The Potash Local rolls east with 35 empty covered hoppers just east of Brendel. It is at Brendel that the train will depart the mainline (and the Green River Sub), and enter the Cane Creek Sub. The train already has their warrant from the dispatcher, so they are ready to head south.
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UP's Potash Local is in the siding at Sagers, having just met the quickly-moving eastbound California Zephyr. The Potash Local only runs once a week, always on Fridays. Monday through Thursday, the same power is generally used on the Minturn Local, running east out of Grand Junction.
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Passengers aboard the California Zephyr are hopefully enjoying the incredible views of the Utah desert under crystal clear skies this morning. The train is making its way east toward its next station stop in Grand Junction, CO.
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The Utah desert is, without a doubt, one of my favorite places to shoot trains anywhere. There is such a raw beauty to the desert, as seen here with the eastbound Zephyr makes its way through some curves near Floy. The amazing Book Cliff create a fantastic backdrop for the scene.
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You generally have to be quick on the trigger to get a shot of the Zephyr out here in the Utah desert. With the wide open spaces, many spots have a track speed of 79 MPH for passenger trains, and the Zephyr takes advantage of that! In this shot, the train is on the main at Desert, a very appropriate name for a siding here!
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The eastbound California Zephyr is running about 45 minutes late this morning, moving at track speed (79 MPH) on the approach to the west switch of Desert. US-6 follows the tracks along here.
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A fitting shot to close out the first of three and half days out in the Utah desert. The sun has dipped behind the Book Cliffs to the west, as a few small rain showers pass through the area.
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I was hoping that the BNSF oil load that this westbound UP coal load was waiting on would have arrived by now. Alas, it took longer that I had hoped. The coal load would sit in the siding here at Sagers for well over an hour, until after sunset, for the oil train to arrive.
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As is the case with several sidings in the desert, UP has installed new signal masts here at West Sagers, but has not yet put the new signal heads on. I am not complaining, though, as I am a sucker for the old Rio Grande signals. A westbound coal load, headed for Intermountain Power in Utah, sits in the siding.
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This westbound coal load has taken the siding at Sagers to wait on an eastbound BNSF oil train. A derailment about a week ago at West Solitude still has a 10 MPH slow order out in the desert, delaying all trains that have to run through there.
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Running with four units (setup 2x2), this westbound coal load is actually moving pretty quick across the Utah desert. The red rocks of Ruby Canyon are visible in the distance. The train is ultimately headed for Intermountain Power in Utah. Intermountain Power is planning to shift away from coal in 2025.
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After running through Ruby Canyon, the tracks start to make a climb up toward a summit at Thompson Hill. You can see the red rocks and the far west end of Ruby Canyon in the distance.
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No trains in this particular shot, but liked the black and white and the desert vibe. UP has erected some new signal masts, but they do not yet have signal heads. Many classic Rio Grande signals are still used here in the desert.
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Unfortunately, a big cloud decided to blow through right as this westbound coal load came through. Fortunately, there was a very small sucker hole to get a little sunlight on the lead unit. It is here that the tracks and I-70 temporarily diverge from one another. The tracks move through Ruby Canyon, while I-70 heads north around it.
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After a quick crew change, the Rocky Mountaineer passes by the Grand Junction station and is on its way east toward Glenwood Springs. It is scheduled to arrive between 7pm and 8pm. Tomorrow, it will make the trip east to Denver.
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