A single GP40-2 of Espee heritage shoves a trio of covered hoppers up the 8% grade of the Rocky Flats Industrial Lead. The siding (right) and main (left) tracks lie empty on the right half of the picture.
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The stop light protecting the tracks across (very busy) Colorado Highway 93 has turned green for the West Local, slowly backing up toward the crossing. Note that the light covers on several of the stop lights for CO-93 are missing, likely due to the high winds that are often found out here.
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The West Local backs away from the camera across Colorado Highway 72. A trash truck and two cars wait patiently for the slow-going train to clear the crossing.
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The West Local makes the long reverse move north up the Rocky Spur, ready to deliver three covered hoppers to the aggregate plant located at the north end of the spur.
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A couple of covered hoppers have to be shuffled around at the aggregate plant at the north end of the Rocky Spur. The West Local, with just a single GP40-2, is facilitating the moves.
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An overview of Arcosa Lightweight, the "lightweight" aggregate plant located at the north end of the Rocky Spur. While the name has changed over the years, the plant itself has been here for decades.
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The West Local passes by Colorado Wood and Metal, a business along the line that is not served by rail.
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The West Local is coming to a stop alongside Colorado Wood and Metal so the air brakes on the six hoppers the train picked up can be charged. That'll be necessary for the journey down the 8% grade back to the mainline, as well as on the mainline itself.
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The West Local heads around the north leg of the wye on the Rocky Spur. This will allow the train to back down the south leg of the wye and continue to back down the spur all the way to the mainline.
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A single covered hopper sits on the south leg of wye on the Rocky Spur as the West Local pulls east down the north leg of the wye. This lone hopper will be added to the six the train already has in tow for the trip back to Denver.
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As a single GP40-2 prepares to back down the south leg of the wye on the Rocky Spur, picking up a 7th covered hopper, you can see where the Moffat Mainline runs along the Rockies in the distance. Plainview runs left-to-right across the scene on the mountain toward the left.
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The West Local is about to pick up one more covered hopper, sitting on the south leg of the wye on the Rocky Spur. After picking it up and charging air in the car, the train will return back south on the spur to the mainline at Rocky.
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A brakeman protects the West Local making its reverse move south down the Rocky Spur, across Colorado Highway 93. Drivers are likely somewhat surprised to be stopped for a train as this spur only sees (on average) one train every three weeks.
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The sun is setting rapidly and, just minutes before the shadow from the mountain overtakes the West Local, the train backs down the 8% grade toward the mainline (already in the shadows) at Rocky.
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It is pretty rare to see the West Local running with only a single unit! Two is by far most common. On this particular day, however, UP 1507 is the single unit managing seven covered hoppers down the 8% back to the mainline.
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