Sherman Hill Photo Tour

Next up, Speer!

The #3 track heads from Cheyenne to Speer, to the south of town, before it again curves west. # and 4 tracks parallel each other to Speer.

Onboard a caboose behind UP 844, approaching Speer:



#4 track splits from Speer toward Denver:

This technically is not Sherman Hill, but Speer is right out of sight on the other side of I-25, the overpass in the background:



From Speer to Perkins, my coverage on #3 track is sparce, as is coverage on #1 and 2 tracks. From Speer, all 3 mains are westerly bound towards Laramie, WY.

 

Coverage continues...

Borie, WY is our next stop; as a former Amtrak flag stop, the 'Cutoff' sees very little traffic these days, compared to the nearly constant action on #1, 2 and 3 tracks. Starting on #3 track, and working north to #1 track...

#3 track is where Friscobob and I caught a slow grainer: (yes, that's my truck)



There are really 4 tracks thru Borie; 1-3, and a 'Cutoff' track, running from the #3 track to the #1 and 2 tracks. This is where trains from Denver can head north, then west to Laramie,a nd points west, without backtracking to Cheyenne from Speer. This is why it's known as the Borie Cutoff.

The next track is the 'Cutoff' track, and even though all 4 tracks are close, they are by no means all 4 visible from one point, save for a helicopter. They are quite spread out.

Here's a WB ballast train traveling the Cutoff:



Sorry folks, I left the blasted cloud filter at home...



And looking across the cutoff with ballast empties, at #1 and 2 track, with a coalie on #1 track waiting to get into Cheyenne:

 

More action from Borie!

Now that I covered half of Borie's trackage, the next half is chock full of action. Most of the 60-80 trains per day into Cheyenne traverse the rails of #1 and 2 track.

Here's a 3985 break-in run on the return trip to Cheyenne eastbound from Laramie:



And the going away shot:



Yes, this is what 2/3 of Sherman Hill looks like--the scenery gets better... Sit tight!

Here's a shot of the first 2 heritage units, as the drift down the Hill , and under the overpass:



Last light at Borie, and a signal guarding the crossovers leading to the Cutoff track:



More to come, don't touch that dial!

 

Thanks, guys! I wouldn't call my shots 'spectacular', but the scenery can be, further up the hill..

Coverage continues west of Borie tonight!

 

Westbound!

After Borie, we head thru some rolling terrain, and while we are missing a few areas, nothing missed is that important. Next stop, Granite! Staying on #31 and 2 track, we visit a few areas, then we'll hit #3, which really starts to get scenic.
Home of a ballast quarry, and not much else, east of Granite, we capture 3985 at track speed eastbound to Cheyenne:





Granite has a neat set of curves and cuts, but I regret to inform ya'll I have no other shots of this area; better things await!

Remount Road is an exit off I-80, and here, we bag a stack train hustling west:

 

Did someone say UP????

Well, since Hemi mentioned I had some shots, I don't think he'll mind if I share some of them...



Two westbounds, one on 1 track, another on 4 track (the latter perhaps up from Denver) are seen waiting at the signals west of the yard. Just about every eastbound seems to stop here & wait for a green block to finish the last mile or so of the crew's run.


A northbound BNSF train crosses over the UP main at 10 MPH, rolling downhill at it approaches the former C&S yard north of where I'm sitting, while an eastbound UP stacker rolls downhill to the depot, and a crew change. I was "trapped" in the left turn lane by the UP (yeaahhh..surreee....), so I was in a perfect place to shoot the over & under action.</p>

 

Another shot of that ballast train Hemi and I caught that afternoon, on the Borie Cutoff. To your left you can see Tracks 1 and 2, and on Track 1 there's an eastbound coalie waiting behind an EB stacker, who's waiting behind at least one or two other eastbounds on the same track, which are awaiting a green board to procedd towards the depot for crew change, ad nauseum. Sadly, not an uncommon sight. You can also see the chem. plant, as well as Cheyenne.

Another shot of the ballast train and the stopped coalie down on Track 1:</p>

Besides all that coal, Wyoming also has deposits of gas and oil. The place we're seeing these trains in the last two pictures has several operating oil wells. And of course, cattle and antelope on the high plains. The scenery will get a little rugged from here on west, as Hemi will show you later.

 

Just a little upgrade from Borie on Track 1, a westbounder with two SD70Ms and 2 SD70ACEs, rolling downhill towards Cheyenne. I'm shooting this from Otto Road, which will rejoin I-80 a couple of miles west of here.



Speaking og the I-road, east of Granite is where I cought another eastbound about to cross under this very busy highway, the main east-west road thru the Cowboy State. West of here is Granite, WY, and a large rock quarry that UP uses for ballast. From here to about Buford I have no shots- Hemi has some.



Meanwhile, on Track 3, a junk freight is battling the 0.55% grade uphill through Harriman on its way to rejoin the original main at Dale Jct. Once there, it'll start a downhill run to Laramie. The water tower (seen in the background) and two old rwo houses are all there's left to Harriman. From here, you can drive south to the Colorado state line (just a 1/4 mile south) and down to US287, and then up 287 to Tie Siding and the road to hermosa, or on north past Red Buttes to Laramie.But we're getting ahead of the story.........

 

Thanks Bob! I didn't have any good shots from Granite area..

 

That's the ONLY picture I have from Granite- I got nada for pics from there to Buford & Sherman. Somewhere at home, in a box, is a CD with a pic of a freight struggling upgrade at Dale (the east side of Dale siding, on the original main). Finding that box in the Augen stable known as a garage is gonna be a task worthy of Hercules.

I DO like the shot at Remount Road.......and FTR, I didn't get any pics of the Ames Monument, which is north of Dale, and ENE of Hermosa/Tie Siding, sorry.......

 

I don't have the Ames Monument, either. I guess I need to head back to Chey-town for some more pics!
I have most of my Sherman shots from up on #3 and past Dale to Tie Siding. More to come soon! Dinner is calling me...

 

I DO have some from around Hermosa Tunnel and the track above Tie Siding. Including both steam & diesel.....

 

Geepers! I forgot all about this topic!!
Coverage should resume tomorrow night!

 

I need to update this topic.. I know I have a single shot at Harriman Rd on #1 track... Blasted if I could find it!

 

Don't hesitate to post it!!!
If you have Sherman Hill shots, post them, please!