UP 6889 and train roll through the west switch of Eisele (Clay) on the journey east toward Denver. UP 6889 was originally built to have a 6,000 horsepower prime mover as an AC6000CW. However, the 6,000 horsepower experiment was relatively short-lived, and the unit has been rebuilt by UP and is now designated as a C44ACM.
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The only manifest that UP runs on the Moffat currently runs between North Yard and Grand Junction (and back). Here is one of the eastbound examples, the MGJNY, passing by Blue Mountain Road and a newly-expanded fire house. Several inches of snow fell over the previous two days, creating a great wintery scene.
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Seven units leads UP's eastbound MGJNY (Manifest, Grand Junction to North Yard) on the approach to the west portal of Tunnel 1. Interestingly, the train itself is only 29 cars in length, so no doubt most of the units are not powered and are just being moved to Denver.
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After meeting the westbound Zephyr at Crescent, UP's MGJNY got a clear (green) signal to continue east toward North Yard in Denver. The lead unit has UP's newest paint scheme, which (sadly) no longer includes the famed UP wings.
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With the sun so far to the south in the winter, the tracks in the east end of the Tunnel District move in and out of the the shadows. The head end of the Zephyr is approaching Tunnel 3 as the last two Zephyrs cross over the giant fill just west of Tunnel 2. This fill was washed out in the fall of 2013 when 500-year rains hit Denver, creating flooding conditions and washouts in many places.
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Powdery white and green evergreens cover the scene at Plain, about 24 miles west of Denver, as the morning Zephyr heads west. It is a chilly 24°F (-4°C) this morning, but the clear blue skies help make up for the chilly temperatures.
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After two days of off-and-on snow storms, it is finally sunny and absolutely beautiful at Plain as the morning Zephyr heads west on the main at Plain.
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Amidst a powered scene, the westbound Zephyr has just emerged from Tunnel 1 on its journey west in to the Colorado Rockies.
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An overhead look at one of the only 100 SD70ACe-T4s that UP currently has on the roster. It's been rumored that the units had a myriad of problems when they were first released. The rumored issued ranged from reliability issues to software problems. However, it has also been said that the issues have mostly been resolved in the last few years.
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UP's MGJNY frequently contains a high number of covered hoppers, and this particular instance of the train is no different. Seven units on the head end, and a single DPU (facing in to the train), roll east on a clear (green) signal through Rocky.
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The only manifest UP runs on the Moffat anymore is the MNYGJ and MGJNY. The manifest runs between Denver and Grand Junction six days a week (alternating west and east). The eastbound version, the MGJNY, runs through Little Ten Curve on its way in to Denver. Up the hillside in the distance, you can see the westbound signals at the west end of Eisele (Clay).
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Seven units lead UP's MGJNY through the curves at Blue Mountain. A single SD70ACe is DPU'd on the tail end in the distance. The manifest typically arrives in Denver in the pre-dawn hours, but every so often, it descends the front range in daylight.
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UP's MGJNY rolls east out of Plain after meeting an oil train. The head end of the train is now approaching Tunnel 1. You can see the freshly paved road for the soon-to-be-constructed Canyon Pines neighborhood.
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An empty oil train heads west on the main at Eisele (Clay). The siding, currently empty, has weight limits on it, disallowing certain trains from entering the siding.
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Six GEs lead a westbound UP oil train out of Rocky and on the climb up Big Ten Curve on a clear, temperate November morning. There doesn't seem to be much consistency in the power configuration of oil trains.
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