1996

Denver & Rio Grande Western [Southern Pacific]
Colorado (Tennessee Pass Tunnel)
June 5, 1996




The east portal of the Tennessee Pass Tunnel provided a number of useful vantage points. At this time the Denver & Rio Grande Western (now operating under the corporate name of Southern Pacific, although the former actually owned the latter) was providing unit trains of coal to Utah, and midtrain helpers like these were the norm. The odd structure over the tunnel entrance at one time operated a shutter to prevent the entrance of snow in the winter, but was apparently no longer in use. Several sources state that the west portal also had such a shutter, but they were not evident in photographs.




This page posted 1/1/2019. Text and photo ©2019 Lamont Downs.