What you see here is NOT the mine, but mainly a loadout. Mine entrance is 1000' ft up in the abandoned town of Gilman CO. Mining started there for gold/silver ~1880. Town was so contaminated with heavy metals, it was made a Supersite in mid-80s, and abandoned quickly. Most ore of value had been extracted.
Railroads don't want anything to do with lines that have any more than a 1.5% grade. They are spending $millions to reduce lines where grades are from 1.8% to 2.2%, so a line such as Tennessee Pass, with grades of 3.5% is more than 2-times the steepness they are willing to accept for a commercial line.
+Widi1956 The last train to ever grace this line was in August of 1997. But don't tell UP it's been abandoned. It's listed as "inactive." Otherwise, those tracks would have been picked up many years ago. So technically, they could start running trains through there anytime. But since they're UP, don't expect anything. Wouldn't surprise me if they really do have something up their sleeves for this line.
+cMaC They still officially own this line which is why not one single part of the track has been removed for development. I've heard rumors that the reason they won't officially abandon the line is they think BNSF would purchase it for their own use, and would most likely profit since they are BNSF and unlike UP they are expanding their lines, or the State or even a millionaire would come along and turn it into an excursion line. As far as in this video, yeah I wouldn't expect the branch lines that used to serve the mines would see any action if UP were to do something with it.
It's not the Tennessee Pass summit, but it is along the Tennessee Pass Railroad line, which is what I meant. The rail line is now rail-banked (mothballed), but not officially abandoned. It's the west end of Belden Siding in Eagle Canyon. The old mining town of Gilman also sits above.
Remember this scene from Steven Seagal Film "Under Siege 2" watch it and the train pass through that line.. they call it the dark territory
What you see here is NOT the mine, but mainly a loadout. Mine entrance is 1000' ft up in the abandoned town of Gilman CO. Mining started there for gold/silver ~1880. Town was so contaminated with heavy metals, it was made a
Supersite in mid-80s, and abandoned quickly. Most ore of value had been extracted.
Very nice! Wish I was alive to see trains running on this line in it's hay day. All I have is a video called "Tennessee Pass and Royal Gorge Route"
Loved the Vid .. Such Detail and beauty in the remaining artifacts
I read somewhere today that they're planning to re-open the train route over Tennessee Pass.
Some groups say they will, others are saying it’s being torn out. I hope it stays
very cool
Very abandoned but nice video. In it's hey day it was probably a great place to rail fan...wonder what will become of this right a way?
More detail would be great while filming.
Looks like it could be a counter-strike map.
So sad to see the line abandon the Rio Grande is gone Southern Pacific is gone and Union Pacific never opened the line again
Septa Railfan 1000 Union Pacific operated this line. They closed it down, but they did run it.
Railroads don't want anything to do with lines that have any more than a 1.5% grade. They are spending $millions to reduce lines where grades are from 1.8% to 2.2%, so a line such as Tennessee Pass, with grades of 3.5% is more than 2-times the steepness they are willing to accept for a commercial line.
they really should have gave this line to BNSF
Cool place, looks like it's been abandon for a long time. You are going to model that? Run in to any ghost...LOL!!!
Bob, Longshadowsmodeltrees.com
+Widi1956 The last train to ever grace this line was in August of 1997. But don't tell UP it's been abandoned. It's listed as "inactive." Otherwise, those tracks would have been picked up many years ago.
So technically, they could start running trains through there anytime. But since they're UP, don't expect anything. Wouldn't surprise me if they really do have something up their sleeves for this line.
+cMaC They still officially own this line which is why not one single part of the track has been removed for development.
I've heard rumors that the reason they won't officially abandon the line is they think BNSF would purchase it for their own use, and would most likely profit since they are BNSF and unlike UP they are expanding their lines, or the State or even a millionaire would come along and turn it into an excursion line.
As far as in this video, yeah I wouldn't expect the branch lines that used to serve the mines would see any action if UP were to do something with it.
Ghost town
This is not Tennessee pass. It is Beldon Canyon. That's battle mountain pass above.
It's not the Tennessee Pass summit, but it is along the Tennessee Pass Railroad line, which is what I meant. The rail line is now rail-banked (mothballed), but not officially abandoned. It's the west end of Belden Siding in Eagle Canyon. The old mining town of Gilman also sits above.
how long has it been since a train ran on the route?
Last train over the Tennessee pass was on August 23, 1997
Part of it is now a trail.