Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF FRS DENGRF & SB Vestas blades load

Yesterday's BNSF Denver-Great Falls manifest had five units on the point, led by two Warbonnets. Unfortunately, it came through Fort Collins, CO, just after dawn and the sky was chock full of clouds. In North Yard sat an empty wind turbine blade train brought over by Great Western Railway from the Vestas blade plant in Windsor, CO the evening before. Time for some chasing before I get real busy for the holidays...

Photo 1 - The H DENGRF on Mason St. in Fort Collins, CO, passes the old C&S freight depot now used as a transportation center dealing mainly with city buses.

Photo 2 - The sky is trying to clear as the H DENGRF scoots right across the bridge south of Owl Canyon Siding, north of Wellington, CO. A little piece of a Southern Belle adorns the side of the cab.

Photo 3 - A couple of hours later, the southbound Vestas wind turbine blade train begins its southward trek from North Yard as it trundles down newly-remodeled Mason St. in Fort Collins, CO. The Scotchlight on the nose has taken a beating on one side! All those lighted overhead signs, while of course are for no left turn, seem to deny that this intruder is actually a train...

There's mooore...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/14/12 11:14 by highgreengraphics.

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Photo 4 - Approaching Harmony Road at the south end of Fort Collins, CO, where the old UBC Lumber spur has been truncated, the Vestas blade load passes dirtwork construction at the south end of the future Mason St.(bus) Corridor, called MAX, and the green sign in the distance just to the left of the lead unit advertises that MAX is coming.

Photo 5 - Climbing out of the Thompson River Valley at Campion, CO.

Photo 6 - Rounding the curve at Longmont, CO, coming off Atwood St. street-running approaching the depot.

There's Mooore...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/15/12 22:26 by highgreengraphics.

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Photo 7 - While waiting in Longmont, I couldn't help but notice 2745, a GP-39R in a GP-30 carbody, switching and still cutting a classic pose. It was built in 1963 as CB&Q 964, then became BN 2241. It was rebuilt by EMD and became 2755, then renumbered to its current number by BNSF.

Photo 8 - The Vestas blade load just east of Valmont, CO, which is just ouside of Boulder, where a new concrete overpass is nearly completed over Arapahoe Rd which is being widened.

Photo 9 - After meeting a wind turbine blade empty train at Broomfield, the blade load swings around the big curve at Westminster, CO as the sun dips very close to the distant mountaintops.

I had to go to Englewood just south of Denver to pick up a camera being repaired sometime, this was a good excuse to get that done and stop at Caboose Hobbies.

Happy Front Range fanning! === === = === JLH

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Sweet chase!!

Awesome. The empty blade train actually came in the early evening from the south behind 3 BNSF units.

Well done! I like the shot on the curve at Westminster, I live about two miles from that spot.