A single C44AC-CTE brings up the tail end of this westbound coal empty on a very warm January afternoon. The warmth will soon go, however, as measurable snow (3-6") is in the forecast for Sunday, a high of only 31°F.
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The Blue Mountain grade crossing is a fantastic spot to capture a train working up a mountainous grade while also capture the Great Plains in the background! Such is the case here as a westbound coal empty approaches the crossing on an unseasonably warm day. It was 62°F out when I snapped this shot.
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While out getting shots of the Zephyr and this coal empty, I happened to run across a dad out with his two sons. It's always great to see future generations of railfans trackside, getting their shots. And kuddos to their dad for taking them out to enjoy the hobby!
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After letting the westbound Zephyr run around it at Leyden, this coal empty quickly got signals as well to continue west toward the mine. The train is headed for the West Elk Mine on the North Fork Branch south (and east) of Grand Junction.
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The westbound Zephyr passes by the Coal Creek fire station as a car waits at the grade crossing on Blue Mountain Road.
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Unfortunately, the California Zephyr has a bit of a rough start to the New Year. The train lost 3 1/2 hours between Lincoln, NE and Hastings, NE. It was five hours late when it reached Fort Morgan, CO. Fortunately, it made up a little bit of that time, but was still 4 1/2 hours late when it departed west out of Denver.
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AMTK 69 leads the westbound Zephyr through the S-Curve on the approach to the Blue Mountain grade crossing. While it is a little chilly (about 25°F), it is mostly clear and overall a nice New Years Day. Interesting tidbit...if you look closely, you will see a blue-ish building in between the Zephyr and the poles. Until March 2017, that was my office building!
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A GP40M-2 of Espee heritage (SP 7129) catches a ride on the MRONY. My guess is that the units was in Grand Junction and is due for a 92-day inspection. With the closure of Burnham, that likely means this guy will be continuing on to North Platte, NE.
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An eastbound Roper to North Yard manifest approaches the grade crossing at Blue Mountain. The unit has an interesting (quick hack?) number board on the conductor's side! It also has a GP40-2 and SD40-2 coming along for the ride.
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Mother Nature brought winter in the correct way along the Front Range with the first measurable snowfall in months falling overnight and in to the morning. A late Zephyr approaches the Blue Mountain grade crossing on its trip west in the winter wonderland.
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A single ES44AC brings up the tail end of a westbound coal empty headed for the North Fork Branch. The train has five units on the head end, and it is likely that three of them will be set out at Glenwood Springs. Those three units will then be cut back in as mid-train swing helpers for journey east.
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Five units on the point of this coal train (including an NS leader) are about to disappear into Tunnel One as the rest of the train snakes its way through the curves at Blue Mountain and Coal Creek.
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This is officially the most-shot Norfolk Southern unit for me personally. This just happens to be the same unit that led a coal load east on the KP line the previous Monday! It made its way back to Colorado on another coal train. Here, the train is approaching the grade crossing at Blue Mountain.
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You just have to love the track configuration at Blue Mountain and Coal Creek. The trains weave back and forth at the base of the canyon, while also making significant changes in elevation. Here, the crew of this eastbound can quite easily look out the window and check out their rear DPU as it descends from Tunnel One.
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The lighting was just perfect for this eastbound BNSF manifest as it rolls through the S-Curves at Blue Mountain. The train me an (on time) Zephyr at Crescent, and will also meet a westbound UP manifest at Rocky. The UP manifest is already there, holding the siding.
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