It was close to eleven years ago that I took a picture from this same bridge in Lodo. At that point, the tracks here were still mostly in a field, with just a few of the buildings under construction. Here, an SD70ACe leads a coal load south on Main 1 alongside an empty stopped on Main 2. (The 8,100-foot Lodo Siding sits empty to the right).
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
Here, a northbound coal empties passes underneath Speer Blvd and then over 15th Street in Denver. There is something rather unusual about this coal empty that you may not realize at first. It is being led by a C44-9W, which has DC traction motors instead of AC traction motors.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
It has been nearly a decade since EMD first introduced the SD70ACe. Over 1,200 have been produced since then, several hundred of which have been delivered to BNSF. An example of three sit here, tied down in the siding at Leyden. While GE still outsells EMD, perhaps EMDs (relatively) new owner Caterpillar can help turn that around.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
This train hadn't turned a wheel since I was on my way in to work this morning. At that time, the last crew was still onboard, getting ready to tie the train down. There was also nearly an inch of snow on the ground, all of which had melted by this point over eight hours later.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
The morning of the first appreciable snowfall found this BNSF coal load hanging out in the siding at Leyden. BNSF's Denver Yard didn't have room for this train and, due to the crew having less than an hour left on their hours, the train was tied down shortly after this picture was taken.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
A trio of SD70ACes make up the power on this eastbound coal load at Leyden. Considering that about 60% of BNSFs roster is GE (and only 18% of its purchases in the last ten years have been from EMD), finding an all-EMD consist like this is something of a rarity!
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
This BNSF coal train was loaded at the Wildcat Mine on Utah Railway not far from Helper, UT. BNSF and Utah Railway have a good working relationship and occasionally send trains east from Helper to Denver and points beyond.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
The Galesburg, IL to Denver, CO mixed freight has just about reached its destination! The train just knocked down the triple signal at 48th Avenue, the entrance in to BNSF's Denver Yard.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
The ever-expanding city of Brighton, along with I-76, is visible in the background as BNSF's Galesburg, IL to Denver, CO mixed freight crosses over a creek at MP 527.92. The freight has GECX 2022, a prototype for a Tier 4 GE GEVO, DIC in tow.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
A relatively short BNSF Galesburg, IL to Denver, CO (HGALDEN1-04A) makes its way west toward Denver between Barr and Irondale. It is running parallel to I-76 and the tail end is crossing underneath 120th Avenue.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
BNSF Galesburg-Denver mixed freight charges west past the small lake near the east switch of Tonville. At this time of year (and day), the train is heading almost directly in to the sun...makes it hard to get well-lit shots of the side of the train!
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
A BNSF (reroute) molten sulfur train sits in the siding at Platteville. It was rerouted because floods from a week earlier took out the Front Range Sub, which was still under repair at this point. The BNSF train is awaiting the arrival of the California Zephyr, rerouting through Wyoming as the Moffat was also damaged in the flooding.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
There is a little bit of clutter in the foreground, but I figured it was worth it to get this rare shot of a BNSF (reroute) train sitting in the siding at Platteville. The train is awaiting the arrival of Amtrak so it can continue north and move back to its own property in Cheyenne.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
At Platteville, this BNSF rerouted "stinky slinky" creeps in to the siding to meet the southbound California Zephyr. This train is headed for Bonneville, WY where it will load with molten sulfur before returning to Galveston, TX.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
A pacing shot of BNSF 5295 leading the "stinky slinky" north on UP's Greeley Subdivision. The last thing Colorado needs right now, more rain, build in the thunderstorms to the east.
Email Questions or Comments to the Webmaster
or add a comment to the picture.
