CA Zephyr detours this summer?

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Guest_rms492_*

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Hello, have there been any rumors about the CA Zephyr running through Wyoming this summer?

What kind of work would go on through Colorado that would require detour?

And for past detours of the Zephyr, at what point(s)/cities were the detours from to where?
 
I have not heard of any plans. If they do major work on the line (say in the Moffat Tunnel or reconstructing a single track stretch near Grand Junction), they might choose to detour instead. Past detours ran from Denver thru Wyoming to SLC nonstop.
 
the_traveler said:
I have not heard of any plans. If they do major work on the line (say in the Moffat Tunnel or reconstructing a single track stretch near Grand Junction), they might choose to detour instead. Past detours ran from Denver thru Wyoming to SLC nonstop.
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I (unfortunately) was on one of those detours between Denver and SLC. Boooooring.

However, most of the passengers were notified ahead of time about the detour, but not all (including me).
 
I did the detour and while definately not as nice as the normal run, I didn't think it was that horrible. It was actually rather neat and there were some really neat things to see, like Devils' Slide, a rather unique rock formation.

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Would detours affect boarding the train in Salt Lake City headed East or would it just mean you would detour somewhere after after Salt Lake?
 
The train can never leave a station early. (Most times unless is is marked D.) Thus during past detours when it ran non-stop from DEN to SLC or SLC to DEN, it many times arrived into DEN or SLC a few hours early and had to wait for the scheduled departure time.
 
While you are correct Traveler, in that the train won't depart early, I don't believe that is what Catblue was asking.

She wanted to know if the train might be turning onto the detour before Salt Lake City, and if she might have to go else where to board the train, rather than the normal station.

And the answer is, drum roll please :lol: , No. If indeed there is a detour on the date that you are riding Catblue, the train will divert to the alternative route after leaving the Salt Lake station and having picked up its passengers there.
 
Another possible detour route, one that I was fortunate enough to experience a few years ago, that is very rare and can occur at times is a detour from Winnemucca, NV to Sacramento, CA via the Feather River Canyon, which is the route of the original CZ. This only happens when the Union Pacific is doing major trackwork on Donner Pass.
 
Thanks Alan that is indeed what I was asking. The train is scheduled to leave Salt Lake City 4:30AM which is very very very early in the morning.
 
The June issue of NARP News has a Travelers Advisory stating that the CZ will detour between Denver and Salt Lake this summer "on select days between June 30 and Sept. 23." No specific dates are listed.
 
ruudkeulers said:
sunchaser said:
catblue said:
Thanks for the info. My travel date falls in that time frame.
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Catblue,

I found this link this morning that may shed more light on the detour.

http://www.norcalblogs.com/transportation/...ephyr_will.html

hope this helps!
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Thanks Sunchaser, our CZ-travel dates are CHI-GSC on 09/24 and GSC-EMY on 09/28 so according to the article we're lucky!
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You are welcome anytime!!! :D It's certainly worth a call to Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) to speak to an agent if you all have any other questions-there is nothing as of yet under service alerts on their website.
 
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I'll add my voice to those who say that the detour route can be pretty cool. The route through Wyoming is nowhere near as spectacular as the old Rio Grande, of course, but it still has much to recommend it. You're on a very high-density double-track route, so there's lots of train-watching. There are mountain grades on Sherman Hill and up Weber and Echo Canyons, and there's more rugged terrain in western Wyoming. And I like a lot of the desert landscape. Most importantly, though, you're traversing a big piece of history -- a length of the first transcontinental railroad, and one that no longer has regular passenger service. So if I were doing the detour, I'd count myself lucky.
 
ruudkeulers said:
Montanan said:
So if I were doing the detour, I'd count myself lucky.
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Not if you have a planned stopover in Glenwood Springs like we do, I guess... :)
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During previous detours, they had a Thruway bus from Denver to Glenwood Springs and Grand Junction ONLY (not to any other stops) - and ONLY going westbound (from #5 but not from #6).
 
ruudkeulers said:
Montanan said:
So if I were doing the detour, I'd count myself lucky.
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Not if you have a planned stopover in Glenwood Springs like we do, I guess... :)
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Good point. :)

And nor would I if it were my first trip on the CZ ... the regular CZ routing between Denver and Salt Lake is unquestionably one of the most spectacular pieces or railroad on earth. The old Rio Grande didn't call itself "Scenic Line of the World" for nothing!
 
As far as the routing, the CZ will head north out of Salt Lake to Ogden, and then on over to Borie? Is it following the route of the PIONEER when it ran?

Will we see Downtown Cheyenne, or West Cheyenne-Borie as I recalled from the PIONEERS timetable.
 
Guest_rms492_* said:
As far as the routing, the CZ will head north out of Salt Lake to Ogden, and then on over to Borie? Is it following the route of the PIONEER when it ran?
Will we see Downtown Cheyenne, or West Cheyenne-Borie as I recalled from the PIONEERS timetable.
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It'll follow the former Pioneer routing from Ogden eastward ... so you'll get to Borie, but not downtown Cheyenne.
 
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catblue said:
sunchaser said:
catblue said:
Thanks for the info. My travel date falls in that time frame.
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Catblue,

I found this link this morning that may shed more light on the detour.

http://www.norcalblogs.com/transportation/...ephyr_will.html

hope this helps!
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Thanks! This is our first CZ trip so I don't know what I will miss by going the detour but I will enjoy what there is to see regardless.
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NOW, that's the attitude to have!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :lol: :eek: :p
 
Let me just say that with UP, nothing is set until they actually start to do the work. I don't recall if it was last summer or the year before, but Amtrak announced detour dates for May. Then it moved to June. Then it moved to July, before anyone ever actually started doing work and the CZ started following the detour route.
 
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