It appears one of the locomotives in the 1st swing help has developed teething problems on the 3% above Pando. Two crew members have the doors open trouble shooting a problem on the second motor. ... (more)

SP8672 MK rebuild SD45 and a string of other 2nd generation motors lift a train into Pando. The grade here eases to 1% (flat by Tennessee Pass standards) and the train will pick up considerable sp... (more)

Three new AC4400 locomotives thunder out of Belden canyon towards Red Cliff. The grade here is 2.3-2.4%. By the time the rear of train passes, the head-end will be fighting a 3% grade and 12 degr... (more)

Engineer John Shine is at the throttle, as UP8016 muscles thru Mitchell on the climb for Tennessee Pass. This was suppose to be the last train over Tennessee Pass. Trains would run sporadically ... (more)

First light as three new AC4400s lead a coal train on the approach to Tennessee pass Tunnel. The AC4400s were delivered to the Southern Pacific from 1995-1996. By mid 1995 most coal trains on the ... (more)

In another view of SP9197 east, a couple of Whitewater Building Materials Corp. of Grand Junction, Colorado hoppers are in the foreground of this picture. The cars are notable in that Trainworx r... (more)

SD45T-2 SP9197 leads 2 more tunnel motors and a GP40-2 thru the Mitchell Curves. The new coat of paint on the leader is already covered in a layer of tunnel grime. The big 20 cylinder SP9197 was... (more)

"Bran-New" Southern Pacific 210 marches up Tennessee Pass below Pando. This section of grade between Red Cliff and Pando has tight 12 degree curves making it, like the rest of Tennessee Pass, a t... (more)

SP 8597 east shows a thick coat of cinder block grime as it blasts out of Tennessee Pass Tunnel. The SD45T-2 behind the leader still has a shiny new coat....

3 New Southern Pacific AC4400 sand the rail climbing thru the twisting Mitchell Curves. The train will soon conquer Tennessee Pass.

A heavy eastbound coal load pulls the Mitchell curves with 3 new AC4400 locomotives... The AC locomotives changed mountain railroading forever, the high traction and incredible dynamic braking ma... (more)

In typical Colorado summer monsoon weather, a eastbound coal load struggles under stormy skies. The heavy coal train is closing in on the last of the 3% grade before ducking into Tennessee Pass T... (more)

Two SD45 locomotives lead a westbound manifest down Tennessee Pass. Running trains down a grade this steep took great skill... The engineers that ran trains over Tennessee Pass, that have not ret... (more)

A westbound Southern Pacific freight exits Tennessee Pass tunnel. It was common to set air in the tunnel then pull the train out of the portal onto the 3% grade. This set of air insured the brake... (more)

With the upper signal mast of the West Tennessee Pass siding signal now gone— it’ll be a while, or forever—before the next eastbound train gets a high green cresting the summit of one of Col... (more)