Western Railroad Discussion > Picked the Right Day!

Late last week, my parents told me that my dad would take my car today to work so I could take his to get an oil change and an emissions test. The oil change was scheduled for 8:00 and I was to go straight to the testing center afterwards. Since the shop is a block from the tracks, I took my camera.

While I was there, the Denver to Great Falls went by with a warbonnet and a NS SD70ACe, but I didn't hear it blowing until it was right on top of me, and my picture of it isn't very good. It had two cool covered hoppers, though, a nearly untouched SLSF and a C&S heritage hopper - with the logo already peeling off!!

As I was heading north to the testing center I crossed the BNSF/Great Western interchange track in Loveland, CO, and saw the Great Western sitting in the yard. A quick detour told me they weren't going anywhere quickly, so I got the emissions test and hurried back to find they had derailed a couple wheels overnight. A look to the east end of the yard showed former HBRY GP9 2506 leaving with what train the night crew had assembled. So, I took off after that.

1) The train moving along at 10 mph along County Road 20 E.
2) The train passing the old location of Birds. Note the ties to the switch are still in under the 3rd & 4th cars.
3) The train climbing uphill to Kelim/Officer Junction. If the wind wasn't blowing 20+ mph off the mountains, video here would've been incredible.
~wko



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/14 14:17 by kwo.

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After the train went by, I turned onto the road to Officer Junction to find the Windsor to Milliken transfer already there. The train from Loveland pulled up and coupled right on to the back of the transfer and the two went downhill into Johnstown, CO, together. The transfer was led by DLCX SD40-3 6051 and OMLX SD35 2959, and was 71 cars BEFORE the GP9 coupled on with its 13 cars.

1) The transfer drops downhill from Officer Junction, about to cross Highway 402 and the Big Thompson River.
2) The train is climbing out of the Big Thompson River valley with 71 cars, an idling GP9, and 13 more cars in tow. Again, had the wind not been blowing 20+ mph the video would've been fantastic!
3) 2506 along for the ride. There was no crew on board as they had been picked up by the trainmaster and rode with him into town.

Thanks for looking!
~wko
http://kotrains.wordpress.com - with more pictures of this movement and the windy video.

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Damn wind - but love image two smoke exhaust! Thanks for being prepared with your camera.

Did car pass emissions?

Thanks! Yep, it passed with flying colors!
~wko

that little honda i a good car.

Neat pics!

Nice high quality photos. I was thinking you had to get your Dads car checked for emissions and just look at that locomotive.

First of all, nice photos, you did good.

Now a question. Isn't the 2506 one of the
former SP GP20's they de-turbo'd rather than
a GP9??? It sure looks like one with the
sloped nose and louvre pattern. Iowa Northern
got four of them several years ago and they're
all out of service now.

Just curious. Hope the car passed the emissions
test.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

Man, you sure did pick the right day. Really cool pics. I gotta get up there and shoot some of that action one of these days!

Kevin Morgan
Arvada, CO
ColoradoRailfan.com

GREAT pics!!!