SD70Ms have the reigns on the westbound Rocky Mountaineer this morning, the train running right on time past the green foliage at the west end of Eisele (Clay).
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This season has seen the power on the Rocky Mountaineer consistently inconsistent! Seemingly on a weekly basis, the power has switched from Rocky Mountaineer GP40-3s to UP SD70Ms and back again. On this Wednesday, UP power is on the point again as the train blasts west of Leyden, the Denver skyline in the distance.
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For the first time in a couple of months, a Phase 7 P42DC makes an appearance on the Amtrak. The train is right on time as it approaches rainbow cut, roughly halfway through the siding of Plain. AMTK 167, sporting the Phase 7 scheme, is the first Phase 7 unit we've seen on the Zephyr in a couple of month.
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The westbound Zephyr rolls by the house track that holds a single gondola. Stacks of panel track lie on the ground by the house track as well. The Zephyr will be the final train through here for the next six hours or so, as UP has a work window starting behind Amtrak
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A UP C44ACM emerges from fog with the westbound Zephyr behind it. One of the two P42DCs developed mechanical issues, necessitating the need for UP 5941 to be added to the train at North Yard. The temperature, currently 54°F (12°C) according the hotbox detector, is a welcome break from weeks of heat that has frequently gotten close to 100°F (38°C) in the afternoons.
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The "48" has almost entirely worn off the side of the P42DC, the last unit on the Zephyr this morning. The paint scheme overall is looking a bit shoddy, and it seems like AMTK 48 would be a good candidate for a repaint in to the new Phase 7 scheme sooner rather than later.
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A UP C44AC-CTE, now rebuilt as a C44ACM, is leading the westbound Zephyr on an afternoon that brought some much needed moisture and cooler temperatures to the area. There has been no significant rain in weeks, and temperatures have been well into the 90°Fs (32°Cs). Today, the temperature is very pleasant 60°F (15°C).
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The westbound Zephyr arrived in Denver a little over two hours late, and ended up getting delayed another hour in town when it stopped to pick up a UP unit as a new leader, likely due to a mechanical issue with one of the P42DCs.
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RMRX 8021 and RMRX 8020 lead the Rocky Mountaineer west on Main 1, getting ready to pass underneath the RTD Commuter Rail Gold Line. 20 years ago, only two tracks were in this shot. UP's Moffat Tunnel main and BNSF's Golden branch line. Today, seven tracks are in the shot, including the commuter tracks.
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After a couple weeks off, the Rocky Mountaineer is running again, heading west underneath the Sheridan Blvd overpass on the eastern edge of Arvada. The GP40-3s are back on the train, although they are certainly kicking up quite a bit of exhaust as they head west on Main 1. Other tracks in the shot include Main 2, the Arvada siding, and BNSF's Golden Sub on the far right.
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A pair of P42DCs (both in Phase 5) are power on a typical Zephyr consist this morning as the train passes by Oberon Lake #1 in Arvada. The Zephyr is roughly halfway between the control point at Arvada (CP DS007) and the east switch of Leyden (CP DS012).
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Crossing 66th Avenue, the westbound Zephyr is running right on time as it navigates its way through the residential Denver suburb of Arvada. Arvada has a few areas of commercial zoning, but the vast majority of the city of 120,000 citizens is filled with houses.
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The westbound Zephyr approaches the grade crossing at 66th Avenue in Arvada. With the morning Zephyr generally headed away from the sun, this short stretch of track by 66th Avenue is one of the best places for a reasonably lit (not backlit) shot as the tracks run (more or less) geographically north here.
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Two older C44-9Ws serve as DPUs on the tail end of this westbound HDENPVO (high priority manifest from Denver, CO to Provo, UT). The paint is a bit charred on the long hood of BNSF 5265, still sporting the Heritage 2 scheme. Downtown Denver is now being cast in some direct sunlight amid some afternoon thunderstorms roaming the area.
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BNSF's Denver-Provo has the typical 3x2 units for power, but the specific units are anything but typical! Only one of the five units has the New Image scheme. The end DPUs sport the original Heritage and Heritage 2 schemes. A KCS de Mexico (in gray) and KCS Retro-Belle are on the point, approaching the east end of Eisele (Clay).
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