4/30/2007 I awoke and after getting dressed, rode in the lounge car to west of Fort Morgan to wait for breakfast which started a little bit after 6:00 AM. I was seated with Tom and Barney going to Denver and Chuck going to Sacramento. I enjoyed French Toast and sausage patties having a good time talking trains before we wyed and entered Denver Union Station, where I detrained to meet Jonathan and Tom to show them Denver Union Station.
The Amtrak timetable.
Rio Grande Ski Train timetable board.
The Denver Union Station waiting room.
The street side view.
Travel by Train!
The California Zephyr at rest.
A station crew member cleaning the windshield during our layover. I returned to my room for Keith Emerson's 'Hammer it Out" and read USA Today then we departed on time and I returned to the lounge car and sat with Tom and Jonathan. Our train was stopped by a Union Pacific coal train at North Yard, which was the first delay, then climbed through Arvada and Leyden before the climb would really start.
Approaching the Big Ten Curve, which is always a thrill to ride around.
A look down from Clay at the Union Pacific coal train at Rocky.
Tunnel One across the valley.
Tunnel 1.
From Plain, a look back down towards Denver.
The tunnel through some interesting rock formations.
I love rock formations.
The snowcapped peaks of the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park as we came stopped at Crescent for thirty minutes, which was the second delay.
Another view as we were stopped waiting for a track gang to clear the tracks for our passage.
More interesting rock formations.
The former Rollins Pass railroad grade is now a road.
Approaching East Portal.
This is where the Rollins Pass line took off to climb up and over the Continental Divide. A minute later we entered Moffat Tunnel for about fifteen minutes.
Tom Anderson enjoying Moffat Tunnel.
At West Portal, we exited to the Winter Park Ski Resort and in the siding was an eastbound BNSF freight. We followed Fraser Creek to our next station stop of Fraser/Winter Park and west of here, took the siding at Tabernash and some unexpected new mileage.
Tabernash is where the Ski Train lays over during the day while its passengers ski the day away.
The view west as we continued through Tabernash Siding.
A look back from where we had come.
The rear of the Union Pacific coal train holding the mainline at Tabernash.
Another look back towards the Summit Range of the Rockies.
Fraser Creek is a tributary of the Colorado River.
A park setting before Granby.
After our Granby Station stop, we crossed the Colorado River for the first time and would follow it for the next 238 miles into Utah.
One of the little canyons we passed through before we reached the bigger one in a few minutes.
Entering Byers Canyon.
Byers Canyon.
We exited the canyon to this beautiful scene.
A very stunning scene on a fantastic day in central Colorado.
I ventured back to the rear door of the train to be in position for my next photographs as we entered Gore Canyon. Now enjoy these views.
That ended our passage through Gore Canyon. At 12:35 PM, we were called in for lunch and I was seated with the Winstons and Eisuko from Japan.
Next we passed through Little Gore Canyon.
That was little Gore Canyon. I had the Angus beef burger and a chocolate bundt cake for dessert with the meal lasting through Bond, at which point I returned to the rear door of the train as we next entered Red Rock Canyon.
That was Red Rock Canyon as we approached Dotsero. From Dell to Range, I relaxed in my room for the passing minutes before going back to the rear of the train.
We passed under Interstate 70 and crossed the Eagle River.
Dotsero, where the line from Pueblo once connected.
