Replies

If your check your prior “Pings” you’ll find everything you’ve done for years. The Atlas Shrugged threads will show up there.

I have way too many pings to go through each page, though. I was looking for an easier, quick way.

Using the entire title seems to work on some weeks’ threads, though. Weird that it’s not for all.

I think the rail line from Denver to Wyatt Junction is based on the railroad that runs near my house in the Rocky Mountains west of Denver. I live far above the rail line. but on a map it looks like it runs right by my house due to the steepness of the terrain. This rail line supports the "Ski Train" between Denver Station and Winter Park, many coal trains from the area of Carbondale, CO and other less frequent traffic like Amtrack. Other nearby western access rail lines that cross the continental divide originate from Cheyenne, WY to the north and Pueblo, CO to the south.

Leaving the Denver Station the rails head west and pass just to the south of the old Rocky Flats Nuclear Facility location. It passes through a tunnel under HWY 93 before some switchbacks as the rail begins climbing the sudden appearance of the front range peaks. The line turns north and crosses a small bridge over HWY 72 (which follows Coal Creek Canyon)and gradually traverses the front range uprise for a few miles heading north. This section of track is cut into the side of the mountain and has very steep drop-offs and numerous, short tunnels through mountain ridges. The line turns sharply to the west at Eldorado Canyon and runs for 10-12 miles on the steep edge of the canyon high above South Boulder Creek and is very precarious looking until the town of Pinecliffe.

At the town of Pinecliffe the grade becomes much more gentle and the railway follows on the side of the creek past Rollinsville (which is where Wyatt Junction would be) and continues following the creek until entering the Moffat Tunnel which cuts about a six mile path under the continental divide and emerges right in the ski resort town of Winter Park.

This is the view with a fairly wide angle lens looking west from my house. The continental divide is the highest range of peaks and is generally 13,000 to just under 14,000 ft in this area. (hope the photo works, I can't tell in preview)

[IMG]http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa124/mountainclmbr/Viewtothewestedit1.jpg[/IMG]

The rail line is in a difficult to see canyon that goes from the lower right of the photo and Rollinsville would be behind a ridge on the left edge of the photo. The Moffat Tunnel (no spoilers for later) is also on the left edge and is pretty far below tree line.

I know this is fiction, but a few observations: This part of the rail line has too many sharp turns to travel 100mph. Trains usually go only 20mph and there have been several major single train accidents even then. There is no major bridge on this section of the line. The oil shale is in western Colorado, not north-central Colorado. It is fiction, but I enjoy the tidbits that are based on reality!