I still hold onto a hope to see Tennessee pass in operation some day whether it be with the up bnsf or some other private rail company. I can personally say that I have done a bit of research on the line as I have had my dad uncle and grandpa who ran the line in the 70s through the 80s. These are the things I've found about the line some are rumors too granted and some are based on first hand experience from the people who worked it. 1 the bnsf had thought a time ago to buy the line, but with recent declines in traffic I don't think it's feasible I personally think given the opportunity they would buy it just to have it but moth ball it as you see it today until possibly some type of freight business may be possible through that line. 2 unfortunately way too much power just as with raton pass is needed to operate the line and from what I know and researched the kind of stack trains you see today wouldn't operate successfully on the line as the tunnel is too short to accommodate that height of a stack train and you couldn't run a train of substantial lengeth over it without a lot of power.3 something that a lot of folks don't think of (I didn't either) is who would run it now if it were to open there would have to be a lot of research put into how to run one now over the pass as most of the guys who had done it have retired, are going to retire or have just not done it so long that they won't remember it. 4 obviously is the condition of the line now with railroads mandated on ptc it would be a big expense for a class 1 railroad to ramp it up again can they do it yes but there's a lot of factors involved in getting it going again. Personally I think with the way up is headed now I wouldn't be surprised if they sell it but I think too that the chances of bnsf buying it are slim I think you'd be better off with a tourist operation owning it. From what I have saw, with an exception of some lines, today's class 1 railroads aren't interested in mountain railroading anymore maninly for the bottom dollar they'd rather send freight through longer runs than combat a mountain all the time. Maybe this trend will shift at some point but for now I'd say don't get your hopes up anytime soon.
-Richard
