Rocky Mountain Railroad Club

News & Current Events

This page shows interesting railroad happenings as well as breaking railroad news. Check it often as you may learn the location or schedule of some interesting equipment in time to go out and get some great photographs! If you do go photo 'fanning, please share your pictures with and contact News Page Webmaster Wally Weart.

Photo specs: 800 X 600, max of 1024 X 800 72 dpi or ppi is standard for the web. GIF or TIF is preferred as these are considered lossless versus lossy (A lossy compression (JPG) method is one where compressing data and then decompressing it retrieves data that may well be different from the original). I reduce some pictures to 559 x 380 if I put them side by side.

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Please remember that the photos are copyrighted and neither the pictures or text can be used without permission of the owner.

A UP caboose without graffiti

PV's in Denver

Private Varnish WARREN R. HENRY (originally Union Pacific 9007) and sleeper EVELYN HENRY at Denver Union Station May 10, 2021. History; ex-American Orient Express Glacier Park, exx-Rail Ventures Glacier Park, exxx-WSOR 9007 Northern View, exxxx-PV, exxxxx-Auto Train 542, exxxxxx-AT 907, nee-UP 9007 ACF dome - private car rebuilt from dome - lounge observation. ©2021 Chip

PVs on the move

Patrick Henry’s PV WARREN R. HENRY was on AMTK train 6, The California Zephyr, passed snowy Rollinsville, CO, Sunday, 9 May 2021. 2021 Chip

Foreign power in Pueblo


On May 8, BNSF 6789-BNSF 6766- CN 3168 were in thePueblo Yard ©2021 Ben Helsel	H SLADEN1 07A BNSF 7682- NS 7524- NS 7302 coming thru Pueblo Junction ©2021 Ben Helsel

PVs return to Amtrak

Patrick Henry’s Creative Promotions private varnish were on Amtrak’s California Zephyr, train #5, climbing Big 10 west of Arvada, CO, May 6, 2021. Sleeper EVENLYN HENRY and dome lounge WARREN R. HENRY were the rear cars. ©2021 Chip

M-O-W time

An Historic logo


While the reporting marks are BNSF, the logo ia fallen flag.. ©2021 Chip

The Acela goes home


Amtrak's Alstom built Acela passenger train departed the Transportation Technology Center (TTCI) east of Pueblo, Colorado, Thursday, April 29, 2021. BNSF moved the train that morning between Avondale and La Junta, Colorado.	Acela train set passed BNSF 5431 at the east side of La Junta, CO. My last image as highway construction hampered my chase (one lane only as asphalt job was underway east of La Junta). ©2021 Chip

Old signal parts

A KATY Heritage motor

On April 26, 2021 UP Katy heritage unit 1988 was on a grain train at Cornerstone Ag in Colby, Kansas. I have seen a lot of foreign power in Colby, but this is the first heritage unit that I am aware of that has come to town. ©2021Larry Dilts

Warbonnets on the Joint line


On April 24, BNSF 709 leads the northbound H-SLADEN up the Palmer Divide as seen from the famous railfan hump in Palmer Lake, CO. ©2021 Chris Paulhamus	BNSF 709 and a sister Warbonnet front the northbound H-SLADEN as they climb up the last part of the Palmer Divide in Palmer Lake, CO. ©2021 Chris Paulhamus

Action at Pueblo

Amtrak at Rocky Ford

Amtrak 169 passed Rocky Fork, Colorado, with sleeper 10020 named Pacific Bend. The two AMTK locomotives and sleeping car went into the Transportation Technology Center at Avondale, CO, April 27, 2021. ©2021Chip

A caboose in Castle Rock

The caboose is owned by RP Flynn Inc /Ohio Railway Supply, those are the FLNX Rept Marks. It was what was called the Eastside Freight in Woodinville WA until they stopped operations. The old reporting marks were NPRX which was Yakima Interurban Lines. ©2021David Grothe (Editor's note: Note the air horns on both ends, likely when it was a "shoving platform")

An Inspection Train on the Brush Sub

Southbound BNSF 6586 passed track geometry car BNSF 80 named Rio Grande at North Siding Switch Broomfield, Colorado, 23 April 23, 2021.
The former Southern Pacific commuter car has been converted considerably into this track geometry car. ©2021 Chip

An Officer train on the Joint Line


On April 21, 2021,an Officers Special train heading on north through to Palmer Lake. ©2021Bob Thiele	©2021Bob Thiele

©2021Bob Thiele

A meet on the Beer Line


©2021 Walter Weart	©2021 Walter Weart


On my way to Golden on April 21, I noticed that the Golden local had doubled over his train which I thought was a little unusual. This was actually a set up for a meet with the Beer train on its way to Denver. The Local had one of the longest trains I had seen in some time. Interesting to note that a Cyrotrans temperature controlled car in the consist. I'm wondering if Coors is shipping temperature controlled beer again. There is a long string of these cars in the yard at Coors. After the Beer train passed, the local crew reassembled their train and headed for Golden. A nice surprise was a caboose, oh no never mind, it's a shoving platform. ©2021Walter Weart P.S. The picture I really wanted which the road power passing the Local didn't turn out :-(( ©2021 Walter Weart	Also worthy of note is the power combination on the Golden local. 1625 is a SD-40 while 559 is a B40-8 W. Six axle and 4 axle power is not something I'm used to seeing. Both are remote control however there was an engineer in the cab of 1625 and he was assisted by two ground crew members. ©2021 Walter Weart

K&O power on the move


Colorado Pacific RR contracted Kansas & Oklahoma to pull PPEX stored hopper cars from Haswell, CO, Sunday, April 18, 2021. A couple photographers headed for their wheels as the 120-car empty coal train was pulled from Haswell Siding. Chip	Colorado Pacific RR contracted the Kansas & Oklahoma (K&O) to remove stored PPEX hopper cars from Haswell, CO, and Eads, CO. K&O used WAMX 3933, GP39-2 nee-D&H 7611, WAMX 3930 GP39, and WAMX 3827 GP38-3, to move 134-cars over the ex-Missouri Pacific Towner Line. The eastbound train passed the virtually empty town of Chivington, CO, April 18, 2021. ©2021 Chip

Kyle power and ex RI snowplow

Kyle RR Utah Railway Power at Limon 18 April 2021 ©2021 Chip

On the Moffat Sub

Westbound BNSF 4096, C44-9W, and BNSF 630 warbonnet with most of the Santa Fe lettering missing passed snowy Crescent, CO, April 17, 2021. The BNSF trackage rights train departed Denver headed for Provo, Utah. ©2021 Chip

Spring Snow in the Rocky Mountains


West Pinecliffe ©2021 Erik Lindgren	Eastbound and just past 0830 east of Tolland, Colorado BNSF 3812 leads the HPVODEN1 through a delightful winter wonderland at the Great Divide on Friday April 16, 2021. Heavy springtime snowfall overnight left a fresh foot or more of sticky snow making for a very Rocky Mountain Springtime scene high in the Rocky Mountains on the Moffat Road. ©2021 Erik Lindgren

Coal Creek ©2021 Erik Lindgren

News from Colorado



April 17, 2021, Towner, Colorado. A new sign marks the beginning of the Colorado Pacific Railroad on the west side of Towner ©2021 Larry Dilts.	April 17, 2021, Stewart, Colorado. The siding at Stewart received a new station sign. A new grain storage facility is in the process of being built there. It is interesting, when the V&ST owned the line they stored track removal equipment on the siding. Now the siding is being developed to haul grain. ©2021 Larry Dilts


April 17, 2021. At Haswell, Colorado, K&O 3933, 3930, and 3827 were idling on the mainline. It appears they may be going to remove the long string of empty coal gondolas that have been stored on the siding for at least seven months. ©2021 Larry Dilts	July 27, 2012, Stewart, Colorado. V&ST rail train cars stored on the Stewart siding in preparation for rail removal ©2021 Larry Dilts

On the Cog Railroad

April 17, 2021, Manitou Springs, Colorado. M&PP’s new rotary snowplow number 30 was parked in the Manitou yard.
©2021 Larry Dilts April 17, 2021, Manitou Springs, Colorado. Rebuilt M&PP 19 was on the new track by the depot. It appears they will be able to load trains on two tracks now instead of one. A walkway was built over the track to access the second track. I think number 19 was placed on the rails today in that there were two heavy duty flatbed trailers and a large crane on the road above the yard. They were getting ready to leave. ©2021 Larry Dilts

On the Joint Line

Action at Coors Brewery


Coors C998, a SW 1001, is moving some hops cars from the yard over to the silos where they are stored. It is interesting to note that the telltales which would warn someone on the top of a car of a low bridge ahead are still in place and even have the ropes. I was surprised to see that this was not a RCL locomotive as there was an engineer in the cab and there were two workers on the ground when they started switching at the silos. There is no indication of any RCL antennas or other indicators on the roof of the cab. When I had been on Coors property a number of years ago the locomotive was an RCL. 3 pictures ©2021 Walter Weart
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A Farmrail locomotive

Last light found Farmrail 2304, GP38-2 nee-Chicago & NorthWestern 4604, works the former Santa Fe, Frisco and Rock Island lines that once converged on Clinton, Oklahoma. Unit was caught on April 11, 2021. The GNBC subletting comes from Grainbelt Corporation ownership. Farmrail is employee owned. ©2021 Chip

Farmrail System, Inc. is an employee-owned holding company for two Class III common-carrier railroads comprising "Western Oklahoma’s Regional Railroad." Farmrail Corporation (FMRC) has acted since 1981 as a lessee-operator for Oklahoma Department of Transportation, managing an 82-mile east-west line between Weatherford and Erick. An additional 89 miles, Westhom-Elmer, was purchased from the state in 2013 after 20 years of operation under lease. Another wholly owned affiliate, Grainbelt Corporation (GNBC), was formed in 1987 to purchase from Burlington Northern Railroad Company 178 miles of line linking Enid and Frederick. The parent company also has a joint-venture interest in New York’s Finger Lakes Railway Corp. (FGLK).

New Owners

DENVER, Colo. With an initial offer of $7.5 million in hand, bids are now being accepted for the sale through federal bankruptcy court of the San Luis & Rio Grande railroad,
the former Iowa Pacific Holdings property based in Alamosa, Colo., that operates 154 miles of former Denver & Rio Grande Western lines.

In a motion filed Monday (April 12) in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado, trustee William A. Brandt reports a stalking horse bid for $7.5 million plus assumed liabilities from Midwest & Bluegrass Rail,
|which currently operates four short lines: the Chesapeake & Indiana, Vermillion Valley, Youngstown & Southeastern, and Camp Chase Railway. Any competing bids received by the May 21 deadline must be
accompanied by a cash deposit of $500,000. If if no other bids are received, the stalking horse bid will be accepted. Additional qualifying bids will lead to a May 26 auction in Denver, with a hearing to
approve sale to the winning bidder in bankruptcy court during the week of June 1.

A RTD line


The RTD owns this ex UP branch which once ran between Vrains and Boulder looking East ©2021 Walter Weart	Looking West ©2021 Walter Weart

A close-up of the signs ©2021 Walter Weart

Longmont

With Pikes Peak in the background

BNSF 6946 has a northbound Q-train under control as it heads through the Greenland Open Space in Greenland, CO while a snow-covered Pikes Peak looms in the background through pristine air. ©2021 Chris Paulhamus

On the Joint Line


04/10/21 at South Sierra Madre St. in Colorado Springs ©2021Scott Whitney	Palmer Lake was 0855 on 04/11/21. witht Fedex was followed by J.B. Hunt containers and others ©2021Scott Whitney

The smoke shot is the tail end of a mega train going out of sight with southbound coal getting under way at "the sag" north of Palmer Lake on 04/11/21 at 1432. ©2021Scott Whitney

An unusual visitor

A visitor from British Columbia


BNSF 6551 with BNSF 8026 and BCOL 4619 stopping over Pueblo'ss Santa Fe Ave. CO. ©2021 Ben Helsel

Action on the Joint Line

On March 22, 2021 snow covered Joint Line had BNSF 9274 on 124-car loaded coal train Rawhide Mine, WY, headed to Lower Colorado River Authority (Fayatte) at Halsted, Texas. Southbound train ran 2x2 on the Joint Line north of Palmer Lake, CO. ©2021 Chip

Visiting power

Canadian Pacific 8613, AC4400CW, led northbound BNSF unit frac sand train at Boulder, CO,March 27, 2021, BNSF’s Front Range Subdivision. BNSF’s Ottumwa, Iowa, to Swan Ranch at Speer, Wyoming, loaded 100-car frac sand train. ©2021 Chip

NS in Boulder

NS 4236, AC44C6M rear DPU-Rebuilt former NS Dash 9-40C and Dash 9-44CW units with AC traction and GE widenose/cab. Boulder, CO, March 27, 2021, BNSF’s Front Range Subdivision. BNSF’s Ottumwa, Iowa, to Swan Ranch at Speer, Wyoming, loaded 100-car frac sand train. ©2021 Chip

Amtrak is releasing is 50th Anniversary commemorative painted locomotives

https://media.amtrak.com/2021/03/amtrak-releasing-six-50th-anniversary-commemorative-painted-locomotives/

Switching at Golden


My wife was returning from Golden and saw this unusal power combination switching the yard, likley making up an inbound run ©2021 Susie Weart

Gensets at Ft. Carson

After snow fighting in Wyoming


UP 900021 wedge snowplow east of Lyman, Nebraska, March 19, 2021. The wedge snowplow was used to clear the line after dark 19 March 19th to Egbert, WY. ©2021 Chip	UP 900021 wedge snowplow east of Lyman, Nebraska, March 19, 2021. The wedge snowplow was used to clear the line down to Egbert, WY. ©2021 Chip

Some grain elevator power


CHSX 6971 history. Built as Canadian National 5178 SD40 September 1971 to BNSF 7311 rebuilt to SD40-2 specifications as BNSF 6971 to Retired August 1999 to sold to Mid-American Equipment Corp. (JCLX) to Cornerstone Ag 6971. Behind the cab above the air intake are snow shield shrouds that were installed on many CN SD40s to help keep snow out of the air intake. Photo by Larry D. Dilts, March 18, 2021, Sharon Springs, Kansas. Larry Dilts .©2021	CHSX 7264 history. Built as Burlington Northern 7264 March 1980 to BNSF 7264 to First Union (FURX) 7264 to National Railway Equipment Corp (NREX) 7264 to Cornerstone Ag 7264. Photo by Larry D. Dilts, September 22, 2018, Sharon Springs, Kansas. Larry Dilts .©2021

Wallace County Coop RE 1076 history. It was built by Alco as an S4 model 1000hp switcher. This model was built between 1950 and 1961. Rest of history is unknown. Wallace County Coop is now owned by CHS. Photo by Larry D. Dilts, July 30, 2006, Sharon Springs, Kansas. Larry Dilts .©2021	March 18, 2021, Crossing Turkey Creek East of Wallace, Kansas, Union Pacific 7971 and 7409 were westbound with nine cars in tow. This trestle has an interesting history. April 12, 2002, the bridge burned along with several loaded coal cars. An overheated wheel caught the car on fire. The train came to a stop atop the bridge and subsequently several more cars as well as the bridge burned Larry Dilts .©2021

Longmont


I made a trip recently to Ft. Collins and found the local power next to station, Both units were idling and I wonder how long it will be before the apartment dwellers complain. ©2021 Walter Weart	And the Switching Platform ©2021 Walter Weart

Switching in the Ft. Collins yard . ©2021 Walter Weart	Is this a record for graffiti coverage of a boxcar? ©2021 Walter Weart

A Canadian visitor from British Colombia


David took this photo on March 20 ust south of castle rock. ©2021 David Grothe (Edior note's Looks like to lead motor had a fire at some point)

The Royal Gorge line

The Royal Gorge Route CRRX 403, F7A nee-CNW 4079C, and CRRX 1503, F7B, made their last runs through the Royal Gorge on March 15, 2021 before going to the shop for 92-day inspections. The 16-car train was along the Arkansas River at West Cañon City, CO, March 15, 2021 at ‘The Gate’ rock formation. CRRX 728, RP40-2C, replaced the F-units on the west end of the train early March 16th. ©2021 Chip

A Canadian visitor

During the Big Snow

Union Pacific crews were busy Sunday morning, March 14, 2021, before blizzard conditions overwhelmed Denver rail operations later in the afternoon High winds and unrelenting snow overwhelmed all forms of transportation. © 2021 Chip

Before the Big Snow

BNSF 9077, SD70ACe, and 9709 from Golden, CO, passed westbound UP 5915 on Utah Junction Bypass 2, northwest of Denver on Saturday, March 13, 2021. UP 5915 West (2x1 DPU set up) was on an empty unit oil train. ©2021 Chip


The San Luis & Rio Grande is a short line in southern Colorado.. On 26 February 2021, leased locomotive PRLX 4685 was southbound approaching Antonito on the old D&RGW line that once went all the way to Santa Fe, New Mexico.. The crew picked up several hopper cars and headed back north to Alamosa on low-speed track. ©2021Dave Schaaf

Rock & Rail at work

Rock & Rail (RRRR) 201, GP40M-2, and 501, GP40, spotted covered hoppers at the huge Lafarge Holcim cement operation at Portland, CO, March 9, 2021. Cement operations have kept busy during the COVID-19 pandemic. ©2021 Chip

Help from a visitor

Winter on the Moffat Sub


Grand Junction to Denver manifest made a timely appearance for a shot I've been attempting in that special light in a fresh 10" of mountain snow. To my delight, add some weather interaction with the Flatirons standing proud in the immediate distance, ©2021 Erik Lindgren	Number 5 running on time kicks up some fresh snow near the Great Divide at Tolland. Running track speed and looking so clean and fresh these venerable P42's don't look ready for replacement in the least. ©2021 Erik Lindgren

Visitors from Canada


BNSF unit sand train from Iowa had Central Maine & Quebec 1006, AC4400CW, and Canadian Pacific 8044 on the rear of westbound BNSF train February 22, 2021. Train was parked at Barr Siding, CO. ©2021 Chip

Westbound BNSF 6899, ES44AC, led a 3x2 Denver, Colorado, to Provo, Utah, trackage rights train around snow covered Union Pacific’s Big 10 west of Arvada, Colorado, on UP’s Moffat Tunnel Subdivision 20 February 2021. This is the former Moffat Road (Denver & Salt Lake later became the Denver & Rio Grande Western RR). ©2021 Chip

Switching at the Anheuser-Busch plant in Ft. Collins

Amtrak meets the BNSF


Three hour late AMTK train 5, the CZ, with 15 & 206 on 9-car train meet eastbound BNSF 4175 Z DENCHI intermodal at Commerce City, CO. West Siding Switch Irondale - both trains kept moving-! Well executed meet by Brush Subdivision dispatcher. © 2021Chip

A huge power move on the BNSF

Bob Thiele was able to get a picture of this power move. He counted 23 locomotives and one note indicated they are on the way to Donkey Creek yard in Wyoming. As coal traffic has fallen of, the yard is empty and provides a locution for storage. Note the oroginal ATSF paint and there was a Warbonnet in the consist. If you have more information, please contact me. Click on this link to reach the Webmaster Photo ©2021Bob Thilele

Can someone explain this?


Can someone explain this to me? While running some errands today (February 3), I noticed that the signals at Leyden were lit so I thought there might be something coming down the hill.. I also noticed that there was couple of motors which I thought were on the passing siding and I thought they would let someone run around them. I waited about 20 minutes and decided that maybe that train was delayed and as I had places to go and things to do, I moved on. I decided I would find a location where I could take some additional pictures of Leyden and was surprised to see that the motors were on the main. The second picture was my attempt to show that the signals facing the engines and the passing siding were both red. That would seem to indicate that any train that was going to pass the motors would be on the passing siding but the red aspect displayed would stop the train at that point. I saw that the lead motor had both ditch and headlights illumined which of course is a FRA requirement when occupying the main. I couldn't tell if there was anyone on board but you would think that if their hours expired, they would have tied down on the passing siding, leaving the main clear. I don't think I've ever seen anything like this so does someone have an explanation? Sorry for the quality of the pictures, I normally carry a camera but I had left it at home to take pictures of some things for eBay and my American Flyer Christmas tree train set. Won't do that again as my cell phone is okay but not great. 3 pictures And no, I'm not upgrading my cell phone, I'll remember my camera. 3 pictures ©2021 Walter Weart

I also learned that that there were or are some ballast cars and panel track flat cars spotted east of Sheridan so could these motors been assigned to move them?	Erik Lindgren got the shot I couldn't and you can see the signal aspects ©2021 Erik Lindgren