Zephyrus--Lemme see your Zephyrs!!!! Otto Perry bagged the Denver Zephyr leaving its namesake in 1962:
How old are you talkin'? Yes, Otto did some great work east of the D&RGW-- Train #10, Denver Zephyr; 10 cars, locomotive "Aeolus", at Union Station Photographed: Denver, Colo., February 26, 1938.
The FIRST! Otto Perry photo... "The Zephyr, for official opening of Denver & Rio Grande Western "Dotsero Cut-off", 2 cars. Photographed: leaving Denver, Colo., June 16, 1934. "
Yes, by today's standards they were homely/bueatiful..... But there is the movie, the original "Silver Streak" with Author Lake. The Zephyr is the star of the movie, the "new" mode of streamline speed rushing to Hoover Dam (known then as Boulder Dam) from the World's Fair in Chicago.... My Dad was on a track crew for the "Q"....His foreman would talk about the time they had to walk the entire track from Denver to Chicago when the Zephyr made it's speed/record run. They were so concerned about the stream line speed that they picked up debris from the track, spikes, etc, so that the Zephyrs vacuum would suck anything up; they didn't know what would happen so they cleaned up the tracks.
I've walked in and around the Pioneer Zephyer many times at MSI, but I've never gotten a picture of it that worked.
A night shot of Denver Zephyr: "Denver Zephyr, after record non-stop run from Chicago, Ill, averaging 83 MPH, 8 cars, standing, night scene. Photographed: in Denver, Colo., October 23, 1936." Otto Perry:
I wish they'd take such care of tracks today. I remember a couple of conversations with old section men. Where they'd have crews walking tracks during summer, hand pulling weeds that had infiltrated the ballast. Boxcab E50
mg: Now there's a drainage problem! Hmmm. Would it be cheaper to do something now? Or wait until millions of dollars in equipment, and customer goods, are splattered around the countryside.....? :sad: Boxcab E50
...In one of the most inaccessible locations on that entire route... The only way in is a tough hike over the flatiron fingers, or thru the tunnels. Even a helicopter would have a tough time to land.
Ineed--this is a wrecked car at the bottom of the gully just outside Tunnel 5, where I captured that muddy ROW:
You really have to love the art deco of the 1930's. Tina and I would take those black and white photos from Otto and have them framed, they are art work!
At a train show this month a picked up the Silver streak movie for $15.00 Dollars. It was not bad. Alan
Mmm,t5.I was going to say on the Craig branch.....now there is some inaccessible trackage. Think of it as a "weathering station" Jere lol.
"Train #10, Denver Zephyr; 10 cars, 65 MPH, locomotive "Aeolus". Photographed: east of Derby, Colo., February 26, 1938. " Otto Perry photo:
