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Home , David Moffat, Moffat Tunnel, Rollins Pass, Ski Train

next stop 6 As the valley 3 Approaching the widens, the small , the w i n ter pa r k community of Tolland railroad utilizes a pair of comes into view. To curves, known as Big the north, the Tolland and Little Ten curves, school house, built to add elevation. The in 1902, served the name comes from the small mining towns in the area. Higher on curvature which, at 10 the mountain side you may be able to spot degrees, is a tight curve for the railraod. Looking horizontal breaks in the trees. This is the old to the north, the turbines are near the site railroad grade, known as , which of the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons Final Destination: Park Resort! Not 8 snaked up the mountian side, up over the facility. a skier? Not to worry! Winter Park has a little Continental Divide, and down to Winter Park. something for everyone! Explore the Winter Park 2 North of the railyards, Village or use the free Lift bus service to explore 5 At Rollinsville the enters an open valley the railroad turns west Fraser and Granby. Explore everything that the where it parallels South as it and and rolls through Winter Park Area has to offer! nears the Continental Divide. suburban Arvada where Pgr oss da m the constant 2% uphill grade to the Moffat fra ser tolla nd 5 begins. You may notice railroad splitting off 6 Ptunnel district winter 7 rollinsville to the south. This is the BNSF track connection pa r k 8 to the Coors Brewery in Golden and the RTD resort 4 G-line commuter rail connection to Wheat Ridge and Old Town 3 If you are skiing or Arvada. snowboarding for 4 The Tunnel District the day, pick up your begins after crossing The trip starts at equiptment on the the mouth of 1 2 arvada platform and enjoy the Creek Canyon where Union Station, short walk over to the the train enters the first the transit hub of Denver. lifts. No matter how you tunnel. While traveling through the 28 of The Station once served over 60 per day but spend your day be back the Tunnel District, there are many opportunities den ver 1 to the train station before to observe the unique geography and scenery. train traffic has decreased union s ta t i o n departure at 4:30 pm! Massive beds of quartz-rich sandstone in the since, and it now serves the Ski Permian Lyons Sandstone were once a sea of Train, and local/ The train then reaches the Moffat Tunnel: at 6.2 wind-blown sand dunes from an ancient sand 7 regional bus and rail miles long and an elevtion of 9,280 feet it takes sea. Tectonic forces have uplifted this rock services. The train about 10 minutes to pass through the tunnel and to create vertical rock formations, known as traverses Union is a great time to start getting ready for a day of the Flatirons. As we pass under these rock Pacific and BNSF fun in Winter Park! formations, it is possible, on a clear day, to see nearly 1/10 of . track as it moves Photography by , Alex Funderburg, Erik Lindgren, Luke and Noah Sponable out of Denver. a den ver tra di tion the moffat ro ute Welcome aboard ’s Winter Park Express! The route you travel today was the original The Winter Park Express is a continuation of the dream of Colorado rail pioneer . His long legacy of passenger rail between the City of Denver and Salt Lake (D&SL) Railroad began Denver and Winter Park Resort. The first construction in 1902 and aimed to create a direct was operated by the Denver and line between the two cities and provide Denver Western (D&RGW) Railroad in 1940 for the with a direct rail connection to the West. The Eskimo Ski Club to transport children to Winter D&SL originally built over Rollins Pass which was Park. The serivce continued until 1988 when it the highest standard gauge railroad crossing den ver winter pa rk was sold to the Ansco Investment Company. of the Continental Divide in the Ansco operated the train until 2009 when it was at 11,600 feet of elevation. The D&SL began discontinued. After a successful test in 2015 construction on the Moffat Tunnel in 1923, with celebrating the 75th anniversary of Winter Park the first train passing through in February 1928. Resort, it was announced that Amtrak would It eliminated 23 miles of track and 1,800 feet of revive the train for the 2016-17 ski season. We elevation. The D&SL was eventually aquired by invite you to sit-back-and-relax and enjoy one of the Denver and Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) the most unique rail services in the world! Railroad in 1947, which utilized the Moffat Route as its “Mainline Thru the Rockies.” The D&RGW eventually became part of the Union on b oa rd Pacific Railroad in 1996. Today the route hosts ca fe ca r : Snacks and drinks are availible in Union Pacific and BNSF freight trains as well as the cafe on the lower level. Amtrak’s California Zephyr and the Winter Park bathro oms : Located on the lower level of each Express. coach car. colorail storage : Bags and personal items can be stored at your seat or on the luggage shelves on the lower level. welcome aboard sa fety : The entire train is non-smoking. This includes the restrooms and vestibule areas - When walking on the train, please wear your shoes. Would you like to see more services like the official ride guide - Be prepared for any unexpected movements of Winter Park Express thoughout Colorado? If so, the train at all times. make sure to join The Colorado Rail Passenger - Except in an emergency, passengers are not Association! ColoRail focuses on passenger allowed to open exterior windows or doors. rail advocacy and seeks to expand passenger share your experience - We want you to have an enjoyable experience rail services to more Colorado residents! The aboard the train. Mutual consideration of fellow Winter Park Express is just the first step, ask your amtrak winter park express passengers is appreciated. ColoRail Car host for more details! - Please address any concerns to your car host winterparkexpress or Amtrak personnel. Visit Our Website: http://colorail.org/