Crews work at the east end of Azure, just west of Gore Canyon, to install new signals. The MOW is holding the main track while this BNSF westbound makes its way into the siding using plenty of "bell and whistle" to make sure the maintenance crews are safely off the tracks.
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This Energy-bound coal empty is coming out the west end of Azure and headed toward Little Gore Canyon. All the power is on the front of the train, and the crew will have to setup DPU in Phippsburg before the train continues to Energy.
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At the mouth of Little Gore Canyon, UP 5933 leads and westbound coal empty into Tunnel 39 along the Colorado River. At Bond, this train will leave the Colorado River behind and head up the Craig branch the 39 miles to Phippsburg.
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The head end of the train is about a half mile ahead of the hoppers in the foreground. The hopper are about to be pulled into Tunnel 40 in Little Gore Canyon.
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Descending down from Craig Branch, this coal load is creeping along on a yellow signal with a red signal in sight. Amtrak 5 is just coming through Bond so this 10,000 ton train has to stop momentarily to let Amtrak proceed west.
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Just above the loops at Crater, this westbound coal empty is making its way toward the Crater siding. It is a light Sunday on the Craig branch and this train will have no meets at Crater, Volcano, or Toponas. A clear shot into Phippsburg.
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Just west of Toponas, UP 5933 passes a clear intermediate signal under partly cloudy skies. During this time of year, it is unlikely that the skies will stay clear all day long. Thunderstorms often move in during the afternoon hours.
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Now within yard limits, this eastbound coal train is about to pass through the yard at Phippsburg. The train is heading east from Energy Mine and will stop in the yard at Phippsburg for a crew change. The next crew will take the crew into Denver (or at least as close as they can get to Denver during their hours of service).
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There are some amazing loops and horseshoe curves on the Craig Branch between Bond and Toponas. One such horseshoe curve is here, about a mile west of the siding of Crater. The head end of UP 5948 comes around the curve on the right while the tail end DPU's enter Tunnel 49 on the left side of the image.
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The MNYPV has a fresh crew onboard as it departs west out of Bond. After crossing the Colorado River on the bridge in the foreground, the train will enter the 647 foot-long Yarmony Tunnel. This is the beginning of the Dotsero Cutoff and the east end of the Glenwood Springs Subdivision.
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It is a beautiful evening in western Colorado as the MNYPV-03 crosses the Colorado River a few miles west of Dell. It is just after 6:00pm and the train is about halfway across the Dotsero Cutoff.
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