Rio Grande's compact maintenance facility at Minturn, Colorado. D&RGW 8000 gallon tank car AX-5223 was built by General American Tank Car for Continental Oil in August 1921.

Borded up and abandoned, Rio Grande's sturdy depot at Minturn awaits an uncertain future in the Colorado Rockies.

Ready for the Pass
Two Southern Pacific AC4400CWs show off their clean scarlet and gray colors in a moment of sunshine at Minturn, Colorado, on September 5, 1995. Ten of these beasts wi... (more)

Tunnel Motor at Minturn
In July 1984, a westbound Rio Grande coal train waits for a new crew in the yard at Minturn, Colorado, at the western foot of Tennessee Pass.

A spotlight of sun shines brightly where it needs to be as Southern Pacific coal train with four AC4400CWs gets recrewed at Minturn, Colorado, on September 5, 1995. SP’s ACs were only a few mont... (more)

With very little to do but wait out the summer months, Rio Grande Russell snow plow X-67 glows in Aspen Gold paint at D&RGW's Minturn Yard. This single track Russell was one of a kind on Grande's ... (more)

Full moon lit up another trainless night at the foot of Tennessee Pass.

With Minturn Yard almost in sight, 5396, 3002 and 3023 keep on the power as they climb alongside the Eagle River with an Eastbound freight in May 1981. The head end is about to pass under the I70 ... (more)

Rio Grande SD40T-2 5383 fronts a Westbound coal empty as it descends Tennessee Pass into the crew change point of Minturn.

An eastbound freight behind 5379, 3041 and 5322 slides slowly into Minturn Yard to await the addition of helpers for the climb to Tennessee Pass in September 1981. During all my travels over the D... (more)

The first GP40-2 on the D&RGW roster, 3094, switches a short works train in Minturn Yard in November 1981

Fall in the Rockies - a cloudless day greets helpers GP40 3093, GP35s 3047 and 3050 and SD40T-2s 5387 and 5393 and they wait for the next eastbound at Minturn nearly 30 years ago.

Dwarfed by the surrounding mountains, 5343, 5370, 5392, 5333 and 5325 slowly make their way out of Minturn towards Tennessee Pass in July 1981. In the distance the two sets of helpers can be detec... (more)

One hundred loaded coal cars and twenty locomotives begin their slow climb out of Minturn up to Tennessee Pass in November 1981. 3099 leads six others on #790 westbound coal while glimpses of the ... (more)

Boxing Day/The day after Christmas 29 years ago finds 5412, 5407, 5388, 5394 and 5375 in a snow storm climbing out of Minturn, on the way to Tennessee Pass, with #788 100-car coal from Cameo. The ... (more)