T.G.'s Photography Blog

 A railroad speeder is a small maintenance of way (MoW) vehicle that is used by track crews and inspectors to quickly move along railroad tracks. The speeder has been largely replaced by high rail vehicles. However, some smaller railroad operations, such as the Georgetown Loop Railroad (GLRR) still use them. Even railroad hobbyists collect and restore  (external link) them for operation. Morning track inspection While driving east on I-70 toward Georgetown, Colorado, my wife and I stopped to take in the view from the Georgetown Overlook Pull-out. As we took in the view of the Rockey Mountains GLRR's MoW speeder came around the loop to the southwest of Devil's Gate Station . Before the day's train excursions, track inspection had to being done. GLRR's speeder pushes a trailer car around the loop located to the southwest of Devil's Gate. Fairmont railroad speeder According to the GLRR's website, the speeder is a Fairmont A4 model, and it originally operated on the...

 Wilkerson Pass is situated among the Rocky Mountains, about fifty miles west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and about eleven miles northwest of Lake George, Colorado. The summit of Wilkerson Pass looks out over the South Park Basin from the Front Range Mountains.   Wilkerson Pass' summit sits at 9,507 feet/2,898 meters above sea level. The Wilkerson Pass Visitor Center sits at the summit of the pass, on the south side of US 24. To the west you can see the Mosquito Mountain Range and to the southwest you can see the Collegiate Mountain Range. The Collegiate Mountain Range is part of the Sawatch Mountain Range. The South Fork South Platte River and the Middle Fork South Platte River flow through the basin. The confluence of the two rivers, south of Hartsel, Colorado, forms the South Platte River.  Mt. Yale is center-left, and Mt. Columbia is to the right, in this view from the summit of Wilkerson Pass. If you look toward the southwest from the visitor center over...

Rocky Mountain National Park While driving along Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park , this line of trees caught my against the mountains behind them. I like how the cloud passing overhead and casting its shadow on the mountain between the trees and the far mountain allows the trees to stand out a bit more from the background.  This photograph was taken approximately six to seven miles (9.65 to 11.2 km) north of the Kawuneeche Visitor Center along Trail Ridge Road (US 34). The Kawuneeche Visitor Center is north of Grand Lake, Colorado. Photo taken: September 4, 2013, at Rocky Mountain National Park.

A view looking out from Fairview Curve Viewpoint , along Trail Ridge Road , in Rocky Mountain National Park. Unfortunately, while I know the image was taken looking out from Fairview Curve Viewpoint, I am not sure which mountain this image is showing. I believe this photograph's view is looking toward Red Mountain. Photo taken: September 4, 2013, Grand Lake, Colorado.

A view from Mount Evans While driving down from Mount Evans, in the Rocky Mountains , I spotted this streak of light poking through the clouds. The view is looking west, from Squaw Pass Road (Rt. 103), toward a ridge line between Alpine Peak and Sugarloaf Peak. There had been a bit of rain on and off as I drove down from the summit of Mount Evans, but by the time I reached this point the clouds were starting to break up and the rain was moving away. Photo taken: September 2, 2013, west of Evergreen, CO., and southwest of Idaho Springs, Colorado.

UP 6071 at Winter Park, CO Union Pacific 6071 leads a loaded coal train east on UP's Moffat Subdivision, near Timberhouse Road in Winter Park, Colorado. This heavy coal train could be heard climbing the grade for miles, as it made its way toward the Moffat Tunnel, from the west. At this point, the train was about half a mile away from the west portal of the tunnel. From here the train will continue on toward the Denver, Colorado area, however, its final destination is unknown to me. Photo taken: August 25, 2005. Winter Park, Colorado.

Sunset at Dillon Looking west across Dillon Reservoir at sunset.  Photo taken: September 3, 2013, at Dillon, Colorado.

September 6, 2013. Loveland Pass, Colorado. A trail leading off from the parking area at the top of Loveland Pass, on the Continental Divide. Photo © Tom Gatermann.

Interstate 70 at the Eisenhower Tunnel This view is looking toward I-70 and the east entrance to the Eisenhower Tunnel. The road curving up in the lower left is Loveland Pass (US 6), which trucks carrying hazardous materials have to use, instead of the tunnel on I-70. The tunnel goes under the Continental Divide, while Loveland Pass goes up and over it. Photo taken: September 6, 2013, from Loveland Pass.

A trail near the summit of Loveland Pass A view of a trail leading up to the mountain tops at the summit of Loveland Pass on the Continental Divide in Colorado. Photo taken: September 6, 2013, at Loveland Pass, Summit County, Colorado.

September 5, 2013. Colorado Springs, CO.

Loveland Pass 9 (US 6) A truck carrying automobiles makes its way down the steep grade of Loveland Pass (U.S. Highway 6) on the eastern side of the Continental Divide. According the the Colorado Department of Transportation, the grades on this highway are as high as six percent. With an elevation of 11,992 feet, the road reaches the second highest elevation of a Colorado mountain pass, one spot behind Independence Pass (State Highway 29) which reaches 12,095 feet. While I'm not sure if this truck was had to use Loveland Pass instead of Interstate 70's Eisenhower Tunnel , trucks that are carrying hazardous materials are required to use the pass instead of the tunnel. Photo taken: September 6, 2013, at Loveland Pass in Colorado.

Stairs on the Alpine Trail A visitor to the park climbs some stairs on the Alpine Trail, near the Alpine Visitor Center. Photo taken: September 4, 2013, at Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.

Rocky Mountain National Park A mountain view from Fairview Curve Viewpoint , along Trail Ridge Road (US 34) in Rocky Mountain National Park. While I am not sure, I believe this view is looking toward Red Mountain. Photo taken: September 4, 2013, at Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.

A minivan on Trail Ridge Road This lone minivan is making its way up Trail Ridge Road (US 34) in Rocky Mountain National Park , as some dark rain clouds began to move in over the mountains. It didn't end up raining where I took this photograph from, but it looked like it might. The poles alongside the road show where the road's side is when there is snow. Photo taken: September 4, 2013, at Rocky Mountain National Park.

Mount Evans Road As storm clouds pass overhead, a lone car makes its way up Mount Evans Road on Mount Evans, in the Rocky Mountains.While this car was on its journey to the top of the mountain, I had begun my descent back down. Photo taken: September 2, 2013, at Mount Evans, Colorado.

Lake Echo As I drove down from the summit of Mount Evans , I saw these clouds looming over Lake Echo, so I pulled over and grabbed a few photographs. At it longest and widest points, the lake is about 1,500 feet (454 meters) long and 800 (235 meters)feet wide, however, from this view point the lake looks very small against vast mountains and sky. Photo taken: September 2, 2013, at Mount Evans.

West Side Lumber Co. 9 at Devil's Gate West Side Lumber Co. 9, on the Georgetown Loop Railroad, is backing a train down the mainline from Devils Gate Station toward the Devils Gate Bridge . A small portion of the bridge can be seen toward the top of the photograph. The train is backed out of the station for a short bit so that passengers can see the bridge from the underside before the train pulls forward and eventually crosses over the bridge. Photo taken on: September 1, 2013, at Georgetown, Colorado.

West Side Lumber Co. 9 - Devil's Gate Bridge West Side Lumber Co. 9 pulls its train across Devil's Gate Bridge on the Georgetown Loop Railway, as the conductor peeks out looking back over the train. The train is heading back to the station in Georgetown, Colorado. Photo taken: September 1, 2013, at Georgetown, Colorado.