Colorado Pacific – Arlington to NA Junction

There’s not much to say on this one. It was way too nice today (Feb 27, 2026, and 75 on Colorado’s eastern plains) to sit at my desk and do all the things I should have been doing as a responsible adult today. So instead I fired up the car and went to see if I could find the Colorado Pacific moving around. If not, it gave me a lot of miles to just enjoy my audio book and the open road.

Turns out, luck was on the railfan’s side today and headlights popped up just east of Arlington, CO. 620 was in the lead, running long hood forward, with a cut of 19 loaded grain hoppers. I wound up following it all the way back to NA Junction. After that, I decided to head home rather than wait around to see what happened, since the clouds were rolling in, and I still needed to get to the grocery store before heading home.

It’s nice to have the warm weather, but with no real precipitation or winter temperatures to speak of, it’s going to be a very rough summer in terms of pests and fires. Honestly I’d love to see another month of snow and sub-freezing temps.

First sighting - just east of Arlington, CO — First sighting – just east of Arlington, CO

One of the more scenic trestles on the line, where County Road 4 used to go under east of Sugar City

The line isn't all that scenic, so any trestle provides a little visual interest - and a break in the weeds. — The line isn’t all that scenic, so any trestle provides a little visual interest – and a break in the weeds.

Coming through Sugar City past the old elevator

Sugar City, with some of the abandoned track in the foreground

Passing the sad-looking ex-V&S M420W at Ordway.

As rare as preserved M420s are, I wish this one could find its way to a museum before it gets any worse, but it would probably take a miracle to make it road-worthy at this point.

Between Ordway and Crowley with an ex-MoP signal.

Olney Springs. Trying for literally anything other than yet another 3/4 wedgie shot.

Nearing Pultney, north of Fowler, and only a few miles from the end of the run at the NA Junction interchange.

One of the bridges near Pultney, with the moon hanging in the sky

One of the more unusual cars in the bunch was this unpatched, relatively un-vandalized MP grain hopper. Built in August 1978, it's only got about 18 months before it can't be interchanged and will likely get scrapped. — One of the more unusual cars in the bunch was this unpatched, relatively un-vandalized MP grain hopper. Built in August 1978, it’s only got about 18 months before it can’t be interchanged and will likely get scrapped.

Almost at the end of the run, where the old Missouri Pacific crosses Highway 96 near NA Junction.

This work is copyright 2026 by Nathan D. Holmes, but all text and images are licensed and reusable under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. Basically you’re welcome to use any of this as long as it’s not for commercial purposes, you credit me as the source, and you share any derivative works under the same license. I’d encourage others to consider similar licenses for their works.