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Dessert Mountain Pass Railroad Crossings in the United States?

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Dessert Mountain Pass Railroad Crossings in the United States?
Posted by WILSON BILLINGSLEY on Thursday, December 7, 2017 1:21 AM

I'd like to know the names of the dessert mountain pass crossings in the United States. I'm familiar with Tehachapi, Cajon, San Gorgonio (Beaumont Hill), Santa Susana (perhaps), Raton (I think), Glorieta (maybe), the old Salt Lake Route (definitely), and Abo Canyon (probably), but are those the only ones? I'd also like to know which of these have tunnels and/or helper operations, if possible.

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Posted by MidlandMike on Friday, December 8, 2017 9:49 PM

There was Montgomery Pass on the Carson & Colorado/SP narrow gauge.

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Posted by MidlandMike on Sunday, December 10, 2017 9:37 PM

Santa Susana and Raton have summit tunnels.  Some of the others have tunnels, but not at the summit.

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Posted by PNWRMNM on Tuesday, December 12, 2017 10:09 PM

I am surprised that no one has brought up two on the Sunset Route. The first is the crossing of the continental divide in New Mexico which is about 35 freeway miles east of Lordsburg, which appears to be near the center of the siding at Wilna. Approach grades both ways are a very modest .2%. There are steeper approaches to local summits at Steins, Raso, and Dragoon, all to the West of Lordsburg.

The highest point on the Sunset Route is Piasano Pass, located in the Big Bend country of Texas at MP 619, which is about 49 miles east of Valentine and 11 miles west of Alpine. 

Mac

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Posted by mudchicken on Wednesday, December 13, 2017 6:27 PM

Raton and Glorietta are on the same line and Raton has the Tunnel. Just passengers for now, Glorietta is only severe in one direction (Like falling off a tabletop)

Tennessee Pass (mothballed by UP), two tunnels

D&SL / UP is the Moffat line ....Glenwood canyon is a collection of Tunnels

Stevens Pass

Stampede Pass

Rogers Pass (Canada, sorry)

Monument Hill (CO) - Helpers yes, no tunnels

Hagerman Pass (Wigglesworth Pass)/ Busk-Ivanhoe Tunnel - CM (gone)

Altamont Hill

Marias Pass

Crawford Hill, WY (tunnels bypassed), helpers sometimes

Franklin Canyon (three tunnels)

Caliente, NV (gosh yes on both counts, one nasty piece of railroad topography)

Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
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Posted by MidlandMike on Thursday, December 14, 2017 8:43 PM

I thought of both SP's and Santa Fe's crossing of the continental divide, but I was not sure they would have been thought of as passes by the OP.

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Posted by GERALD L MCFARLANE JR on Tuesday, January 16, 2018 4:20 PM

Dessert mountain crossings...do we not have any Strawberries, Cream Pies or cakes?   Just in case no one noticed, thought I'd bring a little humor to the thread.

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Posted by JC UPTON on Tuesday, January 23, 2018 4:38 PM

Desert mountain:

Are Tennessee pass, Stevens pass & Maria’s pass really in the desert?

from the Far East of the Sunset Route

(In the shadow of the Huey P Long bridge)

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