When I first moved to Colorado, one of my favorite photo targets was the twice-a-week West Local than ran out of North Yard. It still featured a vintage pair of Rio Grande GP30s, even though the railroad running west on the Moffat Tunnel line went from Southern Pacific to Union Pacific the year before. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, it would scurry to Rocky and head up Rocky Spur to serve the still operating Rocky Flats complex, as well as the aggregate plant at the end of the spur. The local also served Mesa Oil on Chem Spur east of Rocky.
On November 20, 1997, the West Local powered by GP30 Nos. 3006 and 3003 departs Rocky, Colorado, with eight cars for North Yard. Thirty-aught-six still carries a working Mars light and class lights, and was a most welcome sight on the quickly changing railroad.
