It was a nice surprise to find an eastbound oil train led by a CSX CM44AC. The unit was originally delivered as an AC4400CW as CSX 51. It has since gone through a rebuild program, something all Class 1 railroads are doing these days.
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On the main at Plain, this coal load is approaching Rainbow Cut, about halfway through the siding. It will continue east to Eisele (Clay), where it will meet a westbound coal empty, and the morning Zephyr.
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A pair of units leads an eastbound coal train out of Tunnel 2 and toward a green signal at the west end of Plain. The train loaded at the only coal mine still loading in Colorado, the West Elk Mine on the North Fork Branch.
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An eastbound coal load snakes its way through Tunnel 4, Tunnel 3, and is approach Tunnel 2 as it crosses over the fill that washed out back in September 2013 during record levels of rainfall. This morning, there isn't a cloud in the sky.
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A pair of DPUs bring up the back end of a westbound BNSF Denver-Provo manifest. The DPUs are about to disappear in Tunnel 2, as the train ahead is in Tunnel 3, Tunnel 4, Tunnel 5, and Tunnel 6.
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You cannot go wrong with a this perspective of a westbound BNSF Denver-Provo as it makes its way in and out of multiple tunnels in the lower end of the Tunnel District. The head is is approaching Tunnel 4, while the train is also in Tunnel 3 and Tunnel 2. You can see the back end of the train, still back on the main track at Plain.
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BNSF 6404 and train departs the west end of Tunnel 3 on its way west in the Tunnel District. You can see part of the train in the distance, crossing over the fill that washed out during record rain storms back in September 2013.
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BNSF 2549 is a GP39-3 that was rebuilt from a GP30. When the unit was rebuilt, the classic GP30 cab was replaced with a "spartan cab", and the center (smaller) radiator fan was completely removed. The unit is likely being taken to Grand Junction or Provo (or possibly Parachute) to serve as a switch engine.
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A westbound BNSF Denver-Provo has the standard three units on the head end, plus a GP39-3 (former GP30). The train is still moving fairly slowly due to multiple slow orders that are out on the Moffat at the moment.
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AMTK 25 and AMTK 79 cross over the Gross Dam Road grade crossing here at Crescent. Despite carrying quite a bit of traffic on a daily basis, this grade crossing has lights and bells, but thus far, no gates have been intalled.
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As the eastbound Zephyr wraps around the long curve near the west end of Crescent, lighting shifts from the side of the train to a full on backlit scene as the Continental Divide is clearly visible off in the distance.
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If you are standing at the grade crossing at Crescent, it feels as though the west end must be just around the corner. However, the curve headed west from the crossing is actually quite long. Here, the head end of the eastbound Zephyr is not yet close enough to activate the grade crossing, and the end of the train is at the west switch around the bend.
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Both the westbound and eastbound Zephyrs had a Phase 7 P42DC as the second unit on the train today. Here, AMTK 25 (one of the older P42s) and AMTK 79 lead the Zephyr at the west end of Crescent.
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The eastbound Zephyr, running about 45 minutes late, knocks down a green signal at the west end of Crescent. The Zephyr has navigated roughly one third of the Tunnel District, having passed through Tunnels 29 to 19. East of Crescent, Tunnels 18 to Tunnel 1 await.
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The eastbound Zephyr is on the main, rolling through the S-curve at Plain, coming up to Rainbow Cut. The sun is playing tag with clouds that are in a partly cloudy sky this afternoon.
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