Railworks America

Last week I returned from my annual vacation to the Colorado high country (no pun intended!). On one day we rode up to the Alpine Tunnel. It's about 10 miles of the old railroad grade of the Denver, South Park and Pacific that ends at the west portal of the tunnel, which is now sealed shut for safety reasons.
I have many pictures of the road and restored buildings. If anyone is interested, I can post them here.

Here's one of a stone marker near the west portal. Pandering to the site administrator.

I have an interest. I have always wanted to go there but I just have not had time during the summer, our busy season.

I'd like to see them. Shame that marker was damaged.

Trevor

I'll try to get some pictures up tonight. I'll link to them from my photobucket account (if it still works) so as not to use up server space.
When the aspens turn electric yellow it's hard not to blast through lots of pictures!

FourEightFour: Ironically, I've always wanted to stop and check out Georgetown Loop when we're out there but never have time.

We encourage you to use server space for good stuff like this. It loads a lot faster from here.

Slick204, the Georgetown Loop is a must ride, along with the Leadville, Colorado, and Southern. An easy half day can also be spent at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden.

Here are a couple shaky videos I took on the Georgetown Loop two summers ago.

http://youtu.be/SUnrGBCRK6s?list=UU_MhT ... KmrDhpu-Ww
http://youtu.be/vDnipriKoZ4?list=UU_MhT ... KmrDhpu-Ww

Trevor

TDHenderson wrote:Slick204, the Georgetown Loop is a must ride, along with the Leadville, Colorado, and Southern. An easy half day can also be spent at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden.

Here are a couple shaky videos I took on the Georgetown Loop two summers ago.

http://youtu.be/SUnrGBCRK6s?list=UU_MhT ... KmrDhpu-Ww
http://youtu.be/vDnipriKoZ4?list=UU_MhT ... KmrDhpu-Ww

Trevor

That must have been filmed on either a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday...

Yeah, I need to go. Love the Shays. I have been to the museum in Golden but it's time to go again.

This road is located southwest of Denver in the Sawatch Range and it begins just north of Pitkin on the Cumberland Pass road.
The road follows the grade almost completely. Several informative signs have been added since I was there last ('07).
This is a restored water tank:

And the sign, hopefully it's legible at this size. I love all the icicles, not very watertight!

Further up the road is the Sherrod Loop, visible in the background.

A better picture of the loop. A few bridges are missing!

After the loop you're mostly above tree line and on a shelf road.

This is the Palisades: a man made ledge to get around the rock outcropping. (Photo from '07, better weather!)

This is looking back at the Palisades from further up the road.

A cut through the rocks. Nice even grade and wide curves.

There's a small parking lot down from the tunnel and station complex. There they've constructed a replica of the timber arches used in the tunnel.

More informative signage.


Next, the station complex.

Walking up the grade the first thing you see are the remains of the engine house (stone walls).

The sign describing the engine house, again hopefully legible.

Inside the remains of the engine house. You can see stones that lined the turn table well from just below the center on the left side to the bottom right corner.

The section house next to the engine house.


Next, the station.

This is the Alpine Tunnel station. Inside are many photos of the area, buildings and trains.

This is one of the photos inside showing a massive snowshed. The engine house is visible behind the shed.

And one from inside the tunnel. The first time I went there I was able to climb down through the rocks and get into the tunnel. Not possible now.

Looking back, down grade, at the station. Note the harp switch. It was recast by the Alpine Tunnel Historic Association.

After a fire destroyed the engine house, the turntable was moved uphill from the station.
There is a walkway around the remains and if you look carefully you can see a marmot on the far side, soaking up rays!

And finally (!) the tunnel, or what remains.

And again, a very informative sign with details about the tunnel construction.

The stone blocks in this pictures were above the tunnel opening.

A couple more from the ride back down showing the aspens in all their glory.



That's it. Sorry it was so long but I had a hard time cutting it down.
If you're in the area, I highly recommend the trip. High clearance two-wheel drive should be fine but I wouldn't take a car.
The Alpine Tunnel Historic Association has done a terrific job with the new signage and displays!

FourEightFour wrote:That must have been filmed on either a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday...

You are correct, it was a Saturday morning.

Trevor

Thank you so much for sharing those pictures.

Trevor

No problem. I watched your videos but the first one started giving me a headache! In the second one, where the locomotive is backing up to couple to the cars, he seems to be going fairly fast with no one spotting. I thought he was going to bang into the cars but, of course, he stopped perfectly.
Thanks for sharing those.