Newsletter-333-Jun1987
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Rocky, Mountain* RAIL REPORT THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAILROAD CLUB MEETING SCHEDULE: June, 1987............................................. No. 333 Club Telephone........................ (303) 431-4354 June 9, 1987 -- 7:45 p.m. P. 0. Box 2391 .... Denver, Colorado 80201 Southeast wing of Christ Episcopal Church, CURRENT NEWS AND HISTORICAL NOTES OF ROCKY 2950 South University at Bates. Off-street MOUNTAIN RAILROADING PUBLISHED MONTHLY FOR parking at rear (east) of meeting hall. ITS MEMBERS BY THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAILROAD Please use the building's south enterance. CLUB. Jim Trowbridge....................................... Editor Les Grenz............................. Associate Editor CLUB MEMBERSHIP John Dillavou................................... President Rich Dais................................. Vice President Membership in the Rocky Mountain Railroad Bill Gordon....................................... Secretary Club may be obtained by sending $19.00 Elbert E. Bidwell............................ Treasurer ($15.00 annual dues plus enrollment fee of $4.00) to: ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAILROAD CLUB, Send all items for publication to: Rocky P. 0. Box 2391, Denver, Colorado 80201. Mountain Rail Report, c/o Jim Trowbridge, After April of each year, new members may Editor, 502 South Cody Street, Lakewood, join for a payment of $4.00 enrollment fee Colorado 80226. plus $1.25 for each month remaining in the calendar year. Dues for the next year are COPY DEADLINE -- ALL copy for publication solicited in December of the current year. is due no later than the 15th of the month Membership covers the immediate family unit prior to month of publication. for many benefits such as free entry to the Colorado RR Museum. MEMBERSHIP INQUIRIES JUNE9 PROGRAM As of this writing, a program had not been Please refer address changes, new member provided. John Dillavou will be making ships and lost newsletters to: provisions and has instructed your editor to list the June program as a "Surprise". Chuck & Chicky Morison, Co-Chairmen, Membership Committee 3550 South Kendall, #8-301 Since surprises can be most entertaining, Denver, Colorado 80235 we would suggest that you not miss the (303) 980-6698 June program! MAYPROGRAM PRESERVATION FUND AND BOOK DRAWING As usual, Erwin Chaim came through (with the help of his "honey", Bobbie, to pro Tom Lawry, Book Drawing Chairman, announced vide a most entertaining program through at the May meeting that we are clearing an multi-media. average of $600 per year on the book draw ing and that this is being well used toward Fine photography, good music and informa preservation projects. tive narration was enjoyed by all in attendance and we thank Erwin and Bobbie Monthly support is growing and many out-of- for their hard work. The many trains, state members are beginning to participate. historic sites, museums of transport, and, Should any members outside the Denver area food!!! stimulated us all. or unable to attend the meetings wish to particiapate, they can write to Tom Lawry, ADDITIONAL MAY MEETING PROGRAM 2013 So. Elkhart St., Aurora, CO 80014. NOTES (303) 750-2697. Members who wish to donate books and other railroad items may also contact Tom. In addition to our regular program, we viewed two newsreels. The first was a combined effort of Erwin Chaim and Darrell An extensive list of folks attending the Arndt and covered the upcoming Museum May meeting and winning books or other Work Day and High Country RR Outing. In railroad related items follows: addition, the work day at Fleming was described. The second newsreel was Ray Wetmore / KATY Northwest, by Pruett presented by Erwin Chaim and noted the Gene Martin / Rail Ventures arrival of the ex-Milwaukee Road Hiawatha John Holtzman / Amtrak Heritage observation/1ounge car "Cedar Rapids." We Doug Smith / RMRRC, 1986 Trilogy were treated to current Denver shots at Gary Ellison, Pleasantville, NY / Official Union Station as well as interior shots Guide - July, 1972 taken while aboard the car in 1985 during Virgil Light / Print - Steam Locomotive in the Chicago Trip. Japan Jack Hettinger / Prints - Four RR Stations Les Nelson / Rock Island Belt Buckle NEW MEMBERS Tom Keeton / Illinois Central Pin Joe Priselac / Great Trains of North Amer. Bert Bidwell / End of Track The Rocky Mountain Railroad Club wishes to enthusiastically welcome the following Recent donations for preservation include new members: $1,000 to the Rollins Pass Restoration Association and $500 to Fleming, Colorado Thomas E. Carson Longmont, CO Historical Society. Bob Damerau Denver, CO Francis M. Derick Bowling Green, M0 Mark & Natsuyo Gray Aurora, CO Steve & Diane Karden Aurora, CO EVENTS SCHEDULE FOR 1987 Kenneth Lang Malden, M0 Robert V. McGarrah Peoria Heights, IL George E. Obrist, Jr. Westerville, OH June 13- Jim Yust Kremmling, CO 21 Pennsylvania & Eastern US Tour June 21 High Country RR/Heritage Square The Rocky Mountain Railroad Club re July 25 Preservation Work Day/ Victor, gretfully announces the passing away of CO/Alta Vista Station, F&CC RR. the following members: Aug. 22- 23 Hagerman Tunnel Field Trip William Bryner Florence, CO Sept. 19 Cadillac & Lake City RR Trip Charles Irvin Denver, CO Oct. 10 RMRRC Annual Banquet 2 HIGH COUNTRY RAILROAD EXCURSION UNION Sunday, June 21, 1987, the Club will sponsor an excursion on the High Country Railroad. Joine us on Father's Day for a full day of two-foot-gauge railroading behind both rod and gear-driven steam locomotives. High Country RR is located in Heritage Square on U.S. 40 (West Colfax Avenue), one mile west of the Sixth Avenue Freeway cross ACCIDENT ABOARD UP’s 8444 ing in Golden. Ranniger's Roadbed Commissary will be in operation aboard the Silver Commissary, the Union Pacific's 4-8-4 Northern Steam only two-foot-gauge diner in the country! Engine No. 8444 was on display at Denver's Jim and Lil Ranniger will serve their Union Station as part of National Trans famous Ballastburgers from 11:30 to 1:30 portation Week when a freak accident .oc p.m. curred on Friday, May 15th. Tickets are priced at $7.00 each and in Three men were burned, one seriously, in clude unlimited train riding in addition to a flash fire. They were identified as the complete Ballastburger lunch. Admission Union Pacific Railroad employee, J. M. to Heritage Square is free. Please use the Duncan, 56, Cheyenne, Wyoming, and two order form with this announcement and send visitors, John Wands, Denver, and Jerry it, along with a selfaddressed, stamped Davis, Thorton, Colorado. envelope with your ticket order. Make checks or money orders out to "Rocky Mountain RR Duncan was reported in serious condition Club". ' at Denver General Hospital. Davis was taken to University Hospital, where he was High Country RR will offer continuous action listed in fair condition and Wanda was for riders and photographers alike. We are treated and released from Denver General. sure that you will find the price and atmos phere blend to make this an unforgettable The victims and two other railroad employees outing for families of any size! were in the cab of the locomotive when flames flashed out of the fire box, said The High Country RR is operated by Club Union Pacific spokesman Tom LaHood. The members Ed Gerlits, Stu Anderson, Dave fire box door had been opened so the visi Gross, and Jim Ehernberger. tors could see the fire. LaHood said. ORDER FORM The engine was to be on display until Friday afternoon, but was shut down after the NAME________________ ________________ _ 9:25 a.m. incident. ADDRESS____________ _____________________ The locomotive is fired with fuel oil, but just what caused the flash back hasn't been determined. Please send _____ tickets 0 $7.00 each. I But, Capt. Jim Sestrich of the Denver Fire Department said fire officials think the enclose $___________ as payment. fire box went out and the oil vaporized, then ignited. Send orders to: Rocky Mountain RR Club c/o Mat Anderson There was no fire damage to the engine. 1117 South Clayton St. (Denver Post) Denver, Colorado 80210 3 certainly an impressive sight, the opera ting cost of such must be breathtaking. By comparison, the steepest eastbound grade on the Moffat Route is the short two per cent climb on the west side of the Moffat Tunnel. Helpers are only required on heavy trains on this climb, when used they usually consist of two units that are add ed to the rear at Tabernash. The coal trains D&RGW’s ROYAL GORGE ROUTE coming off the Craig branch generally have EXAMINED through helpers added at Phippsburg. A fine article in the April issue of the CTC BOARD, Jerry Palmer, Rio Grande editor, As far as natural hazards, the Moffat Route reported the examination of the Grande's has had occasional problems with rock Royal Gorge Route for possible abandonment. slides in its numerous canyons, although We believe this information is most impor the possibility of very large slides simi tant to RMRRC members and so the article is lar in scope to that one that blocked the being quoted here: mainline at Thistle, Utah in 1983 exists in at least one location on the Royal While official word has not been forthcom Gorge Route. ing from the D&RGW, it is becoming increas ingly obvious that the railroad's top man Rio Grande would reportedly seek to aban agement is considering the elimination of don the Royal Gorge Route between Canyon the Royal Gorge Route for through traffic. City and Malta, Colorado, which would Traditionally, the Royal Gorge Route has leave two branchlines served from their been considered to be the D&RGW's mainline respective ends. The section between these from Pueblo to Grand Junction, Colorado, two points has practically none (if any) joining with the Dotsero Cutoff from the shippers left on it; the last major one Moffat Route at Dotsero.