After a long, cold winter, its Rocky Mountaineer season once again! The first revenue run of the "Rockies to the Red Rocks" charges west on the main at Plain, approaching Rainbow Cut.
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Amtrak's "Pointless Arrow" (or "Bloody Nose") Phase 1 Heritage Unit, AMTK 161, leads a P40DC (AMTK 817) on the westbound California Zephyr as the train rolls west at Plain, approaching Rainbow Cut.
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An eastbound UP oil train descends down the main at Plain the morning after a major blizzard. Looking in the distance, you can see the east portal of Tunnel 4. No trains have used the siding since the storm, so the rails are still covered.
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This eastbound BNSF oil train had a nice surprise as a Kansas City Southern AC4400CW is the trailing DPU on the main at Plain.
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Less than ten minutes after sunrise, the only UP manifest that still runs on the Moffat is approaching the grade crossing at Plain. The rest of the train is still making its way through Tunnels 2, 3, and 4.
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Amtrak's short Winter Park Express Ski Train passes through a very wintery scene on the main track at Plain, just east of Rainbow Cut. There are 266 passengers on board the train this morning, ready for a fun day on the slopes at Winter Park.
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The westbound California Zephyr departed Denver about 30 minutes late, and is about 90 minutes behind the Winter Park Express (Ski Train) as it charges west on the main at Plain. UP has a lot of equipment and stacks of panel track alongside the House Track at Plain.
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Safe travels on the journey west, #5! The westbound California Zephyr hustles down the main at Plain toward the start of the Tunnel District and some spectacular scenery for passengers.
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An eastbound UP coal train approaches a clear (green) signal at the east end of Plain after meeting the westbound Zephyr. In the distance, you can see the east portal of Tunnel 4. I was hoping that the coal train might taken long enough to start moving to get a shot with the Zephyr in the distance, but alas, no such luck.
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Powdery white and green evergreens cover the scene at Plain, about 24 miles west of Denver, as the morning Zephyr heads west. It is a chilly 24°F (-4°C) this morning, but the clear blue skies help make up for the chilly temperatures.
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After two days of off-and-on snow storms, it is finally sunny and absolutely beautiful at Plain as the morning Zephyr heads west on the main at Plain.
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UP has been doing quite a bit of work throughout the Tunnel District lately. Evidence of this work is very apparent at Plain. Equipment is on the house track, there is a lot of panel track, and other ties and rail are in the area. Several hyrailers are also showing up, getting ready for a days work as the westbound Zephyr rolls by on the main.
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The westbound Zephyr, running about 40 minutes behind schedule, emerges from an early morning layer of fog that has totally enveloped the lower elevations in the Denver Metro area. By the time to train reaches Rainbow Cut, it will be entirely above the mist.
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An oil train leaves the east end of Plain and descends down in to the fog that has entirely enveloped the Denver Metro area at lower elevations.
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A pair of elephant-style GEs brings up the tail end of this eastbound loaded oil train on the main at Plain. The plains to the east are entirely obscured in a low fog layer this morning.
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