A Couple of Train Sightings

While on my bike ride in Chatfield State Park today, I rode the length of the dam. As I began my traversal of the dam, I saw a stopped northbound empty coal train and wondered if it would block my route at the other end of the dam. As I rode on, the train began to move. However, there was another train right behind it and not all that far behind it. I always thought it was unusual to see two trains on the same track so close together. The first northbound train was another of the many BNSF coal trains that utilize the Joint Line. The train behind it turned out to be rather unusual. It was just 7 engines – five SD70MACs and a couple of AC4400CWs.

While all this was going by, a loaded southbound coal train came along on the other track. It consisted mostly of brand new CEFX coal hoppers. The build dates on them were 09-2006. Here is a picture of one.



One of the trailing locomotives was a fairly new SD70Ace:



I really like this picture showing most of the train.



All these photos were taken at the southernmost end of the Chatfield dam.