An loaded BNSF oil train crosses the grade crossing at Crescent, rolling eastbound on the main. The train will meet a westbound oil empty at Plain. The westbound is actually already at Plain, awaiting the arrival of this eastbound.
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This westbound BNSF unit oil train has a single ES44AC "sticker" unit bringing up the rear of the train. BNSF is the only US Class 1 railroad that has not done a true heritage unit. However, in 2020, for the 25th anniversary of the creation of BNSF, they released several of these anniversary units with stickers of the key railroads that went into making BNSF. Not exactly a true heritage unit, but better than nothing!
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A westbound BNSF oil empty heads west in the OS at Pecos. The train was recrewed south of Denver on the Joint Line and came across UP Main 1 at Prospect to get to the Moffat, completely bypassing BNSF's actual yard in Denver.
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In between the running of trains, railroads have a rather large contingent of maintenance personnel. Many of them use hi-rail trucks to drive on the rails and ensure the track is in shape. One such UP MOW hi-rail truck is headed east on Bypass 2 in the OS at Pecos, headed for Broadway.
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The Zephyr has the typical post-COVID consist with a pair of P42s, a baggage car, and seven Superliners. The train is in the OS at C&S Junction and is crossing over Federal Blvd.
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The westbound Zephyr passes underneath the signal bridge at C&S Junction, about to cross over Federal Blvd, changing from Main 3 to Main 2. The train is running right on time for its morning trip west.
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AMTK 75 and AMTK 59 are the power on the westbound Winter Park Express. The train was delayed about 20 minutes waiting for a BNSF southbound to clear the diamond at 23rd Street. However, with no eastbound traffic opposing it, the train would still arrive in Winter Park one minute early!
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AMTK 75 leads the morning Winter Park Express westbound across the grade crossing at Plain. There was a light dusting of snow overnight, and the result is powdery white pine trees, ties, and ballast.
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The Denver area has had several unseasonably warm days in the last week. As a result, nearly all the snow in the area has melted away. However, there is still plenty of snow to be had in the Colorado high country, which is where skiers on the Winter Park Express are headed as the train departs Eisele (Clay).
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AMTK 75 and AMTK 59 lead the Winter Park Express westbound on the main at Eisele (Clay). Since the Amtrak started running the Winter Park Express in 2017, it has never had more than 40 trips in a season. However, thanks in large part to the government of Colorado, it will have 69 trips for the 2024-2025 season. Reports indicate that the train has largely been sold out.
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AMTK 75 has, so far, been on every run of the Winter Park Express this season. The second P42DC was originally AMTK 146. However, Amtrak swapped that out and AMTK 59 is now assisting with AMTK 75. The train climbs and comes around Big Ten Curve.
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AMTK 75, sporting Amtrak's Phase 7 paint scheme, leads the westbound Winter Park Express around the outside of Big Ten Curve. In the distance, above AMTK 75, you can actually see the east portal of Tunnel 4. The Winter Park Express runs with a single engineer in the cab.
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The engineer on the morning Winter Park Express throttles up at East Rocky to increase speed a little bit after coming through the west end of Barbara's Gulch.
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One of my personal favorite perspective from Big Ten Curve. Three units, lead UP's MNYGJ, the thrice-weekly manifest on the climb around Big Ten.
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The engineer is throttling up UP 7052, resulting a bit of extra exhaust being kick up as the MNYGJ starts to bit into the roughly 2% grade on the climb to Big Ten Curve. This is the first daylight run of the MNYGJ on the east slope of the Moffat that I have seen in just over a year. The train almost always departs North Yard in the darkest hours of the night.
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