The final westbound run of the Rocky Mountaineer for the 2023 season heads west on the main at Plain. For this final run, as has been the case for the past few runs, a pair of UP SD70Ms leads the train.
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UP has quite a few pieces of equipment as well as dozens of sections of "panel track" laying alongside the house track at Plain. Meanwhile, the westbound Rocky Mountaineer rolls by on the main.
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The westbound Rocky Mountaineer passes through the OS at the west end of Plain and the SD70Ms on the point are about to duck in to Tunnel 2, the true start of the east end of the Tunnel District.
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The Rocky Mountaineer has just started its journey west through the Tunnel District as it emerges from Tunnel 3 and the head end approaches Tunnel 4. In the background on the left side of the image, you can actually see the west portal of Tunnel 2.
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About two miles west of Plain, the westbound Rocky Mountaineer continues to gain elevation as it passes through Tunnel 7. This is close to the west (technically north) end of the portion of the Tunnel District from which the Colorado plains are visible.
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The westbound Rocky Mountaineer approaches the east portal of Tunnel 8. Tunnel 8 is one of the longer tunnels in the Tunnel District, and would be a scary one to walk through as the entire tunnel is curved.
Note: DO NOT WALK through train tunnels! The above statement is a theoretical one only.
A pair of light units head north past a quarry toward the aggregate industry at the north end of the spur.
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UP 1507 heads away from the camera toward the aggregate plant at the north end of the Rocky Spur. You can see the main building of the plant in the background on the left side of the frame.
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There are several industries along the Rocky Flats Industrial Lead, but only one is served by rail. A pair of geeps pass Colorado Wood and Metal on the way to the plant at the north end.
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There is a single covered hopper waiting to be picked up at the aggregate plant at the north end of the spur, about four miles north of the mainline.
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A brakeman on the West Local walks along a single hopper to ensure that the wheels are not chalked before the train heads back to the main track.
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The West Local has picked up a single covered hopper on the Rocky Spur. The only car it needs to pick up on this particular trip west of North Yard.
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A GP40-2 and a GP15-1 are the power on the West Local today. The two units have picked up one single covered hopper from the aggregate plant at the north end of the Rocky Spur. The train will wye before back down to the main at Rocky.
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The West Local starts around the north leg of the wye on the Rocky Flats Industrial Lead. It will soon back down the south leg on the right, and continue backing down the spur until it reaches the main track back at Rocky.
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The West Local is on the north leg of the wye just south of the road that used to be the west entrance to Rocky Flats. If you know where to look in the background, you can see Tunnel 4 quite clearly on the mainline!
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