17-06-24 PHOTOS: Denver RTD

Let's see now.  I've flown in and out of Denver, I've taken Amtrak through Denver...twice, I even know three different people who would put me up for the night in Denver, however until this past summer I never bothered to actually visit Denver for more than the time the California Zephyr was laying over in the station.  That makes this really strange is that Denver is a major metropolitan area with an extensive light rail network and a brand new electrified commuter rail system that uses Philly's own Silverliner V's.

Typically when I cross the country on Amtrak I, well, cross the country and also spend a night in Chicago.  This time I cut the train trip short and spent three days in the mile high (and then some) city riding transit and seeing the sights.  The full gallery includes RTD light rail, commuter rail, more Amtrak and a few BNSF freights.  Check out the link or keep reading below for the highlights.

So no sooner had I arrived in Denver when I saw a special passenger being attached to the rear of the eastbound Zephyr.  It was C&O #3, the Chapel Hill.  The well heeled passengers were eager for a photo and were nice enough to give me some schwag for the service.

Also at the station were one of the spiffy new RTD Silverliner V's (#4004).

Denver Union Station has been fully re-opened and the restoration job was magnificent.  Not only does it support both Amtrak and intercity bus services, but it also has a plethora of food and drink options and ample seating.

The new Amtrak ticket window was also open for business.

So the following day I set out for a round-the-city light rail trip on an affordable ~$5 day pass.  Unfortunately, this normally arid city had chosen to have a rare rainy day.  Here we see RTD LRV #316 at the Littleton - Mineral station. 

Riding all the way downtown to Union Station more RTD Silverliners were lined up on track #3, including #4029 which was wrapped for the Colorado Rapids, what I assume is an MLS team.

While there the westbound Amtrak Zephyr was sitting on Track #4 with  P42 #150 in the lead.

Here's a quick video of RTD Silverliner V's arriving and departing from track #1.  The A Line to the Airport had 15 minute service, so missing a headway was no big deal.


Now traveling to the Airport costs $9, however traveling to an intermediate station like Peoria, was included on my day pass so off I went passing Union Pacific GP15-1's #625 and #586 that had somehow avoided storage.

The Peoria station was another passing point and when the trains were running on time they would dwell across from eachother in the station.  Here #4061 prepares to head to the airport.

The Peoria RTD commuter rail station had an across the platform transfer with the new 'R' light rail line and the side-by-side pedestrian crossings combined with the passing point phenomena could cause confusion as with this ADA rider and her attendant who almost gave me a Liveleak video 😏



 Here we see RTD LRV #121 waiting to depart the Peoria Station.  Currently the RTD uniformly uses SD100 style LRV's that I am sure will get replaced with lame low floor models at some point :-(

The new Peoria Station hosted a colony of prairie dogs!  Strange, I thought these things had been driven extinct 🤔

Here we see a line of LRV's laying over at the 13th Avenue 'R' Line Station.  The R Line, that runs through the eastern suburbs, is brand new having opened just a few months prior.

Since I didn't have time to go all the way out to Lincoln on the E/F Line corridor, I got off at Bellevue and waved goodbye to LRV #121.

Here we see R Line LRV #113 heading back towards Peoria.

An E line train transported me to the Broadway Station where I had to wait to transfer to an F in order to go downtown (instead of back to Union Station).  Nope, this wrapped 'C' train with LRV #254 won't help, it's going to Union Station.

Outbound D train at Broadway with LRV #115.

The RTD southern trunk line runs parallel to the former DRG&W Burnham Rail Shops, which Union Pacific shut down completely in February 2016 leaving only a few museum pieces behind.

RTD LRV #114 seen departing the 18th and California station on the original downtown loop.  The spur to Union Station was added around 2002.

Returning to Union Station on foot, my goal was to ride the other RTD commuter rail line to the community of Westminster, just a few miles north of downtown.  This line saw only hourly service, which is more in line with what commuter rail should be.  While killing time waiting for my departure I took some photos of arriving A Trains from the elevated walkway at Union Station.

Here we see RTD Silverliner #4043 arriving for the trip back at Westminster.  An RTD fare inspector decided he didn't like my whole camera thing and took it upon himself to harass me, although he didn't try to claim that what I was doing was illegal.

The paint was still wet at the Westminster station.  This landscaping was not only aesthetically pleasing, but would also help to store/absorb flood waters in case of heavy rain.

Returning to Littleton after a long day of fanning I caught LRV #234 heading northbound at CPV Junction.

Changing train (again!) at Broadway, I caught a BNSF freight train on the adjacent north-south trunk line with ES44AC #5758 and SD70ACe #9386.

Sale freight train in the background as my D Train arrives with LRV #275.

instead of Mineral, my ride was picking me up at the Edgewood Station.  It's funny that how with the doors open, the SD100's look like a chubby Boeing LRV XD

The following day had the sort of weather one typically associated with Denver.  This time I would be headed back downtown to once again catch Amtrak Train 6 as my cousins were following me lead with an Amtrak trip from the Bay Area to Denver.  Arriving at Mineral I was just in time to catch BNSF ES44C4 #6677 pushing a mixed freight southward.

RTD LRV #220 and #223 at Broadway, sunny this time.

Outbound B Line train departing from Union Station Track #8.

Arriving only a few minutes late was Train #6, a conductor taking the train backwards into track #5 from Superliner sleeping car #32067.

Power was came in the form of P42DC's #203 and #176.

After some time with family I caught a twilight train back to Mineral.  En route I encountered BNSF C44-10W #7405 leading a military equipment train.

Which was promptly blocked out by a Union Pacific welded rail train led by AC4400 #6479.  The line between here and Pueblo is actually jointly operated by BNSF and Union Pacific.

Thankfully the rail train cleared up revealing a parade of M1 Abrahms MBT's, M2 Bradly IFV's and a potpourri of other wheeled vehicles.

My last shot of the trip was RTD LRV #312, heading off into the Mineral tail tracks.

Of course that doesn't mean I couldn't find a way to railfan from the flight home.  Here, circling into Philadelphia I bagged Ariel photos of the Reading main line inConshohocken, the Camden and Atlantic main line in Haddonfield and the Atlantic City Railroad main line in Audobon.

Whew!  That was sure a marathon.  This concludes my 2017 Amtrak cross country trek and also my string of Amtrak long distance travel going all the way back to 2009.  At this point I have completed all of my long distance goals, save a possible bonus trip on the Texas Eagle.  So there will not be a 2018 trek.  Hope you enjoyed 9 years worth of photos out the back of Amtrak trains.  Next week I return to my roots, taking photos of position light signals .