2011 or 1991? If it wasn't for the badly faded paint and the clear "BNSF" on the cabs, it might not be quite so easy to answer that question! An interesting pair of Cascade Green geeps (a GP39V and a GP50) head south passed the Valmont Power Plant with six cars on the Longmont Turn.
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A nice long double stack moves north on the main track in Boulder as (half) a Valmont empty sits in the siding at Boulder. The siding isn't long enough to accommodate the entire train. The remainder of the train is down on the storage track at Stazio. Upon receiving a crew, the train will be put back together and continue to Denver.
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A northbound double stack passes north through Boulder at 30 MPH, meeting a Valmont coal train that sits in the siding. The coal train is empty and will be ready to head south toward Denver later in the day. For the time being, it is tied down in the siding with no crew on board.
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This shot is somewhat deceiving in that it looks as though it could have been taken in the middle of nowhere. In fact, turning in either direction would reveal office buildings as we are right in the middle of Boulder! This northbound double stack is approaching the south end of the Boulder siding.
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After being held briefly for the Longmont Turn to clear up at Valmont, this Seattle-bound double stack is on the move again in Boulder. The train has just crossed over the 55th Street grade crossing. The switch in the foreground is the south end of the Boulder siding.
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A BNSF Officer's Special was called out of Cheyenne early Thursday morning for a trip down the Front Range Sub. Just after noon, the train was passing by the Valmont Power Plant in Boulder.
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After spotting the front half of the train at the power plant, the back half of the Valmont coal train will be placed on the Stazio Siding west of the plant. A plant switcher will pick up these loads and replace them with empties.
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When BNSF arrives with the Valmont coal train, half the train is spotted within the power plant, spread across multiple tracks. While this is happening, the second half of the train hangs out on the main track, east of 63rd Street.
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The Valmont coal train pulls into Boulder across 63rd Street alongside the Valmont power plant. Recently legislation in Colorado may result in the Valmont power plant converting to natural gas. So the Valmont coal train's days may be limited!
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The HDENLAU has a rather colorful consist on this morning as it passes through Boulder County Open Space about two miles east of the Valmont Power Plant. The second unit is a Canadian National SD50F. The third unit is a Norfolk Southern C40-9W.
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Running along the Valmont Reservoir has finally received a track warrant to proceed to Denver. The light Canadian Pacific power had to sit at MP 32 for two hours while waiting for the Valmont coal train to clear the main track.
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After dropping off the loaded coal hoppers on the track to the right, the power for the Valmont coal train runs light back toward the mainline. The power will not actually enter the mainline, but will instead tie down on a stub track and the crew will return to Denver.
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After placing half its train at the Valmont power plant, the second half of the train must now be placed on the storage track along the Stazio ball fields.
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A pair of Canadian Pacific AC4400CWs running light down the Front Range Sub approach Independence Road in north Boulder. Another 1,000 feet or so and the power will come to a stop and wait for nearly two hours while the Valmont coal train switch on the main ahead.
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The trains destination is finally in sight! The Xcel Energy owned power plant at Valmont is coal fired. The hoppers will be spotted near the plant, and a switcher at the plant will position the hoppers to be dumped over the next several days.
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