Tennessee Pass - The Historic Final Days

[@bkaden1]

Growing up in the 80’s and 90’s, I had just a taste of so many of these railroads that got swallowed up in the mergers of the same era. I didn’t think the railroading of my childhood would elicit the same nostalgia I heard older railfans of the time talk about steam and passenger trains and first generation diesels, but here we are. It really was a great time to be a railfan, never to be repeated, and maybe no other line brings out those emotions like Tennessee Pass. Even though I never really saw it first hand, it just exemplifies so much of what we’ve lost from that era. Thanks for sharing this one!

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you so much, Bryant! Your comment means a lot to us. 80s and 90s nostalgia is very real. We’re doing our best to preserve and share this content for viewers who wish to experience more of that era. The 80s and 90s were the beginning of a renaissance in modern railroading. It’s no wonder that so many appreciate that special time. Thanks again.

[@freeridemtb2]

This is great stuff !!!! My childhood right here

[@MilePost106]

I miss all the old railroads from years ago. The Tennessee pass always grabs my attention.

[@CVisionProductions1]

We miss them too! And yes, Tennessee Pass mystique is real. There’s just something about this line that really pulls you in. Thank you for the comment.

[@kenmunozatmmrrailroad6853]

One of the best collections of Scarlett n' Grey. Hat's off to all who documented and contributed to this wonderful production.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Many thanks!

[@arlingtontrains7]

Amazingly beautiful! Wish there was no such thing as fallen flags! Every railroad played their roll!

[@CVisionProductions1]

Yes! We’ve lost so many great railroads over the years…

[@anthonyhunt701]

Presented beautifully as always👍🏻

[@arlingtontrains7]

@@CVisionProductions1 bless them

[@arlingtontrains7]

@@anthonyhunt701 absolutely 😇

[@rebelroar78]

I wish it had been like how CSX and Norfolk Southern were originally envisioned. When the mergers were first approved, workers were told “you’ll never see a CSX locomotive”. About 6 years later that was wrong. The merged railroads were supposed to just be holding companies while the actual railroads kept their own branding, equipment, and operations.

[@arlingtontrains7]

Sooo much pure SP!!!!!!!🥹 lots of pure oldies in general! Absolutely amazing!!!

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you so much! This era on the Union Pacific was pretty amazing for motive power. UP, CNW, SP, and Rio Grande power was all mixed together, and none of it was patched out! We appreciate you watching.

[@NS6677]

Love seeing the extra footage from the Pentrex "Tribute" program. Including a favorite train of mine, The MROKS with the SP-DRGW-SP lashup, seen twice in this video and only once in the actual program. Dan Hadley is an awesome video photographer and thank him and you for putting this together.

[@CVisionProductions1]

You’re very welcome! We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the video. When reviewing the raw footage, we found those unused scenes of the MROKS with 7337. They definitely deserved to be included. Thank you for watching, and for your comment.

[@LeslieGilpinRailways]

I railfanned the route in 93 on a vacation from the UK - still trains with big lash-ups just after the Rio Grande had taken over SP. Driven the route a few times since, sadly without trains. Those locations still look familiar today. Such fantastic scenery and at the pass fantastic sounds as trains crawled up to the summit

[@CVisionProductions1]

We’re glad that you were able to explore the line while it was still in full operation. Tennessee Pass is a truly legendary piece of railroad. One has to wonder how much longer it will sit dormant? The route is still worth exploring, even without trains. Thank you for sharing your experiences.

[@danielneeley5480]

Wow what a real treat! I dont get to see sd40-2T or 45T anymore here in Arkansas. Seems like i only see GEs now, its even rare to see sd70ACe locos. Very sad, but your video was a real treat to see SP locos with beautiful sounding Nathan P3s blowing and even rio grande power. I miss hearing notch 8 power on EMDs. Nothing like it.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you, Daniel! Those tunnel motors really are neat units. And we agree, P3s together with EMDs in the eighth notch is a perfect sound combination. You have good taste in locomotives!

[@Yormsane]

Having relocated to Colorado in 2005, I missed out on these twilight years of freight operations over The Pass. Exploring the Arkansas Valley led me to imagine the scene with trains battling up the grades between Cañon City and Leadville. So much top-quality footage here, thank you for uploading this wonderful historical document!

[@CVisionProductions1]

You are quite welcome! Thank you for appreciating this video. We’ve explored the line post-shutdown as well, and it’s still enjoyable to visit all of those iconic Tennessee Pass locations. The route certainly has a strong appeal, even in its slumber. And the magnificent scenery more than makes up for the lack of trains. We hope you enjoy your future expeditions.

[@RailsOfTheSouthProductions]

Rumor has it if you listen real closely….. you still hear the uphill struggle at Mitchell

[@bodaciouslappi]

1990's railroading was the best we'll ever get! Definitely some neat spots along this dormant line for sure, my favorite spot besides the tunnel at Tennessee Pass might have to be the old CM bridge a few miles south of Granite, if only trains still ran through there though.. Hands down one of the best videos of Tennessee Pass that I've seen.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you for the kind words. We had excellent source footage to work with, so everything just fell into place. As for the 90s, we agree 100%. What an amazing era in North American railroading. We very much appreciate the comment.

[@taylorbaggarleyunionpacifi3409]

Man I remember hearing southern pacific units bring back 1996 I love seeing a lot union pacific was awesome lots of power all say this line was awesome I hope someday they bring it back I got 2 place in bowling today 😊

[@CVisionProductions1]

Congrats on placing 2nd in bowling! And yes, 90s railroad nostalgia is pretty awesome. Long live the SP!

[@taylorbaggarleyunionpacifi3409]

@@CVisionProductions1 thanks guys means a lot yeah union pacific Rio grade and southern pacific I love 90s how it was

[@CVisionProductions1]

You’re welcome!

[@chuckrann6282]

One of the most scenic sections of track in North America. Thank you for posting this video. Don’t understand why UP would shut it down since it was a viable alternative to other Continental Divide routes.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you, Chuck. You’re very welcome. It was our pleasure to share this video with you. And we agree on the beauty of the line. Colorado is spectacular. It really is unfortunate that UP didn’t see a need to keep Tennessee Pass open, even for a few more years. We appreciate the nice comment.

[@adamwoods4273]

Too costly to operate unfortunately and supposedly they saw the Moffat line as a better alternative with more gentle grades

[@chuckrann6282]

@@adamwoods4273 Thanks for info. Yes Moffet works great.

[@Buzzizoven]

20:37 such a great view of that dirty tunnel motor hauling ass straight at you with the thick blue diesel exhaust. I miss times like this, C Vision! Great video man

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you, Ethan! That 5387 was a cool unit. It had so many lights… We miss this era too. It was a great time to be trackside. As always, your comments are very much appreciated.

[@texastrainfan56]

Love seeing the BN and SF Autoracks and all that SP power!

[@CVisionProductions1]

The 90s had it all! There was rarely a dull moment back in that era. Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@MainlineSouth]

Nothing like those SP P3s. Brings back memories

[@CVisionProductions1]

Agreed! They sounded fantastic. The Union Pacific must have liked them also, as they became a big user of P3s for a few years following the merger. Thank you for the comment.

[@lappdawg27videos]

I had a family reunion in Colorado in the summer of 1997 and on one of those days we went rafting along the Arkansas River. While getting instructions from our guides at the launch location a coal train rolled past. From what I remember that was the only train that passed while we were rafting, and unfortunately the only train I ever saw on it.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Wow! You were there right at the very end. You’re lucky to have seen the route in operation. We can only dream of seeing trains there today. Thank you for sharing that story.

[@UnionPacificRailroader]

Wonderful documentary, we loved watching every bit of it! From the scenery of the Coloroda Rockies, to the wildlife, colorful kaleidoscope-like consists of locomotives there are, to the narration, all very well done! Got to miss the old days of railroading, from the time the SD series and GP locomotives were new, to the Santa Fe runner-8s flying down the mainline! Again, wonderfully done, and thank you for taking us along on this historical trip down memory lane, we never went to Tennessee pass much to record, and very much regret that! Loved to have seen the alone Southern Pacific and Cotton Belt in their prime, without those Union Pacific patch-marks. It is sad to see what-once-was on the railroad! Very classic and retro scenery, love it! It is sad to see the fate of the Tennessee Pass meet that of the Saluda Grade of the Southern Railway, Rest in peace to a great legend of railroading!

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you very much for the kind words. We appreciate you taking the time to watch the full video. There was plenty of railroad excitement during the 80s and 90s. Mergers, new traffic, new power, old locomotives in fresh paint, along with quite a bit of “old school” railroading made that era what it was. Thanks again for the nice comment.

[@7ideaproductions]

Iconic scenes, Chris. Thanks for posting!

[@AnontheGOAT]

Awesome, the GOAT of railroad videos is here!!!

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thanks for stopping by! Glad to hear that you enjoyed the video.

[@kenmunozatmmrrailroad6853]

This footage is awesome!

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you so much! We’re glad that you enjoyed the video.

[@brandancruz2696]

Truth be told I clicked the like button yesterday when you uploaded this film 🤣, and now that I've watched it I made the right 👍!!! SP/RG we're legitimately Colorado classics. If I may suggest can we have some more short line action?

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you for liking and watching the video! There will definitely be more videos covering shortlines in the future. Stay tuned!

[@TempoDrift1480]

Damn, I'm 38 seconds in and this is beautiful.

[@CVisionProductions1]

We’re happy to hear that this video made such a positive first impression! Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@colinmulder6806]

Looks like Dan Hadley had SURPRISE & IMPRESSED us once again. If he'd came to this route between 1989-1996, he'd hands down would've been IMPRESSED himself with the changes that occurred. That was when freight traffic for this line EXPLODED to heights not seen since WWII. Not to mention it brought a wide variety of LEASE/FOREIGN visitors to the CENTRAL CORRIDOR ROUTE in both colors & locomotive models.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you, Colin! Your knowledge of this route is impressive. It was heartwarming to see SP’s Rio Grande lines so active in the early to mid-1990s. Of course, things changed soon after the Union Pacific takeover. And, as you touched on, the SP would use just about any locomotive that ran during their final years. It was truly a sight to see! As always, we appreciate your thoughtful comments.

[@colinmulder6806]

@@CVisionProductions1 Thank you. In fact, the past two weeks of October marked the 30TH anniversary of Amtrak running a passenger SPECIAL over that route for the 1993 convention of the AMERICAN ASSOCITATION OF PRIVATE RAILROAD CAR OWNERS(AAPRCO). With last week being the 30TH anniversary of the RETURN trip to Chicago, IL.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Very interesting! We’ll have to do a bit of research on that. Thank you for the information.

[@colinmulder6806]

@@CVisionProductions1Not a problem. If it'll help, more information about these specials can be found in the following magazine issues: PRIVATE VARNISH ISSUE 54 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1994. TRAINS MAGAZINE MARCH 1994. PACIFIC RAIL NEWS JANUARY 1994. This was said to be one of the organizations BIGGEST gatherings with a total of 44 cars from across the country.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Excellent details! Thank you for organizing and sharing that information with us, Colin.

[@DL541]

Another great video!

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you so much! We always appreciate your comments on our videos.

[@ELDRGW]

What a great video thank you

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you so much! We’re glad that you enjoyed it.

[@Pkilznah]

Stoked I just found your channel 🚂🔥🔥🔥🔥✊🎯

[@CVisionProductions1]

Welcome aboard! We’re glad that you found us. Thank you for watching the video.

[@patricknoveski6409]

Its amazing how much railroading changed within a decade or so. Now giant Gevos roam where SD 40 -2's were king. In Santa Barbara, I miss the SP beet trains. All swallowed up by mergers.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Those sugar beet trains were pretty awesome. It’s a shame that they are gone. As far as motive power goes, we truly miss the days when SD40-2s ruled the rails. If we ever get our time machine fired up, we’ll let you know. Thank you for watching, and for your comment.

[@davidwhiting1761]

As far as the sugar beet trains go - folks found a more economical way of producing sugar than with sugar beets, which effectively killed the business since demand for sugar beets dropped. Also the sugar beet cars SP used dated back to just after WWII and were understandably by then in an awful state, needing to be replaced altogether rather than overhauled - a diesel could rip the coupling right out of the old rotten wooden frames if the engineer wasn't careful. The cost of replacing the fleet of beet cars combined with the drop in demand for beets spelled the end for the beet trains.

[@Nicola636128]

Excellent Video!

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you very much!!! We’re glad that you enjoyed it.

[@andrewcrumb8027]

Beautiful work. These scenes shot by Dan Hadley are also in the Pentrex program, "Tribute to Tennessee Pass". I'm sorry, C. Vision Productions, but I'm afraid the reactivation of Tennessee Pass is a failure. Stefan Soloviev had given up on trying to buy that line from the Union Pacific. His Colorado Pacific Railroad kicked off a battle with short line operator Rio Grande Pacific - which is currently trying to build a brand new railroad in Utah’s Uinta Basin to tap into oil reserves there - back in 2021 when the latter was attempting to lease the line from UP. Rio Grande Pacific said it wanted to lease the line for both freight and passenger service, but that plan was later rejected after local communities raised concerns about the possibility of hazardous materials being moved over the route. The STB rejected the lease agreement on “procedural” grounds, arguing that such a “controversial” proposal to revive the long-dormant rail line in the mountains of Colorado required a more complete analysis instead of the more streamlined process RGP had hoped to employ. Colorado Pacific, which owns the former Missouri Pacific Towner Line in eastern Colorado, had been among the objectors to the plan to lease the line and instead offered UP millions to buy it. UP did not take the deal. In May, Colorado Pacific’s general counsel told Colorado Newsline that the company had “no further interest in purchasing the Tennessee Pass Line.” Colorado Pacific has, however, purchased the San Luis & Rio Grande, which was sold off in the liquidation of Iowa Pacific. The Tennesee Pass route is among the most scenic main lines in Colorado and has been dormant since 1997, not long after Union Pacific purchased the Southern Pacific. A short section of the east end of the railroad, through the scenic Royal Gorge, is operated by a short line, Rock & Rail, and a tourist carrier, Royal Gorge Route Railroad. The brief burst of activity surrounding the line had many enthusiasts hopeful that trains would again run the entire route. But for now it appears the legendary line will remain quiet.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you for the detailed information, Andrew! It is very much appreciated. The Tennessee Pass rumor mill was running at full steam over the past couple of years. But yes, most likely there will never be a Tennessee Pass revival. Tennessee Pass and Saluda are in very similar situations. As for Mr. Hadley’s footage, you are correct about the Pentrex video. As you may have noticed, we included some previously unused scenes in this production. Anyway, thanks again for the nice comment.

[@Sugarmountaincondo]

The Southern's Saluda Grade has already been sold off and will become a "Rails-Trails" and it won't be long before the Southern's "Old Fort Loops" ends up the same way.@@CVisionProductions1

[@jimmyhook4852]

Never say never though. :)

[@CVisionProductions1]

@Sugarmountaincondo It was very surprising to see the dramatic drop in train traffic east of Asheville towards Salisbury. We never saw that coming. During our visit to the area over 20 years ago, the S-Line was still fairly busy.

[@finlayfraser9952]

A Mighty Good Road to Ride!

[@CVisionProductions1]

And a beautiful ride it would be! Thank you for watching.

[@andrewdiesel4014]

This video is Awesome

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you, Andrew! We appreciate hearing that.

[@beeble2003]

16:25 Good to see Southern Pacific management represented in the video. 😉

[@CVisionProductions1]

Ha! You win the comment award for the day. Those lizards are sneaky…

[@GEVOlutionCPKC]

Yessssiirr OLD SCHOOL power 🔥

[@CVisionProductions1]

Absolutely! Some of the best, in our opinion. Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@johnjohnii5849]

It's weird seeing those UP dash 9s being so shiny and new. For some years now, all you see is faded paint, dirty, sooty, engine doors missing. And those SD90macs, there's so many of them in this video. I think they are mostly gone but I don't ever remember seeing one here in IL.

[@CVisionProductions1]

We also took note of just how nice the motive power looked in this production. The UP did a fairly good job of keeping their locomotives clean during that time. And yes, the days of SD90MACs on the Union Pacific appear to be over. They had quite a few issues that were never fully resolved. Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@derrickwong5337]

This is amazing video!!!!😇

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you very much, Derrick!!! We appreciate you watching.

[@madeinusa9265]

Thank you, C. Vision Productions for another awesome video! In regards to the train at 46:18, do you know if this train traveled on Union Pacific's Jefferson City Sub on its journey to East St. Louis? Also, do you know if and where the distributed power in the middle of the train would've been disconnected before arriving in East St. Louis? Again, great video!

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you for the kind words. It really does mean a lot to us. To answer your questions, we’re unsure of the route taken by this train east of the Rockies. We can only assume it traveled across the former Missouri Pacific east of Pueblo, which eventually took the train to Kansas City. From there, it most likely traversed the River Sub and Jefferson City Sub on the final leg of its journey to East St. Louis. Regarding your second question, this train was not operating with distributed power. Those were manned helpers based in Minturn. We appreciate you taking the time to watch the video.

[@madeinusa9265]

@@CVisionProductions1 Thanks for the information!

[@CVisionProductions1]

You’re very welcome.

[@mjrodriguez8670]

This video has colourful motive power consists rolling through the Royal Gorge and over Tennessee Pass! It's too bad that the line over the Pass was taken out of service, though.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you, MJ! It’s very unfortunate that this line is no longer used as a through route. It is arguably one of the most scenic rail lines in the world. We appreciate you watching and commenting.

[@CSXEK]

The proper people walked on the abandoned TN pass line they explored an iron mine and walked in the tunnels!

[@CVisionProductions1]

Very cool! It’s an awesome line to explore, that’s for sure. Thank you for watching.

[@tcp3059]

I never even got to see this firsthand. Tennessee Pass was shut down a week after I was born.

[@CVisionProductions1]

It’s really too bad that Union Pacific shut down Tennessee Pass so early. If only it could have stayed open just a little longer… Thank you for watching.

[@toddpilcher3804]

Spending 1/2 of my life in Colorado I spent many hrs filming the pass. As a di hard Grander it's hard to see SP and UP power. The pass was in my opinion the most beautiful senic rail line in North America. I have no love for the UP for shutting it down. Gone are the days of pure Grande power, maned helpers and caboose

[@CVisionProductions1]

You must have some incredible memories! The Tennessee Pass line traverses some of the most spectacular scenery in North America. It’s a real shame that there are no trains on the majority of the route. Thank you for the comment.

[@johnbowyer5519]

I was born in the Springs and my Dad used to tell me of the days of seeing the Double Headed Rio Grande Steam going north through the Springs and the Narrow Gauge where he grew up ( Westcliffe, CO ). I myself grew up in the days of the diesel and watch the Black with Orange Stripes of a Great Railroad roll through town. The last time I was back in the Springs was in 94 and got to see my most beloved engine GP30 3006 switching the yard in the Springs don't get me wrong I loved the the other engines like the SD9s, the SD45s, the SD40-2 and my second choice the SD40T-2s, but the GP30s were #1 on my list. Over the years I learned about the SP long before Rio Grande thought of buying SP and started to learn about SP and when Rio Grande bought SP I was ok with it , but was really mad when they said we are going with SP because it is more recognizable to the public then the Grande. Then the day came when I learned that the up (that's right it's in lower case because that is what I think of up ) the most cut throat no good garbage railroad was going to buy them out my heart hit the floor and The Business Black with Orange Stripes was gone forever and were I live now all I see is that nasty yellow I still watch the trains looking for old Fallen Flags of my Childhood....

[@paulwarner5395]

Thanx for the great video. What was the reason for the line being shut down.?? Seems lots of trains on it.

[@CVisionProductions1]

You’re welcome. Thank you for watching, Paul. There were several reasons that Union Pacific wanted Tennessee Pass shut down. The UP felt that the Tennessee Pass line was redundant, as the Moffat Route and Overland Route together could absorb the rerouted traffic with fairly little difficulty. This also allowed the Union Pacific to shut down the former Missouri Pacific main east of Pueblo, which had been feeding Tennessee Pass most of its traffic from the east. And of course, the 3% grade on the west side of Tennessee Pass was a very significant factor in the decision to close the route to through traffic. Hopefully that covers it. Thank you for watching, and for your comment.

[@RCPE3999Fan-c1i]

When is all orange rcpe released?

[@CVisionProductions1]

Not sure on a date, but it’s on the list. Stay tuned!

[@ssgogeta29]

Very cool video! I saw a lot of these clips in Pentrex’s video on Tennessee Pass. Did you work with them?

[@CVisionProductions1]

First of all, thank you! And yes, good eye. Mr. Hadley did work for Pentrex. Luckily, he retained the rights to his raw footage, and has been working with us to produce these videos for KZbin. You may be interested to know that the owner of C. Vision Productions also produced programs for Pentrex during the 1990s. We appreciate your interest in the video.

[@ssgogeta29]

@@CVisionProductions1 you’re very welcome! The footage is fantastic but I had this weird case of deja vu. lol Thank you for uploading this footage.

[@CVisionProductions1]

You’re welcome! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@AlfonsoGutierrez-j2l]

I wish I had lived in the D&RGW era and witnessed all of its prime.

[@CVisionProductions1]

The Rio Grande was an incredible railroad. Their operations over steep mountain grades were truly impressive. And the scenery was absolutely magnificent! We completely understand your sentiments. Thank you for the comment.

[@johnbowyer5519]

@@CVisionProductions1 When You Say Mountain Railroading Your Saying " RIO GRANDE"

[@CVisionProductions1]

@johnbowyer5519 Agreed. Not even mountains could stand in the way of the mighty Rio Grande!

[@SomeDuder1984]

@c_vision - Any plans for more tennesee pass footage?

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you for asking. As of now, the answer is no. We simply don’t have enough footage for another Tennessee Pass video.

[@SomeDuder1984]

Thank you

[@CVisionProductions1]

You’re welcome.

[@anb7408]

I would LOVE to know what in the world an NS coal train was doing way out Colorado at 37:50. That's an ultra expensive way to ship if it was Appalachian coal for Pacific coast export! Interesting.

[@CVisionProductions1]

After a bit of research, we discovered that those NS cars may have been transporting “coking coal” to Geneva Steel in Utah. And yes, that’s quite the long haul, but the railroads loved it. You never knew what you’d see coming into or out of Geneva, be it coal, coke, taconite, or something else. Thanks for the comment.

[@finlayfraser9952]

There was talk of re-opeening the line, but nothing seems to have come of it. Has anyone thought it worthwhile to run a track inspection car over the whole route?

[@CVisionProductions1]

Yes, there were rumblings of Tennessee Pass reopening under a shortline operator. As you probably know, things didn’t work out. However, we did see just how difficult it would be to reopen the line, especially from a regulatory standpoint. As far as the track inspection car goes, we don’t believe it would be able to safely travel from Parkdale to Gypsum without running into a boulder or derailing due to failed track. The current situation is not good. Thank you for the comment. There’s definitely a lot to think about here.

[@jell4662]

How did a BNSF train run the pass….. joint trackage rights…. Pretty sure that’s why UP shut the pass down..

[@CVisionProductions1]

That short local with the two ATSF GP35s was just the BNSF’s Pueblo-Cañon City job. Today, it is operated by Rock & Rail. As far as BNSF possibly eyeing Tennessee Pass in the past, that very well may have been true. We can’t imagine what BNSF would want the line for today, however. Traffic is too low and the line is too far gone. Thank you for your comment.

[@jimihendrix991]

@@CVisionProductions1 ''Union Pacific began actively discussing the sale of the line to Colorado Pacific in 2019, for an amount of $10 million. Colorado Pacific wanted to pay only the $8.8 million that the line was valued at. After a long battle in court, the ICC declared that they would not force a sale, but if other evidence was found, Colorado Pacific could re-file the report. As of October 2020, Colorado Pacific attempted another forced sale, this time saying they’ll run passenger/excursion service over the route. Union Pacific responded by stating they were in active negotiations for Rio Grande Pacific to operate the line and were opposed to Colorado Pacific's bid. [7] On December 31, 2020 Rio Grande Pacific subsidiary Colorado, Midland & Pacific Railway Company, announced it had entered in an agreement with Union Pacific to explore reopening, leasing and operating the line for both potential commuter and freight services.''

[@Cnw8701]

6:51 White number boards?

[@Philios2Glory1]

With today economy, this will never happen. ​@@jimihendrix991

[@TempoDrift1480]

This is a great channel, I can't believe Im just now seeing it. Consider me subscribed.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Thank you very much! We’re happy to have you aboard. There’s more of these videos on the way. Stay tuned!

[@southwestindianarailfan8098]

Looks like tribute to Tennessee pass

[@CVisionProductions1]

Good eye! Mr. Hadley was a videographer for Pentrex as well. We are grateful that he has chosen to share his fine work with us. You’ll notice some previously unreleased footage in this video as well. Thank you for watching!

[@jasonalperin9414]

Word is a private company is trying to take this line over to be reactivated,further there are efforts to reopen another line to bring commuter,passenger rail to Aspen and Steamboat Springs!

[@CVisionProductions1]

Interesting to hear about the lines to Aspen and Steamboat Springs. We’ll definitely have to look into that! Even if it never happens, it’s still fun to consider the possibilities.

[@jimmyhook4852]

Heh... I had a feeling a majority of the scenes looked familiar. :) This comes from a guy that still has Pentrex's Tribute to Tennessee Pass DVD. :3

[@CVisionProductions1]

Yes, Mr. Hadley was the videographer for the Pentrex Tennessee Pass show as well. We are grateful that he has chosen to share his collection of raw footage with us. Thank you for watching!

[@jimmyhook4852]

@@CVisionProductions1 Noice =3 And you're welcome =3

[@mikepriceup]

Those SD90's looked amazing when they were new. It's ashamed that UP no longer uses any of those. They sold off 100 to the NS and the rest are in storage all over the System.

[@CVisionProductions1]

Those SD9043MACs really did look sharp when they were new. It’s a shame that those units didn’t last longer or perform better. Definitely an interesting concept and design by EMD. Thank you for the comment, Mike.

[@jimmyhook4852]

(Double commenting cause why not =3) Ya know.... I still dream that one day... hopefully trains can roll across Tennessee Pass once more. :) After all... it is high on my list of longtime railfan dreams, the one that's easily at No. 1: Hoping and dreaming that Frisco 1522 can get the chance to run again for a 3rd life. =3

[@CVisionProductions1]

Yes, we would love to see a Tennessee Pass revival someday. With each passing year, that possibility seems less and less likely. We appreciate your comments.

[@jimmyhook4852]

@@CVisionProductions1 Yeah, but one shall never give up on pursing it for Tennessee Pass. :) Anytime. =3

[@jasonalperin9414]

Unfortunately as of late any efforts of Unitah Basin Railway,purchasing and reactivating this line,have appeared to have Fallen Through!

[@CVisionProductions1]

It’s unfortunate that a deal couldn’t be reached. We’ll see what the future holds, but it’s not looking good for Tennessee Pass. Thank you for the comment.

[@jasonalperin9414]

@@CVisionProductions1 Sadly i have to agree additionally even though its abandoned,UP RR still retains full ownership over the line and refuses to step down and sell it outright to a private entity,also many communities along the line fought against the line being reactivated because the plan involved shipping crued oil to the Gulf Coast supposedly!

[@BNSFrailfan01]

At least the Royal Gorge portion of the line still sees some Class 1 use as BNSF has an as needed operation that runs trains of sand from Parkdale down to Texas.

[@CVisionProductions1]

It is a little consolation that not all is lost on the Tennessee Pass line. If only there was hope for the middle portion of the route, specifically over the pass itself… Never say never. Thank you for the comment.

[@BNSFrailfan01]

@@CVisionProductions1 Most of the line has fallen into major disrepair, so it would probably take years to completely bring it back to operation. At least that the portion of the line that is still operating is through the Royal Gorge, as it’s probably one of the most scenic and unique parts of the pass.

[@CVisionProductions1]

You’re right about that. We’ll see what the future holds for this historic route.

[@2KSTEAM]

Was this filmed in 1996-97

[@CVisionProductions1]

The entire video was filmed in 1997, only months away from the line’s closure as a through route. We appreciate the question.

[@ellisjackson336]

I love this 90s railroading. Especially considering it’s out west. I always wondered why SP and Rio Grande had similar fonts for their graphics on their trains. Have you ever done a video covering the EJ&E?

[@CVisionProductions1]

We love the 90s too. That’s a big reason that we are working with Dan Hadley to get his footage uploaded to KZbin. Regarding the similar fonts, the Southern Pacific “speed lettering” design was based on Rio Grande’s attractive paint scheme. Rio Grande Industries purchased the Southern Pacific in 1988. It was decided that the SP name and colors would survive to represent the merged companies. With that, SP speed lettering came into existence as a tribute to the Rio Grande. And to answer your question about the EJ&E, we don’t have too much footage of them. There may be more released in the future, however. Thank you for watching, and for the comment.

[@ellisjackson336]

@@CVisionProductions1 thank you for the response! I’ll keep looking out for more content from you guys

[@CVisionProductions1]

You’re welcome!

[@J2NscaleModelTrains]

DRGW purchased SP in 1988 and changed the logo to the rio grande inspired “speed lettering”

[@Cobra-ky9bt]

I really, really miss aspen gold.

[@CVisionProductions1]

It is beautiful to see, for sure. Thank you for watching.

[@SPSteve]

Sure miss the SP. The SP worked my town and the surrounding area every day until the yellow paint came. I have no love for the Borg.

[@CVisionProductions1]

We don’t blame you one bit, Steve. We miss the SP as well. The UP did everything they could to erase SP’s image as quickly as possible, which seems to be common practice for the Union Pacific. Anyway, thank you for watching the video. Your comment is appreciated.

[@TheQuebecRailfan]

Smoky boi

[@CVisionProductions1]

Some of those SP GEs thought they were Alcos! Thank you for the comment.

[@remylopez4821]

It’s amazing all these years later and still, you could start seeing graffiti on some of the freight cars nowadays, the whole train is full of graffiti

[@remylopez4821]

Also at 58:52 I sure look like there was a couple of people inside that Norfolk and western boxcar

[@CVisionProductions1]

Things sure have changed over the past 25-30 years! As far as riding the rails goes, the Tennessee Pass route would have been an incredible journey. The Tennessee Pass tunnel would have been quite smoky, however…

[@azmike4202]

SD90s were not good performers and had a lot of down time. Dehorsed from 6000 hp (as promised) to 4300 hp didn’t help. Noisy cabs too.

[@CVisionProductions1]

You got that right, Mike. It was simply a flawed design. The locomotives were rushed into existence during the escalating horsepower race with GE during the 1990s, and it showed. As you probably know, they were also rough riders, and had their fair share of computer problems. Then of course came the frame issues later on. Lemons are great for lemonade, but they don’t do well as locomotives. We appreciate your insights.

[@helmet2helmet779]

This is a Pentrex video, not yours.

[@CVisionProductions1]

This video was produced using raw footage provided by the original videographer, Dan Hadley. Mr. Hadley retained the rights to his footage, and has granted us permission to use it for these videos. This program was edited together at the studios of C. Vision Productions in October of 2023. Pentrex was not involved. Thank you.

[@princessofthecape2078]

So incredibly depressing.

[@CVisionProductions1]

It really is sad to see what happened to this line. Thank you for watching.