Rocky Mountain Railroad Club

I don't know who took this pictures but if you are the photographer, please let me know. If you have other pictures of the Union Station lights, please share them with your fellow club members

Happy Holidays, Tuesday, November 24th was kissed with a fresh 8ā€¯ of sticky snow early before dawn at Coal Creek Canyon. Amtrak 5, running about 2 hours late the California Zephyr is seen here rolling through the majestic pillows of heavy snow flocked from top to bottom on the trees. ©2020 Erik Lindgren

A heritage unit

Union Pacific’s 1982, the Missouri Pacific Heritage unit, came south into Colorado via the Cheyenne, WY, to 36th Street Yard, Denver, CO. Train arrived the Mile High City early November 25, 2020. Unit was wyed on the Pullman Wye and led the auto train from Rolla (Commerce City, CO) back north to Cheyenne, WY, that afternoon. ©2020 Chip

UP 958500 MW Maintenance of Way set was built by Relco (builders date 18 May 2020). The unit (model PU3200 A-6) is based on an SD40-2 frame (note the six-axles). This self propelled set departed UP's 36th Street Yard northward on the Greeley Subdivision, Denver, CO. ©2020 Chip

Eastbound and now past East Portal, BNSF 6233 is in charge of the HPVODEN1 beneath some of Colorado's highest peaks. Rollins Pass and James Peak and the rest of the Great Divide are holding back a Pacific fed winter storm ravaging the western slope. The dark blue sky embodies the snowfall that is undoubtedly delighting the early skiers of the 2020/2021 season at Winter Park. ©2020 Erik Lindgren

Southbound BNSF 296, SD75I, handled the Irondale (Commerce City, CO, to Minnequa, CO) train U IRCMQA-027t down the Joint Line November 15, 2020. Train was north of Palmer Lake, CO, with 100-car empty cement covered hoppers. In 2017 BNSF overhauled 45 SD75’s. ©2020 Chip


UP 1996 passed the Amtrak “Veterans” unit (#42) in Glenwood Springs today on Nov. 8. While Amtrak was still at the a UP heritage locomotive rolled by. ©2020 Daniel Sheffer

February 2019 yielded a nice chase of the MNYGJ just after sunrise at the western most ledge of Beyers Canyon. UP 5892 does the honors with power move and an exciting manifest including some gondolas with scrap.z

Trick or Treat Train at the Museum

Monday, October 26, 2020 still under a Winter Storm Warning brought the Fall season to a close at Plainview. Just a slight remnant of the Fall colors remained along the Moffat Road at milepost 23. The MGJNY was running early today without the usual Amtrak 5 now no longer scheduled on Mondays to slow them down. Just a kiss of the warm light of the morning sun was breaking through the clearing snow storm in the 14 degree temperatures.


Another one of the 25th Anniversary units from BNSF came through Denver on October 12. This Provo-bound manifest train was led by BNSF 6163 on the UP Moffat subdivision. ©2020 Dave Schaaf

On October7, I drove along the Colorado Pacific to check what was happening. The line just east of NA Jct. is still out of service in that they are replacing several large culverts. The rest of the line looks like it is up and running. The only cars I saw were PPEX coal gondolas stored at Haswell and Eads. The photos was looking east at Haswell.

A BNSF Geometry train is south of Cheyenne at the I-80 overpass on the Front Range Sub. The car is BNSF 91, MofW Equipment M530 PS Geometry #91, unmanned track geometry car, ex-RPCX 52 seat chair-snack bar #3921 SILVER CHAIR, exx-AMTK #3921, exxx-BN #6143. ©2020 Pete West

Still near peak deep in the valley west of Rollinsville, Amtrak 1105 acting for 5 The California Zephyr is rolling along the fill into groves of Aspen Trees along South Boulder Creek. The calming sounds of the rushing river is briefly interrupted by the burble and rush of the passing train. Now for the walk back. October 8, 2020. ©2020 Erik Lindgren

Crews placed a new pedestrian bridge Monday (5 October 2020) to connect America the Beautiful Park to the southwest part of downtown.

The 250-foot-long bridge was hoisted into the air, driven across the railroad, and put in place near the Olympic and Paralympic Museum. The bridge weighs about 1.1 million pounds and is planning to open to the public early 2021, depending on weather and construction.

“Sitting right here beside I-25, everyone that drives through town is going to see the new Olympic museum, they’re going to see this giant bridge that projects out, and it’s going to draw visitors to say, ‘Hey, come visit Colorado Springs,’" said senior engineer Ryan Phipps.


©2020 Erik Lindgren	Sept 2020 East Portal ©2020 Erik Lindgren

Sunday October, 4 the Spirit 1943 special led the Manifest from Grand Junction to North Yard. Made for a long ride for the crew called Yampa 22:15 and the crew died on the main at Arvada, CO, before Tennyson. Beautiful morning Fall light illuminates South Boulder Peak and the amazing geology on the Goshawk Ridge on the Flatirons. ©2020 Erik Lindgren


On Sept 17, Denny Leonard drove the old Denver & Salt Lake grade. The Loop where In real life the railroad Coming down from Corona made a left turn and went through a tunnel underneath the trestle

Corona “Top of the World” Once covered with snowsheds	Yankee Doodle lake is still magnificently circled by the railroad grade. 4 pictures ©2020 Denny Leonard

BNSF semaphores model T2 upper quadrant were being replaced with new tri-light signals at Colmor, New Mexico, September 17, 2020. BNSF’s Raton Subdivision normally only sees Amtrak’s Southwest Chief, trains 3 and 4, every day of the week (daily service-!). Amtrak long distance trains were planned to be reduced to only three times a week (tri-weekly service) effective October 1, 2020 due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic reducing rail passenger travel. ©2020 Chip


BNSF 6993 leads a Warbonnet and a long string of wind power flats south through Larkspur, CO. Note the Warbonnet trailing, too bad it wasn't leading. ©2020 Chris Paulhamus	BNSF 5433 rolls through the Greenland Open Space in Greenland, CO with a northbound rolling ethanol pipeline. ©2020 Chris Paulhamus

Winter's early arrival on September 8 left a glorious scene near Crescent on the Moffat Road. On the 7th temps were close to 80 here and smoky from the forest fires, this snow is a blessing. Wednesday September 9, 2020. ©2020 Erik Lindgren

An early Winter storm ravaged the front range for 2 days between September 7-9. A pleasant surprise on the morning of the 10th both that the large amounts of sticky snow stuck around for an amazing 24 more hours; but also to have a beautiful Amtrak heritage unit lead the California Zephyr through this winter wonderland high above the picturesque Eldorado Canyon State Park. The revenants of the storm can be seen with the low ceiling still in place and just clear. With an hour as I write this the is rapidly evaporating the snow from all the trees. ©2020 Erik Lindgren


Last Wednesday ( Sept 2) Chris was heading home on I-25N and saw at the PPL 2 returning to Pueblo. ©2020 Chris Paulhamus	BNSF 9156 leads a southbound coal train down the Palmer Divide as it accelerates out of Palmer Lake, CO ©2020 Chris Paulhamus


Tim Tonge caught the BNSF Heritage locomotive at Spruce and Lark Spur ©2020 Tim Tonge

BNSF #6017 is hustling across the Larkspur ATSF with BKMSLP110B which proudly still wearing the logo, with the new heritage 25th Anniversary motor up front ©2020 Erik Lindgren	BNSF #6017 is leading the CBKMSLP110 west of Roggen, CO in the early morning sun. ©2020 Erik Lindgren


Mike Harriman took these pictures and confirms that this is the local which switches a scrap yard and lumber reload just west of Santa Fe.a remnant of the Ft. Logan spur. ©2020 Mike Harriman

Union Pacific 7448 handled westbound Vestas empty wind support cars at Strasburg, CO, August 22, 2020. UP’s Limon Subdivision (AKA Kansas Pacific line) was reopened by UP in July 2020 after stored empty auto racks were removed from west of Sharon Springs, Kansas. ©2020 Chip


The MNYPU with an ACe leader ©2020 Wesley Greer	Southbound grain with KCS leader: ©2020 Wesley Greer

Northbound rail train with UP 1989 trailing ©2020 Wesley Greer	Q train-MNYPU meet at Monument: ©2020 Wesley Greer

The Royal Gorge Route continues operating weekdays with three trips per day; 9:15 AM Cańon City, CO, departures, 12:30 PM and 3:30 PM. Trips have had decent passenger loadings considering the pandemic. The 3:30 PM trips surprisingly have had the best loadings mid-week. Parkdale, CO, Monday, August 17, 2020. The car behind CRRX 3104 is a generator / cab car. ©2020 Chip


BNSF was doing signal(s) replacements around NA Junction East of Boone, CO, August 24, 2020. Appears Colorado Pacific will get a west end connection with BNSF later this year . Photo by Chip




Thanks to Jerry Day, can see one of the of the new diesels for for the D&S. Control stand is very similar to those I remember from my railroad days.


Denver Rock Island RR, DRIR 88, GP9R, and DRIR 1083 SW1500 ex-SP 2480 were parked at the Franklin Street Shop, north of Denver, CO, 13 November 2020. Note how two tracks are built up to the building, upper right. ©2020 Chip	New DRIR trackage will enter service in early December 2020. ©2020 Chip




Erik Lindgren was at the Museum on October 25 for the second day of Treat or Treat train. Looks like he had the treat ©2020 Erik Lindgren


Bob Thiele found the Inspection train on the Joint line near Palmer Lake. ©2020 Bob Thiele


White Pass 107 arrives in Durango

	WP&Y 107 in service in 2018. ©2020 Walter Weart