect weather amongst the late golden autumn foliage. The D&RGW gave 168 to the City of Colorado Springs on August 1, 1938. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Rio Grande Engine No. 168 in 1979. Although
it sat in Antlers Park, unprotected from the elements, behind a low
fence, it appeared to be in immaculate cosmetic condition when removed
for restoration to operating condition in early 2016. |
Colorado Pacific RR new Galatea, CO, Elevator Under Construction |
Colorado
Pacific RR 1964, SD40-2, was loading former CSXT grain hoppers at the
under-construction Galatea, Colorado, grain elevator October 18, 2023.
An auger was used to load grain cars directly from grain trucks.
Galatea is about 10-miles west of Eads, CO. ©2023 Chip |
Grain
elevator bases have been poured next to Colorado Pacific RR line west
of Eads, CO, October 18, 2023. The former Missouri Pacific RR Towner
Line is now operated by Colorado Pacific RR Kiowa Subdivision.
©2023 Chip |
| |
|
ENSCO
is proud to support the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA)
Transportation Technology Center (TTC) as the prime contractor
conducting research, engineering, testing, and training as well as
operating and maintaining this important US Department of Transportation
facility. |
| | Click on the above INTERMOUNTAIN CHAPTER NRHS link to go to their website. |
|
|
| | Click on the above COLORADO RAILROAD MUSEUM link to go to their website. |
|
|
| |
