The Big 10

[KmH]

Not that Big Ten.
The - Big 10 Curve

Outside of Denver on the approach to the Big 10 curve. Sorry about the reflections in the windows.
They don't open. I was mindful of the problem and did what I could to mitigate/minimize the reflections.

Permissions – Google

 

[tirediron]

Great set.

 

[Designer]

Thank you!

 

[zombiesniper114 13]

Great set and cool story.

 

[ZombiesniperJr]

Nice set

 

[FITBMX]

Very nicely done.

 

[KmH]

I took a shot of my laptop display and the GPS output after the Big 10 but before the Moffat Tunnel.

 

[Derrel]

YES-a cool set of images, and very good informational text. I had literally, no idea, about this place!

 

[KmH]

Thanks all.

There are several well known curves, loops, switchbacks trains use on steep sections among rail fans on a variety of routes.

Also on the California Zephyr route but usually traversed at night are the Guillily Loops near Soldier Summit in Utah and Arnold's Loop in eastern NV.

In this Guillily Loop video (only shows the lower loop) I used Google Maps to get what should be a pretty close estimate of the length of the freight train pulling empty coal cars - 2 miles long.


On the Tehachapi Loop in California the longer trains cross themselves via a tunnel. Sometimes Amtrak's Coast Starlight has to detour off it's regular route because of track work and the detour route uses the Tehachapi Loops.
It's pretty cool how they apparently got a drone to stay still while they **** this video.


Williams Loop along the former Western Pacific Feather River Route in Northern California near Quincy.


Horseshoe Curve near Altoona, PA

 

[Gary A.]

Thanks for sharing. So what is your motivation for actually jumping on a train?

 

[KmH]

I'm stuck here in Iowa from Memorial day weekend to Labor day every year, because of my 7 day a week summer job at the Matthew Edel Blacksmith Shop.

In the course of learning about the Matthew Edel and his Blacksmith Shop I also learned about the railroads, and a bunch of other stuff.
The little town the blacksmith shop is in was started by the Chicago, Milwaukee, & St. Paul Railroad in February of 1882.
Matthew Edel moved to the town a year later to start his blacksmith shop. The shop didn't close until he died in 1940.
But learning about that and other railroads got me on to Amtrak, and satisfying a long cultivated but low priority desire to take a long distance train trip someday.

My first long distance train trip was in 2010 to go to the Grand Junction, CO area for a family reunion.
I didn't make another train trip until the Spring of 2014 when I rode the California Zephyr and the Coast Starlight to go visit my younger sister in Eugene, Oregon.

So now I come up with whatever excuse is handy to ride the train, see the sights and make photographs.

This last time I rode the California Zephyr a fair amount of the excitement was missing because I'm now pretty familiar with the route and the sights having done the round trip 3 times now.

So I've already booked a trip in May - on a different train.
I'll be going to LA on the Southwest Chief, 2 nights on the train.
I'll be getting back to my starting point (Galesburg, IL) by a route different from the Southwest Chief - • the Sunset Limited, LA to San Antonio • the Texas Eagle, San Antonio to Chicago • the Illinois Zephyr • Chicago to Galesburg.

I was going to wait a few months before checking in with you.
Previously I had wanted to do a huge loop trip that went through LA, Plan A, but I had to change my plans.
We had planned to get together if I had made that Plan A trip.
The trip last month out to Sacramento was Plan B.

If I'm able to execute the new and revised Plan A, and the Southwest Chief is on time, I'll arrive there in LA @ 8:15 AM on May 3.
That night at 10 PM I start back on the Sunset Limited.