Beautiful! Thanks for the shots, Ben! I appreciate the high angles, by the way. The yard sure has grown in 30 years! Interesting that no taggers defaced the DRGW or the herald on the coal hopper. :tb-rolleyes: Is this a new car? I know there is a holding company still hanging onto invested equipment under the reporting marks (or at least there was). Is this the same deal?
Great stuff as usual. For those interested in the Montrose branch see my postings for the DRGW in the fallen flags forum. Got some great shots up there recently
Is it just me, or is that Espee AC4400 unmolested? Very nice overhead views! X-67! The only Russell plow the Grande owned. Assigned to Minturn earlier in history... Nice catch on the hopper!
Steve, Thanks and you are welcome! I have been trying to get a shot of that hopper for several months now. I am not sure of any of the specifics about it. Maybe someone else can chime in to answer your questions. It is nice that the taggers left the herald alone. Ben
Thanks JCater! I agree that everyone interested in the Rio Grande should check out your latest Montrose shots (They are GREAT!). I hope to see more of your Montrose pictures after you get settled in. Ben
Hemi, Thanks for your kind words. Believe it or not their is at least two Espee units currently running on the U.P. trains here that are unmolested. I will see if I can get a closer shot soon. Maybe JCater can catch a picture of them in Montrose as well. Ben
This afternoon my soon and I headed south towards Delta, CO to catch some coal action. We ran short on time and will have to go back another day. We managed to catch a few fair images but nothing spectacular. U.P. MOW equipment sitting between Delta and Hotchkiss, CO.: U.P. MOW in Paonia, CO.: U.P. 6529 slowly leads a string of hoppers through the Bowie Coal Mine loading facility near Paonia, CO.: A look at the loading facility: Ben
I've never been up to Paonia. :tb-err: Most have never heard of the branch line there. I'm glad to see it's in use. Thanks for these shots! :thumbs_up:
Great Stuff Ben I have not been that area for a long time. It is good to see the mines are still using rail transport. As I recall there are a bunch of mines up there and I always thought it would be a great place to watch switching action.
Here's a UP coal load descending the 2% near Tunnel 27, as the DPU's lights streak thru the scene past dark: (60-sec exposure!)
colo. pics. great pics i love colarado spent a month rail faning there several years ago use to take every load i could get to there when i was a owner oper. in the trucking bus.:tb-wink:
Thanks for the comments guys. I will go back down there soon when I have more time to sit near the coal mine. Ben
I've seen coalies rolling thru Delta, and along the Gunnison River. When I lived in "Junction", UP would run empties down the branch, using two AC4400Ws for power, for loading at Bowie and Elk Mine, and return to East Yard. Two or three sections of loaded cars would then be made up into an eastbound coalie, with 2-3 units on lead, 2 midtrain, and 2 on the rear. An impressive show to hear this train leave town, roaring thru Fruitvale, Clifton and Palisade. Back then, SP-lettered AC4400Ws were the prime coal train power, but over time the "yellow fever" spread. It was also the last holdouts for four-axle DRGW power (GP40s, mostly) for a long time. Wish I had lived there before the SP merger, when all one saw was Rio Grande motive power.
And not a little hiking- from railfanning with Hemi over Sherman Hill, I think he's part mountain-goat (LOL), but the shots and the view are worth it.
Actually, this was an easy shot to get, compared to some we took that day. James Peak, at East Portal siding was completely shrouded by the storm, as snow continued to fall at East Portal:
Some creative hiking. Climb around a little, look at the shot. Climb around some more, get pesky tree out of shot. Repeat. Keep repaeating until you're either exhausted, or you find a clear shot! And just hope you get a train, and good sun to put it in. I forgot to note the above shot still has the D&SL-era signals in service. Only a matter of time till the Borg swaps them out for the newfangled, character-free, boring siglas all over the UP system....
