Winter Park (Colorado) Express is back

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Another season of the Winter Park Express has come to an end. The final ski train was filmed on Sunday by Michael DeMarco as it left Winter Park and entered the Moffat Tunnel.



The equipment for the ski train returned to Chicago Monday deadheading on Amtrak #6(25).
 

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Siegmund said:
Not exactly good news for the Coast Starlight, if that equipment deadhead eastbound, is it?
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While the CS may need it, other trains may also. And since it came from Chicago, it’s understandable that it returned there…
 
Does anyone know if and how Winter Park Express trains get counted for the monthly performance reports. There’s no line for them and special trains only showed about 600 passengers a month.

Also my vote is the Capitol Limited for the extra coaches. Coach is selling out days in advance. There is one seat open from CHI-WAS between now and Sunday. WAS-CHI is full through Thursday. I think the Capitol has the best claim, especially with six being needed for the transcons.
 
Septa9739 said:
Does anyone know if and how Winter Park Express trains get counted for the monthly performance reports. There’s no line for them and special trains only showed about 600 passengers a month.

Also my vote is the Capitol Limited for the extra coaches. Coach is selling out days in advance. There is one seat open from CHI-WAS between now and Sunday. WAS-CHI is full through Thursday. I think the Capitol has the best claim, especially with six being needed for the transcons.
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The ridership is included in the CZ in some reports. It is considered to be a second section or advance section, albeit without the green flags. (Not that most railroaders now would know what green flags or green marker lights mean.)

Conductor Brad S. who enjoyed reporting the CDOT highway traffic delays on the WPE is back on Trains 5/6.
 
2024 season

https://www.amtrak.com/winterparkexpress
A photo that heads the webpage shows the train approaching the costly, heated platform that was required by the UP. It was built by the ski resort operator. The City and County of Denver is the owner, but contracts for the operations and marketing.

ColoRail (Colorado Rail Passenger Association) will again provide car hosts. There has been discussion that Amtrak might staff the upstairs bar, in addition to the downstairs snack bar.
 
The thumb-nail says 2022 season. When you click on the link it shows 2024 season.

Heated platform when working do not require personal to remove the snow. On a platform next to an active mainline track, with random trains popping out of a tunnel. Expensive yes, but probably the safest way of doing this.
 
CT has started installing heated platforms at new or reconstructed stations in the past few years, which has been awesome. Honestly, the biggest benefit IMO is the heavily reduced salt usage. Terrible for the environment and walking on. Also tears up shoes and suitcases. Businesses and state organizations are terrified of lawsuits, so the trend over the past 10-15 years has been a competition to see how much surface can be covered in salt.
 
Palmland said:
Maybe this topic should be expanded to include a year round extension of the train to Steamboat Springs and Craig.

Colorado DOT RFI Denver-Craig
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Thank you for bring this to my/our attention.
Had to look up Craig, CO. Pretty sure I have never been there. Other than a larger city in Colorado do you know if there any specific reason to visit this area?
 
Just-Thinking-51 said:
Thank you for bring this to my/our attention.
Had to look up Craig, CO. Pretty sure I have never been there. Other than a larger city in Colorado do you know if there any specific reason to visit this area?
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Outstanding scenery and outdoor recreation. En route, trains would serve Steamboat Springs. In good weather, highway travel via US40 is faster, but snowstorms are guaranteed to occur.

This is the former Denver & Salt Lake. At the most it had a day train and an overnight train. In the 1960's its last service was on a daylight schedule, as the Yampa Valley Mail, with a dome car.

The interesting thing about this is how quickly interest developed. The coal mining in the area is declining sharply and community leaders are finally facing reality.
 
What I'm finding interesting about the recent slew of rail proposals for new service is that most of them seem to be in the west, unless I'm missing some in places with higher population densities like the east or midwest.

Extending to Steamboat would be great for tourism - but would it lead to higher (than they already are) housing prices in the area - it's been a problem in the ski towns longer than the rest of the country.
 
While I would love to see a passenger train to Craig, and the chance to ride the “rare mileage” from Bond, where the CZ route diverges onto the Dotsero Cutoff towards Glenwood Springs, I scratch my head wondering why they don’t put more effort on running trains up and down the Front Range?🤔
 
railiner said:
While I would love to see a passenger train to Craig, and the chance to ride the “rare mileage” from Bond, where the CZ route diverges onto the Dotsero Cutoff towards Glenwood Springs, I scratch my head wondering why they don’t put more effort on running trains up and down the Front Range?🤔
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Here's today's report. Perhaps we should roll all these projects into a "Colorado discussion" thread.

The FRPR District Board completed its two day annual planning retreat for 2024 Friday, December 1st. It was a powerful exercise in information sharing, team building and connection with key partners, including the BNSF Railway, Union Pacific Railroad, CDOT and RTD.

Among the key take aways from the meeting were the critical importance of outreach and input from local citizens, taking advantage of available federal funds for rail development, and building trust with the voters in the District who will have to authorize funding for the system. The importance of our legislative direction coupled with federal planning requirements to qualify for federal funding were on our minds.

Of equal importance was the development and cementing of relationships between the Board Members who hail from the entire length of the Front Range/ I-25 corridor. The frankness, sincerity, representation of constituencies and commitment to the mission of FRPR was heartening, especially to those who have long sought this important transportation option for Colorado's future.

Happy Holidays! Jim

James M Souby, President

COLORAIL.ORG

Chair, FRPR District Board
 
For the first time, the cars for the Winter Park Express won't be dropped off in Denver by Amtrak #5. Instead, Amtrak #6(07) has the task. Cody Solis filmed this California Zephyr stopping at the station in Martinez, California.



This train was also filmed speeding through Dixon by NC_YT 123.

 
First run of the Winter Park Express for the year was this morning. The local NBC affiliate had a reporter interview Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari in the lounge car before departure. I like the talk about Amtrak being interested in more passenger trains in Colorado.



Local FOX affiliate also had a reporter at Denver Union Station who managed to get an interview with the governor of Colorado who was taking a ride today. The governor also spoke about being interested in expanding passenger service in Colorado.



So with multiple local news stations finding it important to cover this train and Amtrak and the governor wanting more trains, there looks like there are some promising signs for passenger rail in Colorado.
 
Jsandrews1 said:
Where do they do the run around to head back?
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In the past they've used the wye at Tabernash.

Look in OpenRailwayMap

And search for CP East Tabernash. It's used as a turnaround for MW equipment, helpers, etc. As the ski train has been running since the 1940's, they've got the routine down pretty well by now.

As Simply Railway shows in his video, the train may be turned by running the engines around. That can be done in a couple of spots, so I'll ask.

March 1986: the first generation Rio Grande Ski Train.
1986 029.jpg

March 1989: the second generation (Anschutz) Ski Train.
1989 002.jpg

March 2015: the third generation, Amtrak's Winter Park Express.
2015 Mar-Apr 026.jpg
 
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