BNSF manifests on the Moffat have frequently run with a trio of units on the point lately. Not on this day, however! Six GEs...all ES44s and all in the New Image scheme...lead the Provo-Denver through Barbara's Gulch.
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This eastbound BNSF Provo-Denver has a matched set of six ES44s for power! The lead unit is an ES44DC, but the following five units are all ES44C4s!
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Six units leads a coal empty comprised of rag tag hoppers west on the Moffat. I've lucked out quite a bit lately and I have seen quite a few SD70s on the Moffat lately. As a fan of EMD power, it's been pretty nice to see (and hear).
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This westbound coal empty came up the Joint Line earlier this morning. A somewhat unusual move as the Joint Line does not see too many UP trains. And the trains they do run are typically manifests. Most coal traffic runs via the KP (Limon Sub) east on the plains.
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There is a short section of Barbara's Gulch that is viewable from CO-72. A westbound Denver-Provo is making its way west through the gulch here, running on clear signals. All the houses on the other side of the tracks are part of the relatively new neighborhood of Leyden Rock.
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Things have slowed on the Moffat a bit lately. The westbound Zephyr, heading west through Barbara's Gulch, is the first westbound in 15 hours! After a nice burst in coal traffic, there are no coal empties on the lineup, so trains are a bit light at the moment.
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With the remaining snow on the ground and silver streak of Amtrak's Superliners, spotting Amtrak is this shot is a little bit like Where's Waldo! Once you spot it, you will not that the "Honor Our Veterans" unit (AMTK 42) is on the point on this morning.
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AMTK 42, Amtrak's "Honor Our Veterans" unit is paired with AMTK 77 to lead the westbound Zephyr through Barbara's Gulch.
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The westbound Zephyr is on the move in Barbara's Gulch, running right on time. The Veterans unit, AMTK 42, is on the point today.
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From high above the plains, we find the westbound Winter Park Express making its way through Barbara's Gulch on its journey west to Winter Park. Some clouds are clinging to the ground in the distance, creating an interesting look.
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I have to admit that I very much like CSX's Dark Future scheme (seen here). Perhaps it is because that for me, like many people I suppose, blue is my favorite color. In any case, these units still have a long haul ahead of them as this coal train will make its way to Florida!
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At the east end of Barbara's Gulch, a CSX ES44AC and a UP SD70ACe have this eastbound coal load well in hand. The train will continue to Bypass 1 in Denver where the mid-train swing helpers will be cut out and the train will wait for a fresh crew to take it east on the Limon Sub.
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The Zephyr has nine Superliners (including four coaches, a lounge, a diner, and three sleepers) on this day. Not bad, considering winter is typically the slow season for Amtrak. It's not uncommon for the Zephyr to only have 6 or 7 Superliners this time of year. The train is about to knock down a clear signal in Barbara's Gulch, east of Rocky.
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Interestingly, the three units on the point of this westbound are all older (relatively speaking...late 90s and early 2000s) power, yet the two DPUs on the tail end are quite a bit newer. Alas, they are both facing west, so "going away" shots wouldn't be the best.
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It is not uncommon for railfans to joke that BNSF and Norfolk Southern should merge...after all, "NS" already makes up the middle two letters of "BNSF". Then, of course, there are trains like this in which you have a nice mix of both BNSF and NS power! The Denver-Provo is pulling west through Barbara's Gulch.
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