Adventurers in the Rockies

Chapter Twenty

July 20, 2016

Wednesday

by

Robin Bowers

Text and Photos by Author

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent.

Comments are appreciated at...yr.mmxx@gmail.com

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Ticket to board.

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Train platform at Union Station.



Light rail

    RTD's first light rail line, a 5.3-mile section of what is now the D Line, opened on Friday, October 7, 1994. It operated with free service for that half day and the first weekend, with revenue service starting on October 10. It was estimated that more than 200,000 passengers rode the new system during its two-and-a-half day opening weekend, when the fleet comprised only 11 Siemens SD-100 rail cars.

    Since that time, several additional light rail lines have been opened. An 8.7-mile southwest extension to Mineral Avenue in Littleton opened in July 2000, and the 1.8-mile Platte Valley extension to Denver Union Station opened in April 2002. An additional 19-mile Southeast Corridor extension along I-25 to Lone Tree and a branch along I-225 to Parker Road were completed in November 2006 as part of Denver's T-REX project.

    As of April 2013, the system had 170 light rail vehicles, serving 47 miles of track.

Primary services

    The primary RTD services are scheduled bus and light rail routes. Light rail is divided in four zones: A, B, C, & D. Local service is service within two zones, express service is within three zones, and regional service is within four zones.

The current light rail lines are:
C Line: Littleton/Mineral to Union Station
D Line: Littleton/Mineral to 30th/Downing
E Line: Lincoln to Union Station
F Line: Lincoln to 18th/California & 18th/Stout
H Line: Nine Mile to 18th/California & 18th/Stout
W Line: Denver Union Station to Jeffco Government Center

Conventioneers and others waiting to start their ride.
The W line will be our first to travel from Union Station to Jefferson County Government Center- Golden.



We will leave the station from here.



Control center.









Sports Authority Field at Mile High, home of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League.



Shot through a wrapped window.



Art work at Garrison station.






Denver skyline.



The end of the line for this trip at the Jefferson County Government Center-Golden station.



Here passengers were given a photo opportunity as well as a restroom break.






This wrapped car, 276, will be our next ride. A photographers' delight, courtesy of RTD executives to which we all gave high praise and thanks.



After a short rest we then headed back east down the W line to Auraria West where we would switch to the D line, also known as the Southwest Line.












Garrison St crossing.















This station has connection to the E, F, R and H Lines plus the C and D lines.



The Denver Light Rail shops between Evans and Englewood stations.



My family lived in Inglewood CA for a time.






Overpass at the Littleton-Mineral station.



End of line (or the beginning)  for the C and D lines. Here we had another photo opportunity and restroom stop.



Station location at Santa Fe and Mineral Ave.



This is the tail track to a layover yard south of the station.



The Joint Line runs along the tracks of the station so we had the occasion to see a few BNSF freights.



Coal empties heading north to Powder River.






Once the conventioneers' trolley arrived, we re-boarded and headed north to Denver. At the I-25-Broadway station we took the crossover to E Line which runs beside I-25.



Art work on sound wall along highway I-25.






The final station on E Line. The train operator took us past the end of the station so we all got more rare milage.




Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park.



Entrance way  to Union Station.









Lobby with large windows that face the car or street side of station.



BAR



Street side of station.






Outdoor dining in front of the station.



My view as I was eating my lunch of bratwurst and a drink. After which I returned through the waiting room to the tracks for the A Line train.



These windows face the train tracks. I made a little detour to the side wing to look at some of the little specialty shops there including a bookstore and deli.















Our special A train to the airport.



Inside car with conventioneers.






At rest in Union Station.



Coors Field



Home of the Colorado Rockies major league baseball team.










Our first stop here at 38-Blake station.






Our second stop here.



Nice message board announcing next stop.






Our third station stop.



On approach to airport station.






Platform at Denver Airport.



  The Westin Denver International Airport above tracks.









Everyone left the train and scattered to the four winds but the majority took the escalator up to the terminal level.
 





Inside Denver International Airport.















Walkway between the airport terminal and the Westin Hotel.



Hotel Lobby above.















Restaurant












  Escalator down to A-Line train platforms.






Our train in the station is ready to depart. We all boarded for the return ride to Central Park Station.




As our train leaves the airport for downtown Denver.




Central Park Station.

 Exiting here, we boarded buses that were waiting to take us back to the Holiday Inn. Then from there is was a short walk back to my motel, then dinner and then I called it a night.

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