Mother nature decided to mess with the citizens of the Front Range by letting a couple inches of snow fall overnight, halfway through May! UP 1989 has earned the nickname the "Vampire Unit" as it typically runs between Denver and Pueblo overnight. However, the Vampire Unit is out playing in the snow on this morning, making a trip on the Moffat to rescue an MRONY stalled out at Tabernash.
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Leave it to Colorado to always keep you on your toes when it comes to the weather! Less than three weeks away from JUNE and there is more than an inch of snow on the ground! UP 1989 and UP 5894 charge west through the white stuff at Leyden on their way to Tabernash. There, they will rescue a train that has stalled out and can't make it east over the divide.
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The night prior to this shot, the MRONY stalled out on the climb between Tabernash and Winter Park. The rails were slick with snow and the two units on the train couldn't quite get the 4,100-ton train up the 2% grade. So, the train backed into Tabernash and this light power (which includes UP 1989) was sent west out of Denver to rescue the stalled train!
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The westbound MNYRO heads into the siding at Leyden on a snowy April morning. Three inches of the white stuff fell overnight. The manifest is clearing the main to let the Zephyr run around on its journey west.
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A westbound coal empty with a patch Espee AC4400CW makes it way west through Leyden on a clear signal just after 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Houses have sprung up at east Leyden quite a bit in the last five years.
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On days when the forecast calls for heavy snow in the mountains, UP will often dispatch a "Snow Bus" train west out of Denver. If roads are impassible and a crew needs to be relieved on a train, the Snow Bus will use the rails to pick up the old crew and replace it with a fresh crew. Here, the Snow Bus at Leyden is led by UP 1989.
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As UP 1989 and the MRONY depart Leyden, the pass the classic DRGW signal at the east switch. I've wanted to get a shot from this perspective for awhile now, and thought UP 1989 would be the perfect candidate for the shot. What do you think of the spot?
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After sitting at Leyden for a little over 45 minutes (to wait for the MNYRO to get out of North Yard), the MRONY now has a clear signal and departs Leyden with UP 1989 leading the way.
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The conductor for the MRONY (with UP 1989) stands on the ground and watches as the MNYRO heads west on the main track. The MNYRO would receive a good rollby by the conductor, and next it will be the MRONY's turn to depart.
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At the east switch of Leyden, the daily MNYRO has a clear signal and heads west on the main track. This one of the few locations left on the east side of the divide where the signals haven't yet been replaced by Union Pacific.
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The MRONY holds in the siding at Leyden shortly after the sun peaks over the houses on the hills to the east. The 96-car train has been informed that North Yard won't have room for them until the MNYRO heads west.
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After lots of snow and rain in the past few weeks, there is a LOT of green in the Denver area right now. After meeting a westbound at Leyden, this eastbound coal load is on the move, headed for Public Service in Denver.
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Five GE ACs and UP 1989 (the lone EMD unit on the train) lead up the MNYRO at Leyden. Most of these units - included UP 1989 - will be taken off the train at Grand Junction, most likely to serve as mid-train swing helpers on eastbound coal loads.
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UP 1989 gets away from its captive night service on the Joint Line and heads west on the MNYRO! One of these days, it might even appear on the point....or maybe that's just wishful thinking.
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