Trackside Log for Tuesday, August 7, 2007

This morning I was feeling a bit lazy and decided to make a later start. Once I headed outside I could see mostly clear skies to the west. This was a good sign. I started off by dropping by the yards in Grand Junction, Utah to see what was going on. Union Pacific had a variety of power parked in their yard but it wasn't terribly accessible. I swung by the station where I discovered a lone Burlington Northern Santa Fe C44-9W. A four axle dash-8 was just about to shove some cars onto the engine. I photographed it before that happened.

• 0932 MDT Grand Junction, Colorado - BNSF power - BNSF 4162 (photo)

The dash-8 cut off the cars and the dash-9 began shoving them around the yard. Not much else was going on so I headed west into the desert. I drove for a long time before I finally ran across a moving train north of Green River, Utah. It turned out to be the Burlington Northern Santa Fe trackage rights train.

• 1216 MDT north of Green River, Utah - BNSF eastbound - BNSF 7574-TFM 2657-BNSF 4865-BNSF 5241 w/ DPU BNSF 5328

I decided to give a short chase and photograph the train again since it was the first moving train I'd seen all day.

• 1225 MDT north of Green River, Utah - BNSF eastbound - BNSF 7574-TFM 2657-BNSF 4865-BNSF 5241 w/ DPU BNSF 5328

I continued along to Helper, Utah to see what was going on. There was little in the Union Pacific yard so I began exploring the line westward. I heard the dispatcher talking to a Utah Railway coal train that was going to be cutting their helpers off at Soldier's Summit. Apparently I was just a little too late to catch the train run from Helper to Summit. At least I was able to photograph the helper set returning to Martin. I decided that the Nolan Tunnels would be a good location.

• 1444 MDT Nolan Tunnels, Utah - Utah Railway eastbound helper - UTAH 6060-UTAH 6061-UTAH 6063-UTAH 6064-MPEX 5356-UTAH 5003

On my way back to Helper I found the Utah Railway helper set about to head onto their own tracks. I got a few more photographs there and then returned to the Union Pacific yard to photograph the power there.

• 1512 MDT Heiner, Utah - Utah Railway eastbound helper - UTAH 6060-UTAH 6061-UTAH 6063-UTAH 6064-MPEX 5356-UTAH 5003
• 1524 MDT Helper, Utah - UP power - UP 6212-UP 8065 (photo)

While photographing the power parked in Union Pacific's yard I noticed that a westbound coal train was staged. I drove back out into the Price River canyon to wait for it. Just as I parked I heard an eastbound Utah Railway empty coal train rumble by with Union Pacific power. Oops… I missed that one. Before very long the westbound arrived. I chased it through the canyon for a variety of photographs. The scenery in there is stunning, particularly with the nice lighting I had.

• 1645 MDT west of Royal, Utah - UP westbound - UP 8255-UP 6260-UP 6565 w/ helper UP 5936-UP 6716-UP 5790 w/ DPU UP 6521 (photo 1, photo 2, photo 3)
• 1659 MDT Nolan Tunnels, Utah - UP westbound - UP 8255-UP 6260-UP 6565 w/ helper UP 5936-UP 6716-UP 5790 w/ DPU UP 6521 (photo 1, photo 2, photo 3, photo 4, photo 5)
• 1711 MDT Colton, Utah - UP westbound - UP 8255-UP 6260-UP 6565 w/ helper UP 5936-UP 6716-UP 5790 w/ DPU UP 6521

The helper set cut off at Colton and the westbound continued with just the DPU power.

• 1745 MDT Soldier's Summit, Utah - UP westbound - UP 8255-UP 6260-UP 6565 w/ DPU UP 6521

Once again I returned to Helper to see if any other trains had arrived. None had but I was now able to photograph a pair of Union Pacific engines that I was previously unable to.

• 1811 MDT Helper, Utah - UP power - UP 6305-UP 3169 (photo)

Well, it didn't appear that much else was going on so I figured I'd go find a room in Price. As it turned out things were pretty booked up. I called up Marriott and found a room at the Fairfield Inn in Provo, Utah. OK, that works for me. I began the drive to Provo and as luck would have it I ran across a Utah Railway westbound coal train rumbling through the canyon. The shadows of the mountains had engulfed the canyon but I figured I might still have some sunlight at Colton. I drove directly there and proved myself correct. It was getting close, but I had light.

• 1958 MDT Colton, Utah - Utah Railway westbound - UP 5859-UP 5305-UP 7224 w/ helper UTAH 5003-MPEX 5356-UTAH 6064-UTAH 6061-UTAH 6060-UTAH 5005

Colton turned out to be the only location with any light left. The Utah Railway left it to the last minutes. Well, obviously I was done with the day's photography so I drove to the Fairfield Inn for the night. The quantity of trains wasn't high, but I had a lot of fun photographing them. The scenery was great. And the best part was the weather. It was a really pleasant day.

Trackside Log for Monday, August 6, 2007

This morning I awoke in Ogallala, Nebraska to a thunder storm. That didn't really set a good tone. I set out by heading yet farther west. As I drove the weather gradually began to improve. The rain soon stopped and it was starting to get brighter. By the time I got to Sydney, Nebraska it was still overcast and not terribly bright, but at least it wasn't storming.

• 0754 MDT Sidney, Nebraska - UP eastbound - UP 6514-UP 6196 (photo 1, photo 2)
• 0755 MDT Sidney, Nebraska - UP power - UP 3422-UP 3420 (photo 1, photo 2)

While photographing the parked power, a westbound passed behind. I was unable to get a photograph. Oh well, I moved on. Just west of Sidney I caught up to another westbound. I drove ahead and photographed it. I looked behind me and noticed an eastbound approaching as well.

• 0823 MDT Sidney, Nebraska - UP westbound - UP 5493-UP 9550-UP 7624-UP 4310 (photo)
• 0824 MDT Sidney, Nebraska - UP eastbound - UP 8433-UP 4464 (photo)

I continued westward and stopped at various locations whenever I noticed a train approaching. The skies were clearing nicely and I was eventually back into sunshine.

• 0838 MDT Brownson, Nebraska - UP eastbound - UP 4980-UP 4563 (photo)
• 0851 MDT Potter, Nebraska - UP eastbound - UP 6591-UP 4225-UP 2186-UP 4529-UP 8438-UP 4040
• 0920 MDT between Bushnell and Kimball, Nebraska - UP eastbound - UP 4875-UP 5160

As I neared Bushnell, Nebraska the sun was out nicely and I could see a row of grain elevators. I had to stop and photograph some trains passing the elevators. The second westbound to arrive was the train I was unable to photograph in Sidney. It all worked out for the best since the weather was much nicer in Bushnell.

• 0934 MDT Bushnell, Nebraska - UP westbound - UP 7322-UP 5815-UP 6546
• 0955 MDT Bushnell, Nebraska - UP westbound - UP 5472-CEFX 3181
• 1015 MDT Bushnell, Nebraska - UP westbound - UP 5493-UP 9550-UP 7624-UP 4310
• 1024 MDT Bushnell, Nebraska - UP westbound - UP 4714-UP 4617 (photo)
• 1046 MDT Bushnell, Nebraska - UP westbound - UP 7691-UP 5037-UP 3910 (photo 1, photo 2)
• 1059 MDT Bushnell, Nebraska - UP westbound - UP 5464-UP 7667-UP 7706 (photo)
• 1106 MDT Bushnell, Nebraska - UP westbound - UP 5086-UP 9175 (photo)

For a while I was trying to figure out the onslaught of westbounds. Eventually the Union Pacific dispatcher talked to an eastbound out of Cheyenne about a break-down. Apparently all the westbounds piled up behind it. A-ha! Now I understand. I'd really been hoping for an eastbound at Bushnell because there was a really nice scene with one of the elevators. No such luck. It didn't seem that any eastbounds were imminent and the westbounds were done.

I continued my trek west. I decided on a whim to stop at Burns, Wyoming to see what was there. It turned out to be a good move since there was a decent looking grain elevator. I decided to try for an eastbound again here. Of course the first train was one of the westbounds I photographed earlier.

• 1154 MDT Burns, Wyoming - UP westbound - UP 5464-UP 7667-UP 7706

But wait! Just after the westbound slowly passed I could see eastbound headlights. At last!

• 1207 MDT Burns, Wyoming - UP eastbound - UP 4151-UP 2485

The skies were beginning to cloud up and look like rain again. I drove to Cheyenne but the skies didn't look inviting at all. I stopped for lunch but ultimately decided to forego Cheyenne for the time being. I vowed to try again on my return trip through Wyoming. So I headed south through Colorado. Unfortunately it was stormy for most of the day. One of the stops I wanted to make in Colorado was the Leadville, Colorado & Southern. Luckily the weather was improving on my way there. By the time I arrived the weather was good enough to yield some reasonable photographs.

• 1702 MDT Leadville, Colorado - Leadville, Colorado & Southern power - LCS 1918 (photo 1, photo 2)
• 1720 MDT Leadville, Colorado - Leadville, Colorado & Southern power - LCS 1714 (photo 1, photo 2)

After chatting with the crew of the train and having a look inside their engine house I took my leave. I figured Grand Junction, Colorado would be my night's destination. The drive there was very nice. I had fun on some of the winding roads until I got back to Interstate 70. Interstate highways tend to be kind of boring.