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Saturday, July 23, 2016
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Kevin Morgan
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Speer Jct
Laramie County, WY
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1438 (Add a Comment)
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Laramie (UP)
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Union Pacific
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As UP 844 comes around the south leg of the wye at Speer Jct, a westbound Z-Train passes by on Main 3 in the background. UP 844 is slowly pulling the train through the wye and on to the Greeley Sub. Once the entire train is on the Greeley Sub on the single main, a pair of diesel engines on the back of the train will pull the train on the track in the foreground, back to Cheyenne.
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Saturday, July 23, 2016
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Kevin Morgan
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East of Speer Jct
Laramie County, WY
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1398 (Add a Comment)
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Laramie (UP)
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Union Pacific
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In order for the Cheyenne Frontier Days train to make the return trip from Cheyenne to Denver, the train has to be wyed (turned around). The nearest wye to Cheyenne is over six miles away at Speer Jct. UP 844 making that reverse move would take hours! So, UP has a better solution. A pair of engines simply hook on to the tail end of the train and pull it to Speer Jct. By doing this, there are no speed restrictions. Here, a pair of units pulls the train on Main 4 toward the first leg of the wye at CP W517.
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Saturday, July 23, 2016
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Kevin Morgan
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CP W517 (Speer Jct)
Laramie County, WY
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1401 (Add a Comment)
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Laramie (UP)
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Union Pacific
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UP's tracks west of Cheyenne offer an interesting configuration. Mains 1 and 2 head directly west toward Hermosa Tunnel and Laramie. Mains 3 and 4 curve south and run to Speer Jct. At Speer Jct, the Greeley Sub (toward Denver) breaks off and Mains 3 and 4 curve west. Then, the mains converge into a single main track. This track (Main 3) also runs to Hermosa, but as a single track on a completely different grade from Mains 1 and 2. The grade on Main 3 isn't nearly as steep as on Main 1 and 2, so heavy westbounds, such as the grain train in this shot, are frequently routed over Main 3 to Hermosa.
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Saturday, July 18, 2015
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Kevin Morgan
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Speer
Laramie County, WY
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1564 (Add a Comment)
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Laramie (UP)
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Union Pacific
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Once the Cheyenne Frontier Days special arrives in Cheyenne and its passengers detrain, the train needs to be wyed (turned around) in preparation for the return trip to Denver. The nearest why is at Speer, which is actually about eight miles away from Cheyenne. Rather than make a long (and slow) reverse move, the Granite switcher hooks on to the rear of the train. This allows the train to move at track speed. Here, UP 2525 (a fantastically shiny and new ES44AC) pulls the train through the curve, approaching the signals at Speer on Main 4.
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