Orange BNSF power and a single (faded) Warbonnet pass by the Coal Creek Canyon fire house on Blue Mountain Road as the manifest works its way west on the Moffat.
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A westbound BNSF manifest with an interesting display of paint schemes makes its way around the curve on the approach to the Blue Mountain Road grade crossing.
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A small winter storm blew through the Front Range area overnight, leaving another inch or so of snow on the ground. The morning sun is starting to melt some of it off, but with a temperature around 20°F, it is not going very fast. Meanwhile, an eastbound BNSF manifest (Provo to Lincoln) rolls east through the beautiful, wintery scene.
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A (somewhat rare) BNSF SD70ACe leader brings an eastbound BNSF train across the grade crossing at Blue Mountain Road. This week has finally looked like winter should in Colorado!
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A westbound coal empty snakes its way through the S-Curves at Blue Mountain Road and Coal Creek as the head end approaches the east portal of Tunnel 1.
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It is a clear, crisp morning as the westbound Zephyr rolls west just past the grade crossing at Blue Mountain Road. The hot box detector at milepost 22.6 would reveal that it is a chilly 18°F out this morning.
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A few minutes after coming around Big Ten Curve, the westbound Zephyr is out of Eisele and is now rounding the curve toward the Blue Mountain Grade crossing.
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The wind was blowing pretty hard as the snow came down at Blue Mountain. A single SD70ACe brings up the tail end of an eastbound coal load as it clears the grade crossing.
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January 21, 2018 marked the first real, substantial snow that the Denver Metro area (and the Front Range of the Rockies) have seen in the 2017-2018 winter season. A great morning to catch a few trains playing in the snow on the Moffat! This eastbound loaded at Energy Mine and will soon be headed east on the Colorado plains.
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This eastbound coal load met a westbound at Plain and is now making its way through the S-Curves at Coal Creek and Blue Mountain. The train in the siding at Plain will end up being stuck there for about 90 minutes as the snow has jammed up the west switch and the dispatcher cannot get it to throw.
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After the Zephyr ran around the train at Rocky, a westbound coal empty is coming up to the grade crossing at Blue Mountain Road. The train will take the siding at Plain to meet an eastbound coal load that is currently meeting the Zephyr at Crescent.
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A great January blizzard blows through the Front Range of the Rockies as the California Zephyr, running right on time, approaches the grade crossing at Blue Mountain. It's a good day to be riding, checking out the winter landscape from the warmth of the Lounge car!
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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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