Western Railroad Discussion > Short chase on the Dotsero Cutoff

This past Tuesday (Aug. 13th) while driving to work, I caught up to a Union Pacific loaded coal train heading Eastbound on the Dotsero Cutoff and even though the lead engine was in pretty rough shape, it was a beautiful morning so I grabbed a few shots.
In what used to be an everyday occurrence with multiple coal trains plying this line has now dwindled down to maybe a coal train or two a month. This train loaded at the W. Elk Mine on the N. Fork Branch located South out of Grand Jct. and is heading to Cora, IL. and runs very infrequently.
The only other Union Pacific coal train to currently run across this line also runs just a few times a year and heads to Broadview, IL.

The Dotsero Cutoff is the stretch of track running from the Royal Gorge Route at Dotsero to Orestod where it meets the old Denver & Salt Lake line that takes off to Craig.

1) Seen just around the corner from Burns, the Engineer's side of the 5894 had part of "Union" spelled out on the side as well as the flag emblem.

2) Rounding a curve between Dell Siding and Bond.

3) On the approach to Bond with the Colorado River seen in all 3 shots.

---

---

---

Looking at that lead unit gave me a headache, John.

Dick Ebright
Rochester, MN

Nice shots, especially number one.

I wish I had that drive to work.  You don't even notice the grubby leader due to the great scenery and favorable light you had.  Beautiful shots as always.

Very nice, the beautiful scenery helps make up for those beat up units...

JG

Nice series of shots John! Looks like it was a beautiful day, too....

James Nelson
Thornton, CO
www.flickr.com/mojaveflyer

Fine looking images, even with the less than stellar leader!
GK

Beauties all.
JB

When I was a kid, we had collection days for old bedraggled American flags, to give them an honorable disposal. 

Hard to imagine this as a diversion on the way to work. All I ever had was schoolbuses and traffic in the mid Atlantic Suburbs where I live. Just wow. Glad you have more scenic views.
Gonut

Yup, nice 3 hour commute, lots of scenery and counting the days, we're going to miss
our Western Colorado connection.

Out 

John, Excellent set of shots. We have been having good weather in eastern Colorado the last  week or so. Seems like you're having them on that side as well. Ben

Great shots. I'm glad you are capturing the limited moves on this line and at beautiful locations with perfect light. Well done.
Does someone know the source/origin of the palindrome names at the ends of the Dotsero Cutoff, Dotsero and Orestod?
 

Dude, that’s a crappy commute detour and equally crappy scenery! :) Awesome stuff.

Great shots!

march_hare Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When I was a kid, we had collection days for old
> bedraggled American flags, to give them an
> honorable disposal. 

I can't bare to get rid of my old flags, i am a horder

MP184 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great shots. I'm glad you are capturing the
> limited moves on this line and at beautiful
> locations with perfect light. Well done.
> Does someone know the source/origin of the
> palindrome names at the ends of the Dotsero
> Cutoff, Dotsero and Orestod?
>  
The "urban legend" was that Dotsero was a "Dot Zero" point of some railroad survey.  That is pure fairy tale.  Dotsero was a name of a prominent Ute Indian--as was typical in the days about the time that the Southwestern U.S., including much of western and southern Colorado, was acquired from Mexico, many Indian names and words were phonetically translated into Spanish, then later adapted to English.  Such Indian names included Saguache (pronounced and spelled Sawatch in English), Sapinero, Dotsero, Ouray (originally spelled Uré, pronounced "Oo-ray" in Spanish, then "bastardized" into the "Ouray" spelling in  English), Chama (yes, Chama), and numerous others.  The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, when controlled by William Jackson Palmer, gave many stations, section house locations, and sidings Spanish or Indian names throughout Colorado.  Dotsero was one of many.  As for the Dotsero Cutoff, the northern station of the Cutoff was simply Dotsero spelled backwards--"Orestod."  The actual settlement just west of Orestod is Bond.  An interesting aside, there is a siding on the Cutoff known as Range.  At one time there was post office there.  A small settlement near Dove Creek in southwestern Colorado also had the name of Range.  To avoid confusion, the Post Office changed the name of that settlement to Egnar--Range spelled backwards.  The Post Office at Range is gone, but the Post Office is still open at Egnar.

Great pics!!