When was "track to nowhere" disconnected?

[Robert Gift]

Track went from Brighton, Colorado to Boulder, Colorado north of Louisville, Colorado.
The track has been taken up at both ends.
Am told that they are repairing the crossing at US 287.
Why, when there can't be another train?

On other roads, the rails are paved over.

Street view:
http://maps.google.com/?ll=40.04966...la-ysdLBM7K886eOcTkuA&cbp=12,356.82,,0,-12.54

 

[bnsf971]

I know the same kind of thing happens around here. It may be due to taxes, or having to maintain the track to avoid having to clean up, say, from pollutants like creosote. There is a section of railroad that is disconnected near me that gets weed sprayed twice a year, the signals are maintained and operational, the crossings are paved over, though.

 

[bcp]

http://www.bcrhs.org/boulder_branch.htm

 

[Robert Gift]

Where is Dent, Colorado?

They use terms and names no onelse knows.
Like anyone knows milepost numbers.

 

[Tacoma Tom]

I have been over that crossing many times and always wondered if it was active or not. I know sometimes people pave over railroad tracks because they have not been used in many years assuming it will never become active again. They never contacted the railroad or anything. I have also seen people remove old railroad tracks near their house and then start building things on the right of way.

A railroad severed at both ends doesn't necessary mean it is abandon or will never be used again. I think railroads do that mainly for liability issues so trains from the mainline will not travel on tracks (for what ever reason) which may be unsafe or even have rails removed. Cars that are landlocked on abandon rails may also runaway at some point and removing the rails prevents them from entering the main line and causing a wreck.

As said earlier disconnecting the rails may effect the tax rates. Instead of being taxed as a railroad line it may be taxed as just empty farm land.

I think the most likely cause for the maintenance is probably because the railroad had a contract with the contractor to do maintenance for so many years and the contractor will do the maintenance regardless if there is trains or not. I remember Southern pacific had locomotives still being painted in SP colors long after the merger with Union pacific because they had contracts with the painters and the contract had to be fulfilled.

 

[Robert Gift]

... Southern pacific had locomotives still being painted in SP colors long after the merger with Union pacific because they had contracts with the painters and the contract had to be fulfilled.

Thank you.
I hope such stupidity is not done.
At least change so thathey can do UP paint jobs.

 

[Robert Gift]

Update: Track paved over in '98 or '99. Signals turned off 9-10-01

Signal maintainer note thathe railroad crossing signal system at 95th Street was placed Out of Service 9-10-01.

 

[Robert Gift]

... There is a section of railroad that is disconnected near me that gets weed sprayed twice a year, the signals are maintained and operational, the crossings are paved over, though.

Wow! How incredibly stupid.

Could it be that that department of the railroad has not received notification of the track being disconnected?
Employees do not care enough to bother to inform their department so they waste the railroad's money and contaminate the environment with poison for no reason?
Such fine, conscientious employees they got there.

One railroad has been paying for the electric meter for a grade crossing paved over a decade earlier. The grade crossing signal system has been turned off but the railroad still has been paying the minimum monthly charge for the electric meter still in place. Likely has paid over $1,550!

Another paved-over crossing still has power TURNED ON to the grade crossing signal system!