Coal from mines along the original Denver & Rio Grande Western main line moves east through Glenwood Canyon, Colorado.

Eastbound coal is making time on the Rio Grande as it glides through New Castle, Colorado.

A westbound grain train is slowed in its journey as it slowly grinds upgrade on the Rio Grande near Colton, Utah.

Eastbound coal rolls through Glenwood Canyon, Colorado.

A Rio Grande tunnel motor and a pair of SD45’s bring eastbound coal through Glenwood Canyon near Allen, Colorado.

Rio Grande SD40T-2s No. 5409, 5371, and 5380 pull the Helper Local through Price Canyon on Aug. 16, 1987.

Dusk on the Moon

In his book Never on Wednesday, photographer Mel Patrick called this area of the Utah desert a “moonscape”, and I can’t imagine anywhere on earth that... (more)

It has been as easy day for two SD-40T-2s as they escorted the Rio Grande Ski Train up to Winter Park and now cradle it back down the mountain at Rollinsville, Colo. toward Denver on March 15, 198... (more)

Rio Grande's Helper Local glides down a relatively flat 1% grade just east of 7440 ft. Soldier Summit on Aug. 16, 1987.

A coal train drops downgrade at the old Mitchell siding location just west of Tennessee Pass, Colorado, in July 1984. Denver & Rio Grande Western SD40T-2 No. 5409 leads four Missouri Pacific SD40-... (more)

The end of the grade is not far away as an eastbound freight behind 5409 3057 5372 and 3086 climbs the last mile or so up to Tennessee Pass in September 1985.

In September 1985, an eastbound freight climbs up through Mitchell, on the Tennessee Pass line, behind 5409 3057 5372 and 3086, all cab ahead. Just visible in the exhaust of the head end power are... (more)

Rare for the period - a quartet of DRGW SD40T-2s work a loaded 1BGLHC-23 coal train through Colton, UT.