Just a few ticks before 8am, UP's MRONY (Roper, UT to North Yard, CO) rolls east out of Leyden and approaches the grade crossing at Simms Street.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
The experts have said that fall colors would be coming earlier than normal this year and the trees on the right side of the frame suggest that the experts are correct! Yellow leaves are starting to appear as an eastbound UP manifest rolls by out of Leyden.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
The more I have seen it and had the opportunity to shoot it, UP 1982 (the Missouri Pacific heritage unit) has become one of my favorites among UP's six heritage unit. Here, it is leading an eastbound coal train through Arvada. This afternoon, the train will head out on the plains. The question is, will UP 1982 find its way back to Colorado a fourth time?
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
You have to love how well the Missouri Pacific heritage unit blends in with the sky on a crystal clear day like this one. UP 1982 leads a slow moving coal train out of Leyden, on the approach to the Simms Street grade crossing.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
It's been three years since I last saw UP 2010, UP's unit with a commemorative paint scheme celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts. In those past three years, the paint has faded significantly on the unit! While UP is touching up the heritage units, something tells me the Boy Scout unit will fade until it gets a standard repaint.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
UP 2010 leads an eastbound grain empty east toward the grade crossing at Simms, passing by some grain-like plants growing alongside the right-of-way. Despite the haziness, it is actually a clear day out.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
Wow! This was an amazing find in the middle of Colorado. One of Canadian National's 42 C40-8Ws showed up on this eastbound BNSF Provo-Lincoln manifests. This is one of the lowest numbered units on the CN roster, and one of very few standard cabs still wandering the rails on Class 1 railroads.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
This BNSF Warbonnet looks to be in very good shape, considering how long its been since a paint job! A lot of Warbonnets these days are referred to as a "Pink Bonnet" because the red has faded so much. This one, fourth on this eastbound, looks good.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
An eastbound BNSF manifest as a colorful consist as it approaches the Simms Street grade crossing in Arvada. The first C44-9W has a bit of a scorched long hood. Fourth in the consist is a BNSF C44-9W in Warbonnet and a Canadian National C40-8.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
Sometimes it pays to be lucky. The one specially painted unit that UP has on its roster that had eluded me was the breast cancer unit. That is, until this day! I had no clue UP 7400 was going to be the third unit on the MRONY and it took me completely by surprise as it rolled by. That'll cheer up any railfan's Monday!
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
An SD70M is sandwiched between a pair of ES44ACs as this MRONY approaches the grade crossing at Simms Street. UP may have changed the schedule of the MRONY a bit, as this eastbound departed Roper on a Sunday. Monday/Wednesday/Friday have been the norm lately.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
Earlier in the day, I got some shots of this Zephyr on the west slope in the Glenwood Springs area. After driving back over the Continental Divide, I was able to get back to Arvada for one last shot of the train as it approaches the Simms Street grade crossing!
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
An early morning UP coal load rolls east out of Leyden. Here, it is approaching the grade crossing at Simms Street and it will meet the Winter Park Express at Arvada.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
An SD70ACe and an ES44AC bring up the tail end of this eastbound grain shuttle. The train, which is empty, has picked up quite a bit of speed since Leyden as track speed for freights increases to 45 MPH there.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
A look at a very new covered hopper...this may in fact be its "maiden voyage" since being built. Incredible that each of these hoppers is capable of carrying 82 tons of grain!
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
