A slowed shutter speed creates a bit of a motion blur for the final DPU unit on an eastbound oil train. The train knocked down a clear (green) signal...but this particular intermediate off in the distance has not yet been replaced by UP. In fact, you can still see the lunar (white-ish) bottom signal, indicating eastbound trains approaching it can proceed without stopping at this restricting signal.
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As the end of the day grows every closer, the westbound Zephyr has knocked down an "approach diverging" signal, indicating that it will be taking the siding at Green River to make its scheduled station stop. It will also be meeting a loaded UP oil train, currently holding the main at Green River.
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The massive landscape of the Utah desert dwarfs the westbound Zephyr as it hustles west on its journey toward Emeryville, CA. The sun is getting low in the western sky as the Zephyr, about two hour late, is between Sagers and Thompson.
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Making its way through the S-Curve east of Thompson, four BNSF units lead a Denver-Provo manifest through the Utah desert. The train met the eastbound Zephyr at Cisco, but will not meet another train before reaching two main tracks at Helper.
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Not far from the relative ghost town of Thompson, UT, this westbound BNSF Denver-Provo skirts along Book Cliffs in a relatively green desert.
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Not far east of Whitehouse, the eastbound Zephyr continues about an hour behind schedule. The Zephyr will meet a westbound BNSF manifest just ahead at Cisco. The manifest probably could have made it to Whitehouse for the meet ahead of the Zephyr. However, like so many other siding in the desert, Whitehouse is currently being used for the storage of cars.
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Just east of the east switch of Whitehouse, the Zephyr curves toward the south, ready to cross underneath I-70 and proceed toward Ruby Canyon. The Book Cliffs offer a wonderful backdrop to the scene.
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The Zephyr looks so small out in the middle of the barren Utah desert. The nearest community is Green River, located roughly ten miles off in the distance. The Zephyr is moving along at about 65 MPH. Two P42s and two ALC-42s...the latter of which are not active...lead the train east across the desert.
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Despite being in the arid climate of the Utah desert, the month of May has brought quite a bit of rain and turned the desert into a pretty nice shade of green. A westbound oil train moves away from the camera, crossing underneath I-70, headed toward a clear (green) signal at east Whitehouse.
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UP has a little power sharing going on with a Kansas City Southern de Mexico ES44AC. The KCS unit is bringing up the tail end of an empty unit oil train. The power will be removed at Wash, where the train will be loaded. The power will be taken to Helper to await the return trip east.
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I absolutely love the rugged beauty that can be found in the Utah desert. The mesas in and around Ruby Canyon are visible in the distance as a UP empty oil train, running in a 5x1 configuration, climbs the 1% grade east of Whitehouse.
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Oil trains have really started to increase in frequency on the ex-DRGW in the past few months. A westbound empty is seen here, climbing the 1% grade west of Cisco, UT.
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An ET44AC leads a westbound side-dump maintenance of way train along the Book Cliffs through the middle of the Utah desert.
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A westbound side-dump MOW train, with several cars carrying large boulders, winds its way amongst the large mounds of dirt that are found throughout the Utah desert along the Book Cliffs.
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In the Utah desert, between the sidings of Sagers and Thompson, a westbound side dump MOW train rolls west in a 1x1 configuration.
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