Weekly Register-Call/ Gilpin County News

What’s the hold up with Rocky Mountain Rail?

“The only safe way to get from Idaho Springs to Central City is on your hands and knees—and that’s risky.” Walt Whitman said it, not me. In this very column last year I made some predictions about the proposed rail line from Golden to Eagle County with a stop near Black Hawk. I said there was a strong possibility that soon enough one could take a train from near Black Hawk to Idaho Springs and then on to the ski areas, possibly even to Eagle County. At least that’s the idea the Rocky Mountain Rail Authority has been putting forward. Some thought that at least the first leg could be in place and running in five years. Black Hawk and Central City could gain serious ridership with regular train service to connect with the Fast Tracks in Golden.

Why Are We Waiting At the Station?

It now appears that there will be more waiting at the station. The Federal Rail Authority (FRA) has yet to come down one way or the other. Our own Colo. Dept of Transportation seems to be taking a cautions approach. They’ve all strongly endorsed the idea of high speed rail along the Front Range, even reaching down to New Mexico and El Paso, Texas. No word yet on a line along I-70- though.

The I-70 rail concept itself is valid. Many studies show 10 to 15 million riders per year in a statewide rail plan employing I-25 and I-70 corridors with much of that ridership on an I-70 route. Unfortunately, the devil is in the details, especially the details of selling the plan. Obviously there are drawbacks with any rail line through the Rockies. There will have to be that long four mile, expensive, tunnel to get past Georgetown. That bottleneck is simply there. When old man Loveland built the rail from Golden to Black hawk, and on to Georgetown he finally gave up. Yes, the Georgetown loop was eventually completed. But it’s never been suitable for much speed or tonnage. A tunnel, Loveland thought, was the only way. But, even back in the 1870s the idea of rail tunnel that long was beyond anyone’s grasp. Possibly it is beyond the grasp of the FRA today. but could be overcome with enough money. The disputes over Vail Pass, or “not to pass”, have also kept us waiting at the station. Those will not go away either. But there’s good news since last year. Particularly the revenue possibilities are even better now than then. That should help sell the idea.

There’s Money In Rail

The rail authority has contracted out with some consultants to come up with dollar figures for the new rail route. They are assuming a $25 “all the way fare” employing fast tracks and heavier mountain rail from DIA to Minturn (with discounts for children and seniors). The fare from D.I. A. to Black Hawk would be $11.

Even an old fashioned (79 mph top speed) heavy rail track along I-70 would make some money, and make money winding along I-70 too. That would be better than sitting in the I-70 traffic jams.  Those are the kinds of trains AMTRAK runs now and the technology would look a lot like that. Those trains don’t tilt in curves which slows things down. They are also quite heavy which soaks up diesel fuel. There would be some very slow train stretches when riders could sit back and enjoy the mountain scenery creeping by.  Even So, 11.61 million bucks a year (starting in 2015) could be garnered. Skiers and tourists, even commuters to Gilpin County, would ride that train.  If we could increase speeds to 150 mph, and employ tilting technology, the estimates run as high as 330.07 mil yearly by 2015. That would mean $1.02 would be returned for every $1.00 spent on construction and operating costs.

These are not pie-in-the sky numbers. Also, these number would increase somewhat if freight service began to work at night on these rail segments. Passenger trains would run in daylight, so freight might well be implemented at night. Serious business consultants (from Quandel Consultants) have worked a couple of years to verify these findings. So why hasn’t the Federal Rail Authority jumped at the prospect of our mountain railroad?

The 4% Solution

The Federal Railroad Authority likes 4% grades. It’s very hard to interest them in anything steeper than that. With modern MagLev technology grades of up to 7% do work. Those MagLev trains have to be electric and they do pull more power at steeper grades. On the other hand many of these MagLev trains are operating in Europe now. They have the advantage of literally floating on a carpet of air, with wheeled guide ways, of course. If one were to build the Georgetown tunnel a 4% grade could be achieved even as far as Minturn. How?

Back To The Future

A 4% grade could happen just as General Palmer, founder of the Union Pacific and other railroads, envisioned it in the 1870′s. In fact, some of that grade was actually built. It really does work as an engineering plan. With a long upgrade on Loveland Pass and a short tunnel at the top, possibly a stop on the upgrade short of the Eisenhower tunnel, possibly at Argentine, and then on to Breckenridge it works. Grades are even less to Copper Mountain then on up to the cut off below what’s now the Climax molly mine. The cut-off takes you to Pando. From Pando (once the busiest rail station east of the Mississippi when Camp Hale was in business) down to Minturn is an easy go for tilting technology such as we have today. It’s all possible at 4% and thus salable to the FRA.

Oh My, Where’s Vail?

I was once at a Rocky Mtn. Rail Authority meeting where these routes were discussed. A woman from near Vail almost shouted out, “Oh my, where’s the stop in Vail?”  She likely had a point. The only way to Vail if one goes for a steady 4% grade is a shuttle bus from Minturn. Our book group just finished a book about Aspen (“Dizzying Heights”) which would back up her surprised outburst. The novel was all about the habits of the rich and famous. Those habits do not include taking shuttle buses anywhere.

Would 7% Work?

Vail could be included in the plan, of course, if anyone wanted to go to 7% grades. Those grades are hardly impossible to contemplate. The Germans, the Swiss and the French all have a lot of rail going up and over such grades. The Italians and Spanish do too. That rail is all electric, consistently reaches top speed on 150 m.p.h., and employs tilting technology.  It makes it up and down 7% grades and could go directly to Vail. Vail is, no doubt, a major profit center in Colorado. No doubt the 7% option will be included in studies. Whether it’s a likely alternative or not is anyone’s guess at this point.

How Long Do I Wait At The Station?

This spring the Rocky Mountain Rail Authority will issue a “final report”. Most of that report is being considered by Colorado Dept. of Transportation and FRA officials now.

It is to be hoped that these authorities will respond as favorably to the I-70 corridor as they have to the I-25 corridor. Large amounts of cash are flowing right now to the Front Range rail corridor. So was Walt Whitman right? Do we still have to travel on hands and knees? I guess we wait and see. It does look like we’ll be waiting at the Black Hawk station a little longer.