"Insert train here..."

Never been to the Loop yet. Maybe some day.

Here's another shot that would have been phenomenal to have a train. The Flatirons west of Denver at first light:

 

There was a train here, just not the way I wanted.
Crater, CO, 2007:

 

Oops! We'll clean it up when Spring arrives?

 

I think they were waiting for a good break in traffic to clean it all all up. Back in 2007 coal was strong.

 

Here's a train in the shot, but it's not viewed in the normal fashion. Tunnel 19, dusk, Aug 2004.

 

San Luis & Rio Grande, La Veta Pass route, former D&RGW, between Mortimer and Sierra, CO; the grade here is 2.5%:

 

The old Denver & Rio Grande route just northwest of Redcliff on the Eagle River. The rails, under the snow, are below both highway bridges.

 

The Tennessee Pass route is one tailor made for vistas like that. I would love to explore it.

Here's another La Veta Pass view. East Sierra Siding. 2.5%, just a couple of miles east of the above photo I posted. The catch here is the gated community that is developed here. There is no public road access from here to Occidental on the east side of La Veta Pass, more than 20 miles away. This make LVP a very remote, difficult to railfan, virtually unknown territory to anyone by train crews and those who ride excursions on SLRG.

 

What kind of traffic there on this line today?

 

Not sure, but not much. Trains climb over the pass usually at night. Maybe 3 a week?

 

At night? So those cannot be tourist, but must be revenue freight of some sort?

 

With all these folks waiting, there should be a train in this shot.

 

The San Luis Valley is noted for potatoes, scoria, lumber and other commodities.

Probably the Big Boy?

 

Close but not quite. This was April 2010 so it was the 844.

 

Nice new track, very old bridge and not a train anywhere.