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There has been a lot of talk, over a number of years, regarding Colorado's Front Range and the possibility of a passenger train from Fort Collins to Pueblo, CO.
Yes, only speculation and talk, but I think it would be interesting to see the results of the feasibility study and to see projected costs.
As the article states, it does seem to have bipartisan support.
If a Front Range passenger train ever becomes a reality, I notice that Fort Collins is only 46 miles south of Cheyenne. With a Front Range passenger train, could it eventually be possible to have the northern terminus in Cheyenne?
Richard
Posts: 1909 | From: Santa Rosa | Registered: Jan 2004
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Richard - as a CSU alumni and where I met my wife, I always have an interest in Fort Collins and the front range towns. But, this seems like more happy talk. Let's hope there is some substance here. The one thing that is encouraging is Denver was able to get their transit system going and is constantly expanding.
Also, the high per capita income of those towns probably means the residents are the type that would support rail transit so they could leave their Prius' and Land Rovers at the station. But, it will be difficult to be highway competitive using the existing C&S/BNSF route. The local night train to Billings when I was there in '68 took about three hours to go the 74 rail miles (usually had an E8, two or three baggage cars and a coach). A new alignment might be required, at least to Boulder where it could connect with the transit system.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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I never really thought about issues with the C&S/BNSF route. I guess a seperate, dedicated track might be out of the question due to cost (?).
You mentioned the overnight train from Denver to Billings. Could that have been the C&S/CB&Q "Nightcrawler"?
I never knew you attended Colorado State University (go Rams!). I remember once driving from my home in western Wyoming to Cheyenne, then on to Fort Collins and beyond on the way to a ski slope in Colorado (I can't remember which one) way back in the late 60's.)
Richard
Posts: 1909 | From: Santa Rosa | Registered: Jan 2004
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Yes, Richard, that was the night crawler. A coupler years earlier it also had a 6-6-4 sleeper.
I thrroughly enjoyed my Colorado days - this was grad school as undergrad was in Ashland, VA. Really had some quality train watching then, much to the dismay of my new girlfriend, in the midst of many camping, hiking jaunts. Got a lot of photos in Cheyenne when we visited for Frontier days. It was a busy place with steam still in the roundhouse - waiting for the restoration that followed.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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A Front Range train would be an interesting idea if the Southwest Chief is ever moved to the BNSF Transcon. If the Chief were running on the Transcon, the Front Range could be extended to Albuquerque and provide connections for Denver, Colorado Springs, Pueblo and Santa Fe to the relocated Southwest Chief. It's hard to know how the finances would pencil out, but Wichita, Amarillo, Colorado Springs and Pueblo would all be added to the Amtrak network if the Chief moved south and the Front Range train was established.
Posts: 831 | From: Seattle | Registered: Jan 2011
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You don't magically increase train speed and decrease run time by increasing speed limits unless you are in fairly level terrain with straight alignments. Even then, you may need to spend a lot of money on track upgrades and road crossing signals / improvements / grade separations. I don't know about north of Denver, but to the south you have a busy and crooked alignment which will not be other than fairly slow.
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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