After meeting a westbound oil train, whose head end is just coming around Big Ten Loop in the distance, UP 4630 and train are slowly starting to roll eastbound on the siding at Rocky, having receiving a clear (green) signal at the east end.
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A fairly short eastbound ballast train sits on the siding at Rocky, having just met a westbound oil train. The two cars that have been in the house track at Rocky for several weeks, one of which derailed on Big Ten, are finally gone, having been taken back to Denver.
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This SD70ACe has certainly seen better days. The flag is almost entirely gone on the long hood on the conductor's side. The unit is currently on a ballast train. It's possible the unit has seen a lot of time on work trains.
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Not too often you find an SD70M on the point of a mainline train these days. UP 4630 happened to be the leader on an eastbound ballast train. The train took the siding at Rocky to meet a westbound oil train.
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UP 1820 is a snoot nosed SD40-2. Or rather, it was originally. UP has rebuilt it and it is now designated as an SD40N. This month, June 2025, the unit will celebrate its 51st birthday, with its entire life spent on Union Pacific's roster.
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UP 1212 is 41 years old, having been delivered to MKT in April 1984 as a GP39-2. UP rebuilt the unit and it is now designated as a GP39N. The two radiator fans are spaced a bit further apart that most GP39-2s. Probably an artifact of the rebuild.
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Since the start of PSR (Precision Scheduled Railroading) on UP, it is not uncommon for North Yard to be relatively devoid of power. However, on this particular June 1st, there is actually quite a bit of power waiting to be serviced.
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UP 7850 heads east through the OS at the east end of Leyden under partly cloudy skies. The train and crew only have 10 (or so) miles remaining in the journey into North Yard.
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A couple weeks ago, this bulkhead flat was setout in the house track at Rocky. I am not entirely sure what the reason for setting the car out was, but it continues to sit here. The tank car coupled to it was the car the derailed on BNSF's Provo-Denver two weeks earlier.
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Union Pacific maintenance has a small line of earth movers setup and ready to go to work, placing the riprap that has been dumped along the tracks. UP started this project about two weeks ago, after a minor derailment in the area. It looks like the project will likely last a few more weeks.
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UP 7850 is slowly descending down the north edge of Big Ten Curve, passing by several UP maintenance crews. UP has placed a lot of riprap rock to help shore up the track here. Indeed, work is ongoing and more rock will be placed in the coming days and weeks.
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UP 7850 and train pass by the weather station that UP has setup on the southeast side of Big Ten Curve. The thrice-weekly manifest is (relatively) light today, so three units on the head end are sufficient power for the train.
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On the southeast edge of Big Ten Curve, there is a solar-powered weather station setup. The weather station includes an anemometer, which reports the wind speed to UP's headquarters back in Omaha. If wind speeds are too high, UP will issue a 10 MPH slow order around Big Ten Curve.
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After meeting the westbound Zephyr, and waiting a few seconds for some maintenance to clear up on Big Ten, UP 7850 and the MGJNY head east at East Eisele (Clay). As is frequently the case, there are several loaded coal cars on the front of the train. On this particular morning, there are 34 hoppers on the head end.
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At Rainbow Cut at Plain, we see three GEs leading an eastbound MGJNY. From this angle you can see the back half of the train at the west switch of Plain, and even further out toward Tunnel 2.
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