RAILforum: Moffat Tunnel to be repaired; Amtrak to detour via Wyoming

This is topic Moffat Tunnel to be repaired; Amtrak to detour via Wyoming in forum Railroad News at RAILforum.

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Posted by CG96 (Member # 1408) on :

The expected repairs and maintenance to the Moffat tunnel, 50 miles west of Dever, CO, will take approximately a month. See link: http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~53~1950721,00.html

It is unfortunate that the Tennesee Pass route is unavilable for use by Amtrak. I would certainly think of that as not as extreme of a detour than Wyoming. Tennesee pass is more scenic, as well.

Posted by MPALMER (Member # 125) on :

Interesting...when was the last detour through Wyoming? I know this happened about 20 years ago when they had the landslide near Thistle, Utah.

Posted by Italiancanuck89 (Member # 1873) on :

How much of a delay are we looking at here?

Posted by CG96 (Member # 1408) on :

I don't recall right off the top of my head, but I remember hearing something about the repairs in question taking about a month or so. th repairs were also slted to start in June.

Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :

From a 1949 DRGW timetable:

Denver to Dotsero via Moffett tunnel: 166.8 miles
Denver to Dotsero via Pueblo & Tenn. pass: 341.9 miles
Distance penalty: 175.1 miles
First passenger stop beyond Dotsero is Glenwood Springs, another 18.2 miles.

Schedule time between Denver and Glenwood Springs:

CZ via Moffett tunnel: 5h13m WB, 5h25m EB
Prospector via Moffett Tunnel: 5h30m WB, 5h45m EB
Mountaineer via Moffett Tunnel: 7h05m WB, 7h10m EB
Royal Gorge via Pueblo: 11h25m WB, 11h00m EB

The Mountaineer was essentially a local. Even allowing for the more relaxed schedule of the Royal Gorge, it can be seen that the time penalty for operating via the Royal Gorge / Tennessee pass route would be at least five hours, probably more likely six hours, even if the speed limits of 1948 still prevailed. Remember, Denver to Pueblo is a very heavily used line for coal trains, so with superelevation reduced in the curves as well as train interference, the elapsed time over this line is probably a lot longer than it was in 1948. Therefore, a time penalty of eight hours or more is likely.

The original UP across Wyoming is still a very fast piece of railroad.

Therefore, for purposed of achieving some reasonable approximation of the schedule, to take the original Union Pacific across Wyoming is the only reasonable route.

[This message has been edited by George Harris (edited 03-03-2004).]

Posted by CG96 (Member # 1408) on :

Thank you, Mr. Harris. I knew that the route via Tennessee pass was longer, but not the legnth, or the difference between Tenn. Pass and the business-like UP mainline across Wyoming. I also didn't know the duration of time it took to get Denver - SLC via Tennessee Pass, so your timetable contributions are helpful.