After running for several days on the western slope, this Operation Lifesaver train makes its way back toward Denver on a cloudy June afternoon. The HEP was provided by UP E9B (#963B).
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This is definitely the kind of shot that needs to be in black and white. My dad managed to get roster shots of nearly ever Rio Grande unit back in the late 1970's and early 1980's. He always shot in black and white, so even with the UP patch, this reminds me of those shots.
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As UP 1989 and the MRONY depart Leyden, the pass the classic DRGW signal at the east switch. I've wanted to get a shot from this perspective for awhile now, and thought UP 1989 would be the perfect candidate for the shot. What do you think of the spot?
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After sitting at Leyden for a little over 45 minutes (to wait for the MNYRO to get out of North Yard), the MRONY now has a clear signal and departs Leyden with UP 1989 leading the way.
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The conductor for the MRONY (with UP 1989) stands on the ground and watches as the MNYRO heads west on the main track. The MNYRO would receive a good rollby by the conductor, and next it will be the MRONY's turn to depart.
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The MRONY holds in the siding at Leyden shortly after the sun peaks over the houses on the hills to the east. The 96-car train has been informed that North Yard won't have room for them until the MNYRO heads west.
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Just west of the west switch of Leyden, UP 1989 crosses over Indiana Street on one of the few-remaining "Rio Grande" lettered bridges. The nearly full moon is high in the sky, looking down on the train.
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After a very brief stay in Grand Junction (less than eight hours), UP 1989 was put on the point of MRONY and sent east. This spot should be filled with morning light, but clouds in the eastern sky foiled the plans.
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Just after 6 o'clock in the morning and UP 1989 leads the MRONY-13 down the Moffat. The sun was actually up at this point, but obscured by some gosh darn morning clouds in the eastern sky. Ugh.
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UP 1989 has made a couple trips west to Grand Junction on the MNYRO in the last few weeks, typically returning to Denver a day or so later on the MRONY. Hopefully, considering the fact it is facing east, UP 1989 will return to Denver on the point of an eastbound.
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It seems that the Denver Power Desk is finally trying to break UP 1989 out of its nocturnal ways! Here, UP 1989 is the fourth unit on the MNYRO. The good thing about this position is that it looks all set to lead a train back east after reaching Grand Junction.
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Shortly after 8:00pm, UP's MRONY heads east out of Rocky through Barbara's Gulch. The light was all but gone at this point, so I setup for a "watch the train blur by" shot. UP 1989 was the second unit on the consist, as you can somewhat see in the shot.
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This shot is remarkably similar to one that I snapped a few weeks earlier at the exact same spot. The time of day - almost 8:00pm - limited the options for places to take this shot. After spending a day on the western slope, UP 1989 comes back to Denver on the MRONY-02.
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The MNYRO is approaching the west end of Barbara's Gulch where the train will find a green signal at the east end of Rocky. It seems appropriate that a UP unit, the DRGW Heritage unit, and a (patched) Espee unit lead up the train. Now if the Heritage unit was on the point and the Espee unit wasn't patched, that'd be a whole lot better!
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Union Pacific has done a pretty darn good job in keeping the Heritage Unit clean (at least most of the time). It has been almost three years since UP 1989 was uncovered and it still looks as good as it did for its first run west on the Moffat.
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