Union Pacific’s MDVRO freight between Denver’s North Yard and Salt Lake City’s Roper Yard passes over Blue Mountain Drive west of Clay, Colorado, on September 23, 1999. Four EMD’s from the... (more)

On October 23, 2011, a Union Pacific coal empty climbs through Big 10 Curve just east of Clay, Colorado. Lead locomotive AC4400CW No. 6876 is about to hit the east switch at Clay siding. Trailing ... (more)

In the middle of an October 26, 2006 blizzard, an eastbound BNSF freight passes the mile 22.6 detector west of Clay, Colorado. Six GE C44-9Ws guides the tonnage through the snow, and some of the t... (more)

A Union Pacific track inspector is removing his hi-rail truck from the main line west of Clay, Colorado, at Blue Mountain Drive grade crossing. An eastbound BNSF train is approaching, and consider... (more)

Union Pacific's freight MRONY approaches Blue Mountain grade crossing west of Clay, Colorado, on April 23, 2001. Crisp snow-covered mountains at the mouth of Coal Creek Canyon provide a wintery ba... (more)

An eastbound Union Pacific coal train encircles Coal Creek Canyon on UP's Moffat Subdivision east past the detector at mile 22.6 on November 26, 1998. Two Southern Pacific AC4400CWs operating as m... (more)

BNSF’s M-PVODEN (Provo, Utah to Denver manifest) curves around the hopper car windbreak at Big 10 Curve east of Clay, Colorado, on October 20, 2012. The city of Denver is 16 miles (“as the cro... (more)

Two BNSF SD40-2 helpers shove BNSF’s Denver to Provo freight at Coal Creek Canyon, Colorado, on October 20, 2002. As the pushers pass the mile 22.6 detector, the lead locomotives approach Tunnel... (more)

Amtrak No. 5, the California Zephyr, finishes encircling Big 10 Curve and approaches the east switch of Clay siding on the afternoon of October 23, 2011. This long 10° curve uses a mesa and 2 per... (more)

A westbound Union Pacific coal train climbs past the siding at Clay, Colorado, on May 29, 2011. The geographic layout of the curves of this scenic former Rio Grande main line that climbs up the fr... (more)

On June 28, 1998, Amtrak No. 5, the California Zephyr is at Clay, Colorado. This train is running 10 hours late, and is entering Clay siding to meet Amtrak No. 6! General Electric-powered by two G... (more)

On May 29, 2011, Amtrak No. 6, the California Zephyr, cruises through Clay, Colorado, as a westbound UP coal empty waits patiently at Rocky siding below.

The California Zephyr gets it own scenic runby courtesy of the local wildlife, as the racket of the silver iron horse sends a herd of elk running along the tracks at the foot of the Rocky Mountain... (more)

After a minor ice/snow storm coated everything nicely with winter, Amtrak's California Zephyr heads west over Blue Mountain Drive west of Clay, Colorado, on February 8, 2001.

The head end of a westbound Union Pacific coal train is at the east switch of Clay, while the rear of the train still trails below on the 2 percent grade. I’m encircled by the train in the middl... (more)