UP's MGJNY, the thrice-weekly manifest from Grand Junction to Denver, is approaching the Pierce Street grade crossing in Arvada. If you look in the distance, you can actually see Big Ten Loop.
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After meeting the Rocky Mountaineer at Arvada, this loaded oil train continued east and into Bypass 1 at C&S Junction. The Rocky Mountaineer got out of town just in time, as both Bypass tracks are now plugged with trains. Bypass 2 has a coal train on it (behind the camera). At the time of this photo, there was a new rumor floating around that UP is planning to start running all oil trains through Wyoming and over Soldier Summit, cutting out the Moffat. Time will tell...
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A pair of UP units slowly back up away from the camera. The train is actually a yard job, transfer cars from UP to the short line Denver and Rock Island. The train is on DRIR tracks right now. After delivering these cars, the UP power will pick up a string of cars ready to depart Denver, and return to North Yard.
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Under partly-cloudy skies, a westbound BNSF oil train heads west on the main at Eisele. Most BNSF oil trains have six units on the head end, which are reconfigured 3x3 for the trip east. This train, however, only has three units. BNSF will likely bring in three other units on a different train, dropping them off at the transload facility at Wash.
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An SD70M and a well-worn SD70ACe lead a 22-car ballast train. The ballast is in the classic green-ish ballast cars that UP has used for decades. The train is about to leave the siding at Rocky eastbound on a green signal.
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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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