This is a shot that I have come to really enjoy. The perspective with an eastbound coming around Big Ten with the Denver Skyline in the distance makes for a cool shot. BNSF 5888 is leading an eastbound oil load on the trip east. I think it is interesting that the number boards on the SD70ACe are inverse, with black numbers on white boards.
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From the hill between Rocky and Eisele (Clay), we look up the slope at an eastbound BNSF oil train, just coming out of Eisele (Clay) and heading to the south edge of Big Ten Curve. There are some clouds building to the south, although they will not end up resulting in any significant precipitation.
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The last few fleeting moments of sunlight on the main at the east end of Eisele (Clay) light up the lead units of this eastbound oil train. The train will continue to Denver without stopping, although it will meet a westbound UP manifest, holding at Arvada.
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After meeting a very late westbound Zephyr here at Cliff, this eastbound BNSF oil train is preparing to depart east. While DS-378 has set up a clear (green) signal out of Cliff, PTC is still showing a red. The engineer would log out of PTC and log back in, resolving the issue and allowing the oil train to depart eastbound.
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One of the relatively few Tier 4 units on BNSF's roster, an ET44C4, leads BNSF's Provo-Denver in the siding at Eisele (Clay).
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BNSF's daily Provo-Denver manifest is sitting in the siding at Eisele (Clay), waiting on the Zephyr, which is just minutes away on Big Ten Curve. After the Zephyr, the train will continue east to Denver.
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Some (fairly common) afternoon thunderstorms have spilled off the Colorado Rockies south of Denver and have now moved east onto the plains. As you can see, a fair amount of rain is falling with the storms, as a northbound Denver, CO to Laurel, MT manifest pulls north on the (un-signaled) Front Range Sub.
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I managed to "dumb luck" into coming across the Denver-Laurel manifest as it was departing Denver. Here, the train passes by RTD's final B-Line commuter rail station. This is the line that, ostensibly, is supposed to eventually reach Boulder. But, after money ran out, the line never made it beyond Westminster.
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Most cabooses that you see these days are actually "shoving platforms", with their doors and windows bolted or welded closed. BNSF 999015, however, is still a legitimate caboose. It sports "BNSF HAZ MAT" on the side, and is currently assigned to the fire train based in Denver.
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BNSF 933014 is one of three special tank cars that contain (non potable) water. The tank cars are interconnected with hoses, and this third tank car is equipped with pumps that allows the water to be sprayed out. The hoses between cars allows all the water to flow between the three cars.
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The exact cause of the fire here alongside Big Lift (and further south) is not known for sure, but it seems fairly likely that a passing train was throwing up some sparks and accidentally start a few brush fires. Here, BNSF's fire train is working to make sure the flames are done.
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BNSF's fire train spent several minutes at this particular spot, spraying water. Not sure if there was a specific concern of fire flaring up here, or if there was some other reason for the focus.
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It is very fascinating to me how some brush fires can actually leave quite a bit of unburned foliage behind. That appears to be the case here, as BNSF's fire train sprays water along the right-of-way. Although there are clouds building up, there would not be any rain to offer relief from the heat today.
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You can very clearly see the areas where a brush far has burned away foliage on both sides of Main 1 along the Joint Line. High temperatures this July have contributed to the fires, as all but three days (so far) have been 90ºF (33ºC).
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BNSF's "fire train" is making a reverse move on Main 1 (in CTC limits) as firefights unleash water on a few smoldering hot spots from a small brush fire that started earlier in the day.
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