WHAT WOULD THE IMPACT OF BRINGING TRAINS BACK TO TENNESSEE PASS BE?

The last trains ran through this special landscape and the surrounding communities in 1997. There are not many around who remember the impact of those trains, and the valley has changed significantly since then. We believe that any reactivation of the rail line in between Minturn and Leadville would bring tremendous negative impacts to the environment, safety of residents, noise and air quality, river health, and intra-community connections. Converting this small section to trail is the best way to prevent these impacts while keeping possibilities open for other sections.

Luckily, a YouTube search brings recordings to life of what the past baseline looked like, as it does what the future could bring.

Train roars Through Tennessee Pass in 1992

Train roars Through Tennessee Pass in 1992

Train screeches through Camp Hale. Soldiers in the 1940's often came down with respiratory ailments due to the smoke from trains settling in the low alpine valley.

Train screeches through Camp Hale. Soldiers in the 1940's often came down with respiratory ailments due to the smoke from trains settling in the low alpine valley.

Train exiting tunnel on East Side of Tennessee Pass near popular ski and nordic area and 10th Mountain Memorial

Train exiting tunnel on East Side of Tennessee Pass near popular ski and nordic area and 10th Mountain Memorial

Passenger rail requires speed, low cost, and frequency to be successful - none of which are possible on Tennessee Pass's steep and curving route in between Minturn and Leadville.

Passenger rail requires speed, low cost, and frequency to be successful - none of which are possible on Tennessee Pass's steep and curving route in between Minturn and Leadville.