...That storm hit in early January. But when I talk to old-timers in Salida, they mention February, when the "Blizzard of '49" blocked the Union Pacific's main line across southern Wyoming. Our mountains were spared the strong wind, so traffic got re-routed to the Denver & Rio Grande Western's Moffat Tunnel line, and much of the Moffat traffic got re-routed to the Tennessee Pass line through Salida, which made for some long and hard days working on the railroad here. http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_5018877
I'll have to ask my Grandparents about this. They lived in Minturn (on the other side of Tennesse Pass) in '49. Eric
Oh, to have taken in those views from their windows.. 3600's on the point, midtrain, and pushing on a heavy EB manifest, leaving a thick cloud of coal cinders and soot in the Minturn air....
That was a mega-storm. My parents have photos of a measured and obvious four feet of snow on the ground. In the lowlands of western Washington! Which was followed by a Chinook, and flooding.... mg: Boxcab E50
