Just east of the overpass over CO-72 at the base of Coal Creek Canyon, a trio of ES44s are serving as mid-train swing helpers on this eastbound oil train. You can also clearly see the single SD70ACe-T4 that is bringing up the rear of the train.
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This scene is a very well known one to railfans, including many that have never visited Colorado. You can view nearly an entire train as it wraps down the grade from Tunnel, through the curves and across Blue Mountain Drive.
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The head end of a UP oil train passes by the detector at MP 22.6, just west of the grade crossing at Blue Mountain Drive. Across CO-72 in the distance, three GEs are serving as mid-train swing helpers on the train, descending from Tunnel 1.
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The movement of earth is quite apparent in the background for the new Canyon Pines Subdivision. You can clearly see asphalt on Canyon Pines Drive, but no houses just yet. A loaded oil train makes it was down from Tunnel 1 and around the loop at the base of Coal Creek Canyon.
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Red and yellow are the colors of the day as a UP ES44AC and a CP ES44AC lead an oil train east down the grade from Tunnel 1 toward the base of Coal Creek Canyon. Construction of the new Canyon Pines Subdivision is visible to the left. Still no sign of any houses being built.
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An eastbound unit oil train passes through the east OS of Plain on the main track, right at MP 24. Off in the distance, you can clearly see the Valmont powerplant. The powerplant was fueled by coal when it was in operation. However, Xcel Energy shut the power plant down in 2017.
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An eastbound BNSF (loaded) oil train snakes away from the camera, under the Colorado Highway 93 overpass, into and through Barbara's Gulch. A KCS Retro Belle makes for a nice view of the rear DPU.
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An SD70ACe and a KCS AC4400CW bring up the tail end of a loaded BNSF oil train. I love catching as many Retro Belles as possible now that the merger between Kansas City Southern and Canadian Pacific is complete. It is only a matter of time before this KCS paint scheme fades in to history.
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After meeting the westbound Zephyr, this BNSF oil train is already rolling east out of Rocky. The crew does not have much time left to work, so the dispatcher is going to prioritize getting it in to Denver as quickly as possible. In the distance, the westbound Zephyr is climbing west out of Rocky, headed for Big Ten Curve.
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The crew on the westbound Zephyr just changed from channel 14 to channel 23 here at the east end of Rocky. The train is now entering the siding on a Diverging Advanced Approach (red over flashing yellow). A BNSF oil train is sitting on the main, but is clear of the west switch, so the Zephyr will really be delayed.
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The westbound Zephyr is about 15 minutes late after getting briefly held up at Arvada waiting for the MGJNY. The train makes it way through Barbara's Gulch, man-made Standley Lake off in the distance.
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This eastbound BNSF oil train had a nice surprise as a Kansas City Southern AC4400CW is the trailing DPU on the main at Plain.
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An pair of ES44ACs, with an SD70ACe spliced in between, lead a loaded eastbound oil train through Rainbow Cut and down the main at Plain. The nose door and some of the long hood doors on the lead unit appear to be brand new. Or, at a minimum, they are only in primer and not yes painted for BNSF.
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Three BNSF GEs lead an early morning loaded oil train east on the main at Plain. As the head end comes through Rainbow Cut, you can clearly see some of the train in the background passing by the west switch of Plain.
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UP's MGJNY has cleared the west switch of Eisele (Clay) and the Winter Park Express has an Advanced Approach (flashing yellow) signal as it departs west. You can see the manifest wrapping around Big Ten Curve in the distance, the tail end still within the block on the main at Eisele (Clay).
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