Went to the store just in time for the gates to close in front of me. So I turned along the parallel road and paced the train. This is a UP line going into Kansas, the train was solid coal, 2 locos in front and 1 pusher, around 100 cars. Right here at Tower Road in Aurora, CO it is up grade, I am guessing around 2%, then goes through a sag, and then back up. The train was traveling around 17 mph at start, and by the top was down to 14 or so. They don't try too hard as there are too many towns and curves ahead.
I should start paying attention to what locos I see, and what they are. Diesels are not as fun as steam. 844 runs this route about every 10 years, last time I paced it to Deer Trail. Usually my brother and I pace the Cheyenne Frontier train, at times it has had both 844 and 3985, others it is 844 and the Centennial. When I was in my 20's I paced 844 all the way to Laramie, and in those days they hit 100. Now the limit is 75.
This was originally a branch line of the Rock Island, then UP took it over and upgraded it when RI went belly up. I saw the last RI train through: a string of locos traveling around 10 mph, pulling everything they had, must have been 250 or 300 cars. It was sad to see.
I miss seeing all the names of roads on the cars as when I was young; living near the Santa Fe and Rio Grande, didn't appreciate seeing the Texas Zephyr;. now there are only a few main lines, and a lot of trains through here are solid coal.
In those days, too, the C & S ran a 2-10-2 (light USRA) switching at times, and there were Alco's around. And we could play on the cars, including climbing in them, on top, up the ladders, and change the switches that were not locked (sidings, the main was really locked)
