Former Union Pacific Dent Branch and new RTD N-Line
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- Опубликовано: 3 ноя 2024
- This is the longest video I've made, but well worth it. It'll go by quick, I promise!
The Union Pacific Dent Line was once a mainline to service coal mines, farms, and ranches in Northern Colorado plus industrial areas between Denver and Thornton. This line also saw the historic UP #844 (then #8444) pull an excursion special back in the early 1970s.
Within the past 20 years, this line rapidly saw a demise. The coal mines went empty and the demand from the farms and ranches went way down.
Up until about 5-7 years ago, only the southern portion of the Dent Line saw a local a couple times a week servicing an industrial area between 104th and 112th Avenues. North of there, the only train in recent memory was in 2008 when UP stored about 350 box cars up and down the line much to the dismay of neighbors.
Now, the line has been abandoned by UP and RTD has purchased the entire line from just north of 68th Avenue. The purchase was to allow for construction of the new Commuter Rail known as the N-Line from near I-76 and 74th Avenue to Eastlake. North of Eastlake, the line is abandoned yet owned by RTD for future expansion of Commuter Rail.
So enjoy learning about this line that does carry a lot of history and will soon see passenger/commuter rail from north metro Denver all the way to downtown.
I live back behind Skyview HS We have lived in our house since 2005 and I remember seeing the local only a couple times. Now that it's the N line, It's neat hearing the bell from the train when it pulls into the 88th Ave station.
I remember seeing one train on that line... One sitting a little aways from a crossbuck crossing in Brighton.
This line never went into Brighton. It stayed west. You're probably thinking of the 168th Ave crossing which is the final location in this video.
@@STL-Railfan Yeah, that's what I meant. I thought it was Brighton.
Really good info and nice facts. Nice to know you paid attention!
Thanks! Just a little searching around on the internet also helps.
Awesome video mike :)
I’ve been looking into the history of this line, and always wanted to see some trains going through here. But haven’t had any luck!
It's quite rare to see a covered hopper move or gondola move on the south end along Brighton Blvd. Further north, it's all N-Line trains.
Last time i seen a train was October 2014 a gatx gp38 and a Union Pacific gp15 light power in Northglenn that was the last time I seen a train/ light power move on this line
18:45 I think RTD also owns parts of the line that goes past highway 7 too. The Dent Branch (or what used to be the Dent Branch) also goes up north and I looked at Google maps street views and saw RTD property signs that appeared to be in areas that weren't in the original FasTracks plan, and they appear to go on the old line, which can be seen from satellite images, like on Colorado Road 6 which is north of the proposed 167th avenue station, Colorado Road 11, Weld County Road 8, Colorado Roads 8, 7, 5, and 3 in Erie Colorado, and practically up to Boulder as well. So maybe RTD owns the remainder of the UP branch in the case of possible rail expansion.
Yes, they own what was the Boulder Branch all the way to 63rd Street. What they want to do with this is anyone's guess. They will have to rebuild the bridge over I-25 just north of the Erie exit. You can still see evidence of the old ROW on both sides of the highway.
Interesting video thanks for brining it to us. I have an update on google map street view it appears the other signal has since been replaced at the 124th Ave crossing.
When were the first parts of the Dent branch abandoned? I saw a train orders forum where someone said that when MoPac brass came to the Union Pacific they "abandoned anything that didn't have cars on it" in Northern Colorado, including the Dent branch, but I have seen no specific dates to when. Is there an exact date to when through service of the Dent branch stopped and tracks began getting partially pulled up?
@@harrisonofcolorado8886 I believe it was officially abandoned in 2012. A friend of mine works for a contractor of RTD and told me quite a bit of information.
Rails up to 128th Avenue were removed around 2016 but new ones were quickly put down when RTD started building the N Line Commuter Rail between Union Station and 128th Ave where it currently terminates.
North of 128th Ave, at last check, rails were still in place and it's considered "moth balled" or out of service because it is all owned by RTD with the intent to extend further north and maybe west into Boulder. All still speculation at this point.
There were hundreds of box cars stored on the line back in the late 2000s.
As far as last revenue train, I'm sure it was back in the 90s before the bridge over I-25 was removed. You can still see where the bridge once was just north of exit 235.
That was actually the eastern portion of the Boulder Branch, but not far from where it switched off the Dent Branch.
Update on the last crossing, another crossbuck was put up.
I'm surprised that they replaced one of the crossing gates at 136th after a car crashed into the old one, weird how they installed a newer gate even though the line is abandoned
How long ago was that? I know the signal in the median for the westbound side is different than the others but it may have been replaced when it was still an active line.
@@STL-Railfan it was replaced a few years ago when the line was abandoned
As of today at 2:40 they start testing RTD trains on the line
Do you know how many trains RTD is running on the N Line?
@@traincentral1940 no they are just doing test up and down the line for now
@@thedenverrailfan1985 So if that's the case, I'm guessing trains go through at random times of the day.
Denver must build commuter rail into the city if it ever wants to grow into an important economic engine. You can’t keep building parking spaces for each employee. There isn’t enough room and it’s needlessly expensive and a waste of space. Besides, who wants to sit in traffic everyday when they don’t need to? Colorado must at least set aside the land needed to build these rail lines too. Before the population builds there. Eventually all that land between Denver and Fort Collins will be built out.
They are. Right now two Commuter Rail lines and several light rail lines go into downtown and Union Station. Two more commuter rail lines are going to open within the next year. We now have one of the largest commuter and light rail systems in the country and it's only to keep getting bigger.
9:15 They replaced the signals.
Yes, all signals have been replaced along the entire line. I thought they would have kept the ones in better shape, such as Thornton Parkway, but RTD had other plans.
You mention the old signals a lot. I suspect they’re there because of the signal problems they’re having on the G line. The one to the west I think.
All the signals between Thornton Parkway and Eastlake have been replaced with new ones. For now, gates haven't been installed yet.
I haven't heard anything about the signal problems on the G-line. Currently that line is in testing and I'm sure they are trying to avoid the issues that have been going on along the A-line specifically at Chambers Road.
Like the video and info... Just a bit dizzy from all the movement. Maybe a tripod next time?
Jeremy Sur sorry, I don't have a tripod. I was using a regular Sony handycam. Didn't realize how shaky it was! Usually I don't do this bad!
Is there a date when this will be open yet ?
It was supposed to be open by now, or if anything seeing test trains. Now, it sounds like late 2019 due to conflicts with a local cemetery and conflicts over security issues at an oil refinery: www.denverpost.com/2017/10/17/rtd-north-metro-rail-line-n-line-construction-delay/
Construction still moves on at a very rapid pace! All tracks are now laid and just a few stretches need the electrical cables. Also a couple crossings still need signals. I have not seen this line south of Suncor energy into downtown. So I'm not sure what it looks like as it runs along Brighton Blvd and that cemetery along the Platte River.
This video is fast forward. not the whole line though. ruclips.net/video/eoyP1gs0fx8/видео.html
Sorry I couldn’t watch more then a minute because you were moving the camera way to fast. Nothing was in focus. Slow down some and I would be happy to view more.