On February 19th of this year, this photo carries the caption: “It was a good day for a 3.7-mile walk.” These are the words of the master photographer of railroading in the Mountain West region, Erik Lindgren. His photo work is becoming more and more acclaimed and appearing in such publications as TRAINS magazine — I feel privileged that he’s willing to provide another group for me to share with you.
It’s BNSF locomotive # 5939 emerging from what Erik describes as “Tunnel 30, sitting under the Sphinx Head rock in Rollins Canyon” — situated in Lincoln Hills, Colorado.
The eastbound California Zephyr normally charges through Colorado headed to Chicago during the hours of morning darkness. However, on February 19, 2022, this running-very-late Amtrak #6 allowed Erik to create this scenic memory of its passing through the town of Hudson, with the majestic Front Range as a backdrop.
The Big Boy-led Cheyenne Frontier Days train, chartered by the Denver Post newspaper, makes its final run southbound into Greeley, Colorado, on a stormy afternoon in July of 2018.
The above photo shows what happens on a railroad where there are a lot of steep grades headed in one direction, requiring more locomotive power … every so often, you need to take some of them back to where they started! There is a “power move” and some tonnage roll towards Tunnel 19 at Crescent, Colorado. Another recent photo was taken on March 13th of this year.
The Rock & Rail shortline railroad operates freight service on the former Union Pacific Tennessee Pass route between Parkdale, Colorado, and connects with the U-P at Canon City, Colorado. In this photo, a Rock & Rail train, led by U-P 1989, is ready for departure to the mine at Parkdale near the Arkansas River headwaters at sunrise in April of 2020.
From the ridge looking down on this Jefferson County open space near Clear Creek in north-central Colorado, a westbound BNSF manifest is working its way into the Moffat tunnel district. Hoarfrost, then heavy snow is coating the entire region. The weather system is still clearing out, and snow is still falling in Denver, as seen in the distance. This is how it looked in November 2019.
Old # 489 rests and takes on water at the water tank in Chama, New Mexico, on a beautiful fall sunrise morning in October of 2018 … the first of four photos taken along the tracks of the narrow-gauge Cumbres & Toltec R. R.
It’s September of 2018, which was a banner year for aspen color. The train creeps up the 2% grade to Cumbres Pass, approaching the Colorado border.
A favorite shot of Erik’s, the above photo was taken at Chama, New Mexico, in October 2009. The fabled Jukes Tree stands proud while an eastbound Special rolls over the frost-covered right of way north of Chama. It is the San Juan Extension built by the Denver & Rio Grande Western, now operating as a tourist railroad called the Cumbres & Toltec.
This beautiful historic steam locomotive — number 453 — with its tall smokestack is rolling towards the town of Antonito, Colorado, after a trip over the mountains from Chama. Note how the setting sun reflects beautifully off of this freight extra in September of 2018.
The above photo shows what I enjoy most, says Erik, “chasing the light” and trains at the unique times of the day. Here eastbound empties are headed back to the mines in Wyoming along the Brush Subdivision on a sub-zero January morning of 2020 just after sun-up. Timing is everything, as five minutes later, the purples and pinks will turn white and orange white.
Springtime snow in the Rockies! It’s already two-thirds of the way through May of this year, 2022 … and Erik finds a foot of wet snow on the way to Rollins Pass and the fabled Moffat Road. It is a delightful way to spend the morning watching Union Pacific 6276 and two of its brothers pass by, leading a loaded oil train.
More of the same heavy snow that fell in Colorado on May 21, 2022 — this winter wonderland scene finds Amtrak #5, the California Zephyr, passing through the community of Tolland. It’s being pulled by a pair of Amtrak’s diesel workhorses, the General Electric P42DC. Numbers 4 and 33.
As we did with the first collection of beautiful Mountain West rail photographs by Erik Lindgren … we close with another look at the steam locomotive which captures everyone’s attention whenever it comes into view — Union Pacific’s Big Boy, number 4014 leaning into this curve in November 2019, leaving behind a cloud of smoke as it rolls by Terry Ranch, Wyoming!
If you’ve enjoyed this new photographic tour of railroading in the United States Mountain West, Erik and I surely will be pleased if you take a moment and let us know.
All photos © copyrighted and property of Erik Lindgren.
WOW! Thanks for sharing.
Marlin: I so enjoy reading of your interests including Railroads! I have never taken a rail trip across the USA but it’s high on my bucket list; I have ridden Amtrak from Denver westward to Glenwood Springs, one of my favorite spots! I almost bought the radio station there, KGLN but I wasn't interested at that time in their FM but after touring the transmitter site a few years ago I realized that they had sold the land beneath the tower and thus sealed the ground system! Now, it's a massive parking lot…..your photos are breathtakingly beautiful and show that nature and technology can peacefully co-exist very well. I subscribe to CLASSIC TRAINS but not TRAINS. Take good care, I enjoy every one of your postings now in my retirement!
rick sellers
Incredible photos!