Norfolk Southern has a program in which they are converting a lot of their DC traction motor units to AC traction motors. NS 4762 is a good example. You can see the "DC to AC" on the cab, indicating this unit is a veteran of that program.
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NS 4130 and a pair of BNSF SD70ACes cross over South Boulder Creek just east of Tolland. In the distance, you can see a few of the mountains around James Peak and the Continental Divide.
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This spring has been unusually wet and cool, the result of which has been some absolutely spectacular green scenery! Case-in-point is this view of an eastbound BNSF oil train, led by an NS AC44C6M, at the east switch of East Portal.
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This BNSF oil train is crossing East Portal Road near the east end of East Portal as the tail end of the train is actually still in the Moffat Tunnel. A couple of cars are waiting at the grade crossing as the train rolls by.
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It is almost guaranteed that the afternoons will bring clouds on the east side of the Continental Divide in Colorado. Today is no exception as an NS-led oil train follows along a very full South Boulder Creek at East Portal.
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An eastbound BNSF oil train is led by a Norfolk Southern "catfish" out of the Moffat Tunnel under cloud afternoon skies. At this location, the eastbound is roughly 9,170 feet above sea level.
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Classic shot of a colorful consist. Under partly cloudy skies, this westbound oil train is approaching the east tunnel of Tunnel 1. It has been an exceptionally wet and cool spring, so the scenery is still very green. An incredibly welcome sight.
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This oil train is running on UP rails, with a Norfolk Southern leader, and a BNSF crew! Quite the interesting mix. The yellow hand rails on the lead unit really pop in the scene as the train curves toward Tunnel 1.
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Last week, UP officially wrapped up a majority of the construction on Big Ten and reopened the mainline between switches at Rocky. There is still some minor work happening, but all the speed restrictions have been lifted. This NS/BNSF oil train climbs the north edge at track speed.
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It seems that a business east of the Mississippi has a contract with the Wash oil loadout. The train originates on Norfolk Southern and is turned over to BNSF. However, most of the time, the train has been running with at least a few NS units all the way to the oil transloaded facility. On this particular day, an interesting NS/FXE/NS trio lead the train.
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Two NS units and a BNSF unit bring up the tail end of this eastbound unit oil train. The units are just passing by the old Chem Spur switch. Grass has reclaimed much of the short branch line. As always, the metal structure that was one part of a mining operation, stands tall along the tracks. The first body of water in the distance is Welton Reservoir. The second is Standley Lake. Both are sources of drinking water.
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NS 1221, NS 4753, and BNSF 9725 lead this eastbound loaded oil train through Barbara's Gulch. The campers in the background are now part of long term storage facility. BNSF 9725 is also a bit rare, one of only a handful of SD70MACes (rebuilt from SD70MACs).
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Since the start of the "PTC era" a few years ago, power shared units stopped leading on the Moffat. Leaders were pretty exclusively UP or BNSF (for those respective railroads). However, with PTC matured a bit now, and with PTC following a universal standard for all US railroads, an NS SD70ACe leads this eastbound BNSF manifest through Barbara's Gulch.
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While this BNSF oil train progresses east through Barbara's Gulch, we can see the sea of relatively new houses built in Candelas over the last decade as part of Arvada's most recent expansion.
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Two Norfolk Southern units and a BNSF SD70MAC lead this loaded oil train east through Barbara's Gulch. In the distance, you can see the intersection of Highway 93/72, and even west all the way to the case of Coal Creek Canyon.
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