01-14-2011, 01:15 PM
MountainMan Wrote:Severely rusted, including trucks, wheels, couplers and all. Some of them I could probably know a hole in with a hammer against the sides. These cars have been left in the same place in the severe Colorado weather for many years, probably well over a decade.
All in all, I would have to say abandoned.
Last summer when we were rafting down that stretch of the Arkansas R, I commented to our guide about the cars. She was local to the area. She said that the UP had had to meet specific requirements from the state to store them there long term. The cuts could only be so long between breaks in the car cuts to allow wildlife access to the river on the north bank (where the cars are). And the UP had not been allowed to store them at key scenic locations for the benefit of the rafting companies and the views from the water. Her answers seem more plausible than most here.
That said, the visual condition of the trucks and journals makes me wonder if they will ever be moved again. Although, in speaking to employees of the Royal Gorge excursion trains, they said they could move them in fairly short order if UP ever requests.
just my experiences
Fred W