Say it Ain't So, Denver Post!

The tragedy was indeed "unfortunate"!

Actually, in the 21st century, for a newspaper to sponsor any expensive event to such a limited audience seems like a waste of resources.  However, if this is an important event to that limited audience, then it is still worth doing, with a different business helping out.  I don't know the Denver business climate, but surely, some business or group of businesses could step in where the Denver Post once did it all.  You would think that the Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce and the Denver Chamber (or some similar business enterprise) could come up with an answer before Union Pacific pulls the plug.  I think the railroad has more of a role in making this decision than the newspaper would. 

Tinplate Art posted:

The tragedy was indeed "unfortunate"!

What was the tragedy? I am in the dark here.

Forest

Forest posted:

Tinplate Art posted:

The tragedy was indeed "unfortunate"!

What was the tragedy? I am in the dark here.

Forest

Same here.

A pedestrian fatality during the trip:

https://www.denverpost.com/201...frontier-days-train/

The DP site is mess. It wont display right on 3 browsers, a forth it wants $ to view it.

It's another reminder that nothing is guaranteed for tomorrow.  Ride trains that interest you, while you can.

Did not know they ran that with steam.  Got to Stampede some years ago but drove.  Will travel for steam.  Would like to know circumstances of accident, as steam locomotive today is kinda conspicuous and hard to miss?

colorado hirailer posted:

Did not know they ran that with steam. 

The Denver Post had been contracting with the UP for that train since the late 1890s, and has generally operated with one of the UP steam locomotives on the point since about the 1960s. Sometimes a few years were skipped, i.e. without a steam locomotive, however the CFD train always operated.

Got to Stampede some years ago but drove.

If you are referring to the Calgary Stampede, that is held in Calgary, Canada. The Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo, which is still the oldest and longest operating rodeo in the world, is obviously held in Cheyenne, Wyoming (USA).

  Will travel for steam.  Would like to know circumstances of accident, as steam locomotive today is kinda conspicuous and hard to miss?

A woman, taking photos/video, was standing on/at the ends of the ties on the UP main line between Cheyenne and Denver, on the return trip of the Denver Post Cheyenne Frontier Days Special, and simply did NOT move out of the way as the train approached her. The end result was she was killed. Not much more can be said. Pretty sad situation overall.  

Thanks for details.

Misspoke. Went to Calgary Stampede, also...different trip.  Did get up to Cheyenne Frontier Days, but, sadly, not by train.  Both trips some years ago, and details forgotten.

So that means no more public excursions on UP with steam or otherwise? Shame that now all the class 1's basically don't allow public excursions anymore. And Amtrak, too, with CEO Dick Anderson being a dick. Sorry for that but that's how I feel about the whole mainline excursion situation in the US. Lawyers rule. Railroads have to protect their butts at all costs, railfans and excursion riders be dammed. Now I believe there are ZERO public steam excursions or even diesel on any class 1 track in the US. The mainline excursion area is officially over. Well, the New River Train is still running with Amtrak diesel power. At least UP will still be running steam but on non public trains.

Houston, outside of LRT and the try weakly SUNSET, has been without passenger trains for the general public for years.  Does it affect me?  NO!  But UP has plenty of freight trains to watch.  And those make money.  Which means thete will be freight trains......

And that means now Cheyenne, WY will no longer be able to be traveled to by train, making the UP route now freight only since it doesn't have Amtrak service. I know, freight is the sole reason the railroads exist. They kicked the passengers out the door a long time ago, when Amtrak was created. But, in the Amtrak era we have had tons of steam excursions with and without Amtrak support. Even up to last year with the 844 and 2017 with 611. This year, will be the first year ever without a passenger carrying steam train on a class 1 railroad. As the younger generation takes over from the retiring older people at railroads, they will be less likely to approve or even consider steam excursions on their railroads. People like the Claytors and Wick Moorman were rare in the railroad world. Bob Claytor and Wick Moorman had steam programs at NS under their tenures. David Goode and Jim Squires seemed to follow the same path. They got rid of the steam programs soon after they took over as CEO. Well, in Squires case he might have supported the excursions for a while but after 2017 NS told VMT they needed to work with Amtrak for future excursions but last year Amtrak ended charter trains and excursions because Anderson wants to cut the fat. NS auctioning off five of the red excursion coaches that they bought for the program in summer 2017 was a sign that it was truly over. If Amtrak would have run excursions with 611 last year then other coaches would have had to be used to make up for the missing 5 NS coaches. Looks like the only option now to ride on class 1 tracks is to ride Amtrak on a regular train. No more "rare mileage" excursions on class 1 tracks without Amtrak service. That includes all the freight only NS routes that were traveled on in the past several years by steam excursions and Amtrak Autumn Expresses. I doubt very much that Amtrak would approve any future 611 excursions. It's over. It's really Amtrak that killed non UP mainline steam excursions with their stupid charter ban.

Dominic Mazoch posted:

Houston, outside of LRT and the try weakly SUNSET, has been without passenger trains for the general public for years.  Does it affect me?  NO!  But UP has plenty of freight trains to watch.  And those make money.  Which means thete will be freight trains......

We get it Dominic....... your the only human being on the planet that doesn't like steam locomotives.

Enjoy your diesels............

Dominic Mazoch posted:

Houston, outside of LRT and the try weakly SUNSET, has been without passenger trains for the general public for years.  Does it affect me?  NO!  But UP has plenty of freight trains to watch.  And those make money.  Which means thete will be freight trains......

LOL! Glad to hear you are happy! 

"try weakly"

Dominic Mazoch posted:

Houston, outside of LRT and the try weakly SUNSET, has been without passenger trains for the general public for years.  Does it affect me?  NO!  But UP has plenty of freight trains to watch.  And those make money.  Which means thete will be freight trains......

Odd.  I do not see the words, "hate steam locomotives", on the above.  I have watched for 844 and 3985 at the Hardy/Beltway 8 intetchange.  I have ridden behind SP and AFT 4449.

But steam in Houston is so rare it is almost a non-event, even in the fantrip era.  So you watch and enjoy safely what is there....

And even with the UP 4014, we do not know how long the UP program will run.  Or with which engines in the fleet.  Their engines.  Their $$$$$$!

For those who can watch and/or ride, do so.

Incidentally, this subject also was previously discussed in a thread a week or more ago, for those interested.

I lucked out on riding behind steam in the New River Gorge.  Now just Cass, Durango, Cumbres or paddle across the pond to ride the Ffestiniog?  (I think there are other steam tours in GB, as well)  ls there a guidebook on world, including N. America, steam excursions?  I guess the public isn't a target in railroad "public" relations?  Not enough of us who were here in the steam era.