New Flash From 9News: New Ski Train will carry more passengers to high country DENVER - The company working to revive the Ski Train to Winter Park disclosed new details about the venture Tuesday morning, including plans to carry passengers on newer and bigger cars. "Really the big difference is the train itself. The equipment is much newer and larger," General Manager of the Rio Grande Scenic Ski Train Julie White said. She says the new cars will increase the capacity the Ski Train can carry. "We will be running upwards of 1,500 passengers every trip, which gives us a lot of flexibility with pricing and overnight trips, which are offered on the Ski Train," White said. Many aspects of the Ski Train will remain the same, however. "Same old track, new train," White said. Thanks to an agreement between the Federal Railroad Administration, Union Pacific, Amtrak, and the Iowa Pacific Holding Company, the Rio Grande Scenic Ski Train will run on the same route. It will also offer a similar schedule, running on Saturday and Sundays from December 27 to the end of March. The company is considering adding extra days later in the season. "We'll pick up some Thursdays and Fridays starting in late February," White said. She says the company has already heard from many skiers who are excited by the return of the Ski Train. "The excitement is just overwhelming. You don't know what you have until it's gone and this is a perfect example of that," White said. Adult coach ticket prices will start at $44, but the company is offering a $10 discount for those who book travel between December 27 and February 7, 2009. For more information about the Rio Grande Ski Train, CLICK HERE.
Pinecliffe, CO While I was on shooting video out the left side of "Tunnels #29, (#28), and #27" Lisa was still looking out on the right side with camera at the ready. It was a good thing too as she spots a MOW train sitting on the siding and starts taking shots as quickly as she could... - - -
New Flash - 9News.com Amtrak: No deal to operate Colorado's Ski Train DENVER (AP) - Amtrak says it hasn't been able to reach a deal to operate the latest version of Colorado's Ski Train. The passenger train between Denver and Winter Park shut down last year but Chicago-based Iowa Pacific Holdings has been working to revive it starting this weekend. Amtrak has been in talks to provide engineers and conductors but on Tuesday it said they were at an impasse because of issues including staffing requirements and liability. Amtrak also said it hasn't gotten notice that Iowa Pacific has complied with all federal rail safety regulations. Iowa Pacific didn't have an immediate comment and it's not clear whether the Ski Train will still be able to operate without Amtrak. Union Pacific owns the tracks and has agreed to Iowa Pacific to use them.
New Flash - 9News.com Company hoping to revive Ski Train sues Amtrak DENVER (AP) - A company that hoped to revive Colorado's Ski Train is suing Amtrak, which says it hasn't been able to reach a deal to operate the passenger train whose service was scheduled to start Sunday. A court hearing is scheduled Wednesday. The Denver-to-Winter Park Ski Train shut down last year, but Chicago-based Iowa Pacific Holdings was negotiating with Amtrak to provide engineers and conductors for a new service. Amtrak said Tuesday that talks were at an impasse because of issues including staffing requirements and liability, and that it hadn't gotten notice that Iowa Pacific complied with all federal rail safety regulations. Iowa Pacific said Amtrak imposed new contract liability and insurance requirements. It says more than 13,000 people have already made Ski Train reservations through March.
New Flash - 9News.com Colorado Ski Train fight heads to federal court DENVER (AP) - Whether Colorado's Ski Train returns to service this weekend could be determined by a federal judge. A company hoping to revive the Denver-to-Winter Park train service is suing Amtrak for making "unforeseen demands" that would jeopardize the passenger train service scheduled to start Sunday. Judge Robert Blackburn held a hearing Wednesday on whether to force Amtrak to operate the train. Chicago-based Iowa Pacific Holdings LLC says Amtrak is making unreasonable demands to operate the train, including requiring $200 million in insurance which would cover terrorist attacks. It wants Blackburn to issue a temporary restraining order so the train can run. About 13,000 reservations have already been made for the train through March.
New Flash - 9News.com Judge sides with Amtrak in Ski Train lawsuit DENVER (DP) - A U.S. District Court judge Wednesday declined to issue a temporary restraining order that would have forced Amtrak to operate the Rio Grande Scenic Ski Train between Denver and Winter Park. The excursion train was to begin Sunday and Iowa Pacific Holdings, the company trying to keep the Ski Train tradition going for the 70th consecutive year, said more than 13,000 passengers already had made train reservations for the upcoming season. Wednesday's ruling means the Ski Train is not likely to start operating this weekend. Iowa Pacific representatives said the company would be posting information on possible refunds on its Web site: Colorado Train Rio Grande Scenic Railroad - Rio Grande Scenic ski train. The company requested that District Court Judge Robert Blackburn issue a temporary restraining order and injunction requiring Amtrak to honor what the excursion railroad company claimed was an implicit agreement the parties had reached. Late Wednesday afternoon, Blackburn said in an order that Iowa Pacific had not prevailed on its breach of contract claim and had not demonstrated that it would "suffer irreparable injury" if the court did not issue the restraining order against Amtrak. Blackburn said the parties can contact him on Jan. 6 to take up Iowa Pacific's request for a preliminary injunction. Click here to read the rest of Jeffrey Leib's story in The Denver Post.
Back to my RRAdventures Trip Report While I was video taping the tunnels, Lisa found that she could not get any good shots out the right side and took a few shots from her seat out the right side windows... [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT]
News Flash - 9News.com Company puts brakes on Colo. ski train service DENVER (AP) - A company that wanted to keep train service going between Denver and the Winter Park ski area said Monday that it is giving up for now. Iowa Pacific Holdings LLC said it won't be able to operate the ski train this season after failing to resolve differences with Amtrak. The company was negotiating to use Amtrak crews. The Chicago-based Iowa Pacific claims last-minute demands by Amtrak for insurance coverage derailed the effort. A federal judge last week rejected the company's request for a temporary restraining order against Amtrak that would have allowed it to start running the train last weekend. Iowa Pacific President Ed Ellis said the railroad had to cancel what would have been the train's 70th season because it relies on advance reservations and they were halted last week. He said the company has refunded most of the 13,000 reservations that were sold. The company, however, said it will pursue its lawsuit accusing Amtrak of breach of contract. "We were damaged by Amtrak's changes," Ellis said. "We had invested three-quarters of a million dollars by last week." Spokesman Marc Magliari said Amtrak worked with Iowa Pacific for three months on a plan to run the ski train, but five days before the start of the season, the company "could not provide Amtrak a federally certified safe train to operate and adequate insurance." Meanwhile, Iowa Pacific was selling tickets for a schedule it knew it couldn't meet even in the best circumstances, Magliari said. Ellis said he made clear in November e-mails to Amtrak that Iowa Pacific accepted Amtrak's terms and that reservations were being sold. Iowa Pacific claims Amtrak then made other demands. Ellis disputed that there were safety problems. He said minor modifications were made to bring the train into compliance with current regulations. A company owned by Denver billionaire Phil Anschutz operated the Ski Train until April, when it was dropped because of costs, schedules and other problems.
Video #17 As we enter deep into the Tunnel District, Lisa can't take much for photographs from where she is sitting; but, I found a nice spot along the windows on the left side and continue filming away. In this section, we will begin by exiting #27 and after traveling past Crescent Siding we will end this clip going into Tunnel #18. [nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RiAZx4Hz8w"]YouTube- Broadcast Yourself.[/nomedia]
Rewind OOPS! Found a few of Lisa's shots I missed posting earlier. This set of shots were taken just before Tunnel #30... [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT]
At this location Lisa catches a small foot bridge over South Boulder Creek. [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][/FONT]
Next she catches the Ski Train is it crosses over the bridge that is at MP036.25. [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT]After that we reach Tunnel #29 that catch me up with Lisa's shots I forgot to post...
Darren, I remember eating at the Station in Denver! Those were exciting days! Thanks for showing the photos, they help refresh memories. It is a real pain to see another train retired from our rails, evem though it is not a steamer. You feel worse I know, but I share your feeling of loss. It is the feeling I had when I walked away from "our" little Mogul at Searcy for the last time, a lump stuck in my throat. I couldn't have spoken if I had to. I am sorry Darren.
Crescent Siding Lisa will catch a shot of #9 (Winter Park) and #10 (Mount Princeton) as we make the turn at Crescent Siding [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT]
Quartz Spur As we near Quartz Spur Lisa will take one last shot within the Tunnel District before she finds it to difficult to take shots from her seat along the right side. She shoots across the isle where I am taking video and catches this image that is looking out towards Eldorado Springs. In the next upcoming video clip you will start off seeing what I was capturing as well as the rest of the tunnel district that I captured along the way... [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][/FONT]
Tunnel District Lights, Camera, Action... Here is the video clip that shows the rest of the Tunnel District [nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVioT7qxAZs"]YouTube- Broadcast Yourself.[/nomedia] :tb-biggrin: :tb-biggrin: :tb-biggrin: :tb-biggrin:
Sadly, the "UNION Station Restaurant" and the later "The Railcar Diner" have since vanished into history... [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] Taken August 29, 2004 [/FONT]
