Good bye, Ski Train

All station tracks at Denver are above ground. The concourse leading to the tracks does seem to go below ground but the tracks are at ground level and in open air.

Where was the Zephyr stopping last summer? Because all the through tracks in front of the station were blocked off by fencing to the left of the station.

5 and 6 were stopping in DEN last summer. Maybe the fencing was put up because of the light rail being built to the depot? At any rate the depot tracks are above ground and behind and to the right of the depot if you were facing the front of it. Maybe one of the Denver guys on here will be able to give you a better explaination why that fencing was up at the time and if it is still up.

There is still fencing to the south of the station, but the CZ and Skitrain come in from the north, and also leave to the north. About 100 yards west, there is the light rail station, which is accessible from the light rail main to the south as well as north. But there is no below-ground trackage. One may be confused because the once through-station nature of the station means tracks still go 1-2 blocks south past the fence, giving the impression of continuing somewhere. But they don't.

If these ambitious plans for "Light Rail" are to move forth, then in all likelihood, the Amtrak Zephyr will need a new home. Presumably such would be to the North of Downtown and, hance, avoid the currently required "backdown" to DUT.

http://www.rtd-fastracks.com/media/maps/index.html

free2rtmey wrote:what will happen to the f40's

http://railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.ph ... 06#p672306
They are going to CN

Not to slightly change the discussion, but I rode it a few times back in the 90s. It was truly a fun experience; pretty well filled, great skiing camaraderie, beautiful scenery, and it dropped you right by Winter Park where you could walk to the slopes. It was a unique service, and one that will be missed by all who rode it. I'm sad to see it go.

This isn't really an Amtrak topic since SkiTrain was not an Amtrak operation.

-otto-

I noticed that the 3 private cars were not with the Ski Train consist in the youtube video i saw of it passing thru Illinois.

Were just the TEMPO cars and the F40s sold?

Thats okay, CN/WC/AC already has two domes up there I would imagine they will keep. One is a former CZ dome that has HEP allready. I am not sure about the GB&W ex UP Dome Obs.

If you go to the ACR website, they show 2 domes up front pulled by CN units

Service on the Canyon trains begin June 9 weekend
It appears not much time is left for a repaint or overhaul of the F40's or the coaches?
I suspect there may be a few railfans headed to the Soo this summer
Begining June 1 Americans will need a passport?

Bring back some pictures! Could be the last chance to see D&RGW paint in operation??

atsf sp wrote:Where was the Zephyr stopping last summer? Because all the through tracks in front of the station were blocked off by fencing to the left of the station.

There are no through tracks at the station...Amtrak, and apparently the Ski Train, backs into the loading platform.

I don't know when that change was made; but I rode the Zephyr regularly in the 1990s and lived just off downtown in the mid-1990s. Every morning the westbound Zephyr would be shoving into the station as I crossed the Broadway bridge to work.

That surely has a lot to do with the "congestion" mentioned. I believe, can't remember, that the route taken is through the BNSF yard...a long shove back, and of course at walking speed through the yard. Everything around it must stop and the movement probably watched as it backs over the yard tracks.

The latest development...

http://www.denverpost.com/news/frontpage/ci_13190467

Ski Train revival seeks Union Station aid
By Jeffrey Leib - The Denver Post
Posted: 08/24/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT
Updated: 08/24/2009 01:12:38 AM MDT
A business team trying to revive the Ski Train service between Denver and Winter Park for the upcoming season has asked Union Station officials for help in keeping the tradition going. In April, billionaire Phil Anschutz's company said it was selling the Ski Train's railcars to a Canadian railroad operator and ending the 69-year run of the Colorado excursion train. Earlier this month, Iowa Pacific Holdings, which operates tourist trains in southern Colorado and shortline freight railroads there and in other states, said it was interested in taking over the Ski Train operation.

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_12993517

Colorado Ski Train revival gathers steam
The operator of a southern Colorado railway has asked about taking over the route.
By Jeffrey Leib- The Denver Post