86242
Member
Two weeks spent in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. Perhaps the best best places in the world for trains and scenery. Where else in the world can you get 2 mile long trains climbing over the Rocky mountains... The weather was mainly sunny with only about 1 day of rubbish weather which coninsided with the trains not many trains were seen.
Day 1 - West of the Moffat Tunnel
Frist shot of the trip an empty coal train exciting Byers Canyon
Amtrak in Byers Canyon
Day 2 - North Folk Sub
UP 1422 leading the Montrose local south in the Escalante Canyon the following morning
An empty coal train following the Gunnison River near Bridgeport
Another empty coal train this time near Shamrock
Day 3 - the Narrow Guage
K-36 is seen leading the first 'Silverton' of the day north at Hermosa
I nice surprise of K-28 #478 leading the second Silverton of the day north at Hermosa. It was the K-28s which worked the line in under the Rio Grande from when they were built in the 1920s through to when the line was upgraded for K-36s in the 1980s. When it was over to Chama for the rest of the day
Day 4 - Narrow Gauge freight
Recently overhauled K-36 #489 is seen leaving Chama passing Jukes tree with 488 helping out as a mid train helper
489 and 488 are now seen storming up the 4% (1 in 25) grade near Dalton heading up Cumbres Pass
489 is still again below Windy Point a few miles from the summit
489 is seen arriving at Cumbres Pass summit at an elevation of 10,017ft where 489 will head back to Chama light engine and 488 will continue with the freight to Antonito
488 is now seen working the freight downgrade near Los Pinos
487 is seen leading the daily westbound passenger round Tangle foot curve
A quick walk accross the track to photo the train on level two of the loops before the train got there
488 is seen arriving at Antonito with the freight
Day 5 - The Craig branch
An early start from Alamosa to head for the Craig branch in north western Colorado on route we find Amtrak 114 leading number 5 following the Colorado River running only about 40 minutes late
Then it was up to the Yampa area to look for a train and we find 7210 leading a loaded coal train leaving Yampa passing 'fingure rock'
A quick chase and 7210 east is seen on the climb to Toponass Summit
7210 is seen for one final time working flat out on the climb to Toponas summit with 2 locos on the front 3 in the middle and 1 on the back making a total of 6 locos still making a show of moving around 100 loads of coal upgrade
Heading further west up the line we find 6885 leading the Craig local near Oak Creek
Day 6 - A look at the Deseret Western electric railway in the morning but we found all the locos lined up outside the shed another look 4 hours late and still the same so no photos to show from this day
Day 7 - Solider Summit
BNSF 698 is seen leading the Denver-Provo train downgrade at Thistle. This is on the new section of line built in 1983 after a mudslide damed the valley and flooded the railway and road.
UP 6062 is seen leading a loaded coal up the 2.4% grade of Solider SUmmit at Kyune
UP6515 is seen leading a empty coal down Solider SUmmit at Kyne
Day 8 - Solider Summit
Utah 5004 is seen leading a loaded coal upgrade at Colton after the helpers had been cut out the train where the grade goes down to 1.5% from 2.4%
Utah 5004 at Solider Summit
UP 7182 at Thistle with coal loads from the Plesant Valley line where we got the train in cloud earlier in the day
Uath 5004 west seen for one final time at Thistle
Day 9 - Utah Desert and the Spectacular Cane Creek Branch
UP 7270 leading a empty coal train accross the Utah Desert
Amtrak 67 leading train number 6 east in the Utah Desert
UP 3216 is seen leading an overpowered Potash Local west in the Utah Desert
After a very late wait due to a problem at the junction for the branch UP 3216 is seen leading the Potash local down the Cane Creek branch in Bootlegger Canyon
UP 3423 is seen leading the return train north where it exits the Colorado River Canyon
A quick chase to the other side of the Bootlegger tunnel and 3423 is seen again
Another shot of 3423 on the branch
3423 east is seen back on the mainline at Thompson Springs
Day 10 - Union Pacific Main around Green River, Wyoming
3873 west is seen climbing Peru Hill
5333 west is seen climbing Peru Hill
5777 east is seen coming into Green River, Wy (It was a better west bound shot here but one did'nt come...)
Day 11 - Powder River
BNSF 9920 is seen on a loaded coal train heading south in the Powder River Basin
UP 8017 is seen heading south with a loaded coal train
BNSF 9729 is seen heading sout hwith a loaded coal train
UP 5917 and a new KCS SD70ACe are seen working an empty coal train north
BNSF 9635 is seen leading an empty coal train up Logan Hill
Day 12 - Powder River
BNSF 8008 is seen leading a loaded coal train south
UP 5992 is seen leading a loaded coal train south in the Powder River Basin
BNSF 9635 is seen leading a loaded coal train up Logan Hill
BNSF 9712 is seen leading a loaded coal train up Logan Hill
BNSF 8934 is seen leading an empty coal train up Logan Hill
UP 6701 and SP 144 are seen working a loaded coal train up Logan Hill
UP 5656 is seen leading a empty coal train up Logan Hil
UP 5731 is seen working flat up up Logan Hill on a loaded coal train
BNSF 9997 is seen working up Logan Hill, Wyoming with a loaded coal train
In the last minutes of sun of the day UP 8107 is seen with a loaded coal heading for the Powder River - 15/09/2008
Day 13 - Cheyenne
UP 8364 is seen leading an eastbound manifest up Archer Hill
then back to Denver International Airport for the return home...
Day 1 - West of the Moffat Tunnel
Frist shot of the trip an empty coal train exciting Byers Canyon
Amtrak in Byers Canyon
Day 2 - North Folk Sub
UP 1422 leading the Montrose local south in the Escalante Canyon the following morning
An empty coal train following the Gunnison River near Bridgeport
Another empty coal train this time near Shamrock
Day 3 - the Narrow Guage
K-36 is seen leading the first 'Silverton' of the day north at Hermosa
I nice surprise of K-28 #478 leading the second Silverton of the day north at Hermosa. It was the K-28s which worked the line in under the Rio Grande from when they were built in the 1920s through to when the line was upgraded for K-36s in the 1980s. When it was over to Chama for the rest of the day
Day 4 - Narrow Gauge freight
Recently overhauled K-36 #489 is seen leaving Chama passing Jukes tree with 488 helping out as a mid train helper
489 and 488 are now seen storming up the 4% (1 in 25) grade near Dalton heading up Cumbres Pass
489 is still again below Windy Point a few miles from the summit
489 is seen arriving at Cumbres Pass summit at an elevation of 10,017ft where 489 will head back to Chama light engine and 488 will continue with the freight to Antonito
488 is now seen working the freight downgrade near Los Pinos
487 is seen leading the daily westbound passenger round Tangle foot curve
A quick walk accross the track to photo the train on level two of the loops before the train got there
488 is seen arriving at Antonito with the freight
Day 5 - The Craig branch
An early start from Alamosa to head for the Craig branch in north western Colorado on route we find Amtrak 114 leading number 5 following the Colorado River running only about 40 minutes late
Then it was up to the Yampa area to look for a train and we find 7210 leading a loaded coal train leaving Yampa passing 'fingure rock'
A quick chase and 7210 east is seen on the climb to Toponass Summit
7210 is seen for one final time working flat out on the climb to Toponas summit with 2 locos on the front 3 in the middle and 1 on the back making a total of 6 locos still making a show of moving around 100 loads of coal upgrade
Heading further west up the line we find 6885 leading the Craig local near Oak Creek
Day 6 - A look at the Deseret Western electric railway in the morning but we found all the locos lined up outside the shed another look 4 hours late and still the same so no photos to show from this day
Day 7 - Solider Summit
BNSF 698 is seen leading the Denver-Provo train downgrade at Thistle. This is on the new section of line built in 1983 after a mudslide damed the valley and flooded the railway and road.
UP 6062 is seen leading a loaded coal up the 2.4% grade of Solider SUmmit at Kyune
UP6515 is seen leading a empty coal down Solider SUmmit at Kyne
Day 8 - Solider Summit
Utah 5004 is seen leading a loaded coal upgrade at Colton after the helpers had been cut out the train where the grade goes down to 1.5% from 2.4%
Utah 5004 at Solider Summit
UP 7182 at Thistle with coal loads from the Plesant Valley line where we got the train in cloud earlier in the day
Uath 5004 west seen for one final time at Thistle
Day 9 - Utah Desert and the Spectacular Cane Creek Branch
UP 7270 leading a empty coal train accross the Utah Desert
Amtrak 67 leading train number 6 east in the Utah Desert
UP 3216 is seen leading an overpowered Potash Local west in the Utah Desert
After a very late wait due to a problem at the junction for the branch UP 3216 is seen leading the Potash local down the Cane Creek branch in Bootlegger Canyon
UP 3423 is seen leading the return train north where it exits the Colorado River Canyon
A quick chase to the other side of the Bootlegger tunnel and 3423 is seen again
Another shot of 3423 on the branch
3423 east is seen back on the mainline at Thompson Springs
Day 10 - Union Pacific Main around Green River, Wyoming
3873 west is seen climbing Peru Hill
5333 west is seen climbing Peru Hill
5777 east is seen coming into Green River, Wy (It was a better west bound shot here but one did'nt come...)
Day 11 - Powder River
BNSF 9920 is seen on a loaded coal train heading south in the Powder River Basin
UP 8017 is seen heading south with a loaded coal train
BNSF 9729 is seen heading sout hwith a loaded coal train
UP 5917 and a new KCS SD70ACe are seen working an empty coal train north
BNSF 9635 is seen leading an empty coal train up Logan Hill
Day 12 - Powder River
BNSF 8008 is seen leading a loaded coal train south
UP 5992 is seen leading a loaded coal train south in the Powder River Basin
BNSF 9635 is seen leading a loaded coal train up Logan Hill
BNSF 9712 is seen leading a loaded coal train up Logan Hill
BNSF 8934 is seen leading an empty coal train up Logan Hill
UP 6701 and SP 144 are seen working a loaded coal train up Logan Hill
UP 5656 is seen leading a empty coal train up Logan Hil
UP 5731 is seen working flat up up Logan Hill on a loaded coal train
BNSF 9997 is seen working up Logan Hill, Wyoming with a loaded coal train
In the last minutes of sun of the day UP 8107 is seen with a loaded coal heading for the Powder River - 15/09/2008
Day 13 - Cheyenne
UP 8364 is seen leading an eastbound manifest up Archer Hill
then back to Denver International Airport for the return home...
