A CSX coal empty heads north through the Jacksonville suburb of Lakeside. I was hoping for a southbound hear, but when you are on vacation, you have to take what you can get!
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The "Terror Creek Turn" heads west back toward Grand Junction (about to enter into Bridgeport Tunnel) with 27 loads. The Terror Creek Turn runs very infrequently as there is very little coal still coming out of the Terror Creek mine. In Grand Junction, these cars will be broken up and sent on various trains to different destinations.
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The sun has broken through the early morning clouds to cast a nice light on this westbound (geographically headed north) "Terror Creek Turn". It is a short coal load coming from the low-producing coal mine named Terror Creek.
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One of the few remaining unpatched Espee units at the time of this photo was leading this Somerset-bound coal empty in Dominguez Canyon along the Gunnison River. The head end of the train is approaching the siding of Bridgeport while the tail end is still coming out of Bridgeport Tunnel, 24 miles south of Grande Junction.
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The tipple at Somerset is filled with coal as a UP hopper prepares to be pulled under the tipple to be loaded. The coal is brought down to the loadout using a series of conveyor belts.
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Positioned underneath the the loadout, the train is about to start pulling west under the loadout. The engineer will set a "cruise-control" type function on the lead AC that will keep the speed steady at 1.5 MPH while loading.
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Approaching the end of its journey, UP 6222 is moving along at 10 MPH on the approach to the loadout at Somerset. The train runs along Highway 133 on the way into Somerset.
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Getting ready to release its track warrant (entering Yard Limit territory), UP 6222 is about 90 miles (trackwise) east of Grand Junction approaching Bowie mine. The train will continue east to the loadout at Somerset.
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After meeting a westbound coal load at Roubideau (pronounced ROO-BEE-DOO), UP 6222 now has a track warrant to depart east out of the siding.
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Espee (and former Espee) power is not at all uncommon on the North Fork Subdivision. Particularly AC4400's from 100-199 on Espee's roster. This is because these units were not equipped with DPU capability. Coal trains on the North Fork run with two units on the point; no extra help. Therefore, it makes sense to use units that can't be utilized as DPU units elsewhere.
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Down in the base of Dominguez Canyon along the Gunnison River, UP 6222 (patched Espee 175) is heading east (geographically south at the moment) toward the mine at Somerset.
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The tracks cross Colorado Highway 92 just west of the 7100 foot siding of Rogers Mesa. Rogers Mesa is the only siding between Delta, CO and the mines at the end of the North Fork Branch.
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Southern Pacific power is still used quite extensively as power for coal trains on the North Fork branch. This coal empty is being powered by two SP AC4400CWs.
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This coal train is running parallel to Colorado Highway 92. Note the drive-in movie theater (screen) located on the right side of the picture.
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A coal empty on the North Fork Sub is running through the canyons along the Gunnison River. The train is headed for the Bowie mine, east of Delta.
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