Yeah, I wonder if that is part of the homeland security act compliance or something? Great idea though!
Beats me. What would the DHS have to do with the Moffat Tunnel? I haven't heard if they have a similar tower at West Portal... Could it be a weather indicator setup? So UP knows when to send a plow train?
This is very strange. Will be interesting to find out what it is for. Looks like it would be fairly easy to model also.
Cameras and Other Stuff Needed DHS and UP RR Police should use cameras to monitor both ends and use other methods of detection. If someone were to take out the tunnel, they could conceivably redirect shipments, or, and this is more likely, cause an economic panic with other strikes like key bridges on Sherman Hill and Marias Pass. Like a highway in a major city, you only need to hit one or two points to cause a major backlog and stress the transportation industry. mg: If people can't get their big screen TV's from China on time, boy, we might just have a problem. :wink2: Seriously, though, I don't think the American public realizes how un-redundant our infrastructure really is. New Orleans should have changed our culture of thought, but I don't think it did.
Sherman Hill has no major bridges that I recall. Marias Pass, howevers has many....You make avery good point...
How close can one get to the tunnels? If this is related to DHS, you might see a comfort zone pushed out somewhat with no tresspassing areas (unfortunate for railfans). Is it in national forest lands or state lands?
Used be be able to drive right to the portal. Now, I hear it's gated off. Honestly, the only shots that really work for me at East Portal are from Rollins Pass road. The closer tunnel portal shots are way too cluttered with MOW junk, and general clutter: Here's a favorite:
Nice Shot That's a nice shot! :shade: I'll have to try that some time! Looks like mid-afternoon in early fall. Maybe mid-summer would work too for me. Now I just have to get a decent camera! :teeth:
That's 'Golden Week'. Changes almost literally overnight, and pray it doesn't rain... Early Sept, IIRC? A week before: I came up a week later, and this is what it looks like. Almost stripped of color:
Isn't it amazing? They drop their leaves overnight. Playing color genie with the calendar is always a trick in Colorado.
Tricky. Very tricky. I got very lucky that trip, to see Golden Week. It's even more spectacular on Tennessee Pass!
Which brings me back to my original point. UP needs to keep the land and the rails on Tenn Pass, even if they're dormant. Maintaining the route so it can be used with a few day's notice should be a cost-effective way of retaining infrastructure.
Re-routing a Z train or something from the WY route with doublestacks is impossible on the Moffat, but TP will clear doubles. I think it may not clear the hi-cube doubles, however. If a doublestack gets detoured from the WY line, where will it go?? Down south to Cajon, and the LONG way to Chicago? Lowering the floor of the summit tunnel, and 2 others would clear nearly anything the railroad wants. Deen and Belden tunnels would be the only other tunnels. If TP were maintained in this fashion, it would be possible. Moffat is really being taxed by heavy traffic nowadays--at or near capacity. TP used to be double tracked... TP's west flank, atthough at 3%, would be a good alternate route, especially for KC-bound traffic.
My one trip up there this last year in August didn't really yield a bounty of trains like I'd hoped. I figured MOW was responsible. Still, from the bellyaching of the Middle Park residents, you'd think that they were running solid strings of traffic. I don't really doubt what you're saying. I was just disappointed to see empty rails for the most part. By the way, my favorite railwatching spot on that line by the way is one of the springs pools at Hot Sulphur Springs. Relaxing with hot mineral water and a train every hour is hard to beat! :teeth: Gotta get back up there soon.
Well my visit yesderday was a bust also. Lots of trains parked but nothing moving. I will say that the East portal shots have been ruined for ever with the new work they have done to the portal. I have a picture of the new stuff but did not get it off of the camera. It was a nice day the roads were passable but as ususal for me the trip was a bust. Bummer. steve
That was the strange part. There was a UP manifest at Leyden, a UP empty was past Blue Mountain on the siding prior to #1, I ran into a MOW worker at Cliff and a UP coal load was sliding by. (the only actual train i found moving), there was a BNSF manifest on the siding and finally a UP empty at Rollinsville. No radio chatter about issues or problems and it was a fairly nice day. This is ususally my luck on the Moffet route. Steve
