| [an error occurred while processing this directive] |
|
|
|
 |
|
ROSTER BITS
Posted Sunday, December 30 2001 at 0843 h MST
UP 8621, ex-DRGW 5364, has been patched to UP ???? at North Little Rock, AR. Hopefully we'll be able to get a number on it shortly. DRGW 3131, dead for many, many months, has been moved off the UP property to an unknown location. It had been stored at Roper, UT, for some time, but three days ago it was moved to Chicago and interchanged with the CN, at least according to the UP trace. Also, Locotrace has been cleaned up to eliminate units permanently off the property: DRGW 3080, 3131, 3141, and SP 5387, 5388. - NDHolmes
GREENLAND, CO, BNSF DERAILMENT
Posted Saturday, December 29 2001 at 2054 h MST
Well, it's that season again - time for one to come off the Joint Line somewhere around Palmer Lake. Sure enough, on the way home tonight I noticed a great deal of Hulcher equipment and large work lights around the southbound main at Greenland, CO. It looks like a southbound BNSF train dropped several cars of molten sulfer (and possibly other commodities) on the ground. When I was there around 1930h, the tankers were back on the rails and there was a work train (and Photo #2) with panel track and what appeared to be ballast cars at the site, but still a fair amount of excavation work going on. While I don't know if any of the cars ruptured, judging by the amount of excavation work I'd say it was fairly likely. Update (10/30 - 0946h): Apparently there was little, if any spillage from the cars, and the line was reopened for traffic before 2200h last night, 29-Dec-2001. The current suspected cause is a broken wheel. - NDHolmes
MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!
Posted Tuesday, December 25 2001 at 1224 h MST
Merry Christmas to all from a cold (but not so white) Iowa. Hope everything is well this season for all of you and your families, and I for one am looking forward to 2002. In other notes, sorry for the server being down for a couple days - problems beyond my control and difficult to fix when we're visiting family 1000 miles away from home. - NDHolmes
UP HOLIDAY OPERATING SCHEDULE
Posted Wednesday, December 19 2001 at 0807 h MST
While not quite Rio Grande-related, I thought I'd pass this along for anybody planning to do any railfanning around Christmas (which, if you're from an extended family with multiple railfans, is almost more of a tradition than going hunting the day after Thanksgiving). UP's operations will mostly shut down at 1500h on 24-Dec-2001 to give crews time at home - efforts are being made to get the crews to their home terminals. Locals and yard jobs will be held in. Thanks to the Colorado Zephyr and this thread on Trainorders for the information. Addition (12/19 - 1100h): In keeping with the holiday spirit, you might want to take a look at Paul Z.'s Holiday Post over on Trainorders. Rio Grande as it was intended... - NDHolmes
ANSCO GETS TWO NEW CARS
Posted Tuesday, December 18 2001 at 1044 h MST
Ansco - Phillip Anschutz's company responsible for, amoung other things, operating the Ski Train - has acquired two new cars. Both are labelled "Roaring Fork" and are stainless steel with a maroon stripe filling a third of the side. DRCX 1240 is a baggage car, and DRCX 3365 is a coach. No idea what these cars are for, but I'd presume they'll be in Ski Train service eventually. Paul Z. managed to photograph 1240 on Sunday, 16-Dec-2001 in Denver and has posted a photo to Trainorders.com. - NDHolmes
NEW PHOTOS POSTED ON RAILBLAZER
Posted Monday, December 17 2001 at 1811 h MST
I don't usually post news about other D&RGW websites, but this definitely qualifies for an exception. Mike B. of Railblazer fame has added yet more photos to his website - some from his time with the D&RGW/SP and some from earlier this year at LaSalle. Also be sure to look at his lists of locomotive runs and trains departing Bond under the Miscellaneous section. - NDHolmes
UPDATE ON DRGW 3080
Posted Sunday, December 16 2001 at 1008 h MST
The trace on this one has been a little strange - suddenly its showing back at North Platte, NE, headed east for interchange. Not sure I believe that, but more importantly I've learned from the DRGW email list that the unit is bound for the Wheeling and Lake Erie, where there's a moderate chance that the Rio Grande colors will be preserved. Apparently they have DRGW 3045 (a GP35), and it has remained Rio Grande. Much better news than if it were sold to a scrapper as I initially suspected. - NDHolmes
ANOTHER T-2 GONE - DRGW 5361 RETIRED
Posted Sunday, December 16 2001 at 0150 h MST
Union Pacific's November roster changes show that DRGW 5361 was officially retired 28-Nov-2001, leaving us with 11 active DRGW tunnel motors. Also of note was the retirement of SP 5412 (ex-DRGW 5412) on 28-Nov-2001, and the official pronouncement of retirement for DRGW 5345 and 5347 on 28-Nov and 15-Nov respectively. It's been a bad month for remaining D&RGW power - NDHolmes
DRGW 3080 SOLD, OFF PROPERTY
Posted Thursday, December 13 2001 at 0827 h MST
DRGW 3080 has apparently been sold, and was moved east to Chicago on Tuesday where the trace now shows "Released to Cash Customer". I have to admit, that's one odd trace message. Fortunately, DRGW 5361, which was also in the line with it at Burnham on Sunday, is still here in Denver awaiting repairs. - NDHolmes
SP 5511, ex-DRGW 5511, PATCHED
Posted Wednesday, December 12 2001 at 0844 h MST
SP 5511, ex-DRGW 5511, was patched to UP 5105 sometime in the last four days at North Little Rock, AR. That leaves only six ex-DRGW units in SP paint and active: SP 3086, SP 5368, SP 5378, SP 5394, and SP 5412. - NDHolmes
DRGW 5385 BECOMES UP 8638
Posted Saturday, December 8 2001 at 2140 h MST
Sometime in the last two days DRGW 5385 was patched to become UP 8638 at North Little Rock, AR. That leaves 20 GP40-2s, 2 GP60s, 2 SD50s, and 12 SD40T-2s (pending 5361 gets repaired at Burnham, 11 T-2s otherwise). This may be the start of another painting spree like we went through two months ago, but let's hope not. - NDHolmes
FIRST ISSUE OF THE PROSPECTOR OUT
Posted Sunday, December 2 2001 at 2128 h MST
The RGM&HS has produced its first large-scale result. Volume 1 Number 1 (First Quarter 2002) of The Prospector - the society's magazine - showed up in my mailbox yesterday. Included are articles such as Dave Ables experience with Helper, UT, modelling 65' mill gons in N scale, modelling Sn3 high-side gons, various old advertisements, and other useful data. If you're not a member, find a hobby store that carries it and check out a copy! - NDHolmes
DRGW 5404 SOLD, OFF UP PROPERTY
Posted Sunday, December 2 2001 at 2123 h MST
DRGW 5404, after sitting at Jenks (North Little Rock, AR) for nearly 18 months with a busted crankshaft (or so I'm told), has been sold and was moved off UP property today. It was interchanged at the ominous Valjct, IL, and will probably be going to Cycle Systems out in Virginia. - NDHolmes
|
|
Enter a keyword or words
to search for in the news archive. Use + for a logical AND, and - for a
logical NOT.
|
|
