The westbound Zephyr departs the station at Grand Junction. A coal train that loaded at the West Elk Mine is actually making a reverse move onto the lead track along the main. It will be ready to depart west after the Zephyr departs and the Rocky Mountaineer comes through.
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A westbound coal load is ready to depart west. It was just waiting for the eastbound Rocky Mountaineer, which is now approaching on the main track.
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The eastbound Rocky Mountaineer is briefly stopped on the main track here at Grand Junction. While no passengers get on or off the train here, it is a crew change point for the Rocky Mountaineer. The fresh crew will take the train east from Grand Junction to Glenwood Springs.
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After a quick crew change, the Rocky Mountaineer passes by the Grand Junction station and is on its way east toward Glenwood Springs. It is scheduled to arrive between 7pm and 8pm. Tomorrow, it will make the trip east to Denver.
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Unfortunately, a big cloud decided to blow through right as this westbound coal load came through. Fortunately, there was a very small sucker hole to get a little sunlight on the lead unit. It is here that the tracks and I-70 temporarily diverge from one another. The tracks move through Ruby Canyon, while I-70 heads north around it.
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No trains in this particular shot, but liked the black and white and the desert vibe. UP has erected some new signal masts, but they do not yet have signal heads. Many classic Rio Grande signals are still used here in the desert.
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After running through Ruby Canyon, the tracks start to make a climb up toward a summit at Thompson Hill. You can see the red rocks and the far west end of Ruby Canyon in the distance.
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Running with four units (setup 2x2), this westbound coal load is actually moving pretty quick across the Utah desert. The red rocks of Ruby Canyon are visible in the distance. The train is ultimately headed for Intermountain Power in Utah. Intermountain Power is planning to shift away from coal in 2025.
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This westbound coal load has taken the siding at Sagers to wait on an eastbound BNSF oil train. A derailment about a week ago at West Solitude still has a 10 MPH slow order out in the desert, delaying all trains that have to run through there.
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As is the case with several sidings in the desert, UP has installed new signal masts here at West Sagers, but has not yet put the new signal heads on. I am not complaining, though, as I am a sucker for the old Rio Grande signals. A westbound coal load, headed for Intermountain Power in Utah, sits in the siding.
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I was hoping that the BNSF oil load that this westbound UP coal load was waiting on would have arrived by now. Alas, it took longer that I had hoped. The coal load would sit in the siding here at Sagers for well over an hour, until after sunset, for the oil train to arrive.
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A fitting shot to close out the first of three and half days out in the Utah desert. The sun has dipped behind the Book Cliffs to the west, as a few small rain showers pass through the area.
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