A temperature inversion has created a layer of fog that is clinging to the ground this morning. The sun is slowly burning it away, and the current edge of the fog layer is about a mile west of Leyden. Here, the Zephyr emerges from the fog in a somewhat eerie looking scene.
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The morning Zephyr approaches at the edge of some low hanging morning fog about a mile west of Leyden.
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The east portal of Tunnel 2 is now quiet, the Zephyr just passing through it seconds earlier. Indeed, the head end of the westbound Zephyr is now approaching Tunnel 3 in the distance on a mostly cloudy morning.
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The westbound Zephyr departs from the west end of Plain, about 25 miles west of Denver Union Station, ready to make its way through the Tunnel District on its journey west.
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The standard pair of P42DCs lead a baggage car and seven Superliners through the aptly-named Rainbow Cut. The Zephyr has been running with only six Superliners the past several weeks, but likely due to an increase in demand with the holidays coming, a seventh has been added again lately.
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UP has been doing quite a bit of work throughout the Tunnel District lately. Evidence of this work is very apparent at Plain. Equipment is on the house track, there is a lot of panel track, and other ties and rail are in the area. Several hyrailers are also showing up, getting ready for a days work as the westbound Zephyr rolls by on the main.
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The westbound Zephyr leaves Leyden behind and crosses over the bridge that takes the tracks over Indiana Street in west Arvada. Many citizens in west Arvada want Indiana Street to be widened to four lanes to accommodate traffic growth. This classic bridge is the signal largest obstacle to the widening as that cost would, naturally, be quite high.
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The westbound Zephyr lost about two hours at various points across the plains between Chicago and Denver. With a little bit of time made up, the Zephyr is just over 90 minutes late as it blasts west on the main at Leyden on a beautiful November morning.
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Just west of the west portal of Tunnel 1, the second snow fall of the 2023-2024 winter season still largely covers the ground as the westbound Zephyr pulls west. The Zephyr is a little over an hour late this morning.
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AMTK 134 and AMTK 168 lead the westbound Zephyr on the pull toward Tunnel 1 up from the case of Coal Creek Canyon. Construction on the new Canyon Pines subdivision continues in the background. No groundbreaking on any houses has started. Yet.
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In 2018, it was common to find eight Superliners on the Zephyr through the winter months. Post-COVID, an a coach and a sleeper have both been dropped from the train, making six Superliners the current winter standard. P42DCs still reign on the Zephyr, despite Amtrak taking receipt on 18 ALC-42s.
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Fall colors along the front range are entirely complete here at the start of November. Most trees have lost their leaves entirely, although some still have some colorless leaves clinging on, such as this tree near the west end of Eisele (Clay). The westbound Zephyr rolls through the scene on the main.
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An inch or two of snow fell throughout the day yesterday. This morning, the westbound Zephyr passes through the semi snow covered scene, climbing up the east side of Big Ten Loop.
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The morning westbound Zephyr is running about 1 hour and 15 minutes behind schedule as it leaves the west end of Rocky. A storm came through yesterday that left a couple inches of snow in the foothills.
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As the westbound Zephyr glides along the main track at Eisele (Clay), direct your attention up the mountain to the top of the image. Several folks have some great homes at the top of Blue Mountain Road. Pretty fantastic view out over the plains, as well as the tracks.
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