I really like CSX's Dark Future paint scheme. And I think the blue looks mighty fine on the Moffat as a trio of Dark Future CSX units lead a westbound empty toward Tunnel 1 on a beautiful October morning.
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For the first time in years, a spartan cab (SD40-2) leads a non-local train on the Moffat! It is a beautiful morning as this westbound UP (interchanged from CSX) coal empty works hard to climb the roughly 2% grade on the approach to Tunnel 1.
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A trio of CSX units leads a westbound coal empty on the approach to Tunnel 1. It was so strange seeing an SD40-2 on the point of this empty. Particularly when compared to the ES44AHs behind it.
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A timeless image of a westbound train crossing over CO-72 at the mouth of Coal Creek Canyon. 40 years ago, this same shot was replicated many times with the Rio Grande Zephyr and other Rio Grande traffic. Today, the scene contains some eastern visitors. This coal train originated east of the Mississippi River in CSX land, and the CSX power has stayed with the train the entire way to Colorado.
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A westbound BNSF manifest with three units on the point and a pair of units DPU's on the back makes its way through the S-Curves at Coal Creek. The hill leading down to the tracks is part of Jefferson County Open Space.
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An ET44AH, a C40-8W, and an AC4400CW, all CSX, lead a westbound coal empty through the S-Curve at the base of Coal Creek Canyon. The train is climbing up toward Tunnel One. On the other side of Tunnel One, the train will take the siding at Plain to allow the Zephyr to pass by.
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An eastbound coal train descends from Tunnel 1 toward the the base of Coal Creek Canyon. The train loaded at the Energy Mine on the Craig Branch and is headed for the Cherokee Power Plant in northeast Denver.
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Just missed it! Just missed sunlight on this westbound BNSF sand train as it climbs toward Tunnel 1. 15 minutes earlier and it would've been in the light. Ah well, it makes for an interesting picture with half the frame in light and half the frame in shadow.
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The SD70ACe on the point of this westbound sand train climbs up the grade toward Tunnel 1 as the last C44-9W DPU is close to ducking out of sight as it move around the curve at the base of Coal Creek Canyon.
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The rear DPU on the MRONY offer up a bit of foreign color! A Canadian Pacific ES44AC somehow found its way deep into Union Pacific territory. It is always great to catch something "out of the ordinary" on the rails you are used to chasing on.
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A quartet of units - that are actually wearing matching paint schemes - descends toward the base of Coal Creek Canyon, coming down the 2% grade from Tunnel 1. In a minute or so, the train will be headed straight for the photographer!
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Even though the sun is shining brightly, it is still way too cold out for much of the snow to have melted away yet. Nearly 12 inches of the white stuff fell here over the past 48 hours, offering a beautiful white blanket to the scenery for the westbound run of the California Zephyr.
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Two DPUs on the tail end of a westbound manifest work hard to push a heavy westbound manifest (consisting of a lot of ballast) up the hill toward Plain. The units are dwarfed by the mountains that lead back into Coal Creek Canyon.
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Descending from Tunnel 1, the SD70ACe-T4 special approaches the bridge at the base of Coal Creek Canyon. When the special went west earlier in the week, a UP SD70AH was on the point. However, once the special started testing, the SD70AH was removed and EMDX 1502 ran on the point. When the train climbed the grade from Tabernash to the Moffat Tunnel, the UP units were put in full dynamics to simulate a train for the SD70ACe-T4s.
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The S-Curves at Blue Mountain and Coal Creek Canyon are an excellent place for train crews to check out their train. Here, the crew on the head end approach the east portal to Tunnel 1, as the sole DPU (a pre-production ES44AC) winds around the curve toward Coal Creek.
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