A UP maintenance crew has a work window that will last another 75 minutes here between East Portal and Tolland. As UP is investing a lot in the Moffat, many of these work windows will appear for the next several months. In this case, some tie clips are being put in place. Note, of course, the porta potty, being pulled along as well!
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You can see that UP has positioned new tie plates along the right-of-way here in this cut between Tolland and East Portal. The work UP has started in the last few weeks are expected to run for the next several months. A lot of money being invested into the Moffat.
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A UP work crew is positioning new tie clips along the right-of-way between Tolland and East Portal during the height of fall colors.
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A nice treat this morning was to find Amtrak's Phase 4 heritage unit, AMTK 164, leading the westbound Zephyr as the train crosses East Portal Road between Tolland and East Portal. Fall colors are about as good as they are going to get, offering a spectacular ride for passengers.
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UP 5622 and two addition GEs are the sole power on this eastbound MGJNY, crossing over East Portal Road between East Portal and Tolland. The train will meet an already-waiting westbound Zephyr at Tolland.
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A special Amtrak train follows about two hours behind the evening California Zephyr. The train is crossing East Portal Road in between East Portal and Tolland.
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A pair of P42DCs leads the Zephyr westbound on the approach to East Portal. There were rumors about 20 years ago that Amtrak was going to add a second main track through here, connection East Portal and Tolland. With the downturn in coal traffic, that possibility has become something for the "ideas never implemented" book.
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At over 9,000 feet above sea level, the westbound Zephyr is just around the corner from the east switch of East Portal, where a clear (green) signal awaits it.
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The paint on UP 6397 has certainly seen some better days as the unit crosses over East Portal Road roughly halfway between the west switch of Tolland and the east switch of East Portal. About 20 years ago, there were rumors that Union Pacific was considering a project to connect Tolland and East Portal. However, if any such project was ever seriously considered, it was dropped with the economic bubble, and start in the downturn of coal, in 2008.
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After meeting the California Zephyr at Winter Park, and then waiting for the Moffat Tunnel to vent, it was the Rocky Mountaineer's turn to head east. Ten minutes before 3pm, the train crosses over East Portal Road and South Boulder Creek as it heads toward Tolland. The Continental Divide still has plenty of patches of snow on it, despite the fact we are now officially into summer.
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Between Tolland and the bridge over East Portal Road, the tracks seem to run through a long valley of trees. This evening, an hour late Zephyr is running through a slow order on the approach to Tolland.
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AMTK 18 and AMTK 147 lead the eastbound Zephyr across East Portal Road on the single track main between East Portal and Tolland. The sun is trying to press through the clouds around the Continental Divide in the distance.
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A single P42DC, AMTK 170, crosses over East Portal Road between East Portal and Tolland. The unit is leading the Winter Park Express Ski Train. A second P42DC, AMTK 29, is on the tail end of the six car train.
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After waiting patiently in the siding at Tolland for both the westbound Zephyr and the westbound Rocky Moutaineer to overtake it, it is finally this westbound oil empties turn to head west into the Moffat Tunnel. The train is wrapping its way through the curves between Tolland and East Portal.
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In between Tolland and East Portal, the westbound Rocky Mountaineer approaches the east end of East Portal. PTC has finally been installed in RMRX 8600, a lease SD40-2 (in an SD45 car body). It along with one of the GP40-3s lead the train west. In the distance, you can see a westbound empty oil train in the siding at Tolland. After the tunnel vents, it will be its turn to head west.
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