On March 27, 1966, CB&Q and D&RGW are pooling motive power west of Denver, which accounts for the presence of Q 953, a GP30 leading an all-GP30 consist, climbing into the Rockies at a location associate with the Rio Grande – Big Ten Curve at Arena. The wind coming off the Front Range can sweep a train right off the tracks here, and so in the near future Rio Grande will plant rows of trees and weld a cut of loaded hopper cars to the siding to create a windbreak. In the background the skyline of Denver gleams in the late afternoon light, giving a small hint of the urban sprawl that will take over this scene in the years to come.
