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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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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With daylight savings time now ended and the winter solstice quickly approaching, the days are short but the light quality is fantastic! A pair of DPUs bringing up the rear of an oil train case long shadows on the hill behind the train as it rolls east toward Denver and beyond.
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The Moffat has been averaging one oil train each direction per day for the past few months. BNSF seems to be averaging one oil train each way every other day. Not long before sunset, an eastbound oil train crosses 80th Avenue, leaving Leyden behind, as it continues toward Denver and points east.
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Western Arvada has exploded in the last few decades. In 1995, there were a few houses and farms in this shot along with the tracks. But little else! Today, Leyden is right in the heart of suburban Arvada. An loaded UP oil train glides through the houses on the main at Leyden.
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Up the hillside from Eisele (Clay), a herd of elk gathers amongst the foliage and small amount of snow that has not yet melted. Several of the elk take an interest in the buzzing noise generated by the drone taking their picture.
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Shortly after the westbound Zephyr passed by, a herd of elk decided it was time to cross the tracks and head up the hillside. Fortunately this decision was made after Amtrak passed! No other trains were around, so the three dozen or so elk safely crossed the rails.
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An oil train leaves the east end of Plain and descends down in to the fog that has entirely enveloped the Denver Metro area at lower elevations.
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A pair of elephant-style GEs brings up the tail end of this eastbound loaded oil train on the main at Plain. The plains to the east are entirely obscured in a low fog layer this morning.
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A westbound oil empty crosses over the huge fill west of Tunnel 2 and is heading in to Tunnel 3 after meeting an eastbound loaded oil train at Plain.
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Now that it is back on the mainline, the West Local will be able to speed up to 45 MPH on the track not far ahead. A bit faster than the 5-10 MPH it was restricted to on the Rocky Spur. On the upper-right side of the shot, you can see the grade crossing (protected by a stop light) where the Rocky Spur crosses CO-93. The local was just up at the crossing a short time ago.
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The West Local has received authority to enter the main track at Rocky. The brakeman is walking down from the hopper to throw the switch from the main to the Rocky Spur. In the distance, you can see the mainline just out of the west portal of Tunnel 1.
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At this point in the day, there is only a single dispatcher for the entire former Rio Grande from Denver to Salt Lake City. So, although the West Local has toned up the dispatcher to request permission to enter the main track at Rocky, they have not yet heard back.
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The West Local is backing down the 8% grade toward the main at Rocky. The switch is still locked and the crew will need to tone up the dispatcher and request permission to enter the main track.
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Weeds have somewhat overtaken portions of the Rocky Spur. The West Local is about to back over parts of those stretches of track. In fact, the track the local is starting down carries a rather hefty 8% grade. But no problem for these two peeps, particularly when a single covered hopper is all they have with them.
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