Nostalgia & History > Greeley Colorado - 1977

In 1977 I was living in Windsor Colorado and taking in the rail scene while trying to hire out to whatever railroad would hire me fresh out of High School. At the time, none did but in free time I hung around Greeley a bit where the Union Pacific line ran between Denver and Cheyenne (Denver Pacific) and the Colorado & Southern came in from Fort Collins.
Amtrak trains #5 & #6 the San Francisco Zephyr still burnished these rails and at least one UP freight job seemed to call Greeley home with either a GP-9 or a GP30. Perhaps this guy actually worked out of LaSalle, but I always saw the power and a caboose in Greeley. I do not recall very many through trains at that time.
Photos
All December 15, 1977

1. Greeley Amtrak baggage cart at Union Pacific depot
2. Depot doorway
3. Amtrak #5 with SDP40F 629 at station stop with steam heat in operation - is that some sort of guard to protect the horns ?

 

1. C&S 821 sits in front of the depot before returning to Windsor and Greeley with Conductor Glenn Hosack on November 4, 1977
2. UP 725 a GP-30 sits idling at Greeley on November 16, 1977
3. UP caboose 25340 at Greeley 11-16-77 with some sort of high speed trucks

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/15 07:39 by train1275.

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Up in Eaton the Great Western was still coming over from Loveland "once in a blue moon" and try as I might I could not catch up to the UP's LaSalle to Fort Collins local which was apt to have a GP30 and not all that many cars unlike in later years.

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The SDP40F has icicle breakers to protect dome car glass from ice chunks.

The UP cabooses all had smooth-riding high speed trucks.

TIM

train1275 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In 1977 I was living in Windsor Colorado and
> taking in the rail scene while trying to hire out
> to whatever railroad would hire me fresh out of
> High School. At the time, none did but in free
> time I hung around Greeley a bit where the Union
> Pacific line ran between Denver and Cheyenne
> (Denver Pacific) and the Colorado & Southern came
> in from Fort Collins.
> Amtrak trains #5 & #6 the San Francisco Zephyr
> still burnished these rails and at least one UP
> freight job seemed to call Greeley home with
> either a GP-9 or a GP30. Perhaps this guy actually
> worked out of LaSalle, but I always saw the power
> and a caboose in Greeley. I do not recall very
> many through trains at that time.
> Photos
> All December 15, 1977
>
>

• Greeley Amtrak baggage cart at Union Pacific
  > depot
  >
• Depot doorway
  >
• Amtrak #5 with SDP40F 629 at station stop with
  > steam heat in operation - is that some sort of
  > guard to protect the horns ?
  >
  >  
  >
  >
• C&S 821 sits in front of the depot before
  > returning to Windsor and Greeley with Conductor
  > Glenn Hosack on November 4, 1977
  >
• UP 725 a GP-30 sits idling at Greeley on
  > November 16, 1977
  >
• UP caboose 25340 at Greeley 11-16-77 with some
  > sort of high speed trucks
  >

Right on!  Made my day to see those tracks being used by both railroads in Greeley.  Nice work!

SP and Santa Fe had some two-wheel baggage carts that had sideboards - used to see them while riding trains in the San Joaquin Valley of California in the 40s, 50s, etc. They were usually operated by station porters carrying luggage for passengers.
That thing in the pic looks like a great idea that did not work or some non-rail item that someone thought would look good at a depot.

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA