Western Railroad Discussion > More Craig and Hayden Shuttle pictures

Trying my best to record these Union Pacific operations in far North-Western Colorado before they are gone.

1) Union Pacific 6148 (ex-SP 105) is leading the Hayden Shuttle and is ready to load at the tipple at Peabody Energy's Twentymile coal mine on April 11th. This is located near milepost 13 on the Energy Lead, which splits from the mainline at Adams and is between Steamboat Springs and Craig.

2) On April 15th, Union Pacific 6656 was just emerging from the tunnel under the coal pile at the Axial/ColoWyo coal mine. This plant has the tipple that loads the cars located inside the tunnel. It was leading the Craig Shuttle and as explained in my previous thread about this operation, this train was running 1x2 on this day. Currently this coal mine at the very far end of the Craig Branch/Axial Lead only loads the Craig Shuttle and is slated to shutdown in the next few years.

3) On another occasion while driving to work, I once again ran across the Craig Shuttle leaving out of Craig heading Westbound down to the Axial Mine and on this day (April 18th) it was running 2x1 with the 5724 and 6271 so just another shot from the shoulder of Highway 13 on the short stretch of track where it has nice nose light before turning to the West.

-----------------------------------Three More Pictures Posted Below--------------------------
 

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4) Also on April 18th, the rear DP's on the Hayden Shuttle (6019, 6865) are heading through the tipple as seen back at Twentymile Mine. The track extends over a mile past the loadout and then dead ends at a stake at the side of a hill, this is so the train can shove far enough back and all the cars can be inspected for open doors and carry over (coal remaining in the cars) with enough room for a 115 car train and 5 engines to fit and then be able to change directions and load as seen in the first picture.

5) Another view with the rear DP's on the stub track.

6) And one last view of the DP's with most of the entire loadout operation seen in this view. The train is about 2/3's loaded and creeping along at .035 MPH as it continues to load, also notice the pair of bulldozers on the coal pile that continually shove coal into the tipple so the chute can have a continuous supply of coal for the train.

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Great coverage!  Glad you are recording it.

texchief1

Thank you John for documenting this unique coal loading operation. Hopefully this won't be shut down under new administration! Thanks for sharing.

i like to imagine this is  what the gunnison lines would have looked like if they were around in the modern times

Nice coverage of this area, and all the operations information about it.  Nice photos.
Brian Stevens

Awesome follow up post. Really glad that you are getting coverage of this before it either goes back to a night job, or disappears altogether!

Kevin Morgan
Arvada, CO
ColoradoRailfan.com

Cool shots, that last one really gives a great look at this operation!

Nice expansive images! Always sad to hear of a line closure, be it potential or real.
GK

Great photos of a remote operation. I cannot imagine that Craig branch will hang on much longer with the politics of the state turning against the extraction of natural resources that is the lifeblood of much of the rural western part of the state.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

Excellent report! BTW I trust you were wearing proper PPE ; >)

Great series of the coal loading. Coal is a pleasure we've lost here in the UK. 

Good stuff, John! Your talented eye for composition has been put to good use here! :^)

Lance

Great series, and thanks for documenting this area.

Ted Ferkenhoff
Flagstaff, AZ

John,
Great to see your coverage on the Craig line.  Your Dad taught you well !!!!!!!!!!! Tom Klinger

Really nice bunch.
J B

So, in the last photo, is the highway crossing at the far end of this scene?  I was thining the other way around, but I now think the highway is at the far end.  Am I right?

Any individual car photos of those RDL hoppers?

RR

Good collection of really nice photos! Not many people have got out to the Axial Mine... === === = === JLH

Thanks for taking the shots and sharing them!!!

Thanks for an interesting post.Bill Webb