The Remains of East Rollins Pass

David Moffat’s Denver, Northwestern & Pacific (and later the Denver & Salt Lake) was posed with a seemingly huge problem in their construction of a line due west of Denver – how to cross the Continental Divide. At this point in the Rockies, all usable passes over the Divide are above the 11,000-foot level (making them prone to severe winter weather) and tend to have very challenging approaches, requiring stiff grades. The obvious answer would be to tunnel beneath the backbone of the Rockies at this point, but any tunnel of sufficient length would have required funding and time that the road did not have. Instead of constructing what was known as the Main Range Tunnel (a proposed 2.6-mile version of the Moffat Tunnel), Moffat chose to push over Rollins / Corona Pass with a temporary mainline that would get his road moving west of the Divide, with the intent to finish the Main Range tunnel within a few short years. The line reached the apex at Corona in late 1904, and much against the original plans would continue to serve as the mainline for over two decades.

Finally, on February 26, 1928, the first official train went below the Divide at a little over 9200 feet of elevation, rather than over the hill. An alternate, better Main Range tunnel than the one originally planned had been completed with the with the assistance of the state of Colorado. Christened the Moffat Tunnel, this 6.21-mile bore was built honoring the man who would never live to see it. It eliminated the long (in some accounts, as much as 12 hour) climb up the four percent grades of Rollins, as well as the ever present threat of natural disasters such as snow closures, and turned the D&SL into what would eventually be a vital part of the Rio Grande system.

Aside from a few days in 1929 when there was a minor collapse in the Moffat Tunnel, the Rollins Pass route was never to be used again. On 14-May-1935, the ICC granted approval for abandonment, and by October of 1936 the scrapping was complete. At that point, what remained of the roadbed and snowsheds was turned over to the Federal Government via the US Forest Service. It eventually became a road (excluding certain parts, such as collapsed tunnels 31 and 33), and was passable between Rollins and Winter Park until the collapse of Needle’s Eye tunnel in the early 1990s. Since then, the road is permanently sealed off on the east side about a mile below the tunnel.

As many of you know, I have a fascination with abandoned railroad right of ways. I’m not exactly sure why, but one that I’ve been especially curious about since I was much younger is the Rollins Pass route. I thought some of you might appreciate a look at this critical but long lost piece of Colorado railroad history that you might not otherwise get unless you’re here with a truck between June and September, when things are easily passable up at the top. The photos aren’t particularly shocking or beautiful, just documentary. This trip report reflects the condition of things between where the routes diverge near East Portal to the east side of Needle’s Eye Tunnel as they were in July of 2002. Hopefully you’ll enjoy it – it’s a bit different than the normal around here. Also, I’m planning to get to the west side of the pass sometime this summer, so there’s a second half to this coming at some point.

For those looking for more reading, I might suggest The Moffat Road, published in 1962 by Edward Bollinger and Frederick Bauer, or P.R. “Bob” Griswold’s Denver, Northwestern & Pacific / Denver & Salt Lake set of books, printed more recently (mid-1990s) by the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club. Both of these cover the line in-depth, with the history behind the decisions as well as a great number of photographs and drawings.

A guide to East Rollins Pass and the photos seen here, superimposed onto aerial USGS photographs of the route. Note the grey arrows, indicating mileposts on the old line.

An old Denver & Salt Lake plat map showing the three proposed tunnels through the hill, source unknown. This is a large photocopy I acquired years ago, and has no mention of its source. A similar, redrawn map of this appears on p.182 of Bollinger and Bauer's The Moffat Road, lending credibility to the idea that this correctly shows the proposed Main Range tunnels. — An old Denver & Salt Lake plat map showing the three proposed tunnels through the hill, source unknown. This is a large photocopy I acquired years ago, and has no mention of its source. A similar, redrawn map of this appears on p.182 of Bollinger and Bauer’s The Moffat Road, lending credibility to the idea that this correctly shows the proposed Main Range tunnels.

What you're about to see is the 30 miles of sheer railway hell replaced by the six mile Moffat Tunnel in 1927. Fortunately, this westbound BNSF MDENSTO will be gliding under the Continental Divide at a comfortable 25 MPH. — What you’re about to see is the 30 miles of sheer railway hell replaced by the six mile Moffat Tunnel in 1927. Fortunately, this westbound BNSF MDENSTO will be gliding under the Continental Divide at a comfortable 25 MPH.

As we start climbing up the hill, we can see the MDENSTO sitting on the siding at East Portal. This was taken at approximately MP 50.5.

Another look back on the East Portal valley from further up the line.

Near MP 51.3, we encounter a draw that the D&SL previously bridged with a trestle. The bridge (trestle MP 51.24) is long gone, so the road now goes out and around.

A loaded coal train cruises down through Tolland, as seen from high above near the former site of Ladora (MP52).

Of note is the fact that the old wye at Tolland is clearly visible.

Between Ladora / Dora (MP52) and MP54, the road takes a shortcut from the old railbed, due to the destruction of bridge 52.27 and the collapse of Tunnel 31. However, the old cut just beyond bridge 52.27 can be seen in the valley below.

Looking back from the upper level (near MP55), the lower levels can be seen.

This is the road/old railroad grade, as seen looking west from near MP55.

The first of the interesting rock cuts on the line, as we curve from north to west to head in to East Antelope, a medium-sized siding near MP56.

Headed west near where maps indicate Frantz would have been, near MP 58.

Past Antelope, we're once again headed west with the backbone of the Rockies just ahead. — Past Antelope, we’re once again headed west with the backbone of the Rockies just ahead.

The soutwest-most leg of the Spruce, CO, wye is visible here, and clearly missing a bridge.

The opposite (non-mainline) leg of the wye is now a road.

Just above Spruce, near MP 59, the line once again starts through rockwork to maintain a reasonable alignment.

One of the hazards of driving East Rollins is meeting other large vehicles in these narrow old railway cuts.

...and there are times you wind up backing up so there's enough room to pass. — …and there are times you wind up backing up so there’s enough room to pass.

The road, sitting on a fill, begins to curve around Yankee Doodle Lake to gain elevation.

Yankee Doodle Lake, now a popular fishing and camping spot, has two notable distinctions - it was a popular photo op on the old D&SL / DNW&P, and it was the start of one of the prior attempts at tunneling through the Divide. — Yankee Doodle Lake, now a popular fishing and camping spot, has two notable distinctions – it was a popular photo op on the old D&SL / DNW&P, and it was the start of one of the prior attempts at tunneling through the Divide.

The small tailings pile seen in the lake is the material removed from the east end of the Denver, Utah & Pacific bore. The bore was never taken more than a few hundred feet beyond the road, if even that much. Now, the hole is usually full of snow.

A much better view of this deep little lake is offered from the west side, as the line climbs towards the Dixie Lake station/siding. At this point, note that the ridge above us is the same one the line tunnels through at Needles Eye tunnel, almost three miles later.

As you can see, the line gains a great deal of elevation very quickly at this point. There's another level of track several hundred feet above us as well. — As you can see, the line gains a great deal of elevation very quickly at this point. There’s another level of track several hundred feet above us as well.

Looking back, we see the roadbed of what was approximately MP 59 to MP 59.8.

Nearing the curve that formed Dixie Lake siding (near Jenny Lake, oddly enough), the sky is starting to look a bit threatening over the Divide itself.

As we pass the Dixie Lake / Jenny Lake siding, we can see the third level of track above us very clearly, as well as the east portal of the Needles Eye tunnel.

Most people stop at the parking lot near MP 62, but the road actually goes almost another mile. This is looking back through the cut just railroad-west of MP 62 and the parking lot.

This is the end of the road - a gated cut at approximately MP 63. It makes sense, since the tunnel at the top is blocked and the road is too narrow to turn around up there. — This is the end of the road – a gated cut at approximately MP 63. It makes sense, since the tunnel at the top is blocked and the road is too narrow to turn around up there.

A look at the other side of the blocked cut.

Now on foot, you can see Jenny Lake and the right of way below as you walk up the high barren ridge.

The cut off in the distance on the far left is the end of the drivable road.

I told you it was high and barren! We're at around 11,000 feet at this point, and summer storms can come over the ridge in a hurry, such as the one blackening the sky here. Not a good place to be with lightning around. — I told you it was high and barren! We’re at around 11,000 feet at this point, and summer storms can come over the ridge in a hurry, such as the one blackening the sky here. Not a good place to be with lightning around.

The east portal of Needle's Eye Tunnel, barricaded off. — The east portal of Needle’s Eye Tunnel, barricaded off.

As you can see, the tunnel isn't fully collapsed. However, it is dangerous and unstable. It's possible to hike over the ridge that the railway tunnelled through. Of course walking over this ridge with a thunderstorm approaching wouldn't have been the smartest thing I'd ever done, so I called it a day at this point. — As you can see, the tunnel isn’t fully collapsed. However, it is dangerous and unstable. It’s possible to hike over the ridge that the railway tunnelled through. Of course walking over this ridge with a thunderstorm approaching wouldn’t have been the smartest thing I’d ever done, so I called it a day at this point.

All shots in this trip report were taken with a Canon EOS D30 with a Sigma 28-80mm f3.5-5.6 lens or a Canon 75-300mm f4-5.3 IS/USM.

This work is copyright 2024 by Nathan D. Holmes, but all text and images are licensed and reusable under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. Basically you’re welcome to use any of this as long as it’s not for commercial purposes, you credit me as the source, and you share any derivative works under the same license. I’d encourage others to consider similar licenses for their works.