Photos of 9/4/03 wreck at Pinecliffe, CO		Click here to return to the index.
Apparently 8 cars derailed on a westbound manifest train on Thursday, September 4, 2003. Most were empty lumber cars but a tank car did go over the side too (rumored to be loaded with asphalt). On Saturday I drove up there to check out the clean-up. I returned on Sunday afternoon for a second look and was able to photograph them placing the tank car back on wheels and towing it back to Pinecliffe.

Picture	Location	Date	Description / Notes
	east of Pinecliffe	9/6/03	My first view through the trees shows the toppled lumber cars laying along the north side of the tracks.
	east of Pinecliffe	9/6/03	Another view of the derailed cars.
	east of Pinecliffe	9/6/03	Close-up of the derailed cars.
	east of Pinecliffe	9/6/03	Looking west we see a couple centerbeam flatcars on the track - I presume these may have been re-railed.
	east of Pinecliffe	9/6/03	In this view from a closer spot you can see the tank car down by the trees to the left of the tracks.
	east of Pinecliffe	9/6/03	Another view of the site.
	east of PInecliffe	9/6/03	Here we see a work train coming up to the site from Pinecliffe.
	east of Pinecliffe	9/6/03	Another view of the work train. It appeared it was attaching to the remaining centerbeam flatcars, presumably to tow them back to Pinecliffe.
	east of Pinecliffe	9/6/03	View of the dozers heading towards the tank car to work on pulling it up towards the tracks. By this time I was running out of sunlight so it was time to head home.
	east of Pinecliffe	9/6/03	Close-up of the wrecked tank car (CONX 1805).
	east of Pinecliffe	9/7/03	I returned on Sunday to see how the clean-up was going. To my delight they had not yet removed the tank car from the site. They were beginning the process of putting the tank car on wheelsets and then placing the whole thing onto the tracks.
	east of Pinecliffe	9/7/03	The process of re-railing the tank car is more of an art than a science. The cranes on the closer end are lifting the tank onto a wheelset. The dozer on the back is to keep the tank from falling over.
	east of Pinecliffe	9/7/03	The far end of the car is lifted towards the tracks.
	east of Pinecliffe	9/7/03	Another view of re-railing the far end.
	east of Pinecliffe	9/7/03	The other end of the car is carefully maneuvered onto the tracks.
	east of Pinecliffe	9/7/03	Another view.
	east of Pinecliffe	9/7/03	The tank car is now on the tracks.
	east of Pinecliffe	9/7/03	The cranes slowly walk the tank car back to the waiting locomotive.
	east of Pinecliffe	9/7/03	The tank car is then coupled to the locomotive. After an inspection the tank car is ready to be gently pushed west to Pinecliffe.
	east of Pinecliffe	9/7/03	The car is carefully pushed westward. Note the crew walking with the car.
	east of Pinecliffe	9/7/03	A nice top view of the damaged tank car before it enters Tunnel 29.
	east of Pinecliffe	9/7/03	Close-up of the wrecked CONX tank car.
	east of Pinecliffe	9/7/03	Another view of wrecked CONX 1805.
	east of Pinecliffe	9/7/03	UP 7063 gently pushes the car to Pinecliffe where several tanker trucks are waiting to unload the asphalt.

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	All photos by MATT HANNES unless noted. Any other images used on this page are used with permission of the original photographer. This entire web page is Copyright 1999-2003 by MATT HANNES. The images contained on this web page are for personal viewing only, and may not be reproduced commercially (i.e. to make money from). If you would like to use any of these images on your web page please e-mail me for permission. Thanks...