P.C.C.M. 47G, Detour to Colorado Springs.

Greetings and welcome to P.C.C.M. 47G. During our last segment we found our weather delayed consist getting switched to a Pool Power train headed to Chicago. After an event free trip to Blue Island, IL. Our train faced a new issue. Not enough power to get the train West to Denver. Deferred maintenance and a lack of capital spending has left the Rock Island without enough working power to get its trains across the system. However a sharp Yardmaster has come up with a plan to get the train West to Denver and return some err borrowed locomotives. More on that later in the post. The train rolls West to Omaha, Nebraska only to find another obstacle blocking its arrival in Denver. A flash flood on Sand Creek has washed a bridge out East of Denver. Not to be deterred by this latest setback, some phone calls and a change in train orders sends the train to the true Western terminus of the Rock Island, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Our train arrives a little late again in Colorado Springs, CO. Even though most Rock Island trains terminate their trips in Denver using the former Kansas Pacific line from Limon, CO. The Union Pacific has a mess on their hands with normally docile Sand Creek taking out one of their bridges. Not a problem, the Rock Island has a small yard and shop in Colorado Springs. The Rio Grande has agreed to take the train the remaining seventy miles to Denver.

With our block of cars soon to be headed North on the Rio Grande, lets look around the Rock Island facilities in Colorado Springs.

Here we see a Rock Island Bay Window Caboose hanging out in the yards. The crew will probably spend the night in Colorado Springs and wait for power from Omaha to take them back at some point.

A Milwaukee Road boxcar added in Omaha, loaded with newsprint paper for the Rocky Mountain News. It originated in the Pacific Northwest from one of the many paper mills there.

A Rio Grande double door boxcar returning empty to Denver. It will be sent West to be loaded with more lumber products.

A Rock Island meat reefer returning empty to the Meat Packing row in North Denver.

Finally a Rock Island hopper that was set out in Burlington, Colorado for a "hotbox" defect. The shops in Colorado Springs will have it ready to go on the next train East.

Rio Grande F7A #5741 will be leading the train to Denver over the Joint Line owned and operated by both the Santa Fe and Rio Grande. The Colorado & Southern has trackage rights over the Joint Line after the U.S.R.A. forced them to abandon their Colorado Springs line during World War I.

This F7B is probably working its last days for the Rio Grande. Several Rio Grande F7A's and F7B's ran their final days on the Penn Central.

Almost an all cab unit segment, Rio Grande GP30 brings up the rear of the consist. The Rio Grande ran these durable and reliable EMD workhorses all the way to the end of operations.

Rock Island F7A #676 is painted in my favorite Red with speed lettering paint scheme. 676 finished its career in Commuter Train service in Chicago. I figured it needed some carbon blown out of the stacks and sent it out on a freight train for a change of pace.

Now about that "borrowed" power added in Blue Island. The Rock Island and Southern Pacific have a common connection on the Golden State Line from Chicago to California. The line changes in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Which trust me is out in the middle of no where. Southern Pacific power would normally venture no farther East than Kansas City. In this case the Rock Island borrowed the set all the way to Chicago, The Rock Island is returning the borrowed power to the Southern Pacific at Ogden, Utah via the Rio Grande.

Another interesting fact about this set of Athearn F units, is their connection to the Colorado Model Railroad Museum. The Museum will host fund raisers and sell off old and surplus equipment. These SP F units used to run across the magnificent layout at the Museum. My little connection to the Museum and the P.C.C.M. The PC and SP also ran Pool Power arrangements together. I have a feeling they might show up again in a future P.C.C.M. Thanks for Reading!!!