UP's MGJNY arrives in Denver on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Lately, it has been fairly common for the train to descend the front range of the Moffat in morning daylight. This Wednesday is no exception, as the train coming around Big Ten Curve.
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BNSF's Provo-Denver is heading east at 10 MPH through the work zone UP currently has set up on Big Ten. The UP manifest in the background is on the main at Eisele (Clay). It just received a restricting (flashing red) signal to proceed east out of Eisele (Clay) behind the BNSF manifest.
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A pair of BNSF DPUs bring up the tail end of the Provo-Denver manifest as it slowly descends Big Ten Curve. As you can see, UP's MGJNY is sitting on the main at Eisele, waiting for its turn to proceed east.
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RMRX 8020 and RMRX 8021 are kicking up a bit of exhaust, with ten cars in tow. This includes nine passenger cars and the power car, used (as the name suggests) to provide electrical power to the train as the geeps are not equipped with HEP (Head End Power), such as the P42DCs used by Amtrak.
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The Rocky Mountaineer is running with both of its GP40-3s on this trip, as the train climbs up and around Big Ten Loop. In the distance, an eastbound UP manifest (the thrice-weekly MGJNY) is waiting on the main at Eisele (Clay).
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As the Rocky Mountaineer climbs the west side of Big Ten Loop, UP's eastbound MGJNY sits on the main at Eisele (Clay). It will wait for both the Rocky Mountaineer to meet it, and then wait for BNSF's Provo-Denver, currently at Plain, to overtake it.
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RMRX 8020 and crew creep along at 10 MPH through a UP work zone on Big Ten Loop. There are several earth movers adding new rock on the downhill side of the tracks.
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UP's MGJNY is sitting on the main track at Eisele as it needs a recrew. The dispatcher working DS-380 is new to the territory, and was unaware that crews are unable to get to Eisele (by road). Fortunately, the crew will have enough time left to make it down to Leyden for a recrew there. Meanwhile, the manifest is waiting on the Rocky Mountaineer, currently climbing from Rocky.
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The Rocky Mountaineer is sold out for this westbound run out of Denver. It is great to see both the GP40-3s back on the train as it slowly climbs Big Ten. There is an eastbound UP manifest on the main at Eisele (Clay).
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I am not sure why UP is running an empty eastbound coal train, but I would assume these cars had been in long term storage somewhere, are either being put back into service, being moved to a new location for storage, or sold/scrapped. The train is passes by some fresh rip rock that will be used to shore up the track here.
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This eastbound BNSF oil train creeps through a work zone on Big Ten Curve. This was the location of a derailment last Friday. One truck on BNSF's Provo-Denver derailed. Since then, UP has started a broader construction project to shore up the rails.
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Lately, there have been quite a few Norfolk Southern units showing up on the Moffat, leased from NS for BNSF. Not sure why that is the case, but here is a (rebuilt) AC44C6M in the middle of two BNSF units, leading an oil train eastbound.
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An eastbound BNSF oil train has two BNSF units with a Norfolk Southern cut in between the two of them. The train is slowing for a 10 MPH slow order through a work zone just ahead on the other side of Big Ten Curve.
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A track tamper, which has been working on Big Ten Curve, and a hyrailer are both rolling east down the grade back toward the main track at Rocky. They are clearing up for a westbound rail train.
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UP 5772 leads UP's Grand Junction to North Yard manifest around the north edge of Big Ten Curve. Note the solar-powered weather station to the right. It measures, among other things, the current wind speed and reports it back to UP headquarters in Omaha. If the wind speeds are high enough, a 10 MPH slow order is issued around Big Ten.
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