AMTK 22 and AMTK 30 have the duty to lead the westbound Zephyr this morning. The train is wrapping around the east edge of Big Ten Loop, passing by the open hoppers that serve as a wind break.
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After getting some help from UP MOW to get the west switch of Rocky thrown, the train is on the move again climbing Big Ten. The train departed Denver about 45 minutes late, but dealing with the switch at Rocky and a few speed restriction would result in the train being about 90 minutes late when it reaches Fraser.
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At the west switch of Rocky, two conductors (one of which might be a trainee) watch as a UP track worker helps to align the switch from the siding to the main. DS-380 has been unable to throw the switch under power this morning.
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The westbound Zephyr has come to a stop on Little Ten Curve on the main at Rocky. The west switch is not throwing (under power, by the dispatcher), so the crew on the Zephyr has been instructed to take the switch into hand throw. The Zephyr has a pair of Patrick Henry (private) cars on the end this morning.
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I really like shooting near the east end of Eisele (Clay). The tracks here run (more or less) north-south, with eastbounds heading south. Thus, almost any time of year and almost any time of day, you can find decent lighting for an eastbound. Such is the case here, as BNSF's Provo-Denver rolls east on the main.
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Norfolk Southern units have been showing up quite a bit lately on the Moffat (on BNSF trains). It seems that some of the oil trains BNSF are running originate on NS east of the Mississippi. In this case, however, the NS unit the third on BNSF's Provo-Denver.
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If you look closely toward the right side of the shot, you can see the two DPUs on the tail end of this eastbound Provo-Denver manifest. The train has its normal 3x2 configuration, along with 106 cars in between the power. In this shot, the train is wrapping its way through the S-Curves at Blue Mountain Drive.
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Norfolk Southern has a program in which they are converting a lot of their DC traction motor units to AC traction motors. NS 4762 is a good example. You can see the "DC to AC" on the cab, indicating this unit is a veteran of that program.
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An interesting mismatch of paint scheme leading the Provo-Denver this morning. BNSF 5875, sporting the New Image scheme, is on the point. Second up is a Heritage 2 C44-9W. And finally, we have an NS AC44C6M on the head end today.
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At the base of Coal Creek Canyon, BNSF's Provo-Denver is navigating the curves as it heads east toward Denver. It'll have to stop at Rocky on the wait, to wait for the westbound Zephyr.
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The eastbound Zephyr, which departed Fraser about an hour late, is doing a good job of making up some time as it wraps around Little Ten Loop on the main at Rocky. The train would end up arriving in Denver only 20 minutes late!
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Alas, five minutes after the Zephyr came through this scene, the sun broke out through the clouds. Alas, that's the way things break sometimes. Regardless, in the shot here we get a good look at the work Union Pacific has done on Big Ten Loop. A lot of rock has been added to reinforce the tracks on the grade here.
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The scenery in the Denver area is as green as I can ever remember this May and June, thanks to a wetter than normal spring. The eastbound Zephyr makes is way east of Blue Mountain Road under partly cloudy skies.
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UP's MNYGJ is typically called (and departs) Denver west after sunset. It's possible that, with the days almost at their longest, the train is departing just prior to sunset. It's also possible that it just happens to be early on this Saturday evening. Either way, four units lead the manifest west in Arvada.
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There is a relatively narrow cut in the middle of Arvada between Carr Street and 68th Avenue. This time of year, when the trees have all their leaves, it appears as though trains just barely squeeze through. Here, UP's MNYGJ is on the roll westbound.
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