Just east of the east switch of Lacy, the westbound Rocky Mountaineer is following along the Colorado River on its journey west.
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It is shaping up to be a beautiful March day in western Colorado as the westbound Rocky Mountaineer moves through a temporary speed restriction on the main track west of Rifle. The train has seven passengers cars and a power car for this test run.
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At the west switch of Chacra, along I-70, the Rocky Mountaineer is starting to pick up a bit of speed after leaving yet another canyon behind.
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RMRX 8020 and RMRX 8021 approach the Glenwood Springs Yard on the east siding in the rising sunlight. The train had stayed in the yard overnight last night, as it typical, before departing west toward Moab in the morning.
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As the morning sun starts to illuminate part of Glenwood Springs from the east, the westbound Rocky Mountaineer is pulling west on the east siding by the signal bridge at the center of Glenwood. The GP40-3s are kicking up a bit of exhaust in the rising sun.
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The flags that are used to welcome passengers back to the Mountaineer after spending the night at the Hotel Denver in Glenwood Springs are being taken down as the train prepares to depart west toward Moab, UT.
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The head end of the Rocky Mountaineer sits on the east siding at Glenwood, in front of the train station. Revenue runs for 2025 start in a few weeks. This is a test run, with no passengers aboard. In about 15 minutes, the train will depart west.
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A bit of exhaust is being kicked up by the geeps on the point of this test run of the Rocky Mountaineer as it approaches Tunnel 1. The train will be regular revenue operation between Denver and Moab, UT in a few weeks.
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At the start of the season, or in this case, the pre-season, the Rocky Mountaineer GP40-3s can pretty well be counted on to make an appearance on the train. For this pre-season test run, there are only eight cars in tow for the trip. The train is actually testing an extended service that will start in 2026, taking the train from Denver to Salt Lake City (and back). The train will be rebranded as the Canyon Spirit.
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After several months of little to no use, the Rocky Mountaineer GP40-3s are burning off a bit of built up carbon, kicking up quite a bit of exhaust as it burns off.
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A test run of the Rocky Mountaineer is rounding Little Ten Curve on the main at Rocky. It is meeting UP's eastbound MGJNY, which has a single DPU, waiting on the siding.
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The Rocky Mountaineer is conducting a test run ahead of the 2025 season, which starts it roughly a month. In addition to this being a good test run for the crew, it is also a test run for an expansion of service in 2026. The train is expected to run from Denver to Salt Lake City starting in 2026, and this is a test run for that service.
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The power for the Rocky Mountaineer continues to sit on a stub track at UP's North Yard. With the 2025 season still about four months away, the power is likely waiting for some off-season maintenance. A pair of UP GEs sits near the fuel tracks in the foreground.
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It is currently the middle of the "off season" for the Rocky Mountaineer. Three of the units are over in North Yard, likely waiting for some maintenance to be done before the new season kicks off next April.
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As someone that was raised on Rio Grande in the 1980s, spartan cab EMD units hold a special place for me. So, I love getting shots of the Rocky Mountaineer which, when not borrowing UP SD70Ms, runs with EMD spartan cab units. Here, RMRX 8600 knocks down the signal at east Eisele (Clay). The train just completed a slow order and is throttling up to accelerate back up to track speed.
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