Thursday, July 6, 2006 - Today, Union Pacific decided to finally send the DRGW Heritage Unit west over the *other* Rio Grande mainline. You know, that one that runs right smack through the middle of the Rockies! For the past several weeks, it has been running exclusively on the MNYPU/MPUNY. Now, it is on the point of the MNYGJX-06 heading west for Grand Junction.
I have been told that, upon reaching Grand Junction, it will come back to Denver and then return to captive service on the Joint Line. We'll have to see what happens when it reaches Grand Junction, probably before dawn tomorrow morning. I was able to get away for the run west and I got some shots posted in the photo gallery for your viewing pleasure.
The train got out of North Yard right around 5pm. It was following four other westbounds up the hill, and all five westbounds had to meet Amtrak! UP 1989 (Search Photo Gallery) went in at Plain for the meet while Amtrak was up at Tolland. By now it was 6pm and I estimated UP 1989 (Search Photo Gallery) would reach Crescent around 7:30pm. Turned out to be a pretty good estimate. I shot it there at Crescent, and that was it for me!
|
|
