At the west end of Bond, an eastbound coal load is taking the siding for a crew change. The relief crew will be called at Yampa at 11:45am, and the Grand Junction based crew currently on this train will have to wait in the meantime.
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I've never been to the Canadian Rockies, but it certainly seems as though this shot could have taken somewhere in Canada with this pair of Canadian National units on the train, crossing over the Colorado River just west of the west switch of Bond.
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An eastbound coal load emerges from the 647-foot long Yarmony Tunnel near the west switch of Bond. The train crosses the Colorado River right here at the east portal of the tunnel. Of note, UP 6392 is a former Espee unit. SP 346, to be exact.
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The leaves are all gone from the tree at the mid-point of November. However, there isn't a trace of snow yet here at Dell, which is rather uncommon at this point at the start of the winter season. A pair of CN units are DPUs on an eastbound coal load.
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A pair of Canadian National units bring up the tail end of an eastbound coal load. As if the CN units are not interesting enough, they also both have DC traction motors. Rather rare on unit trains in 2025. The train here is following the Colorado River at Dell.
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Two days ago, I got a few shots of a westbound coal empty led by a pair of Canadian National units. Now, two days later, that train has loaded at the West Elk Mine and the train is returning east. The Canadian National units are now the two tail end DPUs.
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Three units load a 99-car loaded coal train east on the Dotsero Cutoff between the sidings of Range and Dell. The train has seven units (3x2x2), so it is not having much trouble making track speed.
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The Rocky Mountaineer has left the Dotsero Cutoff behind as it is now on the main at the east end of the siding of Dotsero. In the distance, you can see the line that heads to Tennessee Pass. Roughly six miles of the west end of Tennessee Pass is still in service, with a local coming out of Grand Junction once or twice per week to service industries at Gypsum.
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Here at the west end of the Dotsero Cutoff, the cutoff joins the west end of Tennessee Pass. It is also here that the Eagle River joins with the Colorado River. The Rocky Mountaineer is technically still on the Dotsero Cutoff as it crosses over the Eagle River, and you can see it converging with the Colorado River.
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Just east of Range, the Rocky Mountaineer is crossing the Colorado River amidst some great fall colors as it continues westbound.
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If you've never taken a passenger train on the former Rio Grande, this is why you should if you get the chance! Whether it is the Rocky Mountaineer, such as here, or the California Zephyr, the scenery is breathtaking. The Mountaineer is crossing the Colorado River in Red Canyon under partly cloudy skies on a fantastic October afternoon.
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The westbound Rocky Mountaineer is in Red Canyon between Dell and Range, crossing over the Colorado River in fantastic afternoon lighting.
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As the Rocky Mountaineer heads west on the main track at Dell, we notice an odd sight as a single Amtrak P42DC (AMTK 205) sits on the siding. It was setout here after striking a vehicle to the west the day before. As a result, this means the siding of Range is the only siding on the 36-mile Dotsero cutoff!
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Fall colors are still near their peak here at the siding of Dell as the Rocky Mountaineer heads west on the main track. Dell is one of two sidings on the 36-mile Dotsero Cutoff between Bond and Dotsero.
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The Rocky Mountaineer has backup unit RMRX 8600 leading the train west this afternoon on the main track at Dell.
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