There is no January meeting in Barnes Hall ============ A note from Dave Schaaf, VP and program director --- |
I mentioned at the December meeting that we do not have a presenter
lined up for January, and it looks like my job on that day may go late
anyway, so we need to skip a month. We will not have a meeting
this month.
Andy Dell and Nathan Holmes and I have been spread pretty thin in the
last few months, and it will take a little more skill now that Nathan
has stepped away from the Board. The technical side of putting our
meetings on to Zoom for the distant members, and trying to make the
meetings also available on YouTube for potential members is a challenge.
If it gets too complicated, we may have to do less of the "free
TV".
We are still planning to have the February 13 meeting presentation with
John Crisanti in-person at Barnes Hall. He will show us images of
the Montana Rail Link, and I have invited him to bring along copies of
his brand-new MRL book to sell if he wants to. The MRL reverted to
BNSF ownership at the end of 2023, so this is a timely topic. |
Upcoming Events: - - -
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. Last run will be March 31st. |
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| Santa Rides the Rails into Windsor, CO |
OmniTRAX
Great Western Railway carried Santa Claus to Windsor, CO, on December
2, 2023. The Wonderful Windsor event was well attended.
Santa rode GWR business car #1 named Yellowstone. ©2023 Chip
Sherman |
Santa
Claus arrived in style aboard OmniTRAX Great Western Railway of
Colorado at Windsor, CO, on December 2, 2023. Santa rode business
car #1 named Yellowstone handled by locomotive OMLX 4011 painted unique
orange scheme. The
Wonderful Windsor annual event is held the first weekend each December.
Train pulled up to Boardwalk Park next to the Windsor Lake at
4:30 PM. The large crowd greeted Santa as a high school band
played Christmas tunes. GWR business car Yellowstone history; OmniTRAX
Great Western Railway, GWR 1 named Yellowstone, ex-Northern Pacific
(NP) business car. The former Northern Pacific business car 2nd NP 8 was
built in 1898 in the NP's Como Shops. It was not built for James J.
Hill. He had his own Great Northern car. Instead, it was
built for the NP's president, CS Mellen, named "Yellowstone." In
1918 the car was assigned to the NP's USRA General Manager, J.M.
Hannaford, and renumbered USRA No. A-116. At the end of USRA
control, the car was returned to the NP and its original NP 8 restored.
The
car was rebuilt at Pullman in 1921 with steel bolsters, end platforms,
and sheathing. New 6-wheel trucks were installed to replace the original
wood ones. It was replaced as the NP president's car by a new car, 4th
No. 1, also named Yellowstone, built by Pullman in 1924.
In
1926 car NP 8 was down-graded and renumbered to division
superintendent's Car NP 1909. The car was removed from service 1954.
Placed for sale but found no buyer. In 1955 the car was designated
supply train Diner-Dormitory Car NP X-589. It was re-designated
Supply Car NP X-143 in 1959. In 1986 the NP X-143 was sold to the
Great Western Railway purchased by GWR manager Pete Ascher. GWR 1
was upgraded and painted in 2014 at the Loveland, CO, shop. |
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OmniTRAX
OMLX 4011, GP40-2LW, ex-Canadian National locomotive handled the Santa
Special to the waiting crowd at Windsor, CO, Saturday, December 2, 2023.
©2023 Chip |
Great
Western Railway of Colorado business car #1 - named Yellowstone after
sunset December 2, 2023 at Windsor, CO, with Happy Holidays banner on
rear platform railing. Thanks to owner Pat Broe for participating
in this annual event. ©2023 Chip |
Iowa Northern Railway will merge into Canadian National in 2024 |
“We
are very pleased to have reached a deal with CN. We believe CN shares
IANR’s commitment to local stakeholders and that this transaction will
be beneficial for customers, employees and the local Iowa economy. We
are confident that, as part of CN, IANR will be able to continue to
provide reliable first and last mile service to our local customers
while providing them access to a much broader network and market.”
- Daniel Sabin, Chairman at Iowa Northern Railway The terms of this transaction were not disclosed. An STB decision regarding the transaction is expected in 2024. |
Eastern
Iowa short line Iowa Northern Railway announced early December 2023
that it was being acquired by Canadian National. CN says that it
has an agreement to acquire Iowa Northern Railway (IANR), which operates
approximately 275 track miles in Iowa connecting to CN’s U.S. rail
network. Photo at Shell Rock, Iowa, on May 16, 2021 by Chip. |
Union Pacific's 'Powered by Our People' unit |
Union
Pacific 1111 - The Powered by Our People unit on November 28, 2023 at
Kelker Yard south of Colorado Springs, CO. UP 1111 came from
Yermo, CA, as the rear DPU on a unit Fort Carson military train.
This unit was leader on 6-unit light power move from Kelker to Pueblo,
CO, later that day. ©2023 Chip |
Conductor side of UP 1111 with slogan 'Powered by Our People' at Kelker Yard, CO, November 28. ©2023 Chip |
Knotts Berry Farm ex-Rio Grande Southern 41 was rebuilt at Durango, CO, during 2023 |
Rio
Grande Southern #41 (owned by Knotts Berry Farm) was given some tender
loving care by the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad shop
force at Durango, CO, in 2023. Test run was done Nov 27.
©2023 Jerry Day |
Rio
Grande Southern C-19 class 2-8-0 was built for the Denver & Rio
Grande by Baldwin in 1881 as their number 409. It was sold to the Rio
Grande Southern in November 1916 and renumbered to 41. The Rio Grande
Southern sold it to Knotts Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. The 41
was joined by ex-D&RGW C-19 number 340 and the two have pulled
trains there to the present day. On February 18, 2022 it was
trucked to Durango for a major rebuild. The work was completed on
November 16, 2023 and it was tested around the Durango yard. On
the 17th the 41 ran light to Rockwood for the first test run on a 2.5% grade. On the 18th,
staff from Knotts Berry Farm and the Colorado Railroad Museum were
taken to Rockwood on a test run. The train was backed out to the High
Line for a run by. On the 19th, the staff was taken for a longer test run to the Cascade Wye. After
some adjustments were made and a final painting applied, the 41 took
Durango & Silverton shop and train staff for a ride to Cascade Wye
on the 27th. The area had received snow, so the 41 ran in significant snow for the first time since the late 1940's. Jerry B. Day |
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Knotts
Berry Farm had Rio Grande Southern #41 worked on by the Durango &
Silverton NG RR shop forces. She was on the Durango turntable
November 27 and was shipped back to California in early December 2023.
The former RGS 41 actually ran from Durango to Telluride and on to
Ridgway, Colorado, until purchased by Walter Knott. Ghost Town & Calico locomotive 41 was the name used at Knott's Berry Farm. ©2023 Jerry Day |
Colorado
Pacific RR 1964 brought Santa Claus to Eads, CO, December 10, 2023.
Motorcar enthusiasts with the North American Railcar Operators
Association (NARCOA), Rocky Mountain Division, participated. ©2023
Chip |
Colorado Pacific RR Santa Run to Merry on Maine at Eads, CO, Dec 2023 |
The
Town of Eads, Colorado, in southeastern Colorado hosts an annual event
called Merry on Maine (spellng is correct) The Colorado Pacific RR
brought jolly Saint Nick to town on their locomotives, CXR 1964 and
1923, SD40-2. Santa arrived at 2:00 PM this year. Adding
to the festivities were the motorcars decorated for the season.
The North American Railcar Operators Association (NARCOA), Rocky
Mountain Division, had seven motorcars following the Colorado Pacific RR
units into Eads, CO. Weather was cool. Great turnout for
the holiday festivities. |
Colorado
Pacific RR crew aboard CXR 1964 prepared for Santa Run near Eads, CO.
Note the nose herald and student conductor Morgyn's sweatshirt.
Santa Run operated Sunday afternoon, December 10, 2023.
©2023 Chip |
Sunset Hugo Roundhouse at Hugo, Colorado, December 10, 2023 |
Colorado
sunset at former Union Pacific RR Hugo Roundhouse built 1909.
Building was restored by the Town of Hugo and Lincoln County.
Hugo, CO, December 10, 2023. ©2023 Chip |
Brilliant
sunset December 10, 2023 at former Union Pacific Hugo Roundhouse along
UP's Limon Subdivision. Town of Hugo and Lincoln County have
restored the windows of the closed historic building. ©2023 Chip |
Dome Coach nee-UP 7000 now PAXX 7000 |
Union
Pacific 7000 was sold to Auto Train and renumbered to 700 in June 1972;
to Jonathan Gallucki, Atlanta, Georgia, in December 1981; to Ken Bitten
in 1999, leased to American Orient Express and Montana Rockies Rail
Tours service; to Oregon Rail Corporation (Henry Hillman, Jr.) in August
1999; stored in 2000, with primer paint; moved to American Orient
Express facility at Chehalis, Washington, in September 2001.
Recent owners were Phil Sheridan (deceased) and then Bernie Watts
with some partners. Car now carries reporting marks PAXX =
Passenger Railcar Services Corp. Denver, CO, December 19, 2023.
©2023 Chip |
Union
Pacific 7000 was built in 1954 by American Car & Foundry. Car
was painted primer gray and interior gutted by Colorado Railcar before
its bankruptcy. Car stored on the Denver Rock Island RR now
lettered PAXX 7000 near Holly Street, Denver, CO, December 19, 2023.
©2023 Chip |
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Union Pacific Layoffs November & December 2023 Union
Pacific laid off 13 carmen from the two run through track car shop on
the west side of North Yard, Denver, CO, on December 5, 2023.
Employees were shocked to learn they were out of work. Some
were offered transfers to Bailey Yard at North Platte, NE, or Fort
Worth, TX. The
only emplyee found at the North Yard car shop on December 6th was the
car shop manager. No work was being done on bad ordered rail cars. Another
carman layoff was done at South Morrill, NE, in November 2023.
Nine carmen were laid off of the 14 employees at that location.
Five carmen jobs were retained due to the requirement to inspect
extended long haul unit coal trains servicing the Wyoming Powder River
Basin. UP Layoffs - Maintenance of Way The
president of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division
union has been sending letters to regulators for more than a month
raising concerns about the layoffs, but the the Surface Transportation
Board hasn't intervened. “Chaos
and disruption with Union Pacific’s Maintenance of Way forces can only
lead to one outcome � deferred maintenance and catastrophhic outcomes,”
Tony Cardwell, who leads the union, said in his letters. “These
furloughs will affect the safety of Union Pacific operations and pose
serious safety risks for the general public and the communities
surrounding Union Pacific’s infrastructure.” Cardwell
said that after these layoffs of 1,350 workers UP will have only a
little over 4,700 track maintenance workers. Back in 2015 before a
series of cuts designed to make the railroad more efficient, Union
Pacific employed 8,791. That means each maintenance worker will now have
about 11 miles (17.7 kilometers) of track to take care of on average,
up from 8.6 last year and 6.5 in 2016. The union is concerned that these cuts are an indication of how tightly new CEO Jim Vena plans
to manage the railroad's expenses. Union Pacific, like all the major
freight railroads, already made significant cuts in its workforce over
the past several years as part of overhauling its operations to rely more on fewer, longer trains. Last month, Union Pacific announced plans to trim the ranks of its mangers across the railroad to help streamline decision making. (December 2, 2023) |
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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. |
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| | Click on the above COLORADO RAILROAD MUSEUM link to go to their website. |
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