2017 Denver Post Frontier Days Excursion

This is another one of the big steam trips I've wanted to do. I was in the lottery last year but lost out. As I was on the 4449 trip and a bit "tapped out", I did not join for this year. I'll be back in the running for next year.

Hope to see you onboard !

Question:  Do passengers for the Denver Post Frontier Days excursion board at Denver Union Station?  Am I wrong in thinking that it has not come into Union Station in the last couple of years for this trip?  I would like to just see it and take some pictures.  On UPs website, it says "Limited Public Access".

Passengers for the Frontier Days train do not board at Union Station anymore. Union Station is owned by RTD (the light rail people) now. Another way the city of Denver has ruined Union Station. First they boot out one of the best O scale layouts in the country out of the basement. Now you can't board a classic train. The train will leave at 7 a.m. from somewhere across from the Forney Museum at 4303 Brighton Blvd. I don't know how close the public can get to the train. After the train leaves you can stick around for 3 hours for the TCA show at the Forney.

Hope you guys have a great trip. Meanwhile I'll be across the street Saturday and Sunday at the Forney Museum for the summer Rocky Mountain Train Show 10 am to 5 pm Saturday and 10-3 Sunday. 

Have fun!

Wow ... that looks like a fun day!

SJC posted:

This is another one of the big steam trips I've wanted to do. I was in the lottery last year but lost out. As I was on the 4449 trip and a bit "tapped out", I did not join for this year. I'll be back in the running for next year.

I read that there was air conditioning failures in the/some coaches on the 4449 excursion.  What happened?  

Jim

EBT Jim posted:

SJC posted:

This is another one of the big steam trips I've wanted to do. I was in the lottery last year but lost out. As I was on the 4449 trip and a bit "tapped out", I did not join for this year. I'll be back in the running for next year.

I read that there was air conditioning failures in the/some coaches on the 4449 excursion.  What happened?  

Jim

Two of the Amtrak coaches had AC failures. Passengers moved into other cars. 

Hot Water posted:

EBT Jim posted:

I read that there was air conditioning failures in the/some coaches on the 4449 excursion.  What happened?  

Jim

Two of the Amtrak coaches had AC failures. Passengers moved into other cars. 

"Sh*t happens." Part of life.

A bit of bad luck and timing ... with the heat wave,

I also read many excursion passengers' praise of the 4449 crew and others involved ... in their mitigation of the situation.

Are the coaches owned and maintained by Amtrak?

EBT Jim posted:

Hot Water posted:

EBT Jim posted:

I read that there was air conditioning failures in the/some coaches on the 4449 excursion.  What happened?  

Jim

Two of the Amtrak coaches had AC failures. Passengers moved into other cars. 

"Sh*t happens." Part of life.

A bit of bad luck and timing ... with the heat wave,

I also read many excursion passengers' praise of the 4449 crew and others involved ... in their mitigation of the situation.

Are the coaches owned and maintained by Amtrak?

Yes, and there in lied the problem. Apparently the Amtrak coaches came out of California (LA area?) and must not have been properly inspected, tested ,and repaired as necessary. According to many people familiar with Amtrak and their car maintenance, such failures are NOT uncommon. I would assume that our excursion management team will NOT be paying to the lease/use of those two coaches.

Erik, thanks for (again) posting a couple of your top-drawer photos.  I especially like the blue hour photo of 844.  It talks to me.

Wow .... how many dome cars were on that train?

844 sure is one handsome locomotive.

EBT Jim posted:

Wow .... how many dome cars were on that train?

I counted six dome cars from the various photos of the train.

844 sure is one handsome locomotive.

  There were 7 dome cars  4 observation cars and one partying dance car !

So I guess UP is the only class 1 with an "official" steam program, and they only run one public excursion a year, out of Colorado. BNSF and NS now have to run under Amtrak's umbrella, like with 261, 4449, and 611.

Robert K posted:

So I guess UP is the only class 1 with an "official" steam program, and they only run one public excursion a year, out of Colorado. BNSF and NS now have to run under Amtrak's umbrella, like with 261, 4449, and 611.

To be completely clear, the Cheyenne Frontier Days Special is organized and tickets sold through the Denver Post Newspaper, who LEASES the train from the UPRR. The UP does NOT "run" an public excursions.

Is the reason freight railroads don't want to directly handle public excursion trains is because of the liability and insurance issues? Let another group or Amtrak handle it? Did UP ever operate their own excursions in the past? But doesn't UP still need to be involved with excursions like this, have qualified engineers in the cab, etc.? It is after all their train and their railroad. Who pays the insurance? The recent NS excursions were a similar thing, even the old ones years ago, a museum or chapter would sell tickets, and staff the train, but NS would supply pilot engineers and other crew, and provide track to run on and time slots for the excursions to run without interfering with their freight schedules.