Western Railroad Discussion > 844 & Circus Train same day

...But not on the same train...Yesterday's deadhead run of UP 844 and 6936 left Cheyenne very close to the reported 8:00 am departure time, though at the last minute the sheet metal covers were off the front right cylinders, and it seemed as it went past that it was not performing much work, maybe being pushed by 6936. The hope was to hang around Cheyenne afterwards for the Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey circus train move between Colorado Springs and Las Vegas, NV to get it somewhere around Sherman Hill. It immediately became apparent that would not happen in daylight, so time to leapfrog toward Colorado Springs!

Photo 1 - Since it has been reported that the bridge east of Cheyenne at Archer, WY is to be demolished after a new overpass is built closer to town (Campstool Rd exit that turns into Christiansen west of the Lowe's warehouse to connect to E. Pershing), I had it in my mind to get a shot including the bridge, after another shot posted on TO some time ago of a gas-turbine under the bridge, I don't for sure recall the photographer. Because of the short car consist on this deadhead steam move, this seemed like the ideal opportunity. So here is 844 yesterday with 6936 trailing passing under the railfan-favorite old US 30 bridge that is slated to be replaced.

Photo 2 - 844 and company passing the Burns, WY Co-Op elevator.

Photo 3 - Then time to make the leap south past Denver as far as possible before intercepting the circus train. This turned out to be just north of Palmer Lake on the Joint Line. The sun was midday straight up as the circus train glides downgrade past the sag, the bridge abutments for the relocated flyover still very much in evidence, and the normally-southbound track at Spruce visible in the foreground.

There's mooore...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/11/13 19:32 by highgreengraphics.

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Photo 4 - The circus train glides downgrade away from Castle Rock, CO.

Photo 5 - The circus train at North Yard, Denver, CO with the city skyline in the background, preparing to depart.

Photo 6 - Pulling out of the yard after a crew change, at Utah Jct, crossing the ex-D&RGW main and entering the Belt Line, once the Associated Railway, utilized by Rock Island to access North Yard. From here it will cross the South Platte River and duck under the BNSF Denver Main before joining the onetime Denver Pacific main to go north toward Speer, just south of Cheyenne.

There's mooore...

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Photo 7 - While waiting for the circus train on the DP line, this surprise CN leader on an empty wind-turbine blade train went north, here leaving Ft. Lupton, bound for Greeley where the power will change ends, then return to LaSalle to go on the Fort Collins Branch as far as Milliken.

Photo 8 - The circus train splits the short signals at Fort Vasquez, CO south of Platteville. These will be replaced shortly as new signals are already in place.

Photo 9 - In the hole at Platteville, creeping on the siding and the elevator track in the foreground.

One more...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/11/13 19:15 by highgreengraphics.

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Photo 10 - After meeting a coal empty at Platteville, the circus train enters the main line and last light, the gathering night. Ahead is a water stop at LaSalle, and a dark run over Sherman Hill.

Happy lots of driving & railfanning! === === = === JLH

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Those are some really nice photos!
And you got the 844 rods down! NICE!
UP 844 is one of my all-time favorite
locomotives.

Thanks a bunch - Admittedly, any more I go through the burst sequence and delete all the non-rods-down frames. Pretty radical, huh? = = JLH

Shots 3 and 5 are very nice, being that you managed to get the entire train in the frame, and with the skyline in the background.

Nice shots, Jim! Good running into you yesterday with SP8595.

John Crisanti
Longmont, CO

It's very dicouraging to see 6936 with a yellow stripe on the bottom you'd really think for there historic heritage units they'd keep her in her famous red stripe at the bottom of her shell, ohh well.

I agree about the yellow bottom sill stripe on 6936. And since Amtrak uses red, why is it UP could not stick with the same red, or at least the 2-tone yellow/red that is on one of the rotary plows? And thanks, John C., it was nice seeing you out and around too! === === = === JLH

Love photo 3. The steepest part on the entire Joint Line is from the curve in the middle of the train to just in front of where the head end is. That short section is 1.67% that plays catch-up with the other alignment, while the rest of the Joint Line is 1.42% maximum.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/11/13 20:50 by SoftSet.

Woo Hoo!! Love the perspective at Spruce.

Great location in #3! North Yard sure appears to be pretty empty, also another nice view:}

Woohoo! I knew you'd be chasing at least one of these....

GREAT set of pics!!!!