UP's eastbound MGJNY slowly rolls east on the main at Plain in a heavy spring snowfall. PTC onboard UP 5306 seemed to believe the green signal at west Plain was not in fact green, and sent the train into emergency after the train passed the green signal. The engineer has recovered the air, and the train is now slowly continuing east.
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Quite a bit of snow fell in the Denver-Metro area and in the high country of the Rockies overnight. The result is a fantastic, powdered scene here between the west end of Crescent and Tunnel 19.
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It is a beautiful, albeit cold morning as the westbound Zephyr heads west through the cut west of Crescent. The train received a restricting signal (flashing red) at the west end of Crescent. A slide fence has been activated along the main between Crescent and Cliff.
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As the Zephyr continues to gain altitude, the amount of snow still on the ground is increasing. The Zephyr is just about to enter Tunnel 8, which has a pretty significant bend to the left as you head west. This is the final opportunity for passengers to look out over the Colorado plains to the east. After emerging from Tunnel 8, the train is will in Eldorado Canyon, and the plains will no longer be visible.
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Just outside of the west end of Tunnel 5, in the midst of the lower half of the Tunnel District, the westbound Zephyr is moving along at track speed, the scenery making the popular of the train pretty apparent.
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Rolling through the cut between Tunnels 2 and 3, the westbound Zephyr is right on time as it approaches the east portal of Tunnel 3. There was a light dusting of snow overnight, some of which is still slightly clinging to the trees.
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The west end of Plain is surprisingly cluttered with some poles and a few power lines. But it is also incredibly beautiful as the siding collapses back into the main, the westbound Zephyr rounding the curve toward Tunnel 2.
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At the west switch of Plain, the crew on the head end of the Zephyr just called in "checkpoint Plain", which the conductor on the train acknowledged. Just around the bend in the foreground, the train will disappear into the east portal of Tunnel 2.
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Emerging from Tunnel 2, the last run of the Winter Park Express for the season faces a clear (green) signal at the west end of Plain. The train is having a great run back to Denver. It will end up arriving back in Denver about 25 minutes early.
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The final run of the Winter Park Express Ski Train for the 2024-2025 winter season is rolling east, emerging from the east portal of Tunnel 7 in the lower part of the Tunnel District.
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There was a temperature inversion along the Front Range this morning, and the City of Boulder is currently buried in clouds. Passengers aboard the Zephyr, heading into Tunnel 4, have a somewhat unique view of the plains.
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A BNSF eastbound oil train wraps through the S-Curve at Rainbow Cut on the main at Plain. A KCS unit and an MRL unit are part of the head end consist today.
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In the cafe on the sightseer/lounge car, you can see the self-serve snacks that you can grab, as well as the menu showing everything available to passengers. Most folks that order in the morning get coffee, hot chocolate, or tea. Quite a few bar selections are served for the return trip to Denver.
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There is a sightseer/lounge car on the Winter Park Express Ski Train. The cafe is open for the trip up and the trip back, allowing passengers to buy a variety of food and drink. The cafe car attendant is based in Chicago, and spends 2-3 weeks in Denver, away from home, to work and serve customers on the journey.
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Just west of the west portal of Tunnel 7, the westbound Zephyr passes through a cut as the head end rounds the bend toward the east portal of Tunnel 8.
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