Denver, CO: CB&Q Non-Carload Freight Railyard and Diesel Shop/Roundhouse

Railyards: (Satellite, see the topo map below, there used to be a lot of railyards north of Union Station.)

Diesel Shop: (Satellite)

Roundhouse: (Satellite)

Non-carload freight would be things like LCL (Less than Car Load) freight and the freight house, US Mail, REA, and produce. Most of these tracks are gone today. To my surprise, BNSF does still have a carload freight yard. I wonder where their intermodal yard is.

Carl Venzke posted
Denver, Colorado, 1958
Glen Brewer Carl, do you know who was the photographer?
Carl Venzke I think it might be a Fred Springer but I can't be sure.
Dennis DeBruler As with Chicago, the Meadow Gold cold storage building is still standing because the thick walls make it too expensive to tear down.
Dennis DeBruler The white building in the right background is part of the Union Station. The black lines in the background would be the old platform covers.

I rode the Amtrak California Zephyr to Denver a few times in the 1970s and 80s, and I remember the train had to (slowly!) back into Union Station. My girls liked the train ride, so we would take the sleeper whenever the tickets were cheaper than flying.

This photo has been moved to "Union Station."

This photo has been moved to "Union Station."

This photo has been moved to "Union Station."

20191128 0309

Ricard Garcia posted
[The comments agree that this was in Denver.]

American-Rails.com posted
Burlington Northern's engine facility in Denver, Colorado, circa 1983.  Mike Bledsoe photo. American-Rails.com collection.
Allen Schroeter: Wondered how much all those locomotives would cost. Then checked to see what they currently go for..... How much do locomotives cost? A diesel locomotive could cost from $500,000-$2 million. While an electric locomotive could cost more than $6 million. Price depends on whether it is powered by AC or DC traction, how much horsepower it has, or what electronics it is equipped with.
Timothy D. Sievern posted
Lots of Burlington Northern motive power at rest at the railroad's engine facility in Denver, Colorado, circa 1983.

Duane Heltemes commented on a post
Daughter is a yard master there and she sent me a picture of what it looks like today....

William A. Shaffer posted two photos with the comment: "Burlington-Northern Railway  (April, 1982)   Denver, CO   (All Photos by William A. Shaffer)"

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Center for Railroad Photography & Art posted

An amazing display of Burlington and Great Northern color was captured in Denver, Colorado, by Ronald C. Hill on June 13, 1970, soon after the Burlington Northern merger. This Kodachrome scene is a favorite of our associate archivist Heather Sonntag, who is nearing completion of digitizing and cataloging the Hill Collection. 

   “When I first saw this elevated view onto the Burlington Northern yard from 23rd Street in Denver, I immediately knew it was another Ron Hill zinger. Those colors! The amazing layers of composition! The array of locomotives and rail cars! I love how Ron filled the frame over 50 years ago, that still keeps the eyes moving from corner to corner and edge to edge.” 

   Hill shot this on Kodachrome II with a Leica M-4 and 50mm f/2 Summicron lens. (Hill-12-01-17). 

   In mid-July, Heather and lead archivist Adrienne Evans will begin work on the Steinheimer Collection.

Randal Foster: Wow. You can just barely see the switch/track on the left of the photo that went to the wash rack. By the time I worked out of Denver in the mid 90’s, it was gone. The new bridge was just completed and half of the roundhouse was removed. We did still use the turntable to turn power sometimes. Good memories!

MP Rail Photography posted

The BNSF Engine Facility in Denver is crowded with a variety of paint schemes and power, including two SD40s still painted in BN green and one Geep painted in the ATSF "freightbonnet" scheme.

May 5, 2024

Denver, CO

Power of Note:

BNSF 1958 - SD40-2 (Former BN 6351) - Lower Center

BNSF 2854 - GP39-2 (Former ATSF 3640 in "Freightbonnet") - Center

BNSF 1656 - SD40-2 (Former BN 7058) - Center

BNSF 522 - B40-8W - Center Left

Dennis DeBruler: There are several H1 locomotives as well. I've never seen that many standard cab locomotives in one place before.

The roundhouse was next to the viaduct that we see in the right background of the above photo. The current diesel shop probably is on the eastern part of the roundhouse land. In fact, comments on the following post that indicate the shop uses the easternmost two stalls of the roundhouse.

Tim Starr posted two images with the comment: "Chicago, Burlington and Quincy roundhouse at Denver, CO. Built by the Burlington and Missouri River RR. (Denver Public Library)"

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Daren Genau commented on Tim's post

This is the Q passenger car shop now used as the roundhouse.

Look north of the I-25/I-70 interchange and on the west side of I 25. North end of DRGW yard is the belt line headed east to the UP/Rock Island. Come back south a bit to find the Q shops.

[Daren's comment confused both Tim and me.]

 

Richard Crabtree posted

Here we see Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Roundhouse & Yard.

We see:

CB&Q No. 61 2-6-0 H-2 Mogul (1895 Aurora)

CB&Q No. 5040 2-8-2 O-1 Mikado (Baldwin 1910)

CB&Q No. 3031 2-8-0 D-7 Consolidation (Baldwin 1903)

1918

Denver, Colorado

DPLDC

Paul Kakazu: Thank you, Richard Crabtree, for all these beautiful colorizations you've been posting. Do you get complaints from purists? I think your work really brings these images to life.

Richard Crabtree: Paul Kakazu oh yes they think the world was all black and white before 1935 and then it magically became color 😉

Richard Crabtree shared

Richard Crabtree shared

Michael Decker: It looks like #61 is being used as the 'shop goat', with a saddle tank replacing the tender, and footboards behind the cab.

1950/50 Arvada and Derby Quads @ 24,000