Western Railroad Discussion > "Beer Run" at Olde Town Arvada (Colorado)

I found out about the BNSF "Beer Run" job when I visited the Colorado Railway Museum in Golden more than 15 years ago. The Beer Run starts its day near the Molson Coors Facilities in Golden, goes to Denver, returns to Golden several hours later and runs near the museum. My memory has faded, but I must have witnessed the return trip to Golden in the afternoon back then.

I discovered Olde Town Arvada while on a joyride on Denver RTD (Regional Transportation District) G Line from Denver Union Station to Wheat Ridge. That was in August of 2020, in the middle of the pandemic. I deduced from looking at maps after the joyride that the tracks adjacent to the G Line went to Golden and the Beer Run ran on it.

I returned to the Denver area in July of last year, and tried to catch the Beer Run at Olde Town Arvada, a town I found very charming. Unfortunately, I had to head to the airport before the "Beer Run" showed up.

Earlier this month, I took advantage of cheap air fare (due to cancellations from the Boeing scare?) and planned a weekday trip to Denver to specifically nab the "Beer Run."

- Caught the return trip to Golden later.
- Return trip, at Terrell Junction.
- Video of the entire eastbound Beer Run at Olde Town Arvada + G Line EMUs.

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Used to run the other way. Denver-Golden-Denver, twice a day

I had plenty of time for my flight home after I nabbed the eastbound Beer Run. I could have wandered around to hunt for either UP or BNSF trains, but I decided to scout the rest of the BNSF Golden Sub, grab lunch, and waited to see what would happen.

Several hours later, the westbound Beer Run showed up, and I was ready at the west end of Olde Town Arvada to get a tight shot of the water tank + train. Since I already got the video I wanted earlier, I initiated a chase with more risk, and got good results, second video.

I didn't know if I could get ahead of the train past Terrell Jct., but while driving on Hwy 58, I spotted a railroad-only bridge across the freeway. I pondered stopping on the shoulder to see if I could nab it from below, but not knowing how the job operated, I risked missing the train and headed to Terrell Jct.

And fortunately, the westbound Beer Run had stopped just behind the junction, to split the train in two, to get ready to take the front of the train to the yard on the south side of Hwy 58. That's the first clip. I cut the video short, because the train came to a stop momentarily, and I was ready to move to another location... the train resumed going south several second later.

I knew that the power had to return to get the rest of the train, presumably to the main Molson Coors facility to the north of Hwy 58, so I found a spot to document the light engines going over Hwy 58 on its return trip, second clip.

Highball Terrell Jct., third clip, and BNSF 8549 has a killer-sounding K5LLA.

I drove west past the museum to nab it one more time, with better light, fourth clip. Entire back half of the train is shown.

- GP30 + Galloping Goose timeout at the museum.
- Coors switcher finishing up, just after I got the fourth clip.
- Video of the westbound Beer Run described above.
 

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Due to "first chase anxiety," I didn't have a chance to record the entire westbound Beer Run in one convenient clip. However, I put together 2 clips here so you can see what cars were taken to the yard at south side of Hwy 58.

First clip is at Terrell Jct., sort of a duplicate from the second video. It covers the cars not quite visible in the second clip, to the end of tank cars. Second clip covers the rest of the front half of the train, to the flexbeam or centerbeam loads. Note the pair of MRL covered hoppers in the train.

That's it for the report.

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Excellent Photos & Videos!  You really did a thorough job.
ALLEN 

Some of those hoppers might have come from the former SLRG in Monte Vista, Co

Excellent report, your homework paid off!

VERY well done!!!!!!!  

Well done! Looks like a productive day, especially considering you took a flight to Denver just to cover the Beer Run.

At Terrell Jct, trains either turn south to enter the lower yard at Coors, or continue west to enter the upper yard.

There are actually quite a few industries located along the Golden Sub that have rail access. The upper yard is used to switch cars that are not Coors-bound, but are instead going to other industries along the line. All the Coors-related car traffic heads to the lower yard. There is a local (the Golden Switch) that runs east out of the upper yard Monday through Friday. It is usually powered by a pair of SD40-2s. It generally departs after the Beer Run to switch out industries, and then returns to the upper yard ahead of the westbound Beer Run.

The power for the Golden Switch typically returns to Denver on Saturday morning (on the Beer Run) for servicing. The two units then return to the upper yard Sunday afternoon with the Beer Run.

I remember back in the 1980s, the Beer Run generally had three SDP40s for power! Burlington Northern had six SDP40s (formerly Great Northern) on the roster, and three seemed to live in Denver and run on the Beer Run.

Certainly an interesting line. Great coverage.

Kevin Morgan
Arvada, CO
ColoradoRailfan.com

Thanks for sharing all of this.   Great information, photos and video.

Questions:

Any photos of the Coors Facility?

What type of cars does the facility normal receive?   I assume, hoppers, refrigerator, tanks?    Growing up I lived near and Budweiser Plant that received all types of cars and in the day was service by the SP twice a day.  Today from Google Maps it looks like not much rail in or outl.

Take care, be safe.

Northridge Switcher

ColoradoRailfan Wrote:
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> Well done! Looks like a productive day, especially
> considering you took a flight to Denver just to
> cover the Beer Run.

Thanks, and thanks again for filling in the details. I spotted some of the industries that the Golden Switch local might serve, so I might try to nab it in the future.
 

northridgeswitcher Wrote:
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> Any photos of the Coors Facility?

Didn't take any photos, but near the end of the 2nd video, you can see the Coors Brewing facility in the distance. It's a big complex when viewed up close.

And the 2nd video capture is of the Rocky Mountain Metal Container buildings to the east. The lower yard ColoradoRailfan mentioned is behind that complex, but not visible.

> What type of cars does the facility normal
> receive?   I assume, hoppers, refrigerator,
> tanks? 

Yup. All those types of cars are on the train, especially the front half on the return trip.
 

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Thanks so much for the adding the photos and the additional info.

Wonder how many cars go in and out of the Coors Plant daily.  Sounds like they have a good volume which is great for all parties (the plant and the railroad).

Again thank you for sharing.

Northridge Switcher