After a couple weeks off, the Rocky Mountaineer is running again, heading west underneath the Sheridan Blvd overpass on the eastern edge of Arvada. The GP40-3s are back on the train, although they are certainly kicking up quite a bit of exhaust as they head west on Main 1. Other tracks in the shot include Main 2, the Arvada siding, and BNSF's Golden Sub on the far right.
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A pair of UP SD70Ms...the same that the Rocky Mountaineer has borrowed for the last few seasons...are once again leading the Rocky Mountaineer west across the Belt Line. It is currently passing Copeland Lake just east of I-25.
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The Sunday Rocky Mountaineer is headed west across the Belt Industrial Lead, working on getting out of Denver for its journey west to Moab. The train passes through some pretty industrial areas before getting to the western suburbs, leaving the city behind.
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The RM has a pair of leased SD70Ms for this Wednesday trip west. I will say that UP certainly is providing some great looking units. They are very clean and the paint is fresh. Here, the Rocky Mountaineer is emerging from Tunnel 1 westbound.
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Traction motors issues on the Rocky Mountain GP40-3s have them out of service at the moment. The leaser unit the RM got this past spring is not yet ready as PTC is being installed. So, for the time being, a pair of SD70Ms (Phase 2) are on loan from UP.
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Sunday morning means we find the westbound Rocky Mountaineer's "Rockies to the Red Rocks" just west of Denver. The nine car train (plus a power car on the very end) appears to be sold out, which is great news (of course) for the train. Tonight, passenger's will stay at the Hotel Denver in Glenwood Springs, continuing on the Moab, UT tomorrow.
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RMRX 8021 and RMRX 8020, leading the westbound Rocky Mountaineer "Rockies to the Red Rocks", throttle up on the climb up the roughly 2% grade from the base of Coal Creek Canyon to Tunnel 1.
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It seems that the issues that have plagued the Rocky Mountaineer GP40-3s the last two seasons have largely been resolved. It is great to see them running on the point of the train, paint schemes nicely matched to the cars. The train is westbound on the main at Eisele (Clay).
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The westbound Rocky Mountaineer makes its way around Big Ten Curve, rolling slow due to a 10 MPH slow order. In the background, you can see an eastbound BNSF manifest (with a KCSM unit third out) tied down in the siding in the distance.
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Just west of Tunnel 30, the Rocky Mountaineer's "Rockies to the Red Rocks" follows along South Boulder Creek in the narrow canyon just east of Rollins. The GP40-3s are kicking up some exhaust as the train snakes its way west.
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The westbound Rocky Mountaineer is between Cliff and Rollins in the area known as Pactolus, passing by the signal at MP 39.9. The train had an Approach Diverging (yellow over yellow) signal at the intermediate as the train will be taking the siding at Rollins. An eastbound UP coal load is already sitting on the main, waiting for the train to arrive.
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As the westbound Rocky Mountaineer approaches Blue Mountain Drive, the engineer throttles up and both GP40-3s kick up a little extra exhaust. It is a very rainy morning out today. In fact, there was some light hail falling as the train rolls west.
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Growing up in the 1980s, going out train chasing with my dad, I was raised on Rio Grande. Consequently, spartan cab EMDs are by far my favorite locomotives. That makes seeing a pair of GP40-3s on the point of the Rocky Mountaineer really great every time I see them. Here, they are leading the Rocky Mountaineer as it approaches the grade crossing at Blue Mountain Drive.
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On a cloud, slightly rainy, May morning, the Rocky Mountaineer starts another journey west toward Glenwood Springs (its stop of tonight) and Moab tomorrow.
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A pair of UP (Phase 2) SD70Ms leads the westbound Rocky Mountaineer out of the west portal of Tunnel 1. The skies are partly cloudy and the temperature is right around 60°F. A great morning for a shot of the Mountaineer.
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