39600 of GE AC horse power, lifts a train toward DRG&W's Tennessee Pass at Pando, CO. 1997

We are on the ex-DRG&W at Pando Colorado as we watch nine GE's battle the 3.5% grade toward the summit of Tennessee Pass. We watch a mixture of Sothern Pacific, and Union Pacific AC units in the 8th notch battling the grade with a long coal train. Three SP AC4400 lead. Mid-way back, we see four GE's shoving hard, One SP AC4400, and three UP AC60/44 convertible units. Two more UP convertible GE's are pushing hard on the rear end. Once the train gets to Leadville. The power will be taken off, and will return to Minturn to get ready for another push up to the summit. Tennessee Pass is at the elevation of 10,275 feet (3,132m) in the Colorado Rockies. The line was original built as a narrow gauge railroad by the DRG&W in 1881. The line was noted as being the highest mainline railroad mountain pass in the United States. Grades to the west of the summit where as much as 3.5%, and east of the summit only 1.4%. The last train that ran over this line was in 1997. Video was taken in April 20 1997. Thanks for watching. Jackmp294.5™...

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Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• train
• trains
• railroad
• railway
• locomotive
• emd
• ge
• generalelectric
• sp
• southernpacific
• up
• unionpacific
• drgw
• drg&w
• riogrande
• tennesseepass
• pando
• pandocolorado
• rockies
• ac44
• ac4400
• ac60
• ac6000
• ac60/44
• convertible
• coal
• coaltrain
• helpers
• signal
• engines
• jack
• jackmp294
• jackmp294.5

[sd70m2man]

The first convertable is a full fledged AC6000CW.

[1jackdk]

@sd70m2man Well! That will bump up the total HP to over 41000 then! Thanks for the info, and watching.

[UPDetector]

Nice to have SP leading the job for that and UP Distributing the power and of course those were the AC6000CW days now all of them are just C44/60AC's. It seems like UP was acting like NS for the pushing job because he blew the P3 for at the end so I'm sure there was another crew doing the work in there. Awesome catch Jack

[1jackdk]

@UPDetector There was a crew in the mid-train units also. We went to Leadville to watch them take the helpers off, and both set of helpers returned to Minturn on there own. The rear went back as soon as the push was over, and came off at Tennessee Pass tunnel, and the mids came off, and returned after they help put the train together. Thanks for watching...

[DenverGuy11111]

@bluecomet390 I don't think anyone would dispute that.

[bluecomet390]

@DenverGuy11111 Still cheaper than any other mode of transport.

[NorfolkSouthern1206]

Classic SP.

[DenverGuy11111]

This is real railroading. In each locomotive, I don't know of any system besides the brakes that isn't running in full power. The computer systems are working to maximize adhesion and full efficiency while minimizing emissions. The prime mover is in full power. Each generator is producing enough electricity to power 100 houses. The traction motors are using every available watt to get that power to the rail. A great video. In person even more impressive.

[DenverGuy11111]

@bluecomet390 Let's figure it out. 9 GEs in run 8. Each is burning roughly 200 gallons of diesel fuel per hour. We can figure 1800 gallons per hour. Diesel is about $3.44 per gallon on average. What would a railroad pay - $3? So that would be about $5400 per hour.

What's the speed here, 12 MPH? Even at 4 hours we're at almost $22,000.

[ussoldierrail]

@ussoldierrail Still all in all we are a chrsitian family and union family and a militayr family so mabey some day we can take a vacation and see some of this country. A vacation for us is down the road on saturday morning for a few hrs. One day off a week and then back to the 24 hr grind of poverty and praying for hope. I still give as I can. And I do thank you for ur prayers and these vudeos for us who cannot afford to travel. U are both a christian brother and a good man and I pray u

[ussoldierrail]

+Brother I am still trying to find the end of ur vids! none in sight which is great news for me! Bad credit, rental, HUGE car payment with bad credit, medical problems and a son in the militayr and ahandicapped vet I am... Yup I am the post card picture of a city born poor white guy. A hard life and a typical life of to much education and no money. Ah the American dream it went away back in the 1970s.. GOD BLESS ya..

[R1Wagon]

Holy mother of Jesus!! That is a LOT of power!!!!!!

[kmdjones1]

BRING ON THE ES44DCs!