UP,in Nebraska, Rio Grande in Colorado-1990

HMMM, wonder what we can find in HERE?

Eastbound coal train just getting under way at 17:25 after a stop for..?

Extra 2501 east greets the rising sun at 07:30 in Kearnry.

Extra 2501 east heads for the sun in Kearney.

Westbound empty coal train rolls through Kearney at 07:32.

The extra 3213 east through Kearney at 07:47.

Pair of C&NW units haul a string of coil cars eastward through Odessa at 08:00.

CNW extar 5055 east heads into the bright light of a new day.

Another pair of C&NW units haul a unit hopper train eastward through Elm creek at 08:19.

Eastbound container train through Sutherland at 09:36.

The 9375 handles a 100 car coal train single-handedly off the Alliance br. on the west side of North Platte at 10:04.

Extra 2534 west races through Ogallala at 11:44.

BNROM "cools his heels", well, actually his traction motors, at Tolland. The trailing unit, an SD45, died completely on the way up to here, so he sat for 15-20 minutes, taking a break.

Engineer figures they've had enough time to cool off, so restarts the train. The 3077 had some really skanky horns.

The engineer isn't fooling around as he notches 'em out in a hurry. Fortunately, I also have this on video tape, so can listen to the building crescendo whenever I get the urge.

BNROM rounds the curve for the last lap into Moffat tunnel. Still only doing about 10-15 mph, but they're in Run 8.

"Ah, I can see my goal up ahead! Not far, now".

Drawing ever so steadily closer to the east portal of the Moffat.

Once over the apex in the tunnel, he'll "drop like a bowling ball" out of the west portal, as one Rio Grande engineer described it.

The famous RGS ten wheeler #20 began life as Florence & Cripple Creek #20, and was purchased by the RGS, along with 2 other ten wheelers, from the F&CC in 1916.

The "RICO" was built by Billmeyer & Small in 1880 as a mail car for the D&RG. Rebuilt to business car "RICO" in 7/1892.

The 583, a C-28 class consolidation, was renumbered 683 in 1924. CRM has since restored it to it's #683 appearance.

With the high survival rate of the D&RGW narrow gauge steam locos, THIS is the only surviving standard gauge Rio Grande steam locomotive! All those great Articulateds, Mountains, Northerns, etc. are just memories!

Origionally built with a Buick body, motor #2 was later rebuilt with a Pierce-Arrow "80" body.

Out of the 8 "Geese" origionally constructed, 6 still exist, and the CRM has 3 of those.

One of the several versions the Rio Grande herald exhibited during the Railroad's lifetime.

The "great splinter fleet".

491 is one of 10 K-37's rebuilt by D&RGW in 1928 from standard gauge C-41 consols. The 491 is ex 1126.

A number of the Rio Grande's narrow gauge flangers survived, here's another one. Several are at Chama, NM. on the C&TS.

Recent photos of some of this equipment show it has "faded", to put it kindly.

IIRC, the mail section of this car was outfitted nicely, a rarity in this day and age.

Classed as an O-5A when built, the 5629 was reclassified to O-5B when converted to oil fired.

Biult for the South Park as their #51, the Denver, Leadville & Gunnison (a UP subsidiary) renumbered it to 191. She is the oldest surviving narrow gauge locomotive.

Dumb luck in choosing one of the rare days the CRM fired up the 346 to visit the museum.

Caboose 0404 was the second to carry that number and was built by the RGS in 1902 for, what seems like even then, a paltry sum of...SIXTY DOLLARS! It was the ONLY "new" piece of equipment the RGS ever owned, EVERYTHING else was "pre-owned"!

346 and train at the upper end of the museum's running track at "No Agua" tank.

346 heading back to the main station from No Agua.

While on loan to the C&S, the 346 derailed descending Kenosha Pass as a light engine after helping an eastbound freight on July 25, 1936, killing her engineer, Eugene McGowan. She was rebuilt at the Burlington's shops.

Makes a neat little train, is it any wonder some of us fell in love with the Colorado narrow gauge?!

346 pauses at the upper end of the running track, aka "Ron Hill", an "inside joke".

346 and her little train at "Ron Hill".

Closer study of Mathias Baldwin's little jewel.

Pretty much says it all.......

Looking westward (RR dir.) at the summit of Rollins Pass, aka "Corona". The railroad ROW comes in from the lower right corner (below and behind the foreground ridge) and curves through the shallow cut near the center of the picture. Old timbers from the snowshed, which covered the tracks, can be seen scattered along the top of the cut and along the ROW. The combination restaurant/hotel, of brick construction, sat on the slightly raised area at the right edge of the picture.

Looking eastward from the opposite direction of the previous photo, the railroad ROW can be seen plainly against the hillside curving around to the left through a small notch. "Needle's Eye" tunnel, aka tunnel 32, is about a mile further on beyond the notch. It's still a little hard to believe that this was a STANDARD gauge railroad that twisted, turned, and climbed over the Continental Divide, but "Uncle Dave" wanted BADLY to get to Salt Lake City with THE most direct route

As viewed from Ptarmigan Point, about a mile west and downgrade from Corona, is the trestle over Riflesight Notch. This is part of a 360 degree loop, where the track passed under itself through tunnel 33 beneath the trestle.

Though not very accurate, as far as perspective goes, this picture postcard view gives a good idea of the loop. The upper track rounding the hill at right descended the other side and came out through the tunnel below the trestle. Both trains in this picture are eastbound, climbing upgrade.