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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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 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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The eastbound Rocky Mountaineer approaches a clear (green) intermediate signal at MP 9.8. The train will be taking Bypass 1 across the Belt Industrial Lead to get to its final stop at UP's 36th Street Yard, just outside of Denver. The skyline of which stands tall in the distance.
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A pair of Phase 2 SD70Ms lead the Rocky Mountaineer, the premiere passenger train on the Moffat, east through Arvada. Passengers are hopefully enjoying the fall colors here at the lower elevations as the train continues east toward its destination in Denver.
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Fall colors at the higher elevations have died off, but they are just hitting their peak at the lower elevations in the Denver area. The eastbound Rocky Mountaineer, with a pair of UP SD70Ms subbing in for the Mountaineer geeps, glides east down the grade east of Leyden amidst the fall colors. 14,259-foot Longs Peak stands tall in the distance.
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In the valley leading to the base of James Peak, the westbound Rocky Mountaineer approaches the east portal of the 6.2-mile long Moffat Tunnel. East Portal is a very popular spot for hikers, and there is a near-full parking lot in the scene. Hikers used to cross the tracks at the entrance to the tunnel, but UP had the trail head moved to go up and over the tunnel so hikers do not walk across the tracks.
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Fall colors are at their peek at the start of October, which is one of the largest draws for passengers on the "Rockies to the Red Rocks" Rocky Mountaineer. The train is rolling west on the main at East Portal, about a mile from the entrance to the Moffat Tunnel.
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On a crisp, cloudy October morning, the westbound Rocky Mountaineer makes another trip west toward Moab, UT. The "Rockies to the Red Rocks" train will continue running twice a week through the end of October. It will then shut down until the 2024 season starts in April 2024.
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The westbound Rocky Mountaineer is between Tolland and East Portal. For that past several months, the Mountaineer has been running with some leased UP SD70Ms while work was done on the GP40-3s. As you can see, the GP40-3s are back on the train, looking sharp matching the passenger cars.
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Fall colors are just barely starting to show at Tolland as the Sunday Rocky Mountaineer crosses the grade crossing at Tolland on its journey west. It is so fantastic having such a unique passenger operation running on the Moffat. After losing the American Orient Express (later the Grande Luxe Express), the Ansco Ski Train, and the Circus Train, it is great having something diverse still running.
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The Rocky Mountaineer GP40-3s look really good on the point of the "Rockies to the Red Rocks" Mountaineer as it approaches the grade crossing at Tolland.
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The landscape around Tunnel 1, three days in to September, is actually quite green still. Within the next month, the terrain should really start to transform with fall colors. At least, in the areas where fall colors are applicable with deciduous trees.
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The westbound Rocky Mountaineer rounds the curve toward the east portal of Tunnel 1 as it continues its journey to Glenwood Springs. Once there, the train will stop overnight and passengers will sleep at the Hotel Denver. Tomorrow, it will continue to Moab, UT.
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This scene has changed significantly in the past year, and is going to continue to change in the coming year. UP 4927 leads the westbound Rocky Mountaineer up the grade toward Tunnel 1. In the background, preparation continues for the construction of the Canyon Pines subdivision, a new neighborhood of single family homes.
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