A ride on the Royal Gorge RR - large pictures

BDC

Member
On Tuesday, I went on a ride with my family on the Royal Gorge Railroad in Canyon City, CO. My father and shelled out some extra bucks to take a cab ride rather than sit in the passenger cars.

The CCRG (Canyon City & Royal Gorge) is a tourist line that runs a 20 mile round-trip run (10 out and 10 back) through the scenic Royal Gorge. The gorge was formed by the Arkansas River and is about 1000 feet deep at the lowest point.

If you would like larger pictures than the ones shown here, they are available on my Railimages account. For the original size shots (about 4x shown here) email me and I'll send them to you.

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The CCRG train consisted of three locomotives and 10 passenger cars. The CCRG usually runs two F7As of CNW heritage, but today one of the F7s was in for it's 92 day inspection. Taking its place was a GP7 from the ATSF. Additionally, the CCRG had recently purchased a SD9 from NWP (originally a DRGW unit) and was test-running it behind the F7 today.

Here's a few shots of the F7 and SD9 which made up the head-end power:

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The fellow in the overalls is Mark, the engineer for today's trip. He is holding a son of one of the passengers while his mother takes a photo.

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The SD9 is ex-Rio Grande 5305. It was originally built as a high-nosed model, but was wrecked and rebuilt as a low-nosed SD9.

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The GP7 was on the end of the train and served as the lead unit on the return trip. There is a track loop at the end of the 10-mile run, but it is usually full of hoppers and other cars. The track the CCRG runs on is owned by UP, but UP hasn't run any trains on it for years.
 

BDC

Member
Let's start rolling!

Climbing up into the cab of the F7, my father and I met Tyler, the engineer in training (pictured below) and were told that we were sitting on the brakman and fireman seats. The view was great and it offered several picture opportunities.

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This was the first thing I saw when I sat down. Mark assured me it was operational and also let me know that dumping the air gaurenteed me a walk back to the depot from the farthest spot out.

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Looking in the mirror while still at the station.

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Looking straight ahead from the depot.

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We've started moving and are getting ready to pass an old baggage car and boxcar car belonging to the CCRG. The baggage car is still lettered for Southern Pacific's MOW crews.

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Here's Tyler at the controls. The shot is a little fuzzy from the backlighting.

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Coming to the end of the siding and entering the gorge.

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Just into the gorge.

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Looking back in the mirror at the rest of the train. The GP7 is just visible at the end.
 

BDC

Member
Getting into things!

More shots as we entered further in to the Royal Gorge:

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And here's the Royal Gorge bridge itself, over 1000 feet above the locotmotive.

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Coming up on the hanging bridge built 100+ years ago (another shot later on.)

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Some rafters coming down the Arkansas River

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Everything OK to proceed.

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A water pumphouse built long ago to serve the federal prison nearby.

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A small landslide from earlier that morning triggered the restricted speed aspect. No problems, though.
 

BDC

Member
Going home

We reached the 10-mile point shortly after the yellow light and the four of us walked back to the GP7 to begin the trip home.

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We were parked next to an old switcher belonging to Rock & Rail, which used to work a quarry nearby. They're supposed to start up again, but Mark mentioned this switcher hasn't moved in years.

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Another shot of Tyler hiding behind the control stand.

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The other side of the hanging bridge. The sun had gone behind some clouds making for a dark shot.

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Looking back in the GP7's mirror. The car behind us is set up to run as a control cab complete with ditch lights. However, the CCRG doesn't have the radio equipment to run the locomotives from the car, so it's just in passenger service right now.

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Some of the winding tracks ahead of us.

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Getting ready to exit the canyon.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the virtual trip. For more information about making your own memories, go to http://www.royalgorgeroute.com/. Thanks for coming along!
 

RailRon

Active Member
This must have been a great trip, Seth! :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

Thank you for taking us along - very good and interesting photographs!

Ron
 

Ralph

Remember...it's for fun!
Great shots BDC, thanks for the tour! Some of your pics look bigger than the usual limit we can post (?) How'd you do that?
Ralph
 

BDC

Member
Ralph said:
Great shots BDC, thanks for the tour! Some of your pics look bigger than the usual limit we can post (?) How'd you do that?
Ralph

Ralph,

I put the photos on the Railimages server and linked to them from here. The Gauge's computer doesn't have to use any hard drive space to store them, hence no size limits.
 

Topo

Member
Cool!! :D

Thanks for the pics BDC. I have always loved th D&RGW and their routes thru the mountains. I hope that some day I can go there.
 

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
Very nice! I've envious, I haven't been on a train in a couple years. Those look like old Canadian Via Rail passenger cars on the train, judgeing from the paint colors
 

siderod

Member
I would say those are Ex VIA BUDD smoothside 85-foot blue-scheme steamheat-coverted-to-HEP cars...seen 'em and like 'em lots!

That makes the trip even better!
 

Whistleblower

New Member
Thanks so much for the memories. If only you could have kept going as in D&RGW's former days, up through Tennessee Pass and on to Minturn to connect with the Moffat Route! How sweet that was!
 

jasbourre

Member
Very nice shots, I 'm looking forword to our trip this fall to SSM Ontario, they have some good senic rides.
(Hay this is my 100th post)
 
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