A early autumn edition of the Rio Grande Ski Train climbs out of Clay, Colorado, and approaches Blue Mountain Drive grade crossing on the afternoon of September 27, 1998. Three former Rio Grande GP60s lead the special run, led by No. 3154. The trackside contraption to the left is a older Rio Grande defect detector, that would flash a blue light to the caboose indicating a defect problem with the train, obviously only useful when there was still cabooses and crew on the rear of trains! Stretching out in the background are the eastern plains of Colorado, along with the northern portion of the Denver metropolitan area.
