The east two thirds of Eisele (Clay) is relatively straight. However, as you can see in this shot, there is a little dog leg to the left before an S-curve to the right and then left toward the west end. The westbound Zephyr, running almost four hours late, is headed toward the less-than-straight stretch of track on the main.
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The Salsbury Beach sports the steel-fluted sides of many of the Pullman-built passenger cars from the early-to-mid 20th century. The car, lettered for the Boston and Maine railroad, is now privately own and catching a ride on the westbound California Zephyr.
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The Colonial Crafts passenger car was built by the Pullman Car Company and is now privately owned. It sometimes gets out along the rails, as seen here, catching a ride on the rear of Amtrak.
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Originally delivered by the Pullman Car Company in 1918, Lamberts Point looked like it might be headed for the scrap yard at one point. However, about a decade prior to this picture, a project was put together to refurbish the car and get it back on the rails.
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A small look in to yesteryear at the east switch of Eisele (Clay) as an open-ended passenger car brings up the tail end of the westbound California Zephyr. No doubt the passengers in that car are having an incredible ride.
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Three privately owned cars bring up the tail end of the westbound Zephyr. The cars are passing by the open hoppers that have been on the inside of this curve for over 50 years, serving as a wind break.
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It is becoming less and less common to find "private varnish"...privately owned passenger cars...on the tail end of Amtrak. Amtrak has raised the rates and limited the cities they'll pick up or drop off. However, on this afternoon, a nearly four hour late #5 has three as the train climbs toward Big Ten Loop.
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As somebody that grew up on (EMD-only) Rio Grande, it is great listening to the classic two-stroke prime movers in RMRX 8020 and RMRX 8021 as they pull the Rocky Mountaineer west up the grade.
I should probably clarify my statement of Rio Grande being "EMD-only". While it is true that, over the years, Rio Grande did own some GE and ALCO units, by the time I was old enough to go train chasing with my dad, Rio Grande was an EMD-only railroad.
GP40-3s RMRX 8020 and RMRX 8021 kick out a bit of exhaust as the train throttles up approaching the grade crossing at Blue Mountain. In the next three days, the train will run out to Moab, UT and then return back to Denver, CO.
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The clouds have descended in the area, creating a layer of fog. Headlights from the westbound Rocky Mountaineer cut through the fog as the train approaches the Blue Mountain grade crossing.
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Despite the explosive growth of the Denver suburb of Arvada, there are still a few places where, with the correct perspective, you can get a rural feel! This shot, just west of Leyden, is one such spot. In reality, there are relatively new neighborhoods both to the right of the frame and to the left of the frame.
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It is an unusually overcast morning in the Denver area, with temperatures barely reaching 50°F. No view of the Denver skyline on this morning! The westbound Rocky Mountaineer passes by a horse pasture which currently has quite a few containers of chemicals, perhaps containing fertilizer?
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The ten car train of the Rocky Mountaineer, led by a pair of GP40-3s, charges west on another journey toward Utah.
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Just west of Leyden, two of Rocky Moutaineer's GP40-3s lead the westbound train. The Rocky Mountaineer is always a welcome sight as it breaks up a lot of the monotony that is typically seen on the Moffat. The train will spend the night in Glenwood Springs tonight before continuing on to Moab tomorrow.
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AMTK 164 was just released from the shop with a fresh new coat of Phase IV heritage paint. This is its maiden voyage wearing the new scheme, and it was not a secret! Many railfans from the Denver area showed up to get a few shots of pristine paint.
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