The title says it all. If names like Corona, Rifle Sight Notch, Needle's Eye, and Devil's Slide mean anything to you, stay tuned for some pics!
You have my attention! I have been looking to explore the Rollins Pass area sometime in the future. Ben
Alaska GP49 has made a recent photo excursion , and will be the main photographer for our tour. Most of the reserach was done from books in my library, most notably: [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Moffat-Frederick-Bauer-Edward-Bollinger/dp/080400207X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217601332&sr=8-1"]Amazon.com: Moffat Road, The: Frederick Bauer Edward T Bollinger: Books[/ame] A very worthwhile book to add to your library. Hill Hell is my favorite chapter--it tells of the incredibly difficulty of snowfighting at 11,000 feet plus. Rotaries worked above Ranch Creek and Spruce Wye continually for 9 months of the year. SP thinks they had a rough time over Donner when it snowed; Denver, Northwestern & Pacific could only dream of it being that easy!
Sounds interesting....) I accidently came to Rollinsville (siding) 2 years ago, while killing some spare time on a bussines trip. A coal train was on the siding. I tried to reach the Moffat tunnels east portal. but did not have enough time. Back at home I started to find out where I have been. Through Keven Morgans homepage I got more interested in the Denver & Rio Grande Western. Looking forward to see your pictures. Regards, Frank
I have good news, if you wanted to see those tunnels, and hadn't been able to; I have visited nearly every one of them: http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=73750 Not to toot my own horn too loudly, but this is my favorite route for a reason.
Welcome, Frank! Welcome to Trainboard, Frank! :tb-biggrin: Kevin Morgan is one of the best photographers I've met out here and he's got a great personality to go with the great photos he takes. I'm consistently impressed with the photos I see on his site. You might also check out these sites: DRGW.net Railblazer DRGW.org GhostDepot.org's Moffat Route MoffatRoute.org
We start! The DNW&P headed up the Pass from a point called Irvings, now known as Winter Park. From there, the line immediately began a 4% grade, to the summit at Corona. Coverage of the lower elevations is sparce, but I hope to have more photos from another trip soon. This sign at Winter Park gives an idea of the elevation to be gained--about 2,000 feet worth. Here's a view as of March 07:
From Winter Park, the line is nothing more than a single line thru the trees. For several miles, there's not likely much to see. Arrow(head), named for the way the tracks are routed thru the town, is a ghost town, and not easy to find. We'll visit Arrow another time. At Ranch Creek Wye, the road takes a sharp hairpin curve to follow the roadbed, since the mainline leg of the wye was supported by a long ago collapsed trestle. From Ranch Creek to Spruce, rotaries operated every 8 hours for 9 months of the year. Elevation is really getting apparent by the time you get to Loop. At Loop, you have a real-life helix. Here's a bunch of ties in the ground from Loop Siding: All photos by Mikel Levine: Here's a view around the loop, from a few different angles, looking downgrade to Ranch Creek Wye: Looking upgrade (east) from the same point: And further up the Loop, you see the timberline. If I'm not mistaken, you can see Sunnyside in the upper left. This is almost 11,000 feet elevation:
The roadbed takes a detour near Loop, to bypass collapsed Tunnel 33, AKA Loop Tunnel, at Rifle Sight Notch. The tunnel collapsed in 1934, the year before the physical plant was removed from the Hill. Tunnel 31 also collapsed in 1934. For these reasons, the Hill line was removed using trucks, not work trains. Rifle Sight Notch is next, stay tuned!
Actually Alaska GP49 did all the work! He simply mailed me a CD with all the pics. I'm trying to put them in the correct chronological order, for a route I have neither seen, nor traveled. I have a reference book, coupled with various internet sources, and Google earth to help put the pieces together. If something is in error, let me know! I plan to visit this line someday and document it myself. Until that time, Mike has done a great job documenting the highest reaches of Rollins Pass. He hopes to make another trip soon, before the pass is snowed in, and document more of the west side. The Giant's Ladder on the east side would be another good day trip. This tour will take us, with great detail, from Rifle Sight Notch Loop to Corona, to Needle's Eye Tunnel and back. Stay tuned, there's loads more to come!
Rifle Sight Notch is so named, because of the unique nature of the terrain. You view the notch as if you were zeroing a rifle, lining up the iron sights. The view from Sunnyside is the best: Closer, you see the remains of the snowshed built at the west portal of Loop Tunnel, Tunnel 33. Snow once drifted 45 feet deep here during bad storms! Closer to the west end of the trestle, you see that it is off-limits, as it is in sad shape after 100+ brutal winters: You don't even want to walk on this trestle!
This topic brings back some great memories from when Lisa and I were last there in 1985. In those days we couldn't afford much beyond the gas to get there and a small handful of photographs. I will very much enjoy seeing it again though you and hope to again get back there as well... :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up: :thumbs_up:
