Grand Junction Industry Trackage – part 3

: ZTS 765 crossing 4th St
: Western Metals Recycling
: ZTS 765

Here is one of the Rio Grande original facilities remained along its route in Colorado; industry trackage at Grand Junction.
　　
　　
As of Dec. 4, 2018 Trains newswire, the introducing of Precision Scheduled Railroading at Union Pacific will be implemented by the middle of 2019. It is already announced that MNYRO/MRONY was switched to tri-weekly MNYGJ/MGJNY since Dec. 2018. These may bring some changes to the local traffic at Grand Junction and its vicinity. Here, I represent my record of the local traffic at Grand Junction and its vicinity as of summer 2017.


Another railroad track crosses the 4th Ave west of S 7th St. It’s the short industry trackage (2001 Union Pacific Zone-Track-Spot 765, VanGundy’s) serving the scrap metal company. The industry trackage diverts from the West Leg of Wye (ZTS 110) under 5th St viaduct, drawing a semicircle toward the south, crosses the street and reaches the scrap yard.

Van Gundy’s Automobile, Metals & Plating Co.(AMPCO), Inc. was established in 1929[1]. Once, two parallel industry trackage served the company. Unfortunately, however, the one on the east was abandoned and the other on the west was shortened by the construction of Riverside Parkway[2]. The company was absorbed by Western Metals Recycling LLC in 2012[3]. It ships scrap metals by gondola cars.

The large Quonset structure painted beige shown opposite the former Rio Grande main in the first photo was also a scrap metal company to be served by rail: the Grand Junction Metal Movers LLC (ZTS 712, Vacant)[4]. The company had a plan to ship scrap metals to Pueblo, CO. but seems never happened. John O. Spendrup and his Great Basin Development LLC, the owner of the property, also own quite plats at Cisco, Utah.

[1] company overview web page on Bloomberg website;
[2] Apr. 20, 2011 The Business Times;
[3] Feb. 1, 2012 The Daily Sentinel;
[4] Oct. 6, 2011 The Daily Sentinel;
* 2011 photo of UP #1480 switching ZTS 765 at Trainboard.com web site;

: Map of Grand Junction Industries Served by rail


旧D&RGW沿線に今も遺るRio Grandeの遺物を紹介している。

かつては毛細血管のように町中に張り巡らされていた引き込み線も、こんにちでは洋の東西を問わず、見かけることは少なくなってきた。D&RGW本線の中間地点にあたるコロラド州Grand Junctionの町もその例外ではないが、それでもまだ幾カ所か生き残っている。しかし、Union Pacificにおいても、今後Precision Scheduled Railroadingの導入を拡充するとTrains Newswireで報じられていたので、予断を許さない。一昨年、今のうちと考え訪ねてきたのでここで順次紹介する。

本線から大きく半円を描いて道路を横切るこの引き込み線は、Van Gundy’s Automobile, Metals & Plating Co. (ZTS 765, VanGundy’s)という自動車解体工場に供される現役の引き込み線である。無蓋車で鉄くずを発送する。会社名は2012年にWestern Metals Recycling LLCに変わっている。