Not too far west of the west switch of Leyden, a BNSF manifest is on clear (green) signals as it passes by the relatively new neighborhoods of Leyden Rock and Leyden Ranch. The Provo-Denver is quite lengthy today, which is probably when there are four units on the head end, rather than the typical three for the manifest.
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A single C44ACM brings up the tail end of UP's MGJNY in a snowy scene just west of Leyden. UP 6891 was originally UP 7003, and was one of a handful of AC6000CWs from the mid-90s when 6000 horsepower was a goal UP gave both EMD and GE. The 6000 horsepower units did not work out from either manufacturer, and 4400 horsepower became the standard that still remains as the standard today, roughly 30 years later.
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UP's MGJNY is crossing over Indiana Street, just west of the west switch of Leyden. At some point, once funding becomes available, this scene will change a bit as there is a push to widen Indiana Street to four lanes. That will necessitate the rebuilding of the bridge to accommodate four lanes. Of note, the second unit (UP 6331) is used to the rails as it was once SP 281!
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After an overnight and morning storm, the clouds cleared out and the sun has already started to melt away the fresh powder. However, there is still plenty on the ground as UP's MGJNY approaches the west switch of Leyden.
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UP's only-remaining manifest that runs on the Moffat runs six days a week. The train alternates west and east every other day, with one day where it doesn't run at all. The train runs from North Yard to Grand Junction and back. Here, the eastbound version has five units on the point. The train is right around 6,000 feet long.
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The Zephyr has a Federal Railroad Administration car in tow on the journey west this morning. The car is DOTX 221, originally built by the Pullman Standard in 1954. A fellow railfan also setup for a shot, and is standing alongside the rails.
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Days like today are some of my favorite to get out and get a few shots when trains are playing in the snow! Fortunately, it is not extremely cold at the moment. Only 31°F (-1°C), so travel is not too difficult. The snow, however, is coming down hard as the westbound Zephyr approaches just west of Leyden.
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A major snow storm moved into the Denver Metro area yesterday and is continuing this morning, with plenty of additional snow falling. The westbound Zephyr is taking on the storm as it charges west on the main just west of Leyden.
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Mid-August is the time of year when sunflowers typically bloom in Colorado, and this August is no exception. The mainline is lined with lots of sunflowers as a BNSF coal load passes by a clear (green) intermediate signal at MP 14.5, just west of Leyden.
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Three units on the head end of this coal load (yes...a load...) work hard to keep the train moving just west of Leyden. The coal was sourced in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming, and is headed for the Valmy power plant in Nevada.
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The first of two BNSF SD70ACes on the tail end of a westbound manifest crosses over Indiana Street. The bridge, amazingly, is still lettered for Rio Grande, 36 years after the end of Rio Grande. There is a second SD70ACe, but it was facing into the train. I figured I'd cut it out of the frame as the unit facing away from the train looks a bit better.
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After meeting the Zephyr at Eisele and meeting a UP oil train at Rocky, the train will meet a BNSF manifest at Leyden, just ahead. UP 9576 looks pretty sharp in the new UP paint scheme. 15 years ago, most of the buildings (and houses) visible in this shot did not exist. This western most part of Arvada has grown a lot.
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This season has seen the power on the Rocky Mountaineer consistently inconsistent! Seemingly on a weekly basis, the power has switched from Rocky Mountaineer GP40-3s to UP SD70Ms and back again. On this Wednesday, UP power is on the point again as the train blasts west of Leyden, the Denver skyline in the distance.
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The "48" has almost entirely worn off the side of the P42DC, the last unit on the Zephyr this morning. The paint scheme overall is looking a bit shoddy, and it seems like AMTK 48 would be a good candidate for a repaint in to the new Phase 7 scheme sooner rather than later.
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A UP C44AC-CTE, now rebuilt as a C44ACM, is leading the westbound Zephyr on an afternoon that brought some much needed moisture and cooler temperatures to the area. There has been no significant rain in weeks, and temperatures have been well into the 90°Fs (32°Cs). Today, the temperature is very pleasant 60°F (15°C).
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