Hya Dave. Yep, all three mines are still producing. The Bowie, the Somerset and the West Elk. Word on the street is that the Somerset is gonna be out of profitable coal in 4-6 years, but Oxbow Mining has a new one they're trying to get open just north of Hotchkiss. The miners I've talked to say it will be a 60-70 year mine. All three mines are currently producing and we're averaging 3.5 to 4 trains (round trips) a day. In the next 24 hours, we've got 6 scheduled, but it will probably end up being 5. On Friday of last week there were only 2, so it goes up and down, but a weekly average is 3.5-4. If all three are producing.
I unfortunately do not know the gon prototype. Hopefully someone will come along soon that will have an answer for you. Ben
I have not done a lot of local railfanning lately. Here are some similar shots from the last several weeks. Ben
I hope that my next post of Colorado U.P. action will feature some different scenery a little further from home. Ben
Hi! any chance to know the reporting marks of those RD-4 coal hopper ? It seems there are at least 2 schemes, one silver, and one black (to be seen on the top picture)? Thank you for your help. I am wondering which versions of the RD-4 coal hopper from FVM I could buy to model prototypically recent action (early 2000's) on the Moffat Road. If you know any reporting mark I could go for, please let me know!
Tunnel Motor Any random lessor reporting marks can be legit. So much coal crossed the Moffat in the early 2000's, so many reporting marks, almost anything is possible. In N scale, the reporting marks are so small that it almost doesn't matter. For prototype accuracy, check my RailImages albums (in my sig) in the Moffat Route sub album. You should be able to find some shots that you can read the reporting marks.
Hi Tunnel Motor, If memory serves me right I think that they are CMO (Chicago St Paul Minneapolis & Omaha). I will have to dig up some of my old photos to verify this. Ben
UP Making up a coal train in the west yard. Setting the brake priseparatingrating the lead locomotive. Ben
Utah Bound U.P. A loaded coal train entering the Grand Junction yard. And finally a well weathered U.P. engine leads a coal train through Palisade, CO. Ben
Wasn't aware there were patched locos still operating as part of UP. (or are some of the pics on the last 2 or 3 pages a few years old?)
Believe it or not the photos from the last three pages were taken this year. We are slowly seeing more and more of the Armour Yellow here. Ben
That's good, I'll have to get a couple or so of espees and giv'em a good bleaching and dirtying up. Nice, easy color (oops, nearly put a u in colo r then) to practice weathering on.
