Western Railroad Discussion > Pool is Cool catching up:}

Been WAY behind posting some of my pictures taken in Western Colorado and Eastern Utah so these pictures are all a bit dated:{

Back on August 31st I posted this thread about CREX #1328 running on Union Pacific's North Fork Branch, which runs South out of Grand Jct. https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,4624171,4624171#msg-4624171 
I noted in that post that the CREX #1328 was once again heading back West and I was hoping to catch it. Well on the afternoon of September 2nd, I spotted CREX #1328 in the Grand Jct. yard as the rear DP engine nosed into the train so I blew it off. A check early on the morning of September 3rd however showed the CREX #1328 was leading the Westbound train up the Branch! I wasn't sure how this was possible but I went trackside anyway just in case and after a short 15 minute wait, the train showed up and indeed the #1328 was leading!
It seems that the rear engine had DP problems so they wyed the rear consist at Grand Jct. before proceeding down the Branch the night before. Worked for me:}

1) CREX #1328 leads a loaded CWEMS coal train along the Gunnison River approaching Grand Jct. near Milepost 4 on the North Fork Branch.

2) Later that afternoon, the CREX #1328 is now heading Eastbound on the mainline just East of the switch to the BNSF yard at Parachute.

3) On September 26th, Norfolk Southern ES40DC #7588 is underneath the coal tipple at the W. Elk Mine located at the end of the N. Fork Branch. It is getting ready to load a train of coal that will travel to Eagle Pass, TX and then be interchanged to head into Mexico. The rear power on this train was a PRLX Lease GE and a Canadian National engine! Bet the Engineer had fun loading the train with this DC engine leading that was not equipped with plug loading:}

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4) Fourteen days earlier than picture #3, I caught the same coal train set heading to Eagle Pass but this time the CN, PRLX set (CN 2306, PRLX 629) was leading. I hiked into this location West of De Beque hoping for light on the nose but the Sun was not quite far enough over to the North:{

5) The Sun was pretty nice for the rear DP, which was the NS #7588. The same engine that would be leading on the next trip.

6) Out in Utah, NS #9307 leads a Long Beach, CA to W. Elk Mine empty coal train past the old D&RGW signals at the West switch at Cisco siding on December 12th.

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/19 19:16 by SP8595.

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On January 24th, a pair of KCS engines led a BNSF empty Oil train Westbound out of Grand Jct. heading for loading near Wellington, UT.

7) From the I-70 overpass West of Mack, CO.

8) Pulling the grade out of Cisco, UT

9) Heading West of Green River, UT.

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/19 19:17 by SP8595.

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10) And finally on April 14th, a pair of KCSM engines were the power for another Westbound empty BNSF Oil train. KCSM 4549 and 4527 are just East of Parachute along the Colorado River.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/19 18:44 by SP8595.

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Absolutely Excellent !  Those are some fantastic backdrops that you have to work with out there !

Great looking landscapes, great geology features plus the river and foreign power. What's not to like.

Recognize the area from a couple of trips long ago, pretty rough weather at times.
t4p.

You have obtained "Bob" status, wear it well. One of the reasons for your "Bob" status is that
you've got pool on a line that sees a train about every blue moon!! Keep up the great work.

Out

A fabulous bunch!
JB

Outstanding job, I bow before the master!

Superb series! Fine work.

Great work, John! Photo #8 is a place I've wanted to shoot from but just never got the opportunity. I'm going over to Grand Junction for an airshow later this summer so I may pop over there to see what I can find. Thanks for sharing these shots!

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

Really NICE series!

Larry

Great shots, John!  Lots of visual interest in every one.
GK

Excellent photos and locations. #2 is a sweet shot, and it is hard to beat the area between Parachute and Rullison.
Brian Stevens

Wow!  What a fantastic set of photos!  Thanks for sharing!

Hopmere Hank

Uhh, don’t know what to say? Other than I’m blown away!!

Most excellent John!

Hopefully no railfans were hurt in the making of these images...

Robert Pierce
Sugar Land, TX
SWRails.com

Awesome shots!! 1 & 2 are just superb.

Incredibly fantastic shots, as usual!

GREAT stuff..!!  Thanks for posting.