Western Railroad Discussion > UP 1996 Heritage W. Neb & E. Wyo & along the way

Yesterday, the weather was nice and sunny with nary a cloud, and according to a kind headsup by a fellow TO member, a ZG2LT - 09 Global 2, IL to Lathrop, CA heavy stacker was due to go west in the afternoon led by UP SP Heritage 1996, so time to go east a distance to intercept it when the sun became afternoonish.

Photo 1 - Yes, only DPU's, but quite colorful nonetheless behind a westbound at East Cheyenne, UP 2731 is a new GE C45AH.

​Photo 2 - Kimball, NE was busy with EMD Geep HPC 7516 moving back and forth with grain hoppers being loaded. In the background, excess grain from a bountiful harvest is being dumped from a boom into a big pile on the ground for short-term storage until the elevator and the railroad carloadings can catch up. It was originally EMD GP-9 PRR 7011, then PC 7011, then GP-10 CR 7011, then CR 7516.

​Photo 3 - The SLGG Sidney & Lowe, owned by Progressive Rail, was at the tail end of making a pickup next to the UP mains at Brownson, NE, and as I ran up, of course they began pulling. Leader SLGG 427 is an EMD GP-40 that was built in 5-70 as SCL 1607 and still wears paint for Helm Leasing. PRLX 3803 behind is an EMD GP-38 that was built in 8-70 as B&O 4803.

There's mooore...



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 11/12/16 07:55 by highgreengraphics.

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Photo 4 - Right away they curve away from the UP mains in the foreground to pull up the hill out of Brownson up to the grounds of what was originally the WWII-era Sioux Ordinance Plant, now used for small industry, storage for the Cabelas outdoor stores (based in nearby Sidney), and by the University of Nebraska. I did not have a safe amount of time before UP 1996 was to show up to follow this, and the sun was continuously wrong with the tracks at their angle anyway.

​Photo 5 - However, in Sidney, NE at the Interchange Track was the Alliance to Sterling Local with a CREX GE leading, so had to nail it in a hurry! 

Photo 6 - In short order, 1996 blazes under the BNSF Bridge at East Sidney with the long westbound ZG2LT-09, out of sight are the two big GE's shoving on the rear as DPU's.

There's mooore...



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/11/16 21:53 by highgreengraphics.

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Photo 7 - Curving away from Sidney, NE.

Photo 8 - 1996 West meets an eastbound counterpart at Brownson, NE.

Photo 9 - Amid the short scenic stretch at Buffalo Bend, east of Potter, NE.

There's mooore...

 

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Photo 10 - Under the signal bridge west of Dix, NE, as maintenance work goes on next to it on an adjacent track. UP's main lines can be a study in continuous maintenance, their MofW forces can be seemingly everywhere!

Photo 11 - Splitting the low platform signals east of Bushnell, NE.

​Photo 12 - The sun was nearly directly overhead as 1996 and company blaze through Pine Bluffs, WY, and the friendly Engineer is waving.

There's mooore...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/11/16 20:33 by highgreengraphics.

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Photo 13 - Passing through the signals at Egbert, WY.

Photo 14 - Rounding the curve at milepost 498 west of Durham, WY, climbing near Archer.

Photo 15 - Making wide zig-zags to get to Cheyenne, rounding another curve at Barnett, WY.

There's mooore...

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Photo 16 - The sun was very low and directly over the tracks as the train went under the C&S bridge to depart Cheyenne after a quick crew change, so I skipped that and went to the great curve leading into Borie, WY, and the train is straining to climb Sherman Hill.

Photo 17 - The sun was still barely peeking over the mountainous horizon for this shot at the former townsite of Sabula, WY, the train splitting signals and negotiating around a big curve again.

​Photo 18 - In only several seconds, the sun disappeared under the horizon to close out the day as the slow-moving laboring train approaches Granite, WY on a stretch of steep track known off and on as "The Gangplank", lit only by the skylights of the encroaching evening.

Happy gee-these-days-are-short railfanning. 'Bye now, thanks for looking! === === = === JLH



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/11/16 20:27 by highgreengraphics.

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Ok, now you have done it.  Those last two shots have out done anything mere mortals could do!   And hey people!  Isn't that Espee heritage scheme pretty cool after all?

JB - Omaha

Absolutely gorgeous shots, Jim.

Dick Ebright
Roosevelt, Utah

Great shots, Jim! I agree with the others,  the last two with the low light are the best... Thanks for sharing!

James Nelson
Thornton, CO
www.flickr.com/mojaveflyer

Insane series!

great shots of the best looking unit in the fleet !!

WOW!  Darn NICE collection of images!!

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Great series, really like that last one.

Posted from iPhone

Really great series of photos of a great chase.

Ronda Thomas

Stunning photos. What timing with the light to catch the locomotive at the signals in your last photo.
John

Amother stellar series of shots there sir! I like that "in your face" picture #15.

VERY NICE....!!  Pics 12 and 15 are a couple of my favorites.

Woooooow! Too many favorites to list. You tha man.

t

super series, great crisp shots.
                         Mark Mautner