One of the most scenic places any long distance Amtrak train traverses is Glenwood Canyon. In addition to the tracks and the Colorado River, the canyon contains I-70. This was one of the final major pieces of the interstate system to be completed. Until the 1980s, I-70 was just a two lane highway through the canyon. Now, it is four lanes through the entire thing.
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The Minturn Local has two C44ACMs and three tank cars in tow this afternoon. The train is in the siding at Rifle, and just met the eastbound Zephyr. The train now has a signal to depart west.
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The eastbound Zephyr, with AMTK 199 and AMTK 79 for power, just knocked down a clear (green) signal at the west end of Rifle. The train will meet the Minturn Local here, already waiting in the siding.
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A member of the Rocky Mountaineer crew steps off the train to grab his own shot of the California Zephyr as it blasts by the head end of the "Rockies to the Red Rocks", sitting in the siding at Palisade, just east of Grand Junction.
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The eastbound Zephyr is moving at track speed (70 MPH) after having just knocked down a clear (green) signal at the west switch of Palisade, hustling along to try to remain on schedule.
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The westbound Rocky Mountaineer slowly crosses Bower Avenue as it heads west on the siding at Palisade. The siding here is one of the longest on the former Rio Grande at 12,200 feet in length. The train still has a way to go before it can see the signals at the west end.
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The Rocky Mountaineer is coming up to a Diverging Approach (red over yellow) signal at the east end of Palisade. DS-378 is sending the train into the siding to meet the eastbound Zephyr. The town of Palisade is very well known for its peaches, which are incredibly sweet and juicy. It is also know for a number of wineries and vineyards.
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The westbound Rocky Mountaineer is passing by the Grand Valley Diversion Dam, also referred to as the Cameo Diversion Dam. The dam was built in 1916 and was the first dam in the United States to use roller gates to control water flow. The dam is used to control water flow for crops.
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The Colorado River is continuing to grow in size as we continue to move west in Colorado. The Rocky Mountaineer "Rockies to the Red Rocks", on the main at De Beque, is moving west toward its next station stop, just outside of Moab, UT.
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The scenery through Grand Valley in western Colorado is simply amazing. Employees of the Rocky Mountaineer are enjoying the views on this test run of the train, which is set to start another season of revenue runs in a couple of weeks. The train just passed a clear (green) signal at the east switch of De Beque.
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At the east switch of Grand Valley, the pair of GP40-3s of the Rocky Mountaineer keep the test run of the train on the move west through the town of Parachute. Just out of view to the left, UP's Minturn Local is patiently waiting on the Mountaineer.
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UP's Minturn Local, which runs east out of Grand Junction, is holding on the siding at Grand Valley, waiting on the Rocky Mountaineer. Although the local is named the Minturn Local, it has been decades since it actually ran to Minturn. Now, the town of Gypsum, which is on the far west end of Tennessee Pass is as far east as it runs.
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Just east of the east switch of Lacy, the westbound Rocky Mountaineer is following along the Colorado River on its journey west.
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It is shaping up to be a beautiful March day in western Colorado as the westbound Rocky Mountaineer moves through a temporary speed restriction on the main track west of Rifle. The train has seven passengers cars and a power car for this test run.
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At the west switch of Chacra, along I-70, the Rocky Mountaineer is starting to pick up a bit of speed after leaving yet another canyon behind.
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