Re-purposing of Denver Union Station

[gbrewer]

A classic station undergoes re-purposing: Denver Union Station renewal, the good, the bad and the ugly.

Glen Brewer

Railroad Glory Days

[Deggesty]

Off hand, I do not remember when all passenger service south of Denver was abolished. Some time after that service ended, someone with authority decided that the land the tracks from the station occupied could be put to better use. So, it would be extremely difficult to reinaugurate such service without having to enter/leave the station in the same manner as the California Zephyr. 

We can remember that the City of St. Louis, and any other train that came in from the east and continued west had to change directions in Denver, because of the location of the station in respect to the tracks coming into the city. As long as Amtrak operated its trains into Cheyenne, the direction change was accomplished by moving the engine to the opposite end of the train, both in Denver and in Cheyenne.

I am not sure, from what a conductor told me, if it is planned to apply remote control to the switches that are used into and out of the station--I was amazed to discover that they are handthrow switches, that are left in the last position used.

I, too, do not like the covering over the tracks; it does not make me think of a railroad station. Umbrella sheds are not perfect--but they look much better, to me, that what is there.

[MidlandMike]

I checked a couple of Official Guides for passenger service south of Denver.  

Jan 1966:

D&RGW, Royal Gorge to Salida, which also hauled a CB&Q DZ sleeper to Colorado Springs.

C&S, 2 trains to Dallas (Texas Zephyr and an unnamed coach train)

MP, an unnamed Denver-KC coach train.

AT&SF, Denver-LaJunta connection

Oct 1970:

AT&SF, Denver-LaJunta connection.  Apparently the only train left south from Denver.

[Deggesty]

Thanks, Mike, for your searching this out. In April of 1971, the Denver-LaJunta train was the only southbound train left out of Denver--and the people who determined which routes would have passenger service after 30 April decided that this connection was not worth keeping, even though the particular schedule gave Denver service to Kansas City and from Los Angeles, in connection with the eastbound Super Chief/El Capitan. There was bus service from the westbound Super Chief/El Capitan and to #23 (coach only).

Thus, some time after Amtrak came into operation, it seems that someone looked at the real estate south of the station and saw that real estate that had unused rusting tracks on it, and decided that it could be put to better use--and the direct connection to Colorado Springs and south/east was lost forever.

If passengers can put up with the backup moves that the California Zephyr makes, could they also put up with a backup move that made it possible to go south from Denver?

On the same theme, when will Create make it possible for the City of New Orleans to leave/arrive Chicago without backing up? the tracks are there; there simply is no easy connection to make it possible.

Incidentally, when the Southern was running trains between Cincinnati and Atlanta/Jacksonville, there was a return move (not a backup move) past Citico Yard in Chattanooga--I wonder how many passengers noticed this. (Citico now has another name.)

The backup move between Denver and Cheyenne was noticed by some passengers when I was riding, and they accepted the explanation when I told them why it was necessary. I have never known anyone to question the backup move into New Orleans, into/out of Birmingham Terminal, or Atlanta Terminal on the Southerner (I did question why the change in Atlanta when the Southern quick backing the train out of/into the station when I rode it. southbound in 1968).

[MidlandMike]

Wasn't the line south out of Denver Union also the original D&RGW main (judging by he "S" curve off the joint line to serve Burnham Shops).  Was there any freight on the line after the ATK train-off?