For a few months, the Valmont coal train loaded exclusively on BNSF in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming. That has changed, however, as the train is now loading in western Colorado (on UP) once again. As a result, the power on the Front Range Sub is once again mixed between BNSF and UP as the Valmont train wraps around Church Ranch Lake.
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The clouds have set in on this Saturday morning as the Valmont coal load passes underneath the Northwest Parkway in Broomfield. The train is climbing is relatively steep grade, working toward Louisville.
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The trains destination is finally in sight! The Xcel Energy owned power plant at Valmont is coal fired. The hoppers will be spotted near the plant, and a switcher at the plant will position the hoppers to be dumped over the next several days.
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A rare set of power heads down the Front Range Sub through Longmont. A pair of Canadian Pacific AC4400CWs are running light (with no train), heading back to Denver. Believe it or not, these are the first Canadian Pacific units that I've actually shot and placed on this website!
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A pair of Canadian Pacific AC4400CWs running light down the Front Range Sub approach Independence Road in north Boulder. Another 1,000 feet or so and the power will come to a stop and wait for nearly two hours while the Valmont coal train switch on the main ahead.
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After placing half its train at the Valmont power plant, the second half of the train must now be placed on the storage track along the Stazio ball fields.
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After dropping off the loaded coal hoppers on the track to the right, the power for the Valmont coal train runs light back toward the mainline. The power will not actually enter the mainline, but will instead tie down on a stub track and the crew will return to Denver.
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Running along the Valmont Reservoir has finally received a track warrant to proceed to Denver. The light Canadian Pacific power had to sit at MP 32 for two hours while waiting for the Valmont coal train to clear the main track.
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The Rocky Local (now referred to as the West Local) makes a rare Saturday appearance on the Rocky Flats Industrial Lead. The local is switching out hoppers at the TXI Aggregate plant, about four miles north of the Moffat mainline.
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Looks somebody has spent some time to try to "unpatch" this former Espee GP40M-2! You can clearly see the outline of a UP shield that has been painted over on the nose!!
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At Plainview, a concrete tie train is tied down on the siding, waiting to continue west. The train is headed for Bond and will ultimately work in Gore Canyon, laying out its ties for the major tied / ballast / rail replacement project that has been ongoing between Gore and Bond this summer.
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After pulling a string of covered hoppers from TXI Aggregates, the West Local backs across Colorado Highway 93 on its way back down to the mainline at Rocky. The last unit in the consist in a former Rio Grande GP40-2!
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Whew! Got sticky brakes!? A bit of smoke is being produced by a stuck brake on the Rocky Local as it moves down the mainline just west of Leyden. The local will take the siding at Leyden to wait on two westbounds that have yet to come out of Denver.
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