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Tennessee Pass (Colorado)
Encyclopedia
Tennessee Pass elevation 10275 ft (3,131.8 m) is a high mountain pass
in the Rocky Mountains
of central Colorado
in the United States
.
The pass traverses the continental divide
north of Leadville
in a gap between the northern end of the Sawatch Range
to the west and the northern end of the Mosquito Range
to the east. It connects the headwaters of the Arkansas River
to the south with the upper valley of the Eagle River
(in the watershed of the Colorado River) to the north. The pass is traversed by U.S. Highway 24, allowing access between Leadville and Interstate 70
in the Eagle Valley. The pass has a gentle approach on both sides with few steep gradients and no major hairpin curves. The summit of the pass is nearly level. The road over the pass is generally open all year round, easily negotiable by most vehicles, and closes only during severe winter storms.
The summit of the pass is the location of Ski Cooper
, a ski area in the San Isabel National Forest
operated by permit from the United States Forest Service
. Most of the area is above the tree line, providing a panoramic view of the peaks of the Sawatch Range
to visitors. The area was formerly a World War II
training ground for United States Army
troops of the 10th Mountain Division from nearby Camp Hale
. A memorial to troops of the division is located at the summit of the pass.
The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
constructed a narrow gauge railroad over Tennessee Pass in 1881 as part of their extension to the Aspen area to beat the Colorado Midland Standard Gauge route to the rich mining area. In 1890, a new standard gauge line was built from Pueblo
, to Grand Junction
, and jointly with the Colorado Midland Railway
, a tunnel
was constructed about 200 ft (60 m) below the summit. In 1945, the old Tennessee Pass Tunnel was replaced by a newer tunnel. In recent times, the Rio Grande's Tennessee Pass line was the highest mainline railroad mountain pass in the United States
. The line is currently owned by Union Pacific but with the exception of a stretch through the Royal Gorge
, the tracks have been abandoned.
Once the Moffat Tunnel
and Dotsero Cutoff were constructed, the Tennessee Pass subdivision became a secondary route, with the Moffat route being the Rio Grande's preferred crossing of the Front Range
. This was mainly due to the Moffat route having a maximum grade of 2% while the west side of the Tennessee Pass route has grades up to 3%. However, the east side of the Tennessee Pass has a maximum grade of only 1.4%. When the Rio Grande merged into the Southern Pacific Railroad
in 1988 the Tennessee Pass route once again became the preferred Trans-Continental route as the Southern Pacific now had a central route from California
through to Kansas
via Donner Pass
, Tennessee Pass and trackage rights on the former MoPac
route from Pueblo, Colorado
into Kansas
, although the Moffat Tunnel route was still kept in use.
In 1996, the Union Pacific Railroad
bought the Southern Pacific and had plans to re-route all Trans-Continental traffic over the Overland route over Sherman Hill
through Wyoming. The Surface Transportation Board
let the buyout take place. The two long competing railroads were now one under the name Union Pacific. However the BNSF Railway
was given trackage rights
over the Moffat Line and allegedly over the Tennessee Pass line, but the latter was never used. As a result of this the last train went over the Tennessee Pass in 1997. Soon after Union Pacific ran this last train, they applied to the STB
for permission to abandon the line. However, they quickly backed down on this as they would have been forced to sell it to another potential competitor . The state of Colorado
has said it will buy the line if it is ever put up for sale.
Currently the line is not of much use to the UP as the former Mopac line to Pueblo, Colorado
has been partially abandoned so trains would have to travel from Denver, Colorado
down to Pueblo, Colorado
before they can head west, making the route seem to be more of use to BNSF. However, it must also be taken into account that the Moffat Tunnel can only handle around 25 trains a day and has been operating at near capacity with increased coal traffic, which could turn the Tennessee Pass tracks into a supplementary route. In 2007, Union Pacific ran a ballast train onto the disused section of the line near Avon, Colorado
but apart from the odd hi-rail inspections of parts of the line there is no sign of a re-opening of the Tennessee Pass line as a through route.
As a result of the UP/SP merger, the UP gained rights over the BNSF from Pueblo, through LaJunta and on to Texas on the old Santa Fe line. This is primarily a coal route so the use of Tennessee Pass would eliminate UP coal trains that originate in western Colorado from going to Denver and then south to Pueblo. This may be one reason the UP does not abandon the line as modern day distributed locomotive power would make the pass easier to operate with high tonnage coal trains. The BNSF has not generated a lot of traffic on the Moffat line into Utah and beyond so the value of the pass is probably with the UP.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
in the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
of central Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The pass traverses the continental divide
Continental divide
A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not connected to the open sea...
north of Leadville
Leadville, Colorado
Leadville is a Statutory City that is the county seat of, and the only municipality in, Lake County, Colorado, United States. Situated at an elevation of , Leadville is the highest incorporated city and the second highest incorporated municipality in the United States...
in a gap between the northern end of the Sawatch Range
Sawatch Range
The Sawatch Range is a mountain range in central Colorado which includes eight of the twenty highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, including Mount Elbert, at elevation, the highest peak in the Rockies....
to the west and the northern end of the Mosquito Range
Mosquito Range
The Mosquito Range is a high mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado in the United States. The peaks of the range form a ridge running north-south for approximately 40 miles from southern Summit County on the north end, then along the boundary between Lake and Park counties...
to the east. It connects the headwaters of the Arkansas River
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
to the south with the upper valley of the Eagle River
Eagle River (Colorado)
The Eagle River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately long, in west central Colorado in the United States.It rises in southeastern Eagle County, at the continental divide, and flows northwest past Gilman, Minturn, Avon...
(in the watershed of the Colorado River) to the north. The pass is traversed by U.S. Highway 24, allowing access between Leadville and Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
in the Eagle Valley. The pass has a gentle approach on both sides with few steep gradients and no major hairpin curves. The summit of the pass is nearly level. The road over the pass is generally open all year round, easily negotiable by most vehicles, and closes only during severe winter storms.
The summit of the pass is the location of Ski Cooper
Ski Cooper
Ski Cooper, which opened as Cooper Hill Ski Area in 1941, is a small alpine ski resort in Colorado. It has one double, one triple, two poma lifts, and one carrot lift...
, a ski area in the San Isabel National Forest
San Isabel National Forest
San Isabel National Forest is located in central Colorado. The forest contains 19 of the state's 54 fourteeners, peaks over high, including Mount Elbert, the highest point in Colorado....
operated by permit from the United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
. Most of the area is above the tree line, providing a panoramic view of the peaks of the Sawatch Range
Sawatch Range
The Sawatch Range is a mountain range in central Colorado which includes eight of the twenty highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, including Mount Elbert, at elevation, the highest peak in the Rockies....
to visitors. The area was formerly a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
training ground for United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
troops of the 10th Mountain Division from nearby Camp Hale
Camp Hale
Camp Hale, between Red Cliff and Leadville in the Eagle River valley in Colorado, was a U.S. Army training facility constructed in 1942 for what became the 10th Mountain Division. It was named for General Irving Hale....
. A memorial to troops of the division is located at the summit of the pass.
Railroad line
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
The Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad , often shortened to Rio Grande or D&RGW, formerly the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, is a defunct U.S. railroad company. The railroad started as a narrow gauge line running south from Denver, Colorado in 1870; however, served mainly as a transcontinental...
constructed a narrow gauge railroad over Tennessee Pass in 1881 as part of their extension to the Aspen area to beat the Colorado Midland Standard Gauge route to the rich mining area. In 1890, a new standard gauge line was built from Pueblo
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
, to Grand Junction
Grand Junction, Colorado
The City of Grand Junction is the largest city in western Colorado. It is a city with a council–manager government form that is the county seat and the most populous city of Mesa County, Colorado, United States. Grand Junction is situated west-southwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. As...
, and jointly with the Colorado Midland Railway
Colorado Midland Railway
The Colorado Midland Railway , incorporated in 1883, was the first standard gauge railroad built over the Continental Divide in Colorado. It ran from Colorado Springs to Leadville and through the divide at Hagerman Pass to Glenwood Springs and Grand Junction....
, a tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
was constructed about 200 ft (60 m) below the summit. In 1945, the old Tennessee Pass Tunnel was replaced by a newer tunnel. In recent times, the Rio Grande's Tennessee Pass line was the highest mainline railroad mountain pass in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The line is currently owned by Union Pacific but with the exception of a stretch through the Royal Gorge
Royal Gorge
The Royal Gorge is a canyon on the Arkansas River near Cañon City, Colorado. With a width of at its base and a few hundred feet at its top, and a depth of in places, the 10-mile-long canyon is a narrow, steep gorge through the granite of Fremont Peak...
, the tracks have been abandoned.
Once the Moffat Tunnel
Moffat Tunnel
The Moffat Tunnel is a railroad and water tunnel that cuts through the Continental Divide in north-central Colorado. Named after Colorado railroad pioneer David Moffat, the tunnel's first railroad traffic passed through in February 1928....
and Dotsero Cutoff were constructed, the Tennessee Pass subdivision became a secondary route, with the Moffat route being the Rio Grande's preferred crossing of the Front Range
Front Range
The Front Range is a mountain range of the Southern Rocky Mountains of North America located in the north-central portion of the U.S. State of Colorado and southeastern portion of the U.S. State of Wyoming. It is the first mountain range encountered moving west along the 40th parallel north across...
. This was mainly due to the Moffat route having a maximum grade of 2% while the west side of the Tennessee Pass route has grades up to 3%. However, the east side of the Tennessee Pass has a maximum grade of only 1.4%. When the Rio Grande merged into the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
in 1988 the Tennessee Pass route once again became the preferred Trans-Continental route as the Southern Pacific now had a central route from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
through to Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
via Donner Pass
Donner Pass
Donner Pass is a mountain pass in the northern Sierra Nevada, located above Donner Lake about nine miles west of Truckee, California. It has a steep approach from the east and a gradual approach from the west....
, Tennessee Pass and trackage rights on the former MoPac
Missouri Pacific Railroad
The Missouri Pacific Railroad , also known as the MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers, including the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway , Texas and Pacific...
route from Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
into Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, although the Moffat Tunnel route was still kept in use.
In 1996, the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
bought the Southern Pacific and had plans to re-route all Trans-Continental traffic over the Overland route over Sherman Hill
Sherman Hill
The Sherman Hill Neighborhood Historic District is a historic neighborhood located in Des Moines, Iowa. The district encompasses and 210 buildings and is bounded by 15th Street, Woodland Avenue, Martin Luther King Parkway and School Street....
through Wyoming. The Surface Transportation Board
Surface Transportation Board
The Surface Transportation Board of the United States is a bipartisan, decisionally-independent adjudicatory body organizationally housed within the U.S. Department of Transportation. The STB was established in 1996 to assume some of the regulatory functions that had been administered by the...
let the buyout take place. The two long competing railroads were now one under the name Union Pacific. However the BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
was given trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
over the Moffat Line and allegedly over the Tennessee Pass line, but the latter was never used. As a result of this the last train went over the Tennessee Pass in 1997. Soon after Union Pacific ran this last train, they applied to the STB
Surface Transportation Board
The Surface Transportation Board of the United States is a bipartisan, decisionally-independent adjudicatory body organizationally housed within the U.S. Department of Transportation. The STB was established in 1996 to assume some of the regulatory functions that had been administered by the...
for permission to abandon the line. However, they quickly backed down on this as they would have been forced to sell it to another potential competitor . The state of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
has said it will buy the line if it is ever put up for sale.
Currently the line is not of much use to the UP as the former Mopac line to Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
has been partially abandoned so trains would have to travel from Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
down to Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
before they can head west, making the route seem to be more of use to BNSF. However, it must also be taken into account that the Moffat Tunnel can only handle around 25 trains a day and has been operating at near capacity with increased coal traffic, which could turn the Tennessee Pass tracks into a supplementary route. In 2007, Union Pacific ran a ballast train onto the disused section of the line near Avon, Colorado
Avon, Colorado
Avon is a Home Rule Municipality that is the most populous town in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population was 5,561 at the 2000 census. Avon is the gateway to the Beaver Creek Resort which lies about two miles south of the town. It was the previous site of Vail Resorts before the...
but apart from the odd hi-rail inspections of parts of the line there is no sign of a re-opening of the Tennessee Pass line as a through route.
See also
- Treasure: In Search of the Golden HorseTreasure: In Search of the Golden HorseTreasure: In Search of the Golden Horse, or TISOTGH, was a treasure hunting puzzle published in 1984 by the Intravision production company. It was conceived as a story-based contest by filmmaker Sheldon Renan similar in concept to that of Kit Williams' Masquerade...
As a result of the UP/SP merger, the UP gained rights over the BNSF from Pueblo, through LaJunta and on to Texas on the old Santa Fe line. This is primarily a coal route so the use of Tennessee Pass would eliminate UP coal trains that originate in western Colorado from going to Denver and then south to Pueblo. This may be one reason the UP does not abandon the line as modern day distributed locomotive power would make the pass easier to operate with high tonnage coal trains. The BNSF has not generated a lot of traffic on the Moffat line into Utah and beyond so the value of the pass is probably with the UP.