Hi all,

Earlier this month, UP 4-8-4 #844 traveled some very rare mileage by utilizing trackage rights on BNSF. Since the BNSF merger, the old C&S line from Amarillo, TX through Des Moines, NM and Trinidad, CO to Walsenburg, CO has been turned into a northbound only route with the vast majority of traffic being empty coal trains heading from Texas to the Powder River Basin in Wyoming. Southbound loads utilize the old Santa Fe line (less grades) via La Junta, CO and Boise City, OK in this directional running setup.

In order to return home to Cheyenne, 844 - for the first time ever - used Union Pacific's trackage rights agreement to traverse this route. There were a lot of folks out chasing for this relatively remote area, as the Trinchera Pass route (officially known as the Twin Peaks Sub) boasts great scenery with many looping curves to gain elevation.

Here's a brief excerpt of video I shot on Sunday. The first clip is in Clayton, NM - about 10 miles north of the Texas border, followed by a short pacing segment a little further north. The next sequence shows 844 climbing the loop in Folsom, NM. Partway through you can see the Capulin Volcano in the distance. Finally, the last shot is just outside Trinidad, CO.
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-James
[www.steamtrainvideos.com]