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Saturday, July 23, 2016
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Kevin Morgan
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CP W517 (Speer Jct)
Laramie County, WY
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1432 (Add a Comment)
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Laramie (UP)
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Union Pacific
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UP's tracks west of Cheyenne offer an interesting configuration. Mains 1 and 2 head directly west toward Hermosa Tunnel and Laramie. Mains 3 and 4 curve south and run to Speer Jct. At Speer Jct, the Greeley Sub (toward Denver) breaks off and Mains 3 and 4 curve west. Then, the mains converge into a single main track. This track (Main 3) also runs to Hermosa, but as a single track on a completely different grade from Mains 1 and 2. The grade on Main 3 isn't nearly as steep as on Main 1 and 2, so heavy westbounds, such as the grain train in this shot, are frequently routed over Main 3 to Hermosa.
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Saturday, July 18, 2015
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Kevin Morgan
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Speer
Laramie County, WY
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1606 (Add a Comment)
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Laramie (UP)
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Union Pacific
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Once the Cheyenne Frontier Days special arrives in Cheyenne and its passengers detrain, the train needs to be wyed (turned around) in preparation for the return trip to Denver. The nearest why is at Speer, which is actually about eight miles away from Cheyenne. Rather than make a long (and slow) reverse move, the Granite switcher hooks on to the rear of the train. This allows the train to move at track speed. Here, UP 2525 (a fantastically shiny and new ES44AC) pulls the train through the curve, approaching the signals at Speer on Main 4.
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Saturday, July 18, 2015
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Kevin Morgan
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CP W511
Cheyenne, WY
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1874 (1 Comment Posted)
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Laramie (UP)
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Union Pacific
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A westbound ballast train pulls out of the Cheyenne Yard, ready to head west on the Laramie Sub. The train is on Main 4, crossing underneath the BNSF Front Range Sub. The train is on Main 4 because it will actually swing south and go through Speer Junction before heading west on Main 3 to Dale Jct. Main 3 is on a totally separate grade from Mains 1 and 2 between Cheyenne and Dale Jct (near Hermosa Tunnel). Main 3 is longer, but the grade is much lower, so heavy westbounds, such as this ballast train, frequently take Main 3.
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Saturday, July 18, 2015
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Kevin Morgan
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CP W511
Cheyenne, WY
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2153 (1 Comment Posted)
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Laramie (UP)
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Union Pacific
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The journey is almost over! It has been a beautiful ride for passengers on Cheyenne Frontier Days, but the (morning) ride is nearly over. The train just received permission to enter "Form B" limits at Cheyenne and will cross over from Main 4 to Main 1 at CP W511. A "Form B" is a special form that allows train maintenance to occur on the tracks. No train can enter (or, once coming to a stop, move within) Form B limits without explicit verbal consent from the track foreman in charge.
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Saturday, July 18, 2015
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Kevin Morgan
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CP W511
Cheyenne, WY
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1742 (Add a Comment)
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Laramie (UP)
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Union Pacific
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Old meets new! On the right side of this picture, we find a trio of SD70s (an SD70ACe sandwiched by two SD70Ms) on a train stopped on Main 1. The power on that train is all from the 21st century. Meanwhile, on the left side of the picture, we have a trio of E9s (an E9B sandwiched, of course, by two E9As) and a DDA40X. The E9s haven't seen revenue service since the 1950s! The DDA40X is only slightly more recent, last seeing revenue service in the 1970s.
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