The Rocky Mountaineer heads away from the camera along the headwaters of the Colorado River with some fantastic fall colors west of Granby. As you might imagine, this is the best season for the Rocky Mountaineer.
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Unfortunately, one of the two Rocky Mountaineer GP40-3s was down for the count and spending some time in the shop, so RMRX 8600 was filling in on this trip. The engineer offers up a friendly wave as the train passes Grand County Road 57.
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A few miles west of Granby, the eastbound Rocky Mountaineer passes a green intermediate signal as it passes through a cut of golden cottonwood trees. This is a shot I've wanted to get for several years, and I was happy the opportunity finally presented itself!
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The Rocky Mountaineer departed Denver this morning for Moab, UT. The two GP40-3s are working at the moment, so the SD40M-2 is being left behind in Denver with the SD18 that is used for switching.
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Lighting is not the best, but the westbound Rocky Mountaineer has taken the siding at Cliff to meet an eastbound BNSF oil train.
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A look at the Rocky Mountaineer in the siding at Rollins from the north side of the rails, just before the train passes underneath the "Peak-to-Peak" highway, CO-119.
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RMRX 8020 and RMRX 8021 both spit out a blast of exhaust as the engineer increases the throttle by a notch. The train has cleared the east switch of Rollins, and is now running west through the 8,320-foot long siding. The sun glints off South Boulder Creek to the right.
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Exiting from the extremely narrow canyon just east of Rollins, the westbound Rocky Mountaineer enters into the siding at Rollins. UP had some track and time on the main track at Rollins, so the mornings trains were routed in and out of the siding.
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The westbound Rocky Mountaineer is approaching Tunnel 30, the final tunnel the train will pass through prior to reaching the Moffat Tunnel. There are not a lot of shots from the Tunnel 30 area, as it is remote and isolated from the other tunnels between Denver and the Moffat Tunnel.
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At Pactolus, in between Cliff and Rollins, the westbound Rocky Mountaineer passes by a small (private) lake and the Lincoln Hills Fly Fishing Club.
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The Rocky Mountaineer's Rockies to the Red Rocks is only making one trip west per week between Denver and Moab throughout the month of August. In the high heat of the summer, demand for the Mountaineer is decreased, so the train does not run Sunday through Tuesday. It only runs Wednesday through Friday. This morning, the Mountaineer has its GP40-3s and is making track speed.
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From above the building complex of the Moffat Tunnel at East Portal, we see the train as it approaches, passing the switch at the west end of East Portal. The lead unit is passing under a camera bridge. The dispatcher (and others) in Omaha, NE can view many different directions around the tracks here.
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With a green signal and the Moffat Tunnel curtain now open, the train is throttling up quickly toward track speed.
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The Rocky Mountaineer has slowed to a stop on the main at East Portal. Ahead, the Moffat Tunnel is still venting from the Zephyr passing through about 30 minutes ago. Until the tunnel finishes venting, the train will have to wait.
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The Rocky Mountaineer is passing the location where, once upon the time, the tracks curve and started up the major grade of Rollins Pass. Today, the east leg of the wye at East Portal lies on a portion of that original grade.
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