An AC4400CW (in really good paint), a BNSF SD70ACe, and a BNSF ES44AC head straight in to the sun, leading an oil train west out of Rocky. However, the geography of the area means the train is currently headed south.
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Snow has completed blanketed the terrain here at Rocky as a storm dropped a full foot the day before. The sky is now crystal clear and blue as a UP oil train (with a pair of BNSF units) heads west on the main.
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A westbound unit oil train passes underneath CO-93, approaching the west end of Barbara's Gulch and the east end of Rocky. The train has an Advanced Approach (flashing yellow) at the east end of Rocky as it will be going in to the siding at Eisele (Clay) to meet an eastbound.
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After meeting a loaded oil train about ten miles to the east at Arvada, this westbound empty oil train is making its way through Barbara's Gulch. The train came to town with a pair of BNSF units on the point. The UP unit was added in Denver before it departed west.
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A pair of unit leads an eastbound oil train out the east end of Rocky, rounding the curve in to Barbara's Gulch.
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As of this picture, UP has 170 ET44ACs on their roster. These units are compliant with the EPA's Tier-4 emissions standards. UP 2698 is an example of such a unit, leading this oil train down the main at Rocky. The siding is covered in snow as it has not been used since the snow fell the day before.
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An ES44AC is the single DPU on an eastbound oil train as it emerges from Tunnel 1. In the distance, above to cross CO-72, are a pair of mid-train swing helpers. About of foot of snow fell in just over 9 hours the previous day, creating a fantastic winter scene.
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UP 2698 wraps its way through the S-curves as the base of Coal Creek Canyon. If you look closely, you can see the classic bridge that crosses over CO-72 on the right side of the shot.
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An ET44AC leads a loaded oil train toward Tunnel 1 just east of Plain. The train has encountered quite a bit of snow in the Colorado high country, as evidenced by the snow that has accumulated on the plow.
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An eastbound UP oil train descends down the main at Plain the morning after a major blizzard. Looking in the distance, you can see the east portal of Tunnel 4. No trains have used the siding since the storm, so the rails are still covered.
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The rails just barely show through the foot of fresh snow that has blanketed the terrain. The snow came it fast and furious yesterday, dropping that foot of snow in roughly 9 hours.
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The morning Zephyr has an extra transition sleeper positioned between the power and the baggage car. The transition sleeper is being moved to California, possibly for the Coast Starlight. Or perhaps to replace a car already out there. Not entirely clear why it is there, but it makes for an interesting consist for sure.
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A major storm rolled through the Denver area yesterday, dropping roughly a foot of snow in the area! This morning, there is a major fog layer from a temperature inversion out to the east. Meanwhile, the westbound Zephyr charges west out of Leyden, passing by the new Arvada neighbor of Leyden Rock.
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A parting shot of UP's thrice weekly MGJNY. With loaded coal at the point and general manifest mixed it at the back, the train is approach a clear (green) signal at the west switch of Leyden.
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This was a nice surprise on the MGJNY. UP 1100, a GP60, is ready for it's 92-day inspection. Since UP closed the shops in Denver that could perform such inspection, this guy will have to be forwarded on to North Platte, NE. UP never ordered any GP60s themselves. All of the GP60s on the roster are inherited. This one was originally a Cotton Belt unit, SSW 9702.
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