Photo ID: 106116 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 23, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP W517 (Speer Jct) Laramie County, WY 1490 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Laramie (UP) Union Pacific UP 844 gets a free ride (in reverse) as a pair of diesel units pull the Frontier Days trains down Main 4 at Speer Jct. At the far end of the wye, UP 844 will again take control and pull through one leg of the wye. Then, the diesels will pull for the return trip to Cheyenne. Note the clear signal on Main 3 for a Z-Train that is coming out of Cheyenne. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106115 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 23, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East of Speer Jct Laramie County, WY 1338 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Laramie (UP) Union Pacific 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. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106114 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 23, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP W517 (Speer Jct) Laramie County, WY 1345 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Laramie (UP) Union Pacific, Southern Pacific A pair of AC4400CWs, one of Southern Pacific ancestry, push on the tail end of a load coal train up through Speer Jct. The head end of the train is now on the Greeley Sub and pulling toward Denver. The train is ultimately headed for the Nixon power plant in Colorado Springs. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106113 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 23, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed East of Speer Jct Laramie County, WY 1482 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Laramie (UP) Union Pacific A southbound coal load pulls toward Speer Jct on Main 4 with a trio of elephant-style GEs on the point. This train loaded at the North Antelope Mine in the Powder River Basin and is actually headed for the Nixon power plant in Colorado Springs! Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture. Photo ID: 106112 Date Shot Photo By Saturday, July 23, 2016 Kevin Morgan Location Times Viewed CP W517 (Speer Jct) Laramie County, WY 1330 (Add a Comment) Subdivision Railroad Laramie (UP) Union Pacific 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. Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster or add a comment to the picture.

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