A slow-moving storm unleashes a lot of rain on the northwest side of Arvada as BNSF 5260 leads five additional units on an eastbound Provo-Denver manifest.
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BNSF 5260 is looking at an Advanced Approach (flashing yellow) here at this signal at east Leyden. However, while the train has a signal that would allow it to proceed, it is currently stopped for reasons that were not clear.
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A massive storm opens up, pouring rain in northwest Arvada as an eastbound BNSF manifest holds on the main at the east end of Leyden.
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Near the east end of Leyden, an eastbound BNSF manifest is holding the main at Leyden. The exact reason for stopping was not apparent as the train had an Advanced Approach (flashing yellow) signal at the east end of Leyden. Meanwhile, a rather significant thunderstorm has formed over the Rockies and is moving out on to the plains in the distance.
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Five units, a quartet of GEs and a single EMD SD70ACe, lead a westbound coal empty out of Tunnel 1. The train is headed for the West Elk Mine on the North Fork Branch where it will load. Most likely, the train will have a sixth unit added in Grand Junction for the return trip over the Moffat. Coal loads are typically set up in a 2x3x1 configuration.
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UP 7631, an ES44AC, leads a westbound coal empty up the 2% grade toward the east portal of Tunnel 1. The train is headed for the West Elk Mine on the North Fork Branch to load and return east.
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A westbound coal empty climbs the 2% grade from Coal Creek Canyon up toward Tunnel 1. You can see a bit of one of the new roads in the background that are part of the Canyon Pines Subdivision.
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Five units lead a westbound UP coal empty across the grade crossing at Blue Mountain and by the hotbox detector at MP 22.6. The train is heading for the West Elk Mine on the North Fork Branch in Western Colorado. As a railfan, it is good to see a minor uptick in coal traffic on the Moffat.
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Coal has certainly dwindled in recent years on the Moffat, but reports are that the West Elk Mine on the North Fork Branch has received an uptick in orders and hopes to load close to a train a day! Not all trains will run east on the Moffat. Some will run west as export coal. Here, a westbound empty departs the west end of Eisele (Clay) after the westbound Zephyr ran around it at Rocky.
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With school back in session, a lot of vacations completed, and summer coming to a close, it appears Amtrak has reduced the Zephyr from seven Superliners to six Superliners. It is pretty common for one car to be removed from the train during the winter season, ostensibly due to a decrease in demand.
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Just west of the west end of Eisele (Clay), the morning Zephyr is right on time as it continues its journey west. At this point, roughly 22 miles west of Denver Union Station, you can clearly see the downtown skyline in the distance as the Zephyr rounds the bend toward Blue Mountain Road crossing.
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Riding in the last car of a UP Officer's Special would be quite the experience. The car has a full picture window and stadium seating facing out the back to allow full viewing of everything behind the train. Such is the case here as the passenger train approaches the Simms Street grade crossing and, beyond, downtown Denver.
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A pair of nicely painted UP units leads an 11 car Officer's Special passenger train east out of Leyden. This would end up being one of four passenger trains to run on the Moffat on this day. Earlier, the westbound Zephyr and the westbound Rocky Mountaineer ran. Later in the evening, the eastbound Zephyr would also come through.
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After decades of seeing flags on the nose of approaching UP units, it is time to go back to mostly yellow with the UP Shield. UP has updated their official paint scheme, and UP 6454 is sporting it as it leads an Officer's Special east through Leyden. It will continue on to Cheyenne today and ultimately back to Omaha, NE.
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At the base of Coal Creek Canyon, a UP Officer's Special, led by an AC4400CW and an SD70M, cross CO-72 around the 180° curve. Whether you are a fan of UP or not, you have to admit that their passenger trains look pretty dang sharp!
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