Western Railroad Discussion > UP in Canon City Colo this evening.

This evening, while working outside, I heard a train coming into town. Where we live in town, the echos sometimes make it difficult to figure out which way the trains are coming from. After we figured out over the months where to be at in our yard, we could tell which way they were coming from. Tonight we came to the conclusion that what we were hearing was the UP local wb into Canon City. Usually they drop a car or 2 or spot at the 1 area in town where they still ship by rail.. Grabbed the cameras and headed into town to see if our guesses were correct. And they were, (for a change). UP's perhaps 1x per week local from Pueblo west to Canon City was entering town. UP 1481 & 1482 had the honors on this weeks train. They brought 2 empty tank cars of Magnesium Chloride to add to the 1 car that was already in town. (For whatever reason, they seem to gather a few cars from the Florence Co area, and bring them west into Canon City before they take them back east to Pueblo. Have seen up to 6 tanks here in town waiting to go back east quite a few times here in Canon City. UP comes west out of Pueblo daily, M-F at least as far as the Holcim Cement Plant in Portland Co each day. And perhaps 1 of these 5 days they come west to Canon City. Occasionally they have hoppers for Colorado Quarries in town and swap these out. Tonight, just the tanks. After setting out these 2 cars, they headed back east to Pueblo. Trying to get a few shots with the fall colors we headed east of town.. Here are the shots.

Shot 1.  UP GP40-2 1481 trails UP 1482 as they pass the intermediate signal at MP 157 at Highland Ave on Canon City's east side.

Shot 2.  Here we see the 1481 & 1482 after the setout of the 2 tank cars in the small yard in town. The farthest car has been here about 1 week and here they are adding 2 more.

Not a bad way to spend an early fall evening. Not much runs anymore along the ol DRGW Tenn Pass Main, but there are a few. Ya just gotta be in the right place at the right time to get the ones that do. (Rock & Rail WB overnight and return east around daybreak, 0600-0800 or so, and unless they are running a BNSF Ballast Train, these would be the only ones running east of Canon City). Thanks for taking a gander.  Now to get a shot or 2 along the way at a few spots that we have not managed to get up to this point. Be well all.  Ben

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Nice shots. I like how that block signal is a green clear aspect when he is certainly occupying the block! === === = === JLH

From the lights on the locomotive, (no ditch lights on) the engines were running toward the green signal.  It has not yet had time to drop to red.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/19/20 19:16 by tomstp.

Nice catches.  I really like #1 going away.
Brian Stevens

You wonder what they will be used for.  They look in bad shape.

tomstp Wrote:
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> You wonder what they will be used for.  They look
> in bad shape.

Those 4 cars have been where you see them for over 10 years I believe at minimum. There were a few more here at one time, but I believe they were refurbished and are part of the car fleet of the Canon City and Royal Gorge, aka Royal Gorge Express. A parts source I believe. These here are not in the greatest shape but then again if being used as a parts supply, they dont have to be. Ben