THE SKI ’S

NEARLY A DECADE AFTER IT LAST RAN, AND WINTER PARK TEAM UP TO BRING BACK A TRADITION BY JUSTIN FRANZ

the platform, walking under the neon thanks to Amtrak, the , “Travel by Train” sign that has been an and a dedicated group of supporters, one of identifying feature of the station since ’s most famous is back. 1958, when aviation patronage began to overtake that of the railroads. THE RIDE As another group walks onto the plat- Shortly after 7 a.m., Amtrak’s Winter form, a woman looks up at a waiting pas- Park Express departs , on a Saturday morning in March, dozens senger train and says, “It’s back.” twisting and turning through a web of rail of skiers and snowboarders converge on “It” is the Winter Park Express, the rein- lines used by Union Pacific, BNSF Railway, Denver Union Station. As the sun rises carnation of a seasonal passenger train that and commuter operator RTD. Soon, the over the still-sleeping city, people with skis took skiers directly to the slopes, and was a train turns west on its way to the moun- slung over their shoulders and bags of Denver tradition for more than 60 years, tains, passing through suburban Colorado boots, goggles, and gloves trudge across but disappeared nearly a decade ago. Now, communities like Arvada and Leyden.

38 Trains DECEMBER© 2018 2017 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher. www.TrainsMag.com THE ’SGRANDE RETURN

The skiers are just finishing up a day on the slopes as Amtrak’s Winter Park Express ski train heads to Winter Park to pick them up on Jan. 7, 2017. Mike Danneman

While most of the passengers today are of David Halliday Moffat’s legendary moun- der of black powder in Colorado’s history skiers looking forward to a day on Winter tain railroad and the passenger train that at that time. Initially, the railroad went over Park Resort’s 3,000 acres of terrain, some, called it home for seven decades. , 11,660 feet above sea level. like photographer, author, and retired rail- Thirty years after the first transconti- The line over the pass featured 4-percent roader Steve Patterson, are just along for the nental railroad bypassed Colorado, banker grades, horseshoe curves, and seemingly ride. Patterson literally wrote the book on and railroad financier Moffat announced endless snow sheds to protect the rails the subject (“The Ski Train” first published that he was going to build a railroad from from unrelenting winters. A day after the in 1984), and as it spins around the Big Ten Denver to Salt Lake City. What resulted first train arrived at Rollins Pass in Septem- Curve — one of two reverse curves designed was one of the most stunning mountain ber 1904, a blizzard nearly closed the route. by engineer H.A. Sumner to help the Den- routes ever constructed in North America. Twenty-four years later, the Denver, North- ver, Northwestern & Pacific Railway gain the In order to reach the Continental Divide, western & Pacific’s successor, the Denver & elevation needed to climb the Rockies — he the Denver, Northwestern & Pacific had to Salt Lake Railway, constructed the regales a few fellow passengers with stories drill 30 tunnels, resulting in the largest or- 6.2-mile-long , which elimi-

www.TrainsMag.com 39 Kathryn Flanagan, a University of Denver Alpine Club member, helps unload skis at Winter Park on March 4, 2017. Two photos, Justin Franz

nated the treacherous route over Rollins. side the west portal of Moffat Tunnel. Un- schutz purchased the D&RGW, he upgrad- While the primary goal of Moffat’s line fortunately, there was not enough space ed the Winter Park train with coaches he was to move people and goods through the aboard the regularly scheduled trains for all bought from VIA Rail Canada. mountains, passenger agents of the era of the skiers destined for the Western Slope The Ski Train continued to run in the would do anything they could to sell tickets, every weekend, so a local ski instructor 21st century, even after Union Pacific ab- even promoting scenic train rides to the wrote to the railroad. Frank Bulkley con- sorbed the D&RGW. But around 2009, a mountains. Almost immediately after reach- vinced the D&RGW that a weekend ski number of issues began to arise. Denver ing Rollins Pass, the Denver, Northwestern train to Winter Park could be a profitable Union Station was being rebuilt for new re- & Pacific lured passengers with rides to “the venture. With Bulkley’s help, the D&RGW gional commuter service, and track space top of the world,” where they could see remodeled some old heavyweight coaches there was getting sparse. The train was also mountains of snow well into summer. to accommodate skis, and a week before having trouble staying on schedule due to In 1936, the Denver & Salt Lake teamed Christmas 1947, the first Rio Grande Ski freight congestion on the Moffat Line. Lia- up with one of the city’s newspapers, the Train departed Denver Union Station. A bility insurance costs for the train were in- Rocky Mountain News, to run the first round-trip ticket cost just $2 plus tax. creasing, too. In April 2009, the Anschutz “snow train” to the annual winter carnival The Ski Train was an instant hit, and by Co. announced they would no longer oper- and ski tournament in Hot Sulphur Springs, the 1950s, the D&RGW was frequently ate the Ski Train, and the equipment was Colo., northwest of Denver. With the help leasing cars from other railroads to meet sold. The following winter, a new operator of some creative marketing by the newspa- demand. The train routinely exceeded 20 tried to restart the train but insurance per, the train quickly sold out, and a second cars, but that created problems at Winter and third section were added. On Feb. 9, Park, so in 1966 it was limited to 19 cars more than 2,000 people boarded the first so that the tail end of the train was not snow train on the Moffat Line and em- stuck in Moffat Tunnel. In the 1960s, the barked on the 172-mile round trip into the railroad picked up a set of used Northern mountains. The trip was such a hit that a Pacific heavyweight coaches for the Ski week later, the railroad and newspaper Train. When the D&RGW’s Prospector teamed up for another excursion, this time was discontinued, the Ski Train scored a to Steamboat Springs, Colo., northwest of streamlined combine car with a baggage Denver. The snow trains became a popular area, perfect for transporting injured ski- annual tradition until World War II. ers back to Denver. After the war, skiers quickly started to Even after most freight railroads had fill regularly scheduled trains on the Moffat handed over their passenger services to Line, which soon was to become part of the Amtrak in 1971, the D&RGW continued to Denver & Rio Grande Western. Many of run its flagship to Salt Amy David, Danielle Papedo, and Brenton the passengers were heading for the newly Lake City and the Ski Train to Winter Park. Moland put on ski gear as the train established Winter Park Ski Area, just out- In the 1980s, after industrialist Philip An- approaches the east portal of Moffat Tunnel.

40 Trains DECEMBER 2017 issues derailed that effort. For the first time in seven decades there was no dedicated ski train between Denver and Winter Park. “The Ski Train was a Denver tradition for 73 years, and then all of a sudden it was gone,” Steve Patterson says. “But the de- mand for such a service never went away.” MAKING A COMEBACK Today’s Winter Park Express departed a few minutes late due to track work just out- side of Denver Union Station. But despite the delay, the train is quickly gaining time as it passes through Plainview, Crescent, and Rollinsville. The congestion that de- layed the Ski Train a decade ago is no longer an issue, due to declining coal traffic on UP’s Moffat Tunnel Subdivision. A few daily run-through BNSF trains constitute the vast majority of freight traffic over the route. Over the Express’ public-address system, train manager Brad Swartzwelter apologiz- On Jan. 7, 2017, the first day of the newWinter Park Express, the train arrives at Winter es profusely for the delay but adds it could Park outside the west portal of the Moffat Tunnel. Mike Danneman be worse: The passengers could be stuck on Interstate 70, the primary route from Den- in favor. Next, he reached out to Amtrak Denver. Jim Souby, president of ColoRail, ver to the slopes, where drivers are already officials in Chicago, who said they were was on board and said it was a traffic-rid- experiencing 90-minute delays. “Say a open to the idea and asked that he submit a dled, white-knuckle drive home over the prayer for all those poor folks stuck in traf- formal proposal for the train, now dubbed mountains. “I think having the Amtrak of- fic,” Swartzwelter says. the Winter Park Express. With help from ficials see the situation that drivers face ev- Highway congestion was one of the rea- ColoRail, Swartzwelter put together a busi- ery weekend coming home from the slopes sons why ColoRail, a nonprofit passenger- ness plan to show that the train could again was really important,” he says. Soon after, rail advocacy group, started to champion the be a money-making venture. It also Amtrak and Winter Park decided to run a Ski Train’s return almost immediately after described the demographics of people who test train in March 2015 to see if the de- its last run in 2009. In 2014, ColoRail Board live around Denver Union Station: primari- mand was really there. Within hours of an- Member Bob Brewster authored a story in ly active, young professionals who like to nouncing the trip, tickets sold out and offi- the group’s newsletter that laid out the argu- get outdoors but in many cases do not own cials decided to add a second run for the ment for why the train should return. automobiles. Swartzwelter says it’s the following day. Nearly 1,000 people rode the Swartzwelter, who has a degree in hospitality perfect audience for a ski train. test trains, and they were quickly deemed a services and worked on the original Ski Amtrak officials were impressed, and in stunning success. Amtrak and Winter Park, Train before becoming an Amtrak conduc- December 2014, a group of company exec- along with Union Pacific, quickly began tor, saw the article and ran with the idea. utives rode the California Zephyr from discussions about a full-scale return of the Swartzwelter, who’s president of Local Denver to Winter Park to learn more. After Winter Park Express. Swartzwelter credits 166 of the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Trans- meeting with Winter Park Resort President Joy Smith, senior manager of customer ser- portation Workers (SMART), asked his fel- Gary DeFrange and other officials, who vice for long distance trains; Rob Eaton, se- low officers if they would support his effort threw their full support behind the idea, nior manager of government affairs; and a to revive the train; they voted unanimously the Amtrak officials boarded a bus back to host of other people at Amtrak for helping

To Salt Lake City

E

D

Fraser I V Rollins I Pinecliffe Crescent Winter Park Express Pass D Other lines (Not all lines shown) UP UP Rollinsville Tunnels N UP Union Pacific BNSF BNSF Railway Tunnels Plainview RTD Regional Transportation District Winter Winter Park L Tolland 0 Scale 5 miles A Park Denver Moffat Tunnel T East Portal UP N © 2017 Kalmbach Publishing Co. E R Leyden N O TRAINS: Rick Johnson I CK COLORADO T Y M Big Ten and To Cheyenne, N OU O NTA Little Ten curves BNSF Wyo. C INS Arvada UP UP BNSF

BNSF 70 BNSF UP 70 Denver UP 70

Union Station RTD UP WINTER PARK EXPRESS ROUTE BNSF To Pueblo, Colo.

www.TrainsMag.com 41 ed additional capacity. On Jan. 7, 2017, the Resort. An army of car hosts and resort first regularly scheduled ski train to Winter employees starts unloading skis and snow- Park in nearly a decade rolled out of boards from the train, standing them up Denver Union Station. against a nearby railing where passengers comb the pile looking for their gear. From A LINK TO THE PAST there it’s a quick walk to the lift line. As another sold-out Winter Park Express Among the people helping unload skis is approaches the siding at East Portal, just Steve Hurlbert, director of public relations before Moffat Tunnel, Swartzwelter gets on and communications for Winter Park. He the PA again to announce that the train is says resort officials knew that there was still only a few minutes away from its destina- a demand for a weekend train from Denver tion and that it’s a good time for passengers to Winter Park, but that even they were sur- to start getting on their ski gear. In the last prised at how quickly the trains sold out. car, a group of passengers in their late 20s They are also surprised at how many people and early 30s slip on their ski boots and dig are taking the train just to spend the day at out their hats and gloves. Danielle Papedo, Winter Park and enjoy the mountain scen- 29, from the Denver area, says today is the ery, with no intention of skiing. Hurlbert first time she’s taken the Winter Park says many passengers have also opted to On Feb. 15, 2008, the westbound Rio Express but that it won’t be the last. “It’s a take the train to Winter Park on Saturday Grande Ski Train approaches Tunnel 1, just lot of fun, and it’s convenient,” she says. “It’s and stay overnight before returning home east of Plainview, Colo. Mike Danneman a nostalgic ride.” the following day, something that wasn’t A few cars back, John Phoenix, 48, helps possible on the original Ski Train, where make his dream a reality. his children get ready for a day on the you could only purchase same-day round- While the original Ski Train unloaded slopes. Phoenix grew up in Denver and in trip tickets. By the end of the Winter Park passengers right onto the packed snow, of- the 1970s and 1980s was a member of the Express’ inaugural season in March 2017, ficials were leery of doing that again, so Eskimo Club, a youth ski club that took the more than 18,000 people had taken the Amtrak and the resort contacted the state train to Winter Park every weekend. Back train. “Based on the success of this first sea- of Colorado about getting funds to build a then, Phoenix recalls, some of the young ski- son, we would love to see this service ex- heated platform. In April 2016, the Colora- ers would try to pair off before entering the panded,” Hurlbert says. Winter Park’s ski do Department of Transportation granted “Makeout Tunnel.” Even in later years, Phoe- season traditionally starts in late November the project $1.5 million for a new ADA- nix was a loyal Ski Train rider and says he and goes through April, so there are at least compliant, accessible platform. The cities of frequently took it with his wife until the two months when the train does not run. Denver and Winter Park both contributed train stopped running in 2009. “The Ski The resort is also a popular destination for $100,000, ColoRail gave $1,000, and the Train was the setting for some of my favorite mountain bikers in the summer. Winter Park Resort picked up the rest. In childhood memories,” Phoenix says, adding But finding locomotives and cars for ex- total, $3.5 million was spent on the plat- that he’s excited to finally share the experi- tended winter service or summer excursions form and upgrades to UP’s siding at Fraser, ence with his own children. could be tough, since most of the equipment 5 miles west of Winter Park, where the Less than 10 minutes after entering the Winter Park Express uses (usually two train would be parked during its layover. Moffat Tunnel, the Winter Park Express P42DC locomotives, a non-powered control Tickets for the first runs went on sale in late emerges from the west portal and slowly unit, and eight Superliner coaches) is needed 2016 and quickly sold out, so Amtrak add- pulls to a stop in front of the Winter Park elsewhere the rest of the year. Amtrak RAILS TO THE SLOPES While Colorado’s ski train to York Central, Delaware & Hudson, Winter Park may be the most fa- Reading, and Pennsylvania. mous passenger train to the slopes, In the West, Southern Pacific ran it is certainly not the only one in “Snowball Specials” to Lake Tahoe, North America. During the first half Milwaukee Road took skiers to of the 20th century, railroads across Snoqualmie Ski Bowl east of Seattle, the country tried to entice skiers to and Great Northern frequently climb aboard their trains, especially promoted skiing at Big Mountain in during the Great Depression, when Whitefish, Mont. Union Pacific took it passenger departments did anything one step further and established its to boost ridership. own ski resort: the world-famous Among the most popular were Sun Valley in Idaho. the & Maine’s “Snow Trains” Nearly a century after the first Passengers detrain from Boston & Maine Railroad’s Snow Train at from Boston to New Hampshire’s snow trains and skier specials, North Conway, N.H., in this undated photo. Trains collection White Mountains, which started in some railroads still try to make a 1931. That first year, more than few bucks off people bound for the Metro-North ferries skiers to the Mountain. And in Montana, Amtrak is 8,000 boarded the ski trains out of mountains. Every March, Alaska Thunder Ridge Ski Area near still offering special rates to skiers Boston’s North Station. Other Railroad teams up with the Nordic Patterson. Farther east, the and riders traveling to Whitefish Eastern railroads followed by Skiing Association of Anchorage to Massachusetts Bay Transportation aboard the Empire Builder, just like offering special trains or skier rates run a ski train from Anchorage to an Authority runs a special weekend ski the Great Northern Railway did aboard regular trains, including New old ski area near Curry. In New York, train from Boston to Wachusett decades ago. — Justin Franz

42 Trains DECEMBER 2017 Riders board the Winter Park Express, with Amtrak non-powered control unit No. 406 on the rear, at Denver Union Station. Justin Franz spokesman Marc Magliari says that, while But perhaps more significant, Hurlbert vice along the to Fort Collins, some future schedule adjustments are possi- says the train helps the resort rebuild a link Colorado Springs, and Pueblo. “This train ble, the train is unlikely to start running be- to its past and to the service that connected is a great example of what passenger rail fore January. The 2018 season will run Denver and Winter Park for seven decades. can be in the state of Colorado,” says Sou- weekends from Jan. 5 until March 25. In re- “Winter Park Resort literally exists because by, the ColoRail president. sponse to passenger feedback, Amtrak offi- of the railroad,” he says. “And the ski train Swartzwelter agrees. The train manager cials are considering including some food is a huge part of our culture here.” and conductor believes that the Winter and beverage services aboard the train dur- Park Express is a model for what Amtrak ing the 2018 season. “We’ve learned a lot FUTURE AS FRESH AS SNOW and others could replicate elsewhere across from this first season, and we’ll utilize that As the sun begins to dip below the the country. But he notes that getting such knowledge to make this service even better snow-covered peaks that surround Winter efforts off the ground isn’t easy and that it next year,” Magliari says. Park, exhausted yet happy skiers and riders takes a team of willing partners like those Amtrak is also looking to expand spon- start to gather near the platform. After the he found in Amtrak, the Winter Park Re- sorship opportunities. Telecom firm Cen- eastbound California Zephyr rolls by, the sort, Union Pacific, and ColoRail. The lega- turyLink was the train’s presenting sponsor Winter Park Express pulls up, and skis, cy of the original Ski Train doesn’t hurt, ei- during the inaugural season and had its snowboards, and passengers are loaded for ther. Or the stunning scenery that flashes logo wrapped on the non-powered control the return trip to Denver. Once everyone is past the big picture windows. unit and three of the Superliners. Other aboard and the engineer sounds two sharp As the train exits one of the more than sponsors included Clif Bar and Noosa Yo- blasts on the horn, the Winter Park Express two dozen tunnels on the Moffat Line, ghurt, which offered samples of their prod- rolls into Moffat Tunnel. Swartzwelter looks out the window and ucts to passengers. The sun sets near Rollinsville, and the across the plains toward the glimmering Hurlbert says the Winter Park Express train grows quiet; passengers drift to sleep lights of Denver, where the train will come also helps address what he believes are big or softly talk about their day on the to its final stop in 30 or so minutes. threats to Colorado’s ski industry: climate mountain. Meanwhile, volunteer car hosts “I’ve been on hundreds of trains, and change and congestion on Interstate 70. Ac- from ColoRail walk through the train and nothing beats the scenery on the Moffat cording to the Colorado transportation de- hand out literature about passenger rail Line,” Swartzwelter says. On the Winter partment, the Winter Park Express took at service and a simple message: If you like Park Express, “you don’t have to deal with least 500 automobiles off the interstate every this train, let your elected representatives Interstate traffic, and you get to take in weekend, playing a small, but still important know that you want more of it. The group some of the best scenery you can see from a role, in reducing traffic and pollution. has long advocated for expanded rail ser- passenger train anywhere in the world.” 2

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